Abstract:
An apparatus attachable to a vehicle, that may be in the configuration of a licence plate that can transmit the position of a vehicle to a telecommunications satellite or a telecommunications ground base station, and is particularly concerned with enabling authorities to police the vehicle with respect to its identity, location, theft and condition, as well as unlawful tampering of the apparatus.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to international application PCT/AU98/01034 having a filing date of Dec. 16, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In Australia, 122,000 cars were stolen in 1996 and this figure has since increased by approximately 9% each year. Likewise, insurance claims on car theft, currently at approximately $500 million per year, are also likely to increase at a rate of 9% per annum. These escalating costs represent just some of the problems inherent to the system operating in Australia today, costs that are ultimately absorbed by the public. Improving the current method of policing alone could pass on significant savings to the public in terms of lower vehicle registration and insurance fees. 
     It is an objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus which may ameliorate some of the above disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided license plate apparatus attachable to a vehicle, said apparatus comprising a housing which is attachable externally to said vehicle and adapted to carry vehicle licence information, a transmitter within said housing which can transmit the position of said vehicle to a satellite or to a telecommunications base station, and sensing means within said housing for activating said transmitter in the event that breach of, or tampering with, said housing is sensed. 
     In one form, the housing is airtight and is pressurized or depressurized, and the tamper evident means comprises a pressure detector which activates the transmitter if the pressure changes in the housing, such as upon breaching of the interior or by deformation of the housing say by a collision or due to other tampering. 
     In a further form, the housing is airtight and may contain a gas and the tamper sensing means comprises a gas detector in the housing which will activate the transmitter upon sensing a breach of the housing and thus loss of gas say due to a vehicle collision or tampering with the housing or apparatus. 
     Where the housing is pressurized or depressurized, or contains a gas, the housing may include a pressure valve which may be the receptor and release valve for the purpose of pressurizing the interior of the apparatus or supplying the gas to the housing. 
     A heat sensing means may also be provided in the housing which will activate the transmitter upon sensing a temperature in excess of normal ranges, such as upon fire in the vehicle or external heat application during attempted tampering with the apparatus. 
     An activatable and deactivatable motion sensing means may also be provided in the housing which, when activated, will activate the transmitter upon sensing unauthorized or unexpected motion of the housing. 
     The housing may also incorporate a camera lens which may photograph or capture visual images at the front of the housing. 
     Suitably the transmitter is connected to an antenna in the housing and is interfaced to a global positioning system in the housing from which position information may be derived for transmitting to the satellite or telecommunications base station to identify the location of the vehicle. 
     Suitably the housing includes a first part having visual information thereon comprising license plate information and a second part of similar dimensions to the first part and being cooperable with the first part. The first part may be connected structurally and electrically to the second part. An internal locking system may be provided within the housing for selectively locking the two parts of the housing together and enabling unlocking of the two parts of the housing. 
     The first part suitably comprises a fascia formed say of a transparent or other material and the second part may comprise a hollow open fronted casing formed of metal, plastics or any other material. 
     The housing suitably contains the sensing means, and a series of associated programmed or programmable microchips for monitoring the sensing means. 
     The apparatus may also include an electronic bar code inside the housing for discrimination by a bar code scanner. 
     The exterior of the second part of the housing may have attached energy cells electrically connected to a battery within the sealed interior of the housing for power supply to the components and devices of the apparatus. The energy cells suitably comprise solar energy cells. 
     The housing may also include an option port protruding to the exterior of the housing from the interior for the exchange of information between the programmed or programmable microchips within the housing and an external computer. The option port may also provide for the supply of power to the components and devices within the housing from a power source of the vehicle such as the vehicle battery. The option port may also provide for connection to an in-car immobiliser to immobilize the vehicle if tampering with the housing or any other unauthorized event is sensed. 
     The option port may also provide for connection to an onscreen display inside the cabin of the vehicle. The option port may also provide for a connection from the camera lens inside the housing to any film or display apparatus inside the vehicle. The option port may also provide for entering information into the programmable microchips so as to activate the locking or unlocking device between the first and second portions of the housing whereby the locking or unlocking devices may be activated remotely. 
     The transmitter may transmit various forms of information to the receiving authorities, including visual information, electronic information from the bar code, electronic information by access through the option port and electronic information from a global positioning satellite. 
     In a further aspect, the present invention provides license plate apparatus for a vehicle, said apparatus comprising: a sealed housing adapted to carry vehicle license information; a global positioning system and a transmitter within said housing, and sensing means associated with said housing for activating said transmitter for transmitting a position signal derived from said global positioning system to identify the position of said vehicle when breach of or unauthorized tampering with said housing is sensed. 
