GB2495082A - A system for remotely stopping a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A system 10 for inhibiting operation of a vehicle 12, comprising: inhibiting means 14 aboard the vehicle actuable to inhibit operation of the vehicle; receiving means 16 aboard the vehicle adapted to receive and identify selectively an inhibiting signal 18 and connected to the inhibiting means to actuate the latter; and further means 20 adapted to receive a radio signal comprising an ID of the vehicle and in response to receiving the ID signal to use the ID to produce and transmit to the vehicle the selectively identifiable inhibiting signal. The vehicle may have an RFID tag 28 for transmitting the ID of the vehicle to a reader in the road surface or located in a second vehicle 40 such as a police car. Upon receipt of the vehicle ID, an inhibiting signal may be sent back to the vehicle so that it can be brought to a stop. The RFID tag may constantly emit the ID of the vehicle, or it may do so only when interrogated. Prior to the vehicle being inhibited a visual verification may be made (flashing lights etc.) so as to ascertain that the correct vehicle is about to be brought to a stop.

Description

TITLE: CONTROLLING VEHICLES

FIELD OF THE INNENTION

This invention relates to controlling vehicles, and more particularly a system and method to inhibit operation of a vehicle. Its

main field of application is to land vehicles.

BACKGROUND

This application (applicant reference WLD)2!GB) 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: WLDJ1JGB, WLDJ2IGB, WLDJ3/GB, WLDJ4JGB, WLDI5IGB, WLD/6/GB, WLD/7/GB.

There is frequently a need to stop a suspect vehicle. The usual method, by police chase, can be very dangerous to the police, the driver and any passengers in the vehicle, and in particular to third parties in other vehicles or as pedestrians. Methods are known to the inventor which entail sending a signal to actuate inhibiting means in the vehicle to inhibit operation of the vehicle. These methods suffer from lack of speed, certainty and reliability of response.

THE INVENTION

The present inventor realises that a system is needed which will enable the vehicle to be remotely stopped safely, i.e. at a time and place that can be chosen for safety, preferably under the eye (i.e. within sight) of the instigator of the action, i.e. the person remotely stopping the vehicle. For reliability, the method used should make use of some ID of the vehicle. For security (so that the method is not readily open to chminal misuse, e.g. for hijacking), the ID should not simply be the registered number (i.e. the number on the vehicle numberplate) of the vehicle but should be a number not readily available, e.g. the vehicle chassis number (for which the expression VIN is sometimes used), which would have the further advantage that the ID is not dependent upon the registered number n case the vehicle's number plates are false. For speed and certainty as well, the instigator should have the action under their immediate and direct control, which the present inventor realises requires that an ID for the vehicle should be obtained by radio. For the avoidance of doubt, the term "ID" as used herein denotes a number which is individual to the vehicle but is not simply the vehicle registration number.

One aspect of the invention provides a system for inhibiting operation of a vehicle, comprising: -inhibiting means aboard the vehicle actuable to inhibit operation of the vehicle, -receiving means aboard the vehicle adapted to receive and identi' selectively an inhibiting signal and connected to the inhibiting means to actuate the latter in response to receiving the identified inhibiting signal, and -further means adapted to receive a radio signal comprising an ID for the vehicle and in response to receiving this ID signal to use the ID to produce and transmit to the vehicle the selectively identifiable said inhibiting signal.

The said further means that act directly in response to receiving the ID signal lend the system to operation safely in the aforementioned manner, e.g. within sight of the instigator of the action.

A system for remotely inhibiting operation of a vehicle is known to the inventor in which the vehicle's ID is incorporated in a barcode which has to be read. Since such a barcode can readily be obscured, deliberately or ctherwise, this does not compare for reliability with the present invention.

Another system for remotely inhibiting operation of a vehicle is known to the inventor in which a verbal message identifying a vehicle is transmitted to an operator, not within sight of the vehicle, who verifies the data and then remotely instigates the inhibiting action. This does not compare for speed, safety and reliability with the present invention.

Preferably, the system comprises an RFID device aboard the vehicle adapted to transmit the vehicle's ID by radio, said further means comprising a reader adapted to read the ID thus transmitted. The RFID device may be active (it continually transmits the ID), quiescent (it transmits the ID when triggered or interrogated by a reader) or passive (it transmits the ID by resonance when triggered by a reader).

For certain uses, e.g. as indicated below, said further means comphse interrogation means to interrogate the RFID device to cause the latter to transmit the vehicle's ID. This can apply to a quiescent or passive ID device or to the higher power active stage of a two-stage device next to be described.

