2926 results about "Vehicle identification" patented technology

Provided is an apparatus for identifying license plates, and includes camera means for generating a video signal corresponding to an observed scene, the camera means being mounted in a mobile vehicle and oriented so as to observe license plates of other vehicles. Processing means processes the video signal so as to obtain textual representations of vehicle license plate numbers in the video signal, and storage means stores a list of target vehicle license plate numbers. Comparison means compares the textual representations of vehicle license plate numbers in the video signal against the list of target vehicle license plate numbers to determine if there is a match, and then output means notifies a user of the match.

A novel system for gathering, analyzing and storing information for the purpose of motor vehicle theft and vandalism investigations. An on board secure vehicle mounted surveillance system, that can monitor the vehicle for brief or extended periods of time that can operate whether the vehicle is on or off, having a video camera for generating video signals of an incident proximate the vehicle, having an audio device for monitoring events proximate the vehicle, motion sensor to activate the system and lights activated by the system to illuminate the area viewed by the camera. The video signals are digitized into a synchronized data file, carrying a unique vehicle identification and a time indicator with other input data occurring on or about the vehicle such as audio recordings and the like. The file is encrypted and stored on a large capacity, code accessible device or transmitted, via a transceiver, real time to authorities and / or an off vehicle storage site. Once written, the encrypted file cannot be altered or corrupted, decrypted without the encryption key, or accessed without the access authorization code. The stored data file can be down loaded to be used as evidence.

Provided is a method of receiving data from a vehicle onboard computer. The onboard computer is configured to transmit vehicle identification data in response to receipt of an identification request, which is transmitted in a basic communication protocol. The onboard computer is further configured to transmit private operational data in response to receipt of a private data request. The private data request is transmitted in a diagnostic protocol. The method includes connecting a scan tool to the onboard computer, and polling the onboard computer to identify the basic communication protocol. The identification request is then transmitted to the onboard computer. Vehicle identification data is subsequently received from the onboard computer. A protocol database having a plurality of diagnostic protocols is then accessed. Each diagnostic protocol is associated with respective vehicle identification data. The diagnostic protocol is then determined based on the received vehicle identification data.

A parking management system that facilitates motorist guidance, payment, violation detection, and enforcement using highly accurate space occupancy detection, unique vehicle identification and guidance displays is described. The system enables reduced time to find parking, congestion mitigation, accurate violation detection, and easier enforcement, and increased payment and enforcement revenues to cities. A system facilitating intersection management is also described having applicability to road intersections and railway crossings.

A method for assessing, pricing, and provisioning distance-based vehicle insurance is disclosed. Receiving identification information of a customer and an associated vehicle, a current odometer reading of the vehicle, and a garaging location of the vehicle is disclosed. The customer is provided with a quote including a policy rate identifying a cost per distance unit based on the customer and vehicle identification information and the garaging location. Performing a purchase transaction for an insurance policy in response to the customer selecting one of the items for purchase, wherein coverage provided by the insurance policy expires based on the earlier of an odometer expiration value occurring and a predetermined time limit is disclosed. The expiration odometer value is the sum of the current odometer reading and the total number of distance units included in the selected item. The current odometer reading is not audited prior to or during the purchase transaction.

A vehicle status device and system for remotely updating and monitoring the status of a vehicle. The vehicle status device is located in a vehicle and reports status information for the vehicle and an owner to an interrogating unit. The device includes a database of status information for the vehicle and owner. An update receiver in the device receives updated information from a wide area paging network for storage in the database. An interrogation receiver receives an interrogation signal from the interrogating unit, and a response transmitter transmits encoded status information, including a vehicle identification (VID), to the interrogating unit in response. The updating and monitoring system also includes an interrogating unit which includes an interrogation transmitter for transmitting the interrogation signal to the vehicle status device, and a response receiver for receiving the encoded status information from the vehicle status device. A processor decodes the encoded status information and translates it into plain language for presentation to an operator. The system may be implemented as a ticket-less toll system by providing a database of subscribers in which VIDs are matched to subscriber identities, credit card information, and current status as valid subscribers.

The present invention relates to a ‘smart parking system’ comprising of 1) ‘smart parking meter’ containing a radiofrequency reader (RF reader); 2) radiofrequency tag (RF tag) containing vehicle identification information, that is mounted on vehicles; 3) a central control station communicating with a multitude of ‘smart parking meters’ to form a network; 4) the said central control station having a central computer system programmed with parking enforcement instructions. RF reader is provided with means to interrogate the RF tag of a vehicle parked in the corresponding parking stall; and transmit information obtained thereby to a central control station. The central control station has means to identify the said vehicle and determine whether or not the said vehicle is legally parked. If a parking violation is detected, the central computer system remotely instructs the corresponding ‘smart parking meter’ to issue a parking ticket. Means are also provided in the ‘smart parking system’ to determine if a vehicle parked in a parking stall has previous unpaid parking tickets. The ‘smart parking system’ also has means to determine if a vehicle wanted by law enforcement personnel is present in a parking stall within its network. According to yet another aspect, the ‘smart parking system’ has means to determine if a parking stall in its network is vacant and to reserve the said vacant stall for an authorized driver. Further, means are provided in the ‘smart parking meter’ to accept multiple forms of payment.

