GB2494912A

GB2494912A - Vehicle identification reader using an onboard RFID device

Info

Publication number: GB2494912A
Application number: GB1116488.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lee Harvey Walden
Original assignee: MICHAEL FREDERICK WALDEN
Current assignee: MICHAEL FREDERICK WALDEN
Priority date: 2011-09-26
Filing date: 2011-09-26
Publication date: 2013-03-27
Also published as: GB201116488D0

Abstract

An electronic registration reader (10) for reading a vehicle ID from an RFID device 12 onboard a vehicle 14, when the vehicle is passing along a road or highway 16. The reader comprises signal receiving means (18) at the surface 20 of the road to receive an ID signal 17 from the device. The reader may be embedded in the road (181,182) and have means (28) to harvest power from passing vehicles using a piezo-electric layer (281). The reader may be mounted in a cats-eye road stud.

Description

TITLE: VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to vehicle identification.

BACKGROUND

This application (applicant reference WLD!GJGB) is one of a group of co-pending patent applications, all lodged on the same day, the whole contents of the specifications of the others cf which are hereby imported into the present specification. The group of co-pending applications have the applicant references: WLD/1JGB, WLD!2/GB, WLD!3/GB, WLDJ4/GB, WLD/5IGB, WLD/6/GB, WLD/7/GB.

It is sometimes required to identify a vehicle otherwise than by its registration number on its restration plate. For this purpose, there can be used an RFID device on board the vehicle, also known as an electronic registration tag (ERT), which contains an ID for the vehicle different from the registration number, for example the vehicle chassis number, together with an electronic registration reader (ERR) used to read data (comprising the ID) by radio communication from the RFID device, e.g. a reader at the side of the road. This arrangement suffers from disadvantages.

THE INVENTION

One aspect of the invention provides an electronic registration reader for reading a vehicle ID from an RFI D device aboard the vehicle when the vehicle is passing along a road or like way, in which the reader comprises signal receiving means at the surface of the way.

Various embodiments can have the advantages: that the RFID device can be operated at low power, e.g. to prolong its life if it is not connected to be powered by the vehicle electric system; that the reader can operate at low power, e.g. to avoid cross-talk from receiving transmissions from other vehicles; that the precise location of the vehicle can be known; that the identity of the vehicle can be readily determined; and that the subject vehicle can readily be distinguished from nearby vehicles; i.e. that the ID of the subject vehicle can readily be distinguished from those of nearby vehicles.

In various embodiments: * the receiving means are embedded in said surface, wholly or partially; * the receiving means are mounted on said surface; * the receiving means are at least partially resilient; * the receiving means comprise a mounting similar to that used for a cats-eye road stud; * the receiving means comprise RF receiving loop means; * the receiving means are at substantially the centre of a traffic lane; * the receiving means is towards one side of a traffic lane; * the receiving means comprise charging means to store power for the receiving means and adapted to be powered by passing vehicles; * such powering may be by electromagnetic induction due to the passing of a vehicle; * the receiving means comprise pressure-powered charging means adapted to be powered by a vehicle wheel passing over the charging means; * the charging means comprise resilient means; * the resilient means comprise (e.g. a resilient member and/or) resiliently mounted means; * the resiliently mounted means may comprise a resilient mounting of a housing of the receiving means and/or may comprise resilient means within a housing of the receiving means; * the charging means comprise piezoelectric means; * said way comprises a plurality of traffic lanes and the receiving means comprise a separate receiver for each lane; * each said receiver is at substantially the centre of the appertaining lane; * the receiving means comprise radio linkage means to transmit said ID signal to another part of the reader and/or to means to store and/or process the ID.

In embodiments, the receiving means may be embedded in the travelling surface, e.g. roadway; the receiving means may have a wireless connection to another part of the reader; the receiving means may be provided at the centre of a traffic lane, e.g. to avoid wear of the receiving means from the tyres of passing vehicles; the receiving means may be provided towards 1 5 one or both sides of a traffic lane, e.g. so that the passage thereover of vehicle tyres can, by applying part of the weight of the vehicle, charge power means of the receiving means; if there is a plurality of traffic lanes, the receiving means may comprise a separate receiver for each lane or a separate part of the receiving means for each lane or group of lanes, e.g. able to distinguish between lanes or groups of lanes.

