Patent Application
20240425012
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The disclosure relates to driving violation prevention systems and more particularly pertains to a new driving violation prevention system for preventing ignition of a motor vehicle when a centralized database indicates a license is not valid.
The prior art relates to driving violation prevention systems which prevent operation of a vehicle or alert law enforcement upon identifying a violation or determining that a driver is not permitted to drive the vehicle. The devices disclosed in the prior art address this generic goal in a variety of strategies. One device, for example, limits operation of a vehicle at certain times of the day if the driver is wearing an anklet that indicates they have been placed on such a restriction. Another device prevents operation of the vehicle if the license plate is not affixed properly. Other devices prevent operation of the vehicle if data in a storage device kept on the vehicle indicates that the individual is not permitted to operate it. However, the prior art does not disclose a device which utilizes a radio-frequency identification means to identify the license, compare the license to data in a remote, centralized database to determine whether the driver is permitted to operate the vehicle, then enable ignition of the vehicle if the driver is permitted to operate.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a license with a machine-readable identification code, a switch enabling ignition of a motor vehicle when activated, and a reader. The reader compares the identification code of the license with information from a database indicating if the license is valid for permitting the associated user to drive. If the license is valid, the switch is activated, thereby allowing ignition of the motor vehicle.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawing, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A reader 16 is operationally coupled to the switch 14. The reader 16 wirelessly reads the identification code when the license 12 is positioned in a reading position. The reader 16 is also capable of receiving a keyed input and is configured for wirelessly transmitting a query signal to a database 30 requesting a determination of whether the keyed input is associated with the license 12 and whether the license 12 is valid for permitting an associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32. The reader 16 is configured to then wirelessly receive a validation-rejection signal from the database 30 indicating whether the keyed input is associated with the license 12, whether the license 12 is valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32, and whether the license 12 will no longer be valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32 if a condition is not met within a predetermined time period. The latter condition could result, for example, when the associated user owes a fine, the nonpayment of which by a certain date resulting in revocation of the associated user's license 12. The reader 16 closes the switch 14 when the validation-rejection signal indicates that the keyed input is associated with the license 12 and the license 12 is valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32.
The reader 16 comprises a microprocessor 18, a license transceiver 20, a keypad 22, a database transceiver 24, a plurality of indicator lights 26, and a screen 28. The microprocessor 18 is operationally coupled to the switch 14 and closes the switch 14 when the validation-rejection signal indicates that the keyed input is associated with the license 12 and the license 12 is valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32. The license transceiver 20 is operationally coupled to and in signal communication with the microprocessor 18. The license transceiver 20 wirelessly transmits an interrogation signal to the license 12 when the license 12 is positioned in the reading position. The license transceiver 20 wirelessly receives an identification signal comprising the identification code from the license 12 in response to the interrogation signal. then the license transceiver 20 sends the identification code to the microprocessor 18. The interrogation signal and the identification signal each operate using a radio frequency. Alternatively, the reader 16 and license 12 may use an alternative machine-readable medium, such as a bar code, magnetic strip, or the like.
The keypad 22 is operationally coupled to and in signal communication with the microprocessor 18. The keypad 22 is configured for receiving the keyed input from the associated user. Then the keypad 22 sends the keyed input to the microprocessor 18. The database transceiver 24 is also operationally coupled to and in signal communication with the microprocessor 18. The database transceiver 24 receives the identification code and the keyed input from the microprocessor 18 and is configured for wirelessly transmitting the query signal to the database 30 and receiving the validation-rejection signal from the database 30. The database transceiver 24 is also configured for sending the validation-rejection signal to the microprocessor 18.
The plurality of indicator lights 26 is operationally coupled to the microprocessor 18 and emits a validation light signal if the keyed input is associated with the license 12, the license 12 is valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32, and the switch 14 is closed. The plurality of indicator lights 26 emits a rejection light signal if the switch 14 is open and either of the keyed input is not associated with the license 12, the license 12 is not valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32, or both. The plurality of indicator lights 26 also emits a warning light signal if the keyed input is associated with the license 12, the license 12 is valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32, the switch 14 is closed, and the license 12 will no longer be valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32 if the condition is not met within the predetermined time period.
The screen 28 is operationally coupled to the microprocessor 18. The screen 28 displays a validation message if the keyed input is associated with the license 12, the license 12 is valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32, and the switch 14 is closed. The screen 28 displays a rejection message if the switch 14 is open and either the keyed input is not associated with the license 12, the license 12 is not valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32, or both. The screen 28 displays a warning message if the keyed input is associated with the license 12, the license 12 is valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32, the switch 14 is closed, and the license 12 will no longer be valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32 if the condition is not met within the predetermined time period.
In use, the associated user places the license 12 in the reading position. In this position, the license transceiver 20 of the reader 16 transmits the interrogation signal to the license 12, which triggers the transmission of the identification signal back to the license transceiver 20. The associated user also inputs the keyed input into the keypad 22. The database transceiver 24 wirelessly transmits the query signal to the database 30 and receives the validation-rejection signal from the database 30 in response, indicating whether the keyed input is associated with the license 12, whether the license 12 is valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32, and whether the license 12 will no longer be valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32 if a condition is not met within a predetermined time period.
If the keyed input is associated with the license 12 and the license 12 is valid, the plurality of indicator lights 26 emits the validation light signal, the screen 28 displays the validation message, and the microprocessor 18 activates the switch 14, thereby enabling the ignition of the vehicle. If either the keyed input is not associated with the license 12, the license 12 is not valid, or both, then the plurality of indicator lights 26 emits the rejection light signal, the screen 28 displays the rejection message, and the switch 14 remains open. If the validation-rejection signal indicates that the license 12 will no longer be valid for permitting the associated user to drive the motor vehicle 32 if a condition is not met within a predetermined time period, the plurality of indicator lights 26 emits the warning light signal and the screen 28 displays the warning message.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