     The housing suitably comprises first and second cooperable parts, the one part comprising a planar portion carrying the vehicle licence information and the other part comprising a hollow open fronted casings adapted to be closed by the one part. 
     In a further aspect, the present invention provides apparatus attachable externally to a vehicle for identifying the location of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising means for carrying vehicle license information; geographical position identifying means and transmitter means supported rearwardly of said vehicle license information carrying means; and means for sensing tampering with said apparatus, said sensing means causing said transmitter means to transmit the position of said vehicle derived from said geographical position identifying means when tampering with said apparatus is sensed. The transmitter means may transmit the vehicle position to a satellite or telecommunications base station. 
     The apparatus may also include motion sensing means which activates said transmitter means upon sensing unauthorized motion of said housing. The apparatus may also be connected to a vehicle immobilizer and include a camera lens for capturing visual information forwardly of the apparatus. The geographical location identifying means may comprise a global positioning system (G.P.S.). 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 a  is a front view of the license plate apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 1 b  is a top view of the license plate apparatus depicted in FIG. 1 a  but not showing the fascia; 
     FIG. 1 c  is a side view of the license plate apparatus depicted in FIG. 1 b  but not showing the fascia; 
     FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the license plate apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 b  and  1   c,  but excluding the fascia shown in FIG. 1 a;  and 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the license plate apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 c  and  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated apparatus  10  according to an embodiment of the invention in the form of a registered vehicle license plate which is attachable to a vehicle such as a car, boat, truck, motorcycle, trailer, caravan, or any other vehicle which is deemed to be registered to travel upon any public roadway. As the state or federal laws of a particular country have the powers to enforce, the apparatus  10  may be fixed to the vehicle by welding, bolting, torque bolts, the use of adhesives or any other attachable means. 
     The license plate apparatus  10  includes a housing  11  which is able to withstand a reasonable impact and which includes as shown more clearly in FIG. 3 a hollow casing  12  which can be made of alloy, plastic, graphite, Kevlar, fibreglass, or titanium and which is open at the front to be closed by a front fascia  13  which may comprise a laminated glass fascia, plated glass fascia, perspex fascia, plastic fascia or any other materials. Numbers and/or letters comprising a license identification number  14  such as 617CUB may be printed on or applied to the inside of the fascia (see FIG. 1 a ) so as to be visible to the human eye. The rear wall  15  of the casing  12  incorporates internally threaded bolt receptors  16  for receipt of bolts for mounting of the apparatus  10 . 
     The apparatus  10  includes both a transmitter  17  connected to an antenna  18  and a global positioning receiving system  19  connected to an antenna  20 , each being located within the housing  11 . The transmitter  17  is interfaced with the global positioning system  19  so as to enable position information derived from the global positioning system  19  to be transmitted. 
     The fascia  13  may be sealed to the casing  12  to define a sealed interior space  21  within the housing  11 . A pressure valve  22  is fitted to the casing  12  to communicate with the interior space  21  to enable the housing  12  to be pressurized with air or gas. Located within the housing is a pressure or gas detector  23  which serves as an alert switch within the housing  11  to act as a tamper detecting device. Gas may be supplied to the interior to the housing or alternatively, the interior of the housing may be pressurized or evacuated through the pressure valve  22 . The pressure or gas detector  23  is associated with one of a plurality of programmed microchips  24  connected to trigger the transmitter  17 . The pressure or gas detector  23  will only trigger the transmitter  17  if the detector  23  fails to detect the gas, pressure, or vacuum which would indicate either tampering, or an accident, which in either case, an emergency service required would need to attend on an urgent basis. 
     The transmitter triggering microchip is programmed to activate the transmitter  17  to alert the satellite or telecommunications base station if any violation of the housing is detected resulting in vacuum or pressure release, for example if the fascia  13  is broken or the seal between the fascia  13  and casing  12  broken. If gas is utilized as an option for tampering detection, the gas may be an ozone friendly gas, which is non-combustible and is able to be detected by a small gas detection device. 
     Where the apparatus is fitted with a pressure detector, the pressure of any impact upon the pressure detector may also be detected which may be converted to analyze the impact speed. 