A system for monitoring and tracking vehicles in parking locations, public roadways and highway entrances and exits and other public vehicle access areas is provided, such as to monitor and track vehicles in parking spaces, public roadways and highways without the need for parking or traffic personnel. The system includes a meter system that generates image data of a vehicle in a parking space, public roadway and highway entrances and exits such as by creating an array of pixel data in a predetermined field of view that includes a vehicle identification tag and facial imaging. An enforcement and tracking system receives the image data and generates a vehicle license number, vehicle tag identification number and facial image from the image data, such as by analyzing the image data to identify the vehicle license number, vehicle tag identification number and facial image based on the expected location of the license tag, identification tag and field of view image data characteristics of the license tag, facial image or other suitable data. From the image data acquired, monitoring of parking spaces is performed and violation citations or notices are generated for errant vehicles in parking locations as well as notification to law enforcement and homeland security agencies of vehicles and facial images identified as being on a watch list.

A transceiver in a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication and safety system that regularly broadcasts safety messages, comprising location, heading and speed, of a subject vehicle, that are free of MAC and IP addresses. The V2V system uses the location of the subject vehicle for vehicle identification, in place of a pre-assigned vehicle ID. Some embodiments broadcast safety message in self-assigned time slots in a synchronized TDMA broadcast architecture, with unusually short inter-message gaps and unusually short messages. The TDMA frame is partitioned into three prioritized time interval classes with differing priorities and dynamically changing sizes based on demand of higher-priority messages. Time slot selection uses weighted algorithms. Selected time slots are held until either a message collision or a timeout occurs. A transceiver equipped vehicle may proxy a different subject vehicle. Embodiments include optimized traffic flow and signal timing.

Methods and systems are disclosed for monitoring vehicular traffic congestion through the use of inter-vehicle communication and traffic chain counters. Data packets including counter, vehicle identification, direction, location, and speed information are transmitted between vehicles via short-range wireless communications. A receiving vehicle edits a data packet if the data packet reflects that the receiving vehicle has not yet edited the packet and is traveling in substantially the same direction as the vehicle which transmitted the packet to the receiving vehicle. If a receiving vehicle is the last vehicle to edit a packet, the receiving vehicle transmits a reporting packet to a traffic monitoring server via long-range wireless communications.

Certain example embodiments of the disclosed technology may include systems and methods for telematics monitoring. An example method is provided that includes receiving, at a mobile computing device, and from a Vehicle Identification Unit (VIU), identification (ID) data representing a first vehicle. The method further includes receiving, by the mobile computing device, sensor data from one or more sensors associated with the mobile computing device. Certain embodiments may further include receiving, at an Operational Measurement Unit (OMU), an operation indication associated with the first vehicle. The OMU may include an operational measurement component configured to advance an operational count in response to receiving the operation indication. Certain example embodiments may include transmitting telematics data by the mobile computing device. In certain embodiments, the telematics data may include least a portion of one or more of the ID data, the sensor data, and / or the operational count data.

The Personnel And Vehicle Identification System Using Three Factors of Authentication (PAVIS-3) invention is a novel approach that combines the three authentication factors using contactless token, contactless biometric, and the unique position of said biometric presented by a person to allow rapid authentication and access to a base or building. This invention has the real potential to reduce manpower at base gates, building, and greatly improve system security. A vehicle with a contactless token such as an RFID, proximity chip, or barcode, approaches an entry lane at a base, the contactless token is read, verified, (first factor) queuing the individual's file with a biometric template and personal identification position. The biometric image is taken, reduced to a template, compared with the template in the database and if matched (second factor) the body position is examined to see if it matches the personal identification position (third factor) as a normal or covert distressed signal. If normal the vehicle is given a green light, if any match fails the vehicle is directed to the visitor's lane.

A method, apparatus and computer program products are provided for grouping a plurality of vehicles together into a platoon and using navigation and other available data to optimize the efficiencies of operating the vehicles together as a platoon. Methods may include receiving a first trip request including a first vehicle identification, trip destination, and associated preferences; receiving a second trip request including a second vehicle identification, trip destination, and associated preferences; and generating a platooning plan including assignment of platoon leader to the first vehicle identification and a joining location where a vehicle of the first vehicle identification is to form a platoon with a vehicle of the second identification. Methods may include joining the first vehicle and the second vehicle in a secure vehicle-to-vehicle communication session.

