License plate and VIN scan/code catalog and information lookup
First Claim
1. A portable electronic device comprising:
- a housing having a display;
a memory within the housing in which machine instructions and data are stored, including software and an access code unique to the software that grants access to a restricted access database of components of an identified component manufacturer, the software comprising instructions to export the access code through the communication circuitry along with the license plate number;
a user interface from which a user inputs or selects an option of a means for a vehicle part lookup, including the option to select between entry of the license plate number by keyboard or voice entry;
communication circuitry within the housing, the communication circuitry comprising signal transmitting and signal receiving capability;
wherein the signal transmitting capability sends the license plate number to a decoder external to the portable electronic device to decode the license plate number directly into one or more of the make, model, year, type and engine or into a VIN, which is subsequently decoded into one or more of a make, model, year, type and engine of a vehicle;
wherein the signal receiving capability receives the one or more of the make, model, year, type and engine from the decoder, the signal transmitting capability sends the one or more of the make, model, year, type and engine to the restricted access database, external to the portable electronic device, along with the access code to look up vehicle component information related to the license plate number, and the signal receiving capability receives information sent from the restricted access database to the portable electronic device in response to the lookup of component information; and
an information processor to process the information received by the signal receiving capability of the communication circuitry into a displayable form for presentation on the display.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A portable electronic device is disclosed that includes a housing with a display; a memory in the housing that stores machine instructions and data, which can include an access code to a restricted database of vehicle components of an identified component manufacturer; a user interface enabling a user to select options; a device for importing a VIN or code containing the VIN; and communications circuitry. The communications circuitry includes signal transmitting and signal receiving capability. The signal receiving capability receives a VIN or code containing the VIN from the device for importing a VIN, and the signal transmitting capability sends the VIN and an access code to a restricted access database to lookup vehicle component information. The signal receiving capability receives the vehicle component information from the restricted access database, and an information processor processes the vehicle component information for presentation on the display.
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A portable electronic device comprising:
-
a housing having a display; a memory within the housing in which machine instructions and data are stored, including software and an access code unique to the software that grants access to a restricted access database of components of an identified component manufacturer, the software comprising instructions to export the access code through the communication circuitry along with the license plate number; a user interface from which a user inputs or selects an option of a means for a vehicle part lookup, including the option to select between entry of the license plate number by keyboard or voice entry; communication circuitry within the housing, the communication circuitry comprising signal transmitting and signal receiving capability; wherein the signal transmitting capability sends the license plate number to a decoder external to the portable electronic device to decode the license plate number directly into one or more of the make, model, year, type and engine or into a VIN, which is subsequently decoded into one or more of a make, model, year, type and engine of a vehicle; wherein the signal receiving capability receives the one or more of the make, model, year, type and engine from the decoder, the signal transmitting capability sends the one or more of the make, model, year, type and engine to the restricted access database, external to the portable electronic device, along with the access code to look up vehicle component information related to the license plate number, and the signal receiving capability receives information sent from the restricted access database to the portable electronic device in response to the lookup of component information; and an information processor to process the information received by the signal receiving capability of the communication circuitry into a displayable form for presentation on the display. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method for accessing the contents of a component manufacturer'"'"'s restricted access database of part-related information, the method comprising:
-
providing software and a password unique to the software that grants access to a restricted access database of part-related information of an identified component manufacturer that are storable in a portable electronic device, wherein the software enables a user to initiate a component lookup by selecting one of a plurality of a means for a vehicle part lookup, which includes the option to select between entry of a license plate number by keyboard or voice entry, and instructs to send the license plate number to a decoder external to the portable electronic device, and receives vehicle identification information from the decoder if the user selects the option to enter the license plate number; providing the restricted access database of part-related data specific to one component manufacturer; and wherein the software instructs the portable electronic device to export the password unique to the software to the restricted access database for verification; and wherein the software instructs the portable electronic device, subsequent to verification of the password, to communicate with the database to use the vehicle identification information from the decoder to look up component related data stored therein and to send said data to the portable electronic device for display. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
-
Specification