     The apparatus  10  may additionally include an electronic bar code  25  within the housing  11  rearwardly of the fascia  13  which is able to be scanned by a bar code scanner. The bar code  25  may contain all of the information of the registered vehicle to which the apparatus  10  is attached, such as the date registered and the owners particulars, such as age of owner, license status of owner and all registration details of the vehicle. A government registering department and associated authorities will have a record of the numbers and letters  14  on the fascia  13  coinciding with the relevant bar code  25  of that vehicle. Alternatively, the information contained in the bar code  25  may be stored in the series of programmable chips  22 . 
     The numbers/letters  14  on the face or fascia  13  of the apparatus  10  may be the same as the numbers which are seen on the face of any license plate on a current motor vehicle, as the eye will see these numbers but directly behind these numbers and letters the electronic bar code connected to the aforesaid tamper sensing device may be inside the housing  11 . 
     The housing  11  may also be fitted with a motion sensor  26  such as a movement detecting mercury switch  24  which may be electronically linked to the programmed chip system  24 . The housing  11  may also include a heat detector  27  connected to the microchips  25  for alerting the system of any extreme heat detected such as fire in the vehicle or external heat application to the housing  11 . 
     The components and devices of the apparatus  10  within the housing  11  may be solar powered through a number of solar cells  28  located around the exterior of the casing  12  for charging a battery  29  within the housing  11 , or alternatively may be powered externally through an option port  30  by the 12 volt system of the vehicle to which the apparatus is attached. A voltage analyzer/regulator  31  located in the housing  11  will detect whether supply to the components and devices in the housing  11  is external or internal. 
     All the components and devices of the apparatus  10  are housed within a contained area in the housing  10  and suitably mounted on a motherboard  32 , and the apparatus is able to be tracked by a satellite in orbit due to the components which are interfaced with the global positioning system. The information can be transmitted by the transmitting system to the satellite, or alternatively to the telecommunications base station and the information received can, at any time, be accessed by the land based monitoring computer. 
     Internal locking devices  33  are provided for internally locking the fascia  13  to the casing  12 . Locking or unlocking of the devices  33  may be controlled externally by a code input to the programmed microchips  24  through the option port  30 . 
     The option port  30  enables authorities to complete a manual check of any violation of the apparatus  10  through the series of programmed memory chips  24  which may contain data of any previous inconsistencies relating to the misuse of the apparatus  10 , and for the transferring of any registration details, and the unlocking code for the devices  33  to the programmable micro chips  24 . 
     The housing  11  may also incorporate a camera lens  34  for capturing visual information at the front of the apparatus  10 . That information may be transmitted by the transmitter  17  or the information may be supplied through the option port  30  to any viewing apparatus inside the vehicle. 
     It should be noted that only one license plate apparatus is needed per vehicle. Any other coinciding license plate need only be a typical license plate. 
     The license plate apparatus of the present invention has a number of advantages. It provides greater safety for vehicle occupants in that if there is an accident resulting in breach of the housing  11  or tampering with or unauthorized intrusion into the housing  11 , the transmitter  17  will immediately alert the monitoring ground base as to the co-ordinates. Further, if the vehicle is stolen, the monitoring station only needs to be notified of the registration number visible on the front of the license plate apparatus or the coinciding plate. The police will then be able to track and pinpoint the position of the vehicle by remote interrogation of the apparatus  10  and from information obtained from the global positioning system within the housing  11 . 
     Any tampering of the license plate apparatus causing breach of the housing  11  will result in the transmitting system notifying the policing computer base as to the co-ordinates of the license plate apparatus due to the loss of gas or pressured vacuum. The license plate apparatus will thus ultimately reduce car theft and vehicles fitted with the license plate apparatus would eventually enjoy cheaper car insurance and should reduce registration costs in that the license plate apparatus may eliminate the need for registration labels. 
     The license plate apparatus&#39; quick information supply abilities will reduce police time and costs with much less chasing due to the tracking facility. Further a parking officer together with a decoding scanner device could determine if the owner of the vehicle has any outstanding wants or warrants. 
     A monitoring station can access the location of any plate at any time. There would be a reduced time of arrival by emergency services at an accident, and subsequently reduced loss of life. In the event of tampering, due to the loss of pressure detected by the tamper evident device used, and the monitoring station being notified by the alert facility within a matter of seconds, response time may be rapid. 
     Eventually the introduction of the license plate apparatus would result in a domino effect of many reduced private costs and government department costs, less car theft, less police time, less court time and costs, less jail time and costs, the elimination of registration labels which means less department of motor transport costs. The global positioning system linked license plate apparatus means less police time used on enquiries and major vehicle accidents, ultimately saving the country billions of dollars. Ultimately these savings will be passed on to the general community in many ways, helping to raise the quality of life for that country.