The invention is directed to a system for generating a lead by determining an estimated for a vehicle. The system may receive vehicle identifying information; receive seller identifying information; receive information for a sample of vehicles of the same make and model as the vehicle; determine a value for vehicle using the vehicle identifying information and the historical information, wholesale sales through auctions and at dealerships; (and also vehicle condition information if provided), and determine an estimated value, estimated value range, or offer price for the vehicle using predetermined buyer criteria and the determined value. This offer may then be transmitted to the seller in the form of a price certificate, appraisal report, etc., and the seller identifying information may be transmittal to the buyer as a sales lead.

A method and a system for identifying a vehicle in a parking area includes receiving video data from a video camera observing a parking area from a first field of view over duration of time and receiving image data from a still camera observing a second field of view overlapping the first field of view. The method includes tracking a location of a vehicle across a sequence of frames. The tracking includes determining a time instant at which each frame was captured. The method includes comparing a select frame captured by the video camera with an image captured by the still camera. Based on the comparing, the method includes matching the vehicle in the image with the vehicle in the frame. The method includes determining a license plate number of the vehicle by locating a license plate on the vehicle in the image.

The invention discloses a plate number, body color and mark identification-based equipment and a plate number, body color and mark identification-based method for identifying fake plate vehicles. The equipment comprises a video detector, a plate number positioner, a plate number identifier, a body color identifier, a mark positioner, a mark identifier, a database query and alarm device and the like. According to the characteristic that the local edge information of the plate number image is rich, the equipment can accurately position a plate number in a captured image, extract a body region and a rough mark position by using the position of the plate number, and accurately extract a body color and a mark according to the extracted rough position; and then the equipment identifies the characters of the plate number, the body color and the mark, compares the results of the three identifications with data stored in a database to determine if a vehicle is a fake plate vehicle, and gives an automatic alarm for law enforcement officials to stop the vehicle for further check if the vehicle is a fake plate vehicle. The equipment is good in structure, simple in operation, high in judgment accuracy and few in manually set parameters. The equipment can also be used for catching escaped defaulting vehicles, stolen vehicles and peccancy vehicles and the like.

The invention is directed to method and system for providing automatic vehicle registration and control via transceiver-facilitated wireless communication of a unique vehicle identification code and a vehicle location code from a vehicle.

A method and network for transmitting a message from a sender to a recipient wherein the sender has no previous knowledge of the recipient's identity. A method is provided for registering a user with a web-enabled database service by providing correlating data on the user's identity and vehicle license plate number and / or other vehicle identifying information. A sender observing a vehicle can send a message to the recipient by logging onto the service and sending a message including the license plate number of the vehicle or other vehicle identifying information. The service will forward the message to the recipient by looking up the vehicle information, discerning the most appropriate communications method(s), and causing the message to be transmitted to the recipient or stored for later delivery.

The present invention relates generally to automatic insurance verification, and more specifically, to a non-invasive method and system for automatically determining, by any person with computer, wireless, or telephone access and in real-time, if an insured object of value is or is not insured irrespective of insurer location, jurisdiction, language, type, time, and also the internal operations, software platform and communications protocols used by insurers and / or governmental entities. It is an insurance verification, not an insurance reporting or tracking system and because it maintains no personal data of any kind, and can modify no record, it can deliver only very limited features regarding reporting or tracking. The present invention can however, provide absolute assurance of current insurance status at all times, provides a unique method of access which resolves all current failures and is non-invasive, providing complete privacy for all parties involved, (the absence of all personal information and the access method used ensures that all access and data is inherently non-invasive). This invention further ensures that any check of status, at insurer or governmental registration, (including “e-registration”, inspection, or any other location and time when and where a jurisdiction or insurer requires such a status check, will result in an instant and totally accurate status response. This system is based upon the assignment of a unique identifier, also known in this present art as a “UC” or “Unique Code” which then provides a method of accurate data, (including status checks), without reliance on “VINs”, (vehicle identification numbers), policy number or other identifiers which are often incorrect. The UC is assigned to any combination of two or more elements that are “gleaned”, (file field extraction and related system and methods), one of which is always current status. The extraction of these selected fields from data streams may be done by a number of prior art techniques, and the three most common have been detailed. First demonstrated to government officials in 1999 as a medical version and later the same year as a vehicle version, it has been demonstrated and documented since to a great many Federal and State governmental entities. This present invention has also been demonstrated to several foreign governments but incorporates no technologies that create any possible security risk for any government, insurer, individual, and especially to the national security of the United States.

