Automatic Vehicle And Driver Identification System

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes an automatic driver and vehicle information reporting arrangement. The arrangement includes a memory device storing information about a human driver of the motor vehicle and registration information associated with the motor vehicle. An electronic processor is communicatively coupled to the memory device and responds to a prompt by transmitting a signal indicative of the information about the human driver of the motor vehicle and about registration information associated with the motor vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automatic information reporting arrangement in a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising:
 an input device configured to extract information about a human driver of the motor vehicle from a driver's license;   a memory device configured to store the information about a human driver of the motor vehicle; and   an electronic processor communicatively coupled to the memory device and configured to respond to a prompt by transmitting a signal including the information about the human driver of the motor vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The arrangement of  claim 1  wherein the input device comprises an optical character recognition device and an optical scanner configured optically scan a driver's photograph on the driver's license. 
     
     
         3 . The arrangement of  claim 1  wherein the input device comprises a bar code scanner and/or a QR code scanner configured to optically scan a bar code and/or a QR code on a driver's license. 
     
     
         4 . The arrangement of  claim 1  wherein the input device comprises a magnetic tape reader configured to read a magnetic tape on a driver's license. 
     
     
         6 . The arrangement of  claim 1  wherein the input device comprises an integrated circuit reader configured to read an embedded chip or an integrated circuit on a driver's license. 
     
     
         6 . The arrangement of  claim 1  wherein the input device is configured to extract information from a registration document associated with the motor vehicle, the memory device being configured to store the information extracted from the vehicle registration document associated with the motor vehicle, the electronic processor being configured to respond to a prompt by transmitting a signal including the information extracted from the registration document associated with the motor vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . A method of operating a motor vehicle, the method comprising:
 providing an input device within the motor vehicle;   using the input device to extract the information about a human driver of the motor vehicle from a driver's license;   storing the information about the human driver of the motor; and   responding to a prompt by transmitting from the motor vehicle to an entity outside the motor vehicle a signal indicative of the information about the human driver of the motor vehicle.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the input device comprises one of:
 an optical character recognition device; 
 an optical scanner that optically scans a driver's photograph on the driver's license; 
 a bar code scanner and/or a QR code scanner that optically scans a bar code and/or a QR code on a driver's license; 
 a magnetic tape reader that reads a magnetic tape on a driver's license; and 
 an integrated circuit reader that reads an embedded chip or an integrated circuit on a driver's license. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the transmitting comprises using a short-range wireless communication transmitter, the transmitter comprising a Blue Tooth transmitter, a Zigbee transmitter, or a WiFi transmitter. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the transmitting comprises using a wireless communication transmitter, the transmitter comprising a cellular transmitter or a DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communication—vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure) transmitter. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the prompt comprises a wireless signal received within the motor vehicle from a police officer or border crossing guard. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the prompt is received from the driver of the motor vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 using the input device to extract information from a registration document associated with the motor vehicle; 
 storing the information extracted from the registration document; and 
 responding to the prompt by transmitting from the motor vehicle to the entity outside the motor vehicle a signal indicative of the information extracted from the registration document. 
 
     
     
         14 . A motor vehicle infotainment system comprising:
 an input device configured to extract from a driver's license information about a human driver of the motor vehicle;   an electronic processor communicatively coupled to the input device and to a memory device, the memory device storing the information about the human driver of the motor vehicle, the electronic processor being configured to respond to a prompt by transmitting a first signal indicative of the information about the human driver of the motor vehicle; and   a transmitter communicatively coupled to the electronic processor and configured to receive the first signal and wirelessly transmit a second signal based on the first signal.   
     
     
         15 . The infotainment system of  claim 14  wherein the prompt comprises a wireless signal received within the motor vehicle from an authorized officer, the system further comprising a receiver configured to receive the wireless signal from the authorized officer. 
     
     
         16 . The infotainment system of  claim 14  wherein the input device comprises an optical character recognition device. 
     
     
         17 . The infotainment system of  claim 14  wherein the input device comprises an optical scanner configured to optically scan a driver's photograph on the driver's license. 
     
     
         18 . The infotainment system of  claim 14  wherein the input device comprises a bar code scanner and/or a QR code scanner configured to optically scan a bar code and/or a QR code on a driver's license. 
     
     
         19 . The infotainment system of  claim 14  wherein the input device comprises at least one of:
 a magnetic tape reader configured to read a magnetic tape on a driver's license; and 
 an integrated circuit reader configured to read an embedded chip or an integrated circuit on a driver's license. 
 
     
     
         20 . The infotainment system of  claim 14  wherein the memory device stores information from a vehicle registration document, the information from the vehicle registration document including a vehicle identification number, the electronic processor being configured to respond to a prompt by transmitting a first signal including the information about the human driver of the motor vehicle and including the information from the vehicle registration document, including the vehicle identification number, a date of the vehicle registration document, and a name of an owner of the motor vehicle.