GB2480486A

GB2480486A - Method of converting a number plate identifier to a telephone number

Info

Publication number: GB2480486A
Application number: GB1008451A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen Ford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-05-20
Filing date: 2010-05-20
Publication date: 2011-11-23
Also published as: GB201008451D0

Abstract

A method of converting an alphanumeric vehicle identifier, such as a vehicle number plate, to a unique numeric string such as a telephone number is disclosed. In converting the number (SD 11 KJT) alphabetic characters (SDandKJT) are replaced by a number representative of the letter (24 and 213). Numeric characters (11) remain as numeric characters. The resultant numeric characters are then combined to form a unique numeric string (2411213) representative of a telephone number. A further numeric code representing the dialing code (0704) may be prefixed to the string. In a further development the alphanumeric identifier may be associated with the numeric string in a database.

Description

METHOD OF AND CONVERTER FOR CONVERTING A UNIQUE

ALPHANUMERIC VEHICLE IDENTIFiER iNTO A UNIQUE NUMERIC STRiNG

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method of and converter for converting a unique alphanumeric vehicle identifier into a unique numeric string.

BACKGROUND

At present, it is difficult or impossible to contact a motorist directly without first contacting the police or another Government department, such as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in the UK, to obtain that motorist's telephone number.

The present invention seeks to facilitate and expedite contact with a motorist or another person connected with a vehicle.

STATEMENTS OF INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of converting a unique alphanumeric vehicle identifier comprising a combination of alphabetic and numeric characters into a unique numeric string, the method comprising obtaining the unique alphanumeric vehicle identifier, converting the alphabetic characters in the alphanumeric vehicle identifier into numeric characters, maintaining the numeric characters in the alphanumeric vehicle identifier as numeric characters, and combining the converted and maintained numeric characters to provide the unique numeric string.

This conversion method allows a unique numeric string to be generated from a vehicle identifier which comprises both numeric and alphabetic characters. The unique numeric string can form part or all of a telephone number associated with the vehicle so that a person or entity associated with the vehicle can be contacted using only the converted vehicle identifier.

The unique alphanumeric vehicle identifier may be a vehicle registration plate number.

A vehicle registration plate number (which is used herein to mean the combination of alphanumeric characters on a vehicle registration plate) is readily accessible from the outside of a vehicle and uniquely identifies that vehicle. Other vehicle identifiers, such as Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) are usually concealed out of normal view.

The method may further comprise prefixing a further numeric string to the unique numeric string to form a telephone number associated with the unique alphanumeric vehicle identifier.

The prefixed numeric string can be used to increase the number of digits resulting from the conversion. This means that the length of the resultant number can be varied to suit the necessary requirements, such as to form a valid telephone number.

The further numeric string may be a telephone dialling code.

Prefixing a telephone dialling code means that a functioning telephone number can be generated following conversion of the vehicle identifier. In this way, a person or entity associated with the vehicle identifier can be quickly and easily contacted.

The method may further comprise associating the unique alphanumeric vehicle identifier with the unique numeric string in a database, associating further unique alphanumeric vehicle identifiers with further unique numeric strings in a database, and if the unique numeric string matches a further unique numeric string, modifying one of the numeric strings and storing the modified numeric string in the database in association with the corresponding vehicle identifier.

In the event that two different vehicle identifiers would be converted into the numeric string, the numeric string can be modified in a specific manner to preserve uniqueness. This is particularly advantageous in the event that the numeric strings are used as part of a telephone number.

According to further aspects of the invention, there is provided a converter arranged to perform such a method, a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed cause a data-processing apparatus to perform such a method or a computer-readable medium comprising the computer program.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows schematically how a new UK-format registration plate can be converted into a mobile telephone number; FIG. 2 shows how an old UK-format registration plate can be converted into a mobile telephone number; FIG. 3 shows a method of converting a registration plate into a mobile telephone number; FIG. 4 shows an alternative means by which a telephone number can be associated with a registration plate; and FIG. 5 shows a converter arranged to carry out such methods.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

In most countries, vehicles are required to have a unique registration plate. The registration plate is unique to each vehicle as opposed to a particular motorist. A method has been devised to convert the unique registration plate number into a telephone number associated with that registration plate. This allows a motorist or other person or entity associated with that vehicle to be contacted quickly and with greater ease.

For example, a car rental company may opt-in to a scheme whereby their rental cars are linked to a unique telephone number by means of their registration plate. If the rental vehicle is parked illegally, a traffic warden could readily call the telephone number associated with the vehicle and speak directly to an operator at the rental company, rather than having to contact, for example, the police. Since that telephone number is uniquely associated with a particular rental vehicle, full vehicle details could be accessed by the rental company as soon as a call is made to that particular telephone number.

Since car rental companies often choose not to advertise the fact that the vehicle is a rental car, this can provide a discreet means to contact the car rental company.

By way of a further example, supposing a vehicle was obstructing a public highway or was parked on private land, the telephone number associated with the registration plate of the vehicle and hence, for example, the owner of the vehicle could be contacted without the need to contact the police or another Government authority.

In order to facilitate this conversion, a mapping is defined between the alphanumeric characters used for vehicle registration plates and the numeric characters used in telephone numbers. An example of such a mapping is set out in the following

table:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C 0 E F G H J K L M N 0 P Q U

R S T V W X Y Z

It will be appreciated that not all of these letters are commonly in use in vehicle registration plates and that the order of the letters within the table need not be alphabetic.

FIG. 1 shows how a new UK-format registration plate can be converted into a mobile telephone number using the above conversion table. The new UK-format registration plate is in the form: LL NN LLL, where "L" is a letter and "N" is a number.

