Vehicular signaturing apparatus and associated methodology

• US 7,965,199 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ent Services Development Corporation LP (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Moon, James Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullen; Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US12/033,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 340/933, 340/937, 340/942, 382/103, 348/148, 348/149
• US Class Current: 340/933
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/015 with provision for distinguishing between two or more types of vehicles, e.g. between motor-cars and cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors

Abstract

A vehicular signaturing device and associated methodology by which to identify a vehicle. A sensor senses light energy emitted by the vehicle, such as light energy generated by a headlight assembly of the vehicle. The sensed energy is compared with database-stored information that is indexed together with standard vehicular types, models, and manufacture-year to identify the vehicular type. Once identified, the information related to identification is used pursuant to further vehicular-signaling functionality.

Claims

1. A vehicular signaturing apparatus comprising:

a sensor configured to sense characteristic indicia of vehicular light energy from a vehicle;

an identifier adapted to receive an indication of the characteristic indicia sensed by said sensor, said identifier configured to identify vehicular information comprising a make of said vehicle associated with the characteristic indicia; and

an analyzer adapted to receive an identification made by said identifier, said analyzer configured to analyze the identification pursuant to a vehicular-signaturing functionality.

2. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sensor comprises a light transducer configured to transduce detected vehicular light energy into electrical form.

3. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a characteristic detector configured to detect the characteristic indicia of the vehicular light energy.

4. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vehicular light energy sensed by said sensor comprises vehicular headlamp light energy.

5. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said characteristic indicia is represented by a magnitude representation over a range of frequencies of the light energy.

6. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said vehicular information further comprises a model of said vehicle.

7. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said identifier comprises a characteristic-indicia storage element configured to store the indication of the characteristic indicia.

8. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 7 wherein said identifier further comprises a database storage element configured to store database information of master vehicle information of a plurality of vehicles.

9. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said identifier further comprises a comparator configured to compare the indication of the characteristic indicia with entries in a database containing master vehicle information to obtain the vehicular information associated with the characteristic indicia.

10. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 9 wherein said analyzer receives an indication of the comparison made by said comparator and conducts an, analysis pursuant to the vehicular-signaturing functionality utilizing the indication of the comparison.

11. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said analyzer comprises a security verifier configured to verify that said vehicular information indicates a vehicle that is authorized to pass a security checkpoint.

12. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said analyzer comprises a vehicular surveyor that keeps a log of said vehicular information for vehicles passing a checkpoint on a roadway.

13. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said analyzer comprises a media displayer configured to display selected media, said media being selected in response to the vehicular information produced by said identifier.

14. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said analyzer comprises a speed determiner.

15. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said analyzer further receives said indication of the characteristic indicia sensed by said sensor via an output of said identifier and comprises a mechanical fault detector for detecting a mechanical fault of said vehicle based on said vehicular light energy sensed by said sensor.

16. A method for signaturing a vehicle, said method comprising:

sensing characteristic indicia of vehicular light energy from a vehicle;

identifying vehicular information associated with the characteristic indicia, said vehicular information comprising a make of said vehicle; and

analyzing the vehicular information pursuant to a vehicular-signaturing functionality.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said sensing comprises sensing a magnitude over a range of frequencies of the vehicular light energy.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said sensing comprises sensing vehicular headlight energy.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said identifying comprises comparing the characteristic indicia with a master vehicular-information database.

20. An apparatus for identifying a vehicular signature, said apparatus comprising:

a light-energy recorder configured to record characteristic indicia of vehicular light energy from a vehicle;

a storage element configured to store a vehicular-information database containing a plurality of vehicle data entries; and

a comparator configured to compare the characteristic indicia of the vehicular light energy with vehicle data entries stored at said storage element to identify a make of said vehicle.