The receiving means may be embedded in said surface, wholly or partially, or may be mounted on said surface. In the last two of these three cases, the receiving means is preferably resilient and/or small, e.g. enough not to be damaged if a vehicle wheel goes over it. For example, the receiving means is (or is mounted to be) at least parally resilient, e.g. it may be in a mounting similar to that used for a cats-eye road stud, e.g. at least part of which is adapted to sink resiliently into said surface.

The mounting may be adapted to generate power for the receiving means, by including a solar energy converter and/or means responsive to a vehicle wheel rolling over the receiving means and exerting pressure thereon, such means comprising a piezoelectric device and/or means operable by resilient movement of part or all ot the housing.

The receiving means may comprise RF receiving loop means at said surface. In a multi-lane way, the receiving means may be adapted to distinguish which lane is being used by a vehicle having a read ID. There may be a separate loop for each lane in a multi-lane way, or a single loop across several lanes may be such that, or associated with apparatus such that, it is possible to distinguish which lane is being used by a vehicle having a particular ID.

31) The receiving means is preferably at substantially the centre of a traffic lane. If said way comprises a plurality of traffic lanes, the receiving means may comprise a separate receiver for each lane, preferably at substantially the centre of the appertaining lane.

The receiving means may comprise radio linkage means to transmit said ID signal to another part of the reader (e.g. at the roadside) and/or to means to store and/or process the ID (e.g. at the roadside and/or at a separate location, e.g. a central store, perhaps operated by a registration authority or the police).

The present invention may be used in combination with the inventions in the other co-pending patent applications.

DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle on a roadway, showing several embodiments of the invention, including different locations for a reader embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the way showing several embodiments of the reader; and Figure 3 is an enlarged view of part of Figure 1, showing further details.

Referring to the drawings, identical references refer to the same item in the same Figure or different Figures or items that are identical or similar or have similar functions, and references with the same first two digits refer to items that are identical or 1 0 similar or have similar or related functions.

An electronic registration reader 10, for reading a vehicle ID from an RFID device 12 aboard the vehicle 14 when the vehicle 14 is passing along a road 16 or like way, comprises signal receiving means 18 at the surface 20 of the way 16 to receive an ID signal 17 from said device 12. In two embodiments, the receiving means 18 are embedded in said surface 20, wholly 181 or partially 182; or in another embodiment the receiving means 183 are mounted on said surface 20. In two of these three embodiments, the receiving means 182, 183 are at least partially resilient. The receiving means 182 comprise a mounting similar to that used for a cats-eye road stud, viz, the part 22, Figure 3, projecting above the surface 20 is resilient, or resiliently mounted, so that it can be pressed down to the surface 20 by the tyre 24 of a passing vehicle 14.

In another embodiment, Figure 2, the receiving means 18 comprise RF receiving loop means 18. The roadway 16 comphses three lanes 161, 162, 163; the loop means 18 comprises three loops: loop 184 extending across only lane 161; loop 185 extending across lanes 161, 162; and loop 186 extending across all three lanes 161, 162, 163. If the RFID device 12 of a particular vehicle 14 activates only loop 186, reader 10 identifies that it is in lane 163; if it activates the 186 and 185, reader 10 identifies that it is in lane 162; and if it activates all three loops 184, 185 and 186, reader 10 identifies that it is in lane 161.

(These identifications may be important, for example, if there are also ANPR means 26 identifying each read vehicle ID with a particular number plate registration number 27.) In further embodiments: the receiving means 187 are at substantially the centre of each traffic lane 161, 162, 163; the receiving means 188 are towards one side of each traffic lane 161, 162, 163; the receiving means 189 are towards both sides of each traffic lane 161, 162, 163. The receiving means 187 are unlikely to encounter a vehicle tyre 22 and will encounter little wear. The receiving means 188, 189 are likely to encounter a vehicle tyre 22 frequently, which can be used for charging the receiving means 188, 189. For this purpose, the receiving means 188, 189 comprise charging means 28 to store power for the receiving means 18 and adapted to be powered by passing vehicles 14. Such powering may be by electromagnetic induction due to the passing of the chassis 30 of a vehicle 14. More reliably, it is believed, the receiving means 18 comprises pressure-powered charging means 28 adapted to be powered by a vehicle wheel 22 passing over the charging means 28.