For use in cases in which, for example, the ID of a suspect vehicle is not already known, said RFID device has a normal mode in which it is passive, or quiescent, or active but only so as to transmit the vehicle's ID in a low-power signal such that it can only be received by a standard reader at a distance of less than 5 m (preferably less than 2 m) and a second mode actuable by an interrogation signal from said interrogation means to transmit the vehicle's ID in a substantially higher-powered signal 1 5 such that it can be received by said further means at a substantially greater distance.

In some embodiments, said further means are carried by a second vehicle. Although the said further means, or part thereof, may be static, embodiments with said further means carried by a second vehicle particularly lend themselves to use where said second vehicle is a pursuing vehicle and the ID of the suspect vertical is not already known.

In other embodiments, said reader is a roadway reader. This may be carried by a gantry or bhdge over the roadway or be a roadside reader or be in accordance with the road surface reader invention in the other co-pending applications, having at least a detecting member at the road surface (e.g. being embedded in the road surface), e.g. the whole reader being at the road surface, e.g. embedded therein. The term "roadway" is used here in includes any road traffic lane, e.g. in a petrol station forecourt.

For methods using a roadway reader, e.g. using an ID that has e.g. already been read, or is e.g. read for that occasion, said further means may comprise a databank containing said ID and, linked to the databank, producing means adapted to use the ID to produce and transmit said inhibiting signal. The databank may be distributed between a fixed location and a second vehicle. For example, a databank portion carried by said second vehicle may have downloaded to it, periodically or upon request, the IDa and perhaps the latest known actual associated registration numbers of one or more suspect vehicles (perhaps all of those stored in the static databank portion), perhaps in the local area. The vehicle has to be identified, e.g. by ANPR (see below) or e.g. by tracking from a previous location where its ID was read (e.g. by the tracking invention in the other co-pending applications), in order to download the correct information from the databank.

In some embodiments, said databank is adapted to comprise an individual data item associated with, and individual to, said ID (e.g. by comprising separate data stores linked together for this purpose) and e.g. not ascertainable from said vehicle, said producing means being adapted to use the ID and said data item to produce said inhibiting signal.

For certain embodiments, said producing means are carded by a second vehicle. For example, such producing means are arranged to download the ID from a static database portion by radio.

Said receiving means may comprise GSM-type receiving means.

In some embodiments there are means to enable visual verification (e.g. by flashing of a light) that the correct vehicle has been identified before the inhibiting signal has been transmitted. For example, means aboard the suspect vehicle may be adapted to be actuated in a two-stage process, first by a verifying signal, e.g. trom the second vehicle, that produces a verification signal (e.g. a coded signal, e.g. flashing of lights, e.g. stop and/or hazard lights), and then by the aforementioned inhibiting signal; and means, e.g. aboard the second vehicle, may be adapted first to produce such a verifying signal and then to produce the inhibiting signal, possibly in conjunction with means (which may be aboard the second vehicle) to detect automatically the verification signal and in consequence to produce the inhibiting signal.

The aforementioned ID may be the vehicle's chassis number or any other number specifically associated with the vehicle and carried by the vehicle (i.e. other than simply its registration number, see above) or a number associated with the vehicle and not carried by the vehicle, e.g. held in an external database, or a coded form of any such number. The vehicle ID carried by the vehicle may be what is read by a reader but a different number may be the number used as the ID by the system to provide the inhibiting signal to be identified by the receiving means, all as aforesaid; the two numbers may then be associated numbers in a suitable database, e.g. a static one. The system may use the two numbers in combination to produce the inhibiting signal. What are referred to as numbers may be any distinctive signal, e.g. alphanumeric digits, or trequencies, in series or simultaneous, e.g. waveforms. One such number may for example be a programme adapted to act on the other number in order to produce a signal to be used in producing one or more ot the aforesaid signals, e.g. said inhibiting signal and/or said verification signal.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of inhibiting operation of a vehicle, in which there is used any such system embodying the invention as described above.

In some embodiments, the vehicle's ID is obtained by radio by means of an interrogation signal sent to the vehicle from a second vehicle.

In some embodiments, the vehicle's ID is obtained by radio from a database.

In some embodiments of the invention, the vehicle's ID is obtained by radio from the vehicle by means of a reader.

In some embodiments, the inhibiting signal is produced by use of an individual data item associated with, and individual to, the vehicle's ID.

