Patent ID: 6222463
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: G07C,G08G

Abstract:
A communication network for integrating record management and collection for vehicles located over a geographical area that is divided into a plurality of radio coverage areas or cells, comprising:a plurality of electronic tags installed in each of said vehicles, each of said plurality of electronic tags including first wireless means for selectively transmitting and receiving vehicular data for an associated vehicle in response to radio frequency signals, each of said plurality of electronic tags having static and dynamic memories for storing permanent and variable vehicular data;at least one portable interrogator including second wireless means for communicating with and querying said plurality of electronic tags so as to selectively update, transmit, and retrieve vehicular data in said dynamic memory, each of said plurality of electronic tags also having means in response to a specific query from said at least one portable interrogator for selectively transmitting to and receiving from said at least one portable interrogator only desired vehicular data stored in said static and dynamic memories for the associated vehicles of said plurality of electronic tags;a plurality of vehicle base stations, each associated with one of said plurality of radio coverage areas or cells, said vehicle base stations each including third wireless means for receiving and transmitting vehicular data from said at least one portable interrogator obtained from said electronic tags when said at least one portable interrogator is within the radio coverage area or cell of the corresponding vehicle base station; anda control center coupled through data links to said plurality of vehicle base stations for establishing communication with said at least one portable interrogator through the corresponding vehicle base station associated with the location of said least portable interrogator for processing vehicular data received from said plurality of vehicle base stations so as to effect record management and collection for the vehicular data contained within the electronic tags of the associated vehicles.