A solution for evaluating a vehicle using infrared data is provided. In particular, evaluation data for the vehicle is obtained, which includes infrared data for a plurality of sides of the vehicle as well as vehicle identification data for distinguishing the vehicle from another vehicle. The infrared data is processed to enhance a set of signal features. Additional non-infrared based data also can be obtained for evaluating the vehicle. The evaluation data is analyzed to determine whether one or more anomalies are present. The anomaly(ies) can be correlated with a possible problem with a component of the vehicle. Data on the anomaly, problem, and / or vehicle identification can be provided for use on another system, such as a remote inspection station, maintenance system, and / or the like.

A health monitoring system is provided for a vehicle with an identity configured to travel on a surface. The system includes a body positioned on the surface and configured to stimulate a dynamic response from the vehicle as the vehicle travels over the body; a response sensor associated with the body and configured to measure the dynamic response from the vehicle; and an identification sensor associated with the body and configured to collect data corresponding to the identity of the vehicle.

A system for authorizing vehicle and passenger entry into a secure area while the vehicle is moving is disclosed. The vehicle passenger authorization system verifies the identity of the vehicle and its occupants while the vehicle is moving, thereby eliminating the need for the vehicle to stop as it approaches a secure area. Vehicle imaging technology is used to identify the vehicle. Biometric technology is used to confirm the identity of the occupants of the vehicle. By combining the biometric information of the occupants with the vehicle identification, an efficient and safe means for automatically controlling the flow of traffic into secured areas is disclosed.

The invention belongs to the field of intelligent automobile road detection and relates to a method for detecting road information and identifying forward vehicles based on vision. The method comprises image preprocessing, lane line characteristic parameter extraction, region-of-interest segmentation and vehicle outline identification. According to the method for detecting the road information and identifying the forward vehicles based on vision, the complexity of computation is simplified by extracting the regions of interest, filtering out background regions and reducing the processing scope; the processing result of each frame of image is obtained through fixed computation times by use of a line-by-line retrieval method, and differing from the characteristic, namely linear fitting on each bright spot, of Hough conversion, the method has outstanding advantages in algorithm instantaneity; the instantaneity of the Robinson direction model operator is improved, and an intermediate variable is set to reduce the computation times of each pixel point. The regions of interest are screened and judged by use of an information entropy and a vehicle tail symmetry characteristic in the target region, and therefore, the omission factor and the false drop rate of the algorithm are reduced.

A vehicle control system includes a first controller including a wireless mechanism for determining a vehicle identification number. A second controller includes wireless mechanisms for communicating with the first controller and for controlling a velocity of the targeted vehicle without restricting the braking and steering capabilities thereof. The system includes a service provider including a database containing authorization codes unique to vehicle identification numbers. A communications link transmits confidential data streams to the service provider. The communications link includes a wireless cellular telephone network. The system includes a request signal, an authorization signal, and a deactivation signal. The second controller sends the response signal to the first controller, which transmits the request signal to the service provider. An authorization signal is transmitted to the law enforcement officer. The first controller transmits the deactivation signal to the vehicle, causing the second controller to disable selected operating characteristics thereof.

A system for providing vehicle information at an automobile point of purchase includes a user device having a camera or other image capturing device that is used to capture an image of an automobile. An application on or associated with the image capturing device can either transmit the image to a service provider for processing, or can implement one or more steps in a feature recognition process locally, and thereafter transmit the data to a service provider. In either case, the service provider can then complete the feature recognition processing and identify the automobile from the image. The service provider can then communicate with a make and model database to provide useful information on the vehicle, which can then be transmitted to the user device and conveniently displayed.

The described method and system provides for dynamic adjustment of the lower charge threshold of an electrically-powered vehicle to allow a fuel-depleted vehicle also low on battery charge to continue to be operated. The vehicle's telematics unit monitors the fuel level and charge level via the vehicle bus or other vehicle resources to determine if the vehicle is running low on fuel and electric charge. If the telematics unit determines that the fuel is depleted and the charge level is approaching, meets or falls below the lower threshold, the telematics unit communicates the vehicle fuel status and vehicle position to a call center along with vehicle identification data. The call center determines the amount of charge required to reach one or more local fueling stations or other points of interests and propose destination recommendations to the driver. The driver may then select one of the recommendations, and the call center transmits a new lower charge threshold to the vehicle.

A vehicle identification system. The system includes an electronic access card for storing information associated with a user of the electronic access card, a card reader for receiving the electronic access card and for reading the associated information and a display for receiving at least a portion of the associated information from the card reader and for displaying the portion of associated information when the user operates a vehicle. The display is located on the vehicle, and the displayed information includes at least a unique identifier assigned to the user of the electronic access card. In one arrangement, the unique identifier assigned to the user of the electronic access card can be transferrable to other vehicles such that the identifier can be displayed on any vehicle having the card reader and the display when the user operates such vehicle.