Possible Scenarios to obtain a vehicle identificafion number (D The ID number identifies the vehicle independently of its number plate registration number (1) A vehicle passes a roadway or petrol station RFID reader which detects the vehicle's ID (e.g. using the road surface reader invention and/or the petrol station reader invention in the other co-pending applications) using RF; backup information-handling equipment indicates this vehicle is to be apprehended; the vehicle is identified as the one that has passed that reader at a particular time (e.g. now), possibly in conjunction with noting the vehicle's (currently being used) licence number by use of ANPR; signalling means connected directly or indirectly to the reader consequentially provide an RF signal to inhibit operation of the vehicle.

(2) The vehicle is identified (e.g. using the road surface reader invention and/or the petrol station reader invention in the other co-pending applications), possibly in conjunction with ANPR; the vehicle's ID from the reader is provided (possibly indirectly) to signalling means which consequentially provide an RF signal to inhibit operation of the vehicle.

(3) A person in a poUce car sees a vehicle in such circumstances as to want to apprehend the vehicle/driver/passengers. The police person may use an RFID reader aboard the police car to obtain the vehicle's ID in the usual RF manner, if the police car is close enough to the vehicle. If not, the person directs an RF interrogatory signal at the vehicle; an RFID device in the vehicle is adapted to respond to such an interrogatory signal by emitting the vehicle's ID (or, for security, a code individual to the vehicle that can be matched or identified in a secure database to provide the vehicle's ID); obtaining means in the police car receive the ID by RF and consequentially transmit an inhibiting RF signal to inhibit operation of the vehicle. The RFID device may be a two-mode device: in its normal mode it is completely passive or produces only a low-power signal for use by a normal RFID reader; in response to receiving the interrogatory signal it will be put into its other mode in which it will emit the vehicle's ID (or other code, as mentioned above). Alternatively, the person in the police car may, at least initially (e.g. in case 1 0 such a two-mode device is not installed in the vehicle, try using the vehicle's registration number (obtained visually or by using ANPR) and transmit this to the licensing authority database lo obtain by RF the vehicle's ID and consequentially transmit the inhibiting RF signal to the vehicle.

In each of these cases (1), (2) and (3), preferably, the inhibiting RF signal has to comprise, or be produced from, the ID and a secret/secure access number (or a coded combination ot these, e.g. the two numbers multiplied together and/or otherwise jointly processed, possibly with a public or private code, or other code derived from one or both of these numbers or otherwise) in order to actuate the inhibiting function in the vehicle. For this purpose, the vehicle is provided with an inhibiting signal receiver able to identify (e.g. by filtering or programming) that this really is the inhibiting signal to which it is intended to respond. The inhibiting signal receiver may be combined with the RFID device, or be separate, and may recognise the same ID as the RFID device produces or a predetermined, or caIcuabIe, different one.

There are many methods of inhibiting operation of the vehicle. For example: immobilising the vehicle or part of it or cutting off power to it or part of it, in either case possibly progressively or in stages, affecting the accelerator, e.g. making it inoperable, applying the brakes, affecting the ignition system, e.g. cutting off or reducing the ignition power, e.g. the system's interaction with the ignition key, and/or affecting the key itself, e.g. so that once the ignition is switched off it cannot then be switched on again.

There may be interrogation means connected to the obtaining means to receive the ID therefrom, connected to the signalling means to give an instruction thereto, having access to a database to communicate the ID to the database to obtain information to indicate if the corresponding vehicle's operation is to be inhibited, and arranged upon receipt of said information to give said instruction to the signalling means to provide an RF signal to activate inhibition of the vehicle's operation. The information may for example be that that the ID and an associated ANPR number do not match or may be that the ID is of a vehicle on a wanted list. The determination of the category of the vehicle may occur in the database and/or in the interrogation means.

"Away from or "outside or "externaI is used herein as the opposite of "aboard" in relation to a vehicle.

Legislation may be required to ensure that every vehicle carhes the inhibiting means, and each vehicle may include means to indicate upon interrogation/test that its inhibiting means is installed and working, failing which test is a cdme; so that for example a police car could remotely test any vehicle and if it fails the test, have the right to apprehend the vehicle independently of whether it has been used in any other criminal manner.

A vehicle which does not transmit its ID may be treated as follows. The vehicle's registration number (visible on its number plate) is noted, and input to a database to determine the corresponding ID; this is used to generate and transmit the inhibiting signal. If the signal works, good. If it is a false number plate, the signal does not work. (Since the inhibiting signal is 5 directionally transmitted towards the vehicle, the likelihood is negligible that some other vehicle genuinely having that ID will be in range and direction to receive and react to the inhibiting signal.) It is considered that it is too dangerous (e.g. as being open lo criminal action to produce a false inhibiting signal, e.g. for use for car hijacking) to have the inhibiting signal produced without using the ID. Thus a vehicle with false number plates whose ID is not known cannot have its operation inhibited by this invention.

