RFID vehicle management system and method

• US 7,356,394 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ent Services Development Corporation LP (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burgess, Patrick E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/033,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20060155430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

This disclosure describes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) vehicle management system and method. For example, an RFID tag may be coupled with a particular vehicle and operable to store identifying information associated with the vehicle and to automatically communicate the identifying information to an RFID tag reader via a wireless communication. In another example, the method may include querying a first RFID tag coupled with a first vehicle for identifying information of the first vehicle. A second RFID tag coupled with a second vehicle for second identifying information of the second vehicle. The first identifying information and the second identifying information is dynamically communicated to a user.

Claims

1. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag for managing a vehicle, the RFID tag coupled with the vehicle through an onboard computer, communicably coupled with a flash memory, and operable to:

store identifying information associated with the vehicle, the identifying information comprising static data describing the vehicle;

automatically communicate the identifying information to an RFID tag reader via a wireless communication;

automatically communicate electronic representations of varying vehicle characteristics, stored in the flash memory, to the RFID tag reader via the wireless communication;

customize at least one of the varying vehicle characteristics through a radio control console in the vehicle; and

activate a vehicle security feature upon detection of being decoupled from the vehicle.

2. The RFID tag of claim 1, the identifying information comprising one or more of the following:

a vehicle identification number of the vehicle;

an identifier associated with a plant that at least partially manufactured the vehicle;

a make of the vehicle;

a model of the vehicle; and

an engine type of the vehicle.

3. The RFID tag of claim 1, the varying vehicle characteristics comprising one or more of the following:

maintenance information of the vehicle;

ownership data of the vehicle;

mileage of the vehicle;

date of purchase;

information of the dealership associated with the vehicle;

warranty information;

asking price of the vehicle;

invoice price of the vehicle;

owner manual; and

diagnostic system information.

4. The RFID tag of claim 3, the varying vehicle characteristics further comprising:

a current setting;

an oil life monitor reset;

a tire inflation monitor reset;

a delayed headlamp illumination;

an automatic door lock and unlock;

a remote visual/audible verification of remote lock/unlock;

an enable/disable content theft;

an enable/disable trunk lock shock sensor;

a short or long horn with remote lock/unlock; and

a key fob transmitter programming.

5. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication is encoded.

6. The RFID tag of claim 1, the vehicle security feature comprising one of the following:

disabling the vehicle engine; and

disabling the vehicle onboard computer.

7. The RFID tag of claim 1, the radio control console coupled to the vehicle using a serial data link.

8. A method for managing vehicles using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) comprising:

querying a first RFID tag, coupled with a first vehicle through a first onboard computer and communicably coupled with a flash memory, for identifying information of the first vehicle and for varying vehicle characteristics of the first vehicle stored in the flash memory, the first RFID tag operable to activate a vehicle security feature upon detection of the removal of the first RFID tag from the first vehicle;

querying a second RFID tag coupled with a second vehicle through a second onboard computer for identifying information of the second vehicle;

customizing at least one of the varying vehicle characteristics of the first vehicle through a radio control console in the first vehicle; and

automatically communicating the first identifying information, the first varying vehicle characteristics, and the second identifying information to a user.

9. The method of claim 8, the first identifying information comprising one or more of the following:

a vehicle identification number of the vehicle;

an identifier associated with a plant that at least partially manufactured the vehicle;

a make of the vehicle;

a model of the vehicle; and

an engine type of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

dynamically identifying at least one parameter for filtering the vehicles; and

automatically comparing the first varying vehicle characteristics to the one or more identified parameters.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising communicating a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to the user based on the comparison.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising identifying the first vehicle as a vehicle in need of maintenance based on the comparison.

13. The method of claim 8, the varying vehicle characteristics comprising one or more of the following:

maintenance information of the vehicle;

ownership data of the vehicle;

mileage of the vehicle;

date of purchase;

information of the dealership associated with the vehicle;

warranty information;

asking price of the vehicle;

invoice price of the vehicle;

owner manual; and

diagnostic system information.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the query of the first RFID tag comprises a first query of the first RFID tag at a factory and the method further comprising querying the first RFID tag at a storage location.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising querying the first RFID tag at a shipping point.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein communicating the first identifying information, the first varying vehicle characteristics, and the second identifying information to the user comprises:

identifying a first location of the first vehicle;

identifying a second location of the second vehicle;

generating a graphical representation of a vehicle lot associated with the first and second vehicles, the graphical representation identifying the identified first location and the identified second location;

embedding the first identifying information into the graphical representation of the identified first location for presentation to the user; and

embedding the first varying vehicle characteristics into the graphical representation of the identified first location for presentation to the user.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein querying the first and second RFID tags occurs through an encoded communication.

18. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) vehicle management system comprising:

a first RFID tag coupled with a first vehicle through a first onboard computer and communicably coupled with a first flash memory, operable to activate a vehicle security feature upon detection of being decoupled from the first vehicle and customize at least one varying vehicle characteristic through a radio control console in the first vehicle;

a second RFID tag coupled with a second vehicle through a second onboard computer; and

a first RFID tag reader operable to;

query the first RFID tag for identifying information of the first vehicle;

query the first RFID tag for varying vehicle characteristics of the first vehicle; and

dynamically communicate the identifying information and the varying vehicle characteristics to a user.

19. The RFID vehicle management system of claim 18, the identifying information comprising one or more of the following:

a vehicle identification number of the coupled vehicle;

an identifier associated with a plant that at least partially manufactured the coupled vehicle;

a make of the coupled vehicle;

a model of the coupled vehicle; and

an engine type of the coupled vehicle.

20. The RFID vehicle management system of claim 18, the first RFID tag reader located at a manufacturing plant.

21. The RFID vehicle management system of claim 18, the first RFID tag reader located at a dealership.

22. The RFID vehicle management system of claim 18, further comprising a workstation, the workstation operable to:

identify a first location of the first vehicle;

identify a second location of the second vehicle;

generate a graphical representation of a vehicle lot associated with the first and second vehicles, the graphical representation identifying the identified first location and the identified second location; and

embed the first identifying information into the graphical representation of the identified first location for presentation to the user.