Patent Publication Number: US-2023150364-A1

Title: Motor vehicle electronic identification, notification and legal warning banner device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/360,956, entitled “NOVEL MOTOR VEHICLE ELECTRONIC IDENTIFICATION, NOTIFICATION AND LEGAL WARNING BANNER DEVICE,” filed Nov. 17, 2021, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to a communications system for matching users of the system. In particular, the disclosure relates to a communications system that matches freelancers with clients, both geographically convenient and where users can share information. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In 2015, the United States Supreme Court decided, in the context of traffic stops conducted by police officers; that, “[A] police stop exceeding the time needed to handle the matter for which the stop was made violates the Constitution&#39;s shield against unreasonable seizures. A seizure justified only by a police-observed traffic violation, therefore, becomes unlawful if it is prolonged beyond the time reasonably required to complete the mission of issuing the ticket for the violation.”  United States  vs:  Rodriquez,  575 U.S. 348, 349 (2015). 
     Subsequent to the Rodriquez decision, federal and State appellate and district courts have routinely held that traffic stops which surpass, for example, even 25 seconds, after the conclusion of a lawful traffic stop is completed, without any showing of reasonable suspicion or probable cause a crime has been committed, violates a defendant&#39;s constitutional right to be free from unreasonable search and seizures. See e.g.,  United States  vs,  Campbell,  912 F.3d 1340, 1353 (11th Cir. 2019)(finding unanimously that police violated the Fourth Amendment, in light of Rodriguez, when they extended a stop by twenty-five seconds with questions about contraband)(emphasis added); United States—V; McGowan; 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS-126194*12 (D.Nev. 2021) (similar finding based on forty second delay unconstitutionally caused by police officer after conclusion of a lawful traffic stop). 
     Armed with Rodriquez, several federal district courts, likewise, have shunned the multi-decade practice of police officers imposing interrogatory questions-upon motorist that are unrelated to and outside the scope of the purposes of the initial traffic stop—which, by design, impermissibly, in most instances, lengthens the time span of a lawful detention. See e.g.,  United States  vs.  Callison.  436 F. Supp. 3d 1218, 1226 (S.D. Iowa 2020) (citing cases). 
     Although seemingly innocuous in nature, Rodriquez, in short, was a transformational, ground-breaking legal decision. This is so, first of all, because of the Supreme Court&#39;s exhortation that, outside of providing a license, registration and insurance, citizens have no duty to speak to or otherwise respond to police officer inquiries during the course of lawful traffic stops, See generally  Berkemer  vs.  McCarty.  468 U.S. 420,439 (1984) (citing Terry vs. Ohio, 392. U.S. 1, 20 (1968) for the proposition that, in the context of a traffic stop, a “detainee is not obligated to respond to officers questions.”); Second, is the general safety of citizens compelled, through omission or manipulation, to arbitrarily interact with police officers, a lot of times to their detriment, as can be demonstrated by the litany of motorist killed during routine traffic stops over the past several decades, a recurring event in America that was the driving force resulting in the unjustified killing of George Floyd and the global protest, thereafter, against police-officer-sanctioned-violence-against-citizens, in 2021. Third, in light of the world-wide Covid-19 pandemic, the transference of germs and bacteria among human beings””—i.e., citizens handing police officers their, inter alia, drivers licenses—has become an issue of national import. 
     Consequently, a need exists for a technological, electronic identification, notification legal warning banner device (“electronic warning banner device” hereinafter) designed for motor vehicles that can be activated by citizens during routine traffic stops, which depicts an electronic copy of the citizens driver&#39;s license, registration, insurance (and any other license/certifications, etc.) and relevant Supreme Court law governing citizen-police encounters, on a chosen portion of the front (drivers or rear) windshield (or window) of a motorist vehicle, thereby providing the proper notice to police officers that said citizen does not want to talk or otherwise interact with said police officers. The electronic warning-banner device, via our app, also downloads relevant data pertinent to the location, length and duration of the stop, and, among other things, the race, gender and age of the driver. 
     Finally, the same service may be provided via a citizen&#39;s cell phone. Through their cell phone, when a citizen is pulled over by police officers, they can press their thumbprints into an appointed portion of the phone (or type identification numbers into our app) to obtain the same results from out of our projectile device installed in the vehicle, depicting the same documentation and legal information in the front, driver&#39;s or rear window of a vehicle for police officers to view. The electronic warning-banner device will also be available for the front windshield or side mirrors of motorcycles. 
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material, which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure comprises an electronic thumbprint device which will generally be configured or installed somewhere on the center counsel of the motor vehicle by way of existing nano suction technology (generally utilized for cell phones, that attaches to smooth surfaces) attached to the back portion of the thumbprint device. The said thumbprint device will be connected, via WiFi, Bluetooth ability, to another electronic projector device (linked into our database/app, that&#39;s downloaded with copies of the motorist&#39;s driver&#39;s license, insurance, registration, etc.) that&#39;ll be attached to the front or driver&#39;s side (or rear) window inside the vehicle by way of nano suction technology. The thumbprint mechanism and projector, will have GPS capabilities, will be removable at any time, and rechargeable no different than a cell phone. 
     Or, via smart phone devices, our app and database, individuals will be able to utilize their fingerprint on an appointed portion of the face of the smartphone (or log in via our app with an identification number) to activate the projector device mechanism installed in the vehicle, which depicts the license, insurance, registration, etc., in the front, drivers or rear window for the officers review, and alternative to the thumbprint device. 
     The disclosure provides an electronic/digital license, insurance policy, registration and legal warning banner device that categorically precludes law enforcement officers from lawfully engaging in any unwanted conversation or interaction with motorist during traffic stops, as a result of the law enforcement officer being put on notice, before even so much as requesting the driver&#39;s license, insurance policy and vehicle/motorcycle registration, that the citizen/driver is exercising his/her rights, pursuant to Supreme Court law and the First Amendment, to refrain from speaking to the law enforcement