The ID transmitted from the vehicle may be different from the ID used to recognise the inhibiting signal. For example, GSM can be used to receive the inhibiting signal. An ID transmitted from the vehicle may be used to access the ID needed to be used to produce the inhibiting signal.

PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION RELATING TO THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of systems embodying the invention for a case in which the pursuing vehicle has to interrogate the suspect vehicle to obtain its ID; Figure 2 is a schematic drawing of systems embodying the invention which use a roadway reader to obtain the vehicle's ID; Figure 3 is a schematic drawing of systems embodying the invention which use a vehicle's ID stored in a static databank.

Is In the drawings, like references in the same or different Figures refer to the same item or items having similar functions. A reference in brackets denotes an item that has the same function as, or a similar function to, an item having that reference without brackets. References in this deschption are given wthout brackets and refer to corresponding items in the drawings, with or without brackets, according as the case will allow.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly Figure 1, a system 10 for inhibiting operation of a vehicle 12, comprises inhibiting means 14 aboard the vehicle 12 actuable to inhibit operation of the vehicle 12 (e.g. by inhibiting action of engine 30) receiving means 16 aboard the vehicle 12 adapted to receive and identify selectively an inhibiting signal 18 and connected to the inhibiting means 14 to actuate the latter in response to receiving the identified inhibiting signal 18, and further means 20 adapted to receive a radio signal 22 comprising an ID 24 for the vehicle 12 and in response to receiving this ID signal 22 to use the ID 24 to produce and transmit to the vehicle 12 the selectively identifiable said inhibiting signal 18. The said further means 20 that act directly in response to receiving the ID signal 18 lend the system 10 to operation safely in the aforementioned manner, e.g. within sight of the instigator 26 of the action. The inhibiting signal 18 may comprise the ID 24 and/or other information, e.g. an associated secure number, and/or coding, e.g. the purposes mentioned above.

The system 10 comprises an RFID device 28 aboard the vehicle 12 adapted to transmit the vehicle's ID 24 by radio, said further means 20 comprising a reader 32 adapted to read the ID 24 thus transmitted. The RFID device 28 may normally be active (it continually transmits the ID 24), quiescent (it transmits the ID 24 when triggered or interrogated by a reader 32 via a radio signal 38) or passive (it transmits the ID 24 by resonance when triggered by a reader 32 via a radio signal 38).

However, for this embodiment, said further means 20 comprise interrogation means 34 to interrogate the RFID device 28 to cause the latter to transmit the vehicle's ID 24. More particularly for use in cases in which, for example, the ID 24 of a suspect vehicle 12 is not already known, said RFID device 28 has, in addition to its normal mode just deschbed in which it is effective only so as to transmit the vehicle's ID 24 in a low-power signal 36 such that it can only be received by a standard reader 32 at a distance of less than 5 m (preferably less than 2 m), a second mode actuable by an interrogaon signal 38 from said interrogation means 34 to transmit the vehicle's ID 24 in a substantially higher-powered signal 22 such that it can be received by said further means 20 at a substantially greater distance. Said further means 20 are carried by a second vehicle 40, e.g. a pursuing police car 40.

Referring to Figure 2, said reader 32 is a roadway reader 32. In these embodiments, as illustrated, the reader 32 is embedded in the road surface 33, in a housing having the form and size of a Catseye housing (in accordance with the road surface reader invention in the other co-pending applications). The vehicle's read ID 24 (obtained by radio signal 36 from RFID 28) is stored, in association with the vehicle's registration number 42 read at the same time by ANPR means 44, in a central static databank 46 (for statistical and/or law enforcement purposes) which, for this embodiment, forms part of the aforesaid further means 20. A comparator 48 in databank 46 checks every incoming pair of numbers 24, 42 and flags as suspect any vehicle for which this pair does not match existing records at databank 46. The ID 24 (and/or other information, e.g. an associated secure number, and/or coding) is then transmitted by radio link 49 to police car 40 which can then initiate inhibiting action, as described above, though without the need to obtain the vehicle ID 24 direct from vehicle 12 since it has already been obtained from reader 32 which, for this embodiment, also forms part of the aforesaid further means 20 and has in tum obtained ID 24 from RFID 28 by radio signal 36 to reader 32. In other embodiments, if appropriate, e.g. if the vehicle 12 is then on a petrol station forecourt 50, inhibition of operation of the vehicle 12 is then actuated, possibly by automatic equipment 52 (e.g. at the forecourt 50) by inhibiting signal 18 (both shown by dashed lines) (e.g. by the petrol station forecourt invention in the other co-pending applications). Otherwise, the flagged vehicle 12 (whose ID 24 has been obtained by a reader 32 by radio signal 36 from RFID 28) may be tracked (e.g. by the tracking invention in the other co-pending applications) and apprehended in due course, e.g. by inhibiting its operation in accordance with the present invention, e.g. by using a police car 40 to do this when one is available, e.g. as described above. Alternatively, the registration number 42 currently being used by the vehicle 12 is reported to the police (by any interested party) for them to apprehend the vehicle 12 in due course, e.g. by inhibiting its operation in accordance with the present invention, e.g. by using a police car 40 to do this when one is available, e.g. as described above.