The charging means 28 in receiving means 182, Figure 3, comprise resilient means 282 in the fon'n of a block of resilient material 282 embedding electronic parts of receiving means 182. The charging means 28 in receiving means 183 comprise resilient means 283 in the form of a sphng 283 between other parts of receiving means 183. The charging means 28 in receiving means 181 comprise a piezoelectric layer 281 at the top of charging means 28. In each case the receiving means 18 is provided with a suitable housing (not shown separately).

As shown in Figure 2, said way 16 comphses a plurality of traffic lanes 161, 162, 163 and the receiving means comprises at least one separate receiver 18 for each lane 161, 162, 163, or a combined receiver 18 (exemplified as loop, loops or loop system 18).

The receiving means 18 comprise a wired connection 32 or a radio linkage means 34 to transmit said D signal to another part (e.g. a roadside part) 101 of the reader and/or to means 36 to store and/or process the ID, possibly a remote means 36, e.g. a central database 36 of a licensing authority, which again may be radio-linked directly to receiving means 18 to receive data directly therefrom. Data processing of the data (including the vehicle ID and possibly the ANPR registration number 27) may be carried out at any one or more of means 18, 101,36.

It will also be clear that a receiving means 181, 182 or 183 (depending upon its vertical position) can also be a receiving means 187, 188 or 189 (depending upon its hohzontal position in a lane 161, 162, 163), in any combination.

The RFI D device 12 may have a power store 13 which is self-contained in device 12 or power store 13 may be charged from the vehicle power supply 131.

Many variations of the invention and embodiments herein described will be apparent to people skilled in the art. For example, features of the different embodiments disclosed herein (including the imported contents of the specifications of the co-pending applications) may be omitted, selected, combined or exchanged in order to form further embodiments. Again, where a preference or particularisation is stated, there is implicit the possibility of its negative, i.e. a case in which that preference or particularisation is absent. The invention is considered to extend to any new and inventive embodiments formed by said variations, further embodiments and cases. 5

Claims

<claim-text>CLAIMS1. An electronic registration reader for reading a vehicle ID from an RFID device aboard the vehicle when the vehicle is passing along a road or like way, in which the reader comprises signal receiving means at the surface of the way to receive an ID signal from said device.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. A reader as claimed in claim 1, in which the receiving means are embedded in said surface, wholly or partially.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. A reader as claimed in claim 1, in which the receiving means are mounted on said surface.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. A reader as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the receiving means are at least partially resilient.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. A reader as claimed in claim 4, in which the receiving means comprise a mounting similar to that used for a cats-eye road stud.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. A reader as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the receiving means are at substantially the centre of a traffic lane.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. A reader as claimed in any one of claims ito 6, in which the receiving means are towards one or both sides of a traffic lane.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. A reader as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the receiving means comprise charging means to store power for 1 5 the receiving means and adapted to be powered by passing vehicles.</claim-text> <claim-text>9. A reader as claimed in claim 8, in which the receiving means comprise pressure-powered charging means adapted to be powered by a vehicle wheel passing over the charging means.</claim-text> <claim-text>10. A reader as claimed in claim 8 or 9, in which the charging means comprise resilient means.ii. A reader as claimed in claim 10, in which the resilient means comprise resiliently mounted means.12. A reader as claimed in any one of claims 9, in which the charging means comprise piezoelectric means.13. A reader as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said way comphses a plurality of traffic lanes and the receiving means comprise a separate receiver for each lane.14. A reader as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, in which the receiving means comprise RF receiving loop means.15. A reader as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the receiving means comprise radio linkage means to transmit said ID signal to another part of the reader and/or to means to store and/or process the ID.16. An electronic registration reader substantially according to any embodiment hereinbefore described.17. An electronic registration reader substantially according to any embodiment hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.</claim-text>