If a registration plate includes the alphabetic character, or letter, "S" as in one of its positions, this character is converted using the above table to the number "2" since the letter "S" lies in the same column in the above table as the number "2". If the registration plate includes the alphanumeric character, or number, "1", this is maintained during conversion as the number "1". Continuing in this manner using the above conversion table, an exemplary seven-character alphanumeric registration plate "SD 11 KJT" can be converted into the seven-digit numeric string "24 11 213".

When prefixed with a four-digit dialling code prefix, for example "0704", the combination of the prefix (0704) and the converted numeric string (2411213) results in an eleven-digit numeric string: 0704 2411213. This eleven-digit numeric string can represent a UK mobile telephone number associated with that vehicle. Accordingly, a person associated with that vehicle can be contacted by converting the registration plate into the associated telephone number.

A registration plate of the form "BO 11 SRC" can likewise be converted into an associated telephone number. However, since this registration plate would give the same telephone number as the previous example, one of the numeric characters is modified to avoid the collision during the conversion process. This is indicated in FIG. 1 by an asterisk. Instead of "BD 11 SRC" being converted into the telephone number 0704 2411213, it is converted into 0704 2412*213, where the asterisk indicates that the number immediately preceding it has been modified to avoid a collision. Instead of modifying one of the numbers, a different prefix code, such as 0705 could be used to avoid a collision so that the telephone number would be 0705 2411213.

Such collision-avoiding modification could take place at a registration facility which can ensure that there are no collisions between the telephone numbers associated with different registration plates.

FIG. 2 shows how an old UK-format registration plate can be converted into a mobile telephone number using the above conversion table. The old UK-format registration plate was in the form: LNNN LLL, where, as above, "L" is a letter and "N" is a number.

As shown in FIG. 2, the old UK-format registration plate number "K 913 SJH" can be converted into the numeric string "2913218" and can be prefixed with a code "0704" to form an eleven-digit UK mobile telephone number: 0704 2913218. Another old UK-format registration plate number "S 913 BAH' can be converted into the telephone number 0704 2914*218 in a similar manner, using the above-mentioned collision-avoiding technique.

FIG. 3 shows a method of converting a vehicle registration plate number into a mobile telephone number using the above conversion method.

After the method is started at step S300, a registration plate number is obtained at step S302. This may be, for example, by visual inspection or by automatic registration plate recognition software.

At step S304, any alphabetic characters in the registration plate number are converted into numeric characters to obtain a conversion of the alphanumeric registration plate in the form of a numeric string at step S306.

A dialling code is prefixed onto the numeric string at step S308 to obtain a telephone number associated with that registration plate at step S310, after which the process ends at step S312.

FIG. 4 shows an alternative means by which a telephone number can be uniquely associated with a registration plate.

Registration plates can be registered in a database against a telephone number.

To contact a person associated with a vehicle, the database can be inspected to determine whether that registration plate has been registered and, if so, the telephone number associated with that registration plate can be recovered. It is envisaged that this would be an opt-in scheme whereby vehicle registration plates are actively registered with their associated telephone numbers to avoid privacy concerns.

By using the database, collision between registration plates that map to the same numeric string can be avoided. For example, if two registration plates having the same associated numeric string are sought to be registered, the numeric string associated with the first or, preferably the second, registration can be modified to avoid the collision.

The telephone numbers associated with the registration plates can be automatically and reliably populated based on the above conversion method, with collision-avoidance being implemented when two different registration plates are provisionaUy converted into the same telephone number.

FIG. 5 shows a converter 500 arranged to perform the method described above.

The converter 500 comprises a processor 502 which controls operation of the converter 500. The converter 500 also comprises memory 504 which includes a computer program 506. When executed, the computer program 506 causes the converter 500 to perform the conversion method described above. The converter 500 includes an input device 508 such as an alphanumeric keypad by means of which a registration plate number can be entered into the converter 500. The converter 500 includes an output device 510 such as a display screen by means of which the converted telephone number can be displayed.

Various other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, any other coding for converting the alphabetic characters in a registration plate into numeric characters can be used. Furthermore, instead of a vehicle registration plate providing the unique vehicle identifier, the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) could be used instead. The method described above is generally applicable to all vehicles, such as motor vehicles, bicycles and the like. Although the terms "letters" and "alphabetic characters" have been used above to describe characters found in the Latin alphabet, other non-numeric alphabetic characters such as Greek characters are envisaged.

Claims

-10 -Claims 1. A method of converting a unique alphanumeric vehicle identifier comprising a combination of alphabetic and numeric characters into a unique numeric string, the method comprising: obtaining the unique alphanumeric vehicle identifier; converting the alphabetic characters in the alphanumeric vehicle identifier into numeric characters; maintaining the numeric characters in the alphanumeric vehicle identifier as numeric characters; and combining the converted and maintained numeric characters to provide the unique numeric string.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the unique alphanumeric vehicle identifier is a vehicle registration plate number.
3. A method according to claim I or 2, further comprising prefixing a further numeric string to the unique numeric string to form a telephone number associated with the unique alphanumeric vehicle identifier.
4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the further numeric string is a telephone dialling code.
5. A method according to any preceding claim comprising: associating the unique alphanumeric vehicle identifier with the unique numeric string in a database; associating further unique alphanumeric vehicle identifiers with further unique numeric strings in a database; and -11 -if the unique numeric string matches a further unique numeric string, modifying one of the numeric strings and storing the modified numeric string in the database in association with the corresponding vehicle identifier.
6. A converter arranged to perform a method according to any preceding claim, a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed cause a data-processing apparatus to perform a method according to any preceding claim or a computer-readable medium comprising the computer program.
7. A method, apparatus, computer program, computer-readable medium or database substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.