In other embodiments, referring to Figure 2, the ID 24 of vehicle 12, obtained by reader 32 by means of radio signal 36, is recorded in static databank 46 together with the associated vehicle registration number 42, e.g. as routine at a particular location. If the vehicle 12 is at any time noted as being a suspicious vehicle (e.g. by virtue of its behaviour or by being reported, e.g. as having been stolen), its registration number 42 and/or ID 24 is/are reported to database 46 where the vehicle's data (ID 24 and/or registration number 42) are flagged. Such data and/or coded information to produce inhibiting signal 18 are then transmitted via radio link 49 to police car 40, usually including registration number 42 to enable the police to keep a lookout for a vehicle having this registration number 42. The data transmitted via radio link 49 to police car 40 may contain all the information and data processing thereof needed to formulate inhibiting signal 18; or it may contain only the vehicle ID 24 or only this plus the registration number 42 and leave it to data stored at police car 40 (or downloadable thereto, e.g. from some other database, e.g. a secure police database) to be used at the police car 40 to formulate and produce inhibiting signal 18. Usually, the signal via link 49 will include registration number 42 to enable the police to keep a lookout for a vehicle 12 having this registration number 42. They can then transmit the appropriate inhibiting signal 18. Alternatively, once they see a vehicle 12 having this registration number 42, they can then download the necessary information, as just described, and then produce and transmit the appropriate inhibiting signal 18 to inhibit operation of the vehicle 12.

Referring to Figure 3, for methods using a roadway reader 32, e.g. using an ID 24 of vehicle 12 that has e.g. already been read, or is e.g. read for that occasion, said further means 20 comprise reader 32, databank 46 containing said ID 24 and producing means 56 linked, e.g. via radio link 49, to the databank 46, and adapted to use the ID 24 thereby obtained therefrom to produce and transmit said inhibiting signal 18. In one embodiment, the databank 46 is distributed between a fixed location 58 and said second vehicle 40. For this purpose, a mobile databank portion 60 of databank 46 is carried by said second vehicle 40 and has downloaded to it, pericdically or upon request e.g. from police vehicle 40, the IDs 24, and perhaps the latest known actual associated registration numbers 42, of one or more suspect vehicles 12 (perhaps all of those stored in static databank poron 62 of databank 46), perhaps throughout the local area. The vehicle 12 has to be identified, e.g. by ANPR means 44 or e.g. by tracking from a previous location, e.g. forecourt 50, where its ID 24 was read (e.g. by the petrol station forecourt invention in the other co-pending applications), in order to download the relevant information 24 from the static databank portion 62 to mobile portion 60.

Said databank 46 is adapted to comprise an individual data item 64 associated with, and individual lo, said ID 24, for which purpose databank 46 comprises separate data stores 66 (for item 64) and 68 (for ID 24) linked together for this purpose, the item 64 being secure and not ascertainable from said vehicle 12, said producing means 56 being adapted to use the ID 24 and said data item 64 to produce said inhibiting signal 18. The producing means 56 are carried by the second vehicle 40.

The producing means 56 are arranged to request and download the ID 24 and data item 64 from the static database portion 62 via radio link 49. The producing means 56 may be distributed between vehicle 40, databank 46 and possibly a secure means 59 at a location 59 (different from location 58) which holds items 64; and some or all stages of production of inhibiting signal 18 may be carried out at any one or more of these locations 40, 58,59 and the results made available at police car 40 for transmission of inhibiting signal 18 to receiving means 16.

