VEHICULAR SIGNATURING APPARATUS AND ASSOCIATED METHODOLOGY

• US 20090251335A1
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ent Services Development Corporation LP (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: MOON, JAMES NEIL
• Granted Patent: US 7,965,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 a characteristic indicia of vehicular light energy;

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

an analyzer adapted to receive 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 sensor 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 an audio file.

6. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 5 wherein the audio file comprises a frequency representation of the vehicular light energy sensed by said sensor.

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 database-contained master vehicle information, comparison made by said comparator pursuant to identification of the vehicular information associated with the characteristic information.

10. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 9 wherein said analyzer is adapted to receive indication of comparison made by said comparator, 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 vehicular correspondence with the identification made by said identifier.

12. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said analyzer comprises a vehicular surveyor.

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

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

15. The vehicular signaturing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said analyzer comprises a mechanical fault detector.

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

sensing a characteristic indicia of vehicular light energy;

identifying vehicular information associated with the characteristic information; and

analyzing the identification pursuant to a vehicular-signaturing functionality.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said sensing comprises sensing an acoustic pattern 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 information with a master vehicular-information database.

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

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

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.