Method and system for recording and transferring motor vehicle information

• US 8,971,582 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Recognition Network Incorporated (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digital Recognition Network Incorporated (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: DeHart, Cort
• Primary Examiner(s): Newman, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US13/412,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20120250938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 382/105, 382/181, 382/218
• US Class Current: 382/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/08 Feature extraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/12 Classification; Matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/62 Text, e.g. of license plates, overlay texts or captions on TV images
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station

Abstract

An improved system and method for capturing and uploading pertinent information related to a motor vehicle that is accurate, simple to use, and may be implemented on a wide-array of mobile devices in a cost-effective manner. Methods are also disclosed for users of the mobile devices to send identifying information to a database, where the identifying information is compared to other motor vehicle identifying information located the database.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing information related to a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

using a handheld mobile device, capturing image data of at least a portion of a motor vehicle and GPS coordinates of the handheld mobile device at the time the image data was captured;

receiving automobile information at the handheld mobile device, wherein the automobile information relates to attributes of the motor vehicle;

saving the image data together with the automobile information on the handheld mobile device to form a first set of identifying information;

establishing a communication between the handheld mobile device and a database, the database containing a second set of identifying information for a plurality of motor vehicles;

uploading the first set of identifying information from the handheld mobile device to the database;

receiving at the handheld mobile device a vehicle license plate data that has been extracted from the image data;

sending confirmation from the handheld mobile device that the vehicle license plate data is accurate;

after sending confirmation from the handheld mobile device that the vehicle license plate data is accurate, receiving at the handheld mobile device a result of a comparison of the first and second sets of identifying information; and

displaying on a user interface of the handheld mobile device one or more user instructions relating to the automobile.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving an indication as to whether there is a correlation between the first and second sets of identifying information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the image data of a motor vehicle comprises a photograph of a license plate attached to the motor vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the automobile information comprises license plate information input to the handheld mobile device by a user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the automobile information comprises motor vehicle make and model information input to the handheld mobile device by a user.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the handheld mobile device receives the indication over a wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the user inputs the automobile information without capturing a photograph of the motor vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the automobile information is automatically input to the handheld mobile device from an analysis of the image data.

9. A system for analyzing information related to tracking a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

a handheld mobile device including;

a camera for capturing an image data of the motor vehicle;

a GPS transceiver for determining a location of the handheld mobile device when the camera captures the image data;

an input device configured for user input of automobile information about the motor vehicle; and

a display engine to display instructions regarding the automobile;

a processor for processing the image data of the motor vehicle to extract image information about the motor vehicle;

the handheld mobile device further comprising a user confirmation engine for receiving user confirmation that the extracted image information is accurate, wherein the extracted image information and the automobile information together comprise a first set of identifying information;

a communication link for establishing communication between the mobile device and a database;

the database comprising a second set of identifying information concerning a plurality of motor vehicles;

a calculation engine for comparing, after the user confirmation engine has received user confirmation that the extracted image information is accurate, the first set of identifying information from the mobile device with the second set of identifying information from the database and indicating correlation between the first set of identifying information and the second set of identifying information; and

a notification engine for sending a notification to the handheld mobile device if there is a correlation between the first set of identifying information and the second set of identifying information.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a software program on the mobile device for capturing a photograph, receiving automobile information from a user and transferring the first set of information to a database.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the second set of identifying information comprises license plate information.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the automobile information from the mobile device comprises motor vehicle make and model information input by the user.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the automobile information comprises a vehicle identification number that is input by a user without the camera having captured image data of the motor vehicle.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the automobile information is automatically input from an analysis of the image data.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the communications link is a wireless communications link.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the wireless communications link transfers information over the internet.

17. A method of analyzing information related to a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a communication between a handheld mobile device and a database, the database containing a second set of identifying information for a plurality of motor vehicles;

receiving image data of at least a portion of a motor vehicle from the handheld mobile device and GPS coordinates of the handheld mobile device at the time the image data was taken;

receiving automobile information from the handheld mobile device, wherein the automobile information relates to attributes of the motor vehicle, wherein the image data together with the automobile information concerning the vehicle form a first set of identifying information;

analyzing the image data to extract vehicle license plate data;

sending the vehicle license plate data to the handheld mobile device;

receiving user confirmation that the vehicle license plate data is accurate;

comparing the first and second sets of identifying information to determine whether there is a correlation between the first and second sets of identifying information;

sending a notification to the handheld mobile device if there is a correlation between the first and second sets of identifying information; and

sending user instructions to the handheld mobile device regarding the automobile.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the handheld mobile device is a mobile phone.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the user instructions comprise instructions to repossess the motor vehicle.