For specialist applications, the aforesaid receiving means 16 comprise GSM-type receiving means 16. The term GSM-type, as used herein, includes reference to operation in the nature of a mobile phone or a pager.

In a preferred embodiment, there are aboard the vehicle 12 verification means 70 to enable visual vehfication (e.g. by flashing of a light) that the correct vehicle 12 has been identified before the inhibiting signal 18 is transmitted. For this purpose, means aboard the suspect vehicle 12 are combined with receiving means 16 and both are adapted to be actuated in a two-stage process, first by a verifying signal 72, e.g. from the second vehicle 40, that produces from the subject vehicle 12 a verification signal 74 (e.g. a visible signal, e.g. a coded signal, e.g. a coded flashing of lights, e.g. of stop and/or hazard lights) and then, upon receipt at vehicle 40 of signal 74, by the aforementioned inhibiting signal 18. For this purpose, preferably, vedfying means 76 aboard the second vehicle 40 are adapted first to produce such a verifying signal 72 and then, upon receipt of signal 74, to produce the inhibiting signal 18, and may comprise automatic detection means 78 to detect automatically the verification signal 74 and in consequence of detecting the same to issue or produce (or effect the last stage of producing) the inhibiting signal 18.

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 vahations, further embodiments and cases.

Claims (1)

1. <claim-text>CLAIMS1. A system for inhibiting operation of a vehicle, comprising: -inhibiting means aboard the vehicle actuable to inhibit operation of the vehicle, -receiving means aboard the vehicle adapted to receive and identi' selectively an inhibiting signal and connected to the inhibiting means to actuate the latter in response to receiving the identified inhibiting signal, and -further means adapted to receive a radio signal comprising an ID of the vehicle and in response to receiving the ID signal to use the ID to produce and transmit to the vehicle the selectively identifiable said inhibiting signal.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. A system as claimed in claim 1, comprising an RFID device aboard the vehicle adapted to transmit tie vehicle's ID by radio, said further means comprising a reader adapted to read the ID thus transmitted.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. A system as claimed in claim 2, said further means comprise interrogation means to interrogate the RFID device to cause the latter to transmit the vehicle's ID.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. A system as claimed in claim 3, in which said REID device has a normal mode to transmit the vehicle's ID in a low-power signal such that it can only be received by a standard reader at a distance of less than 5 m and a second mode actuable by an interrogation signal from said interrogation means to transmit the vehicle's ID in a substantially higher-powered signal such 1 5 that it can be received by said further means at a substantially greater distance.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said further means are carried by a second vehicle.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. A system as claimed in claim 2, in which said reader is a roadway reader.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. A system as claimed in claim 6, in which said further means comprise a databank containing said ID and, linked to the databank, producing meana adapted to use the ID to produce and transmit said inhibiting signal.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. A system as claimed in claim 7, in which said databank is adapted to comprise an individual data item associated with, and individual to, said ID and not ascertainable from said vehicle, said producing means being adapted to use the ID and said data item to produce said inhibiting signal.</claim-text> <claim-text>9. A system as claimed in claim 8, in which said producing means are carried by a second vehicle.</claim-text> <claim-text>10. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said receiving means comprise OSM-type receiving means.</claim-text> <claim-text>11. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which there are means to enable visual verification that the correct vehicle has been identified before the inhibiting signal has been transmitted.</claim-text> <claim-text>12. A system for inhibiting operation of a vehicle, substantially according to any embodiment hereinbefore described.</claim-text> <claim-text>13. A system for inhibiting operation of a vehicle, substantially according to any embodiment hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.</claim-text> <claim-text>14. A method of inhibiting operation of a vehicle, in which there is used a system as claimed in any preceding claim.</claim-text> <claim-text>15. A method as claimed in claim 14, in which the vehicle's ID is obtained by radio from the vehicle by means of a reader.</claim-text> <claim-text>16. A method as cIamed in claim 14, in which the vehicle's ID is obtained by radio from a database.</claim-text> <claim-text>17. A method as claimed in claim 14, in which the vehicle's ID is obtained by radio by means of an interrogation signal sent to the vehicle from a second vehicle.</claim-text> <claim-text>18. A method as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 17, in which the inhibihng signal is produced by use of an individual data item associated with, and individual to, the vehicle's ID.</claim-text> <claim-text>19. A method of inhibiting operation of a vehicle, substantially according to any embodiment hereinbefore described.</claim-text> <claim-text>20. A method of inhibiting operation of a vehicle, substantally according to any embodiment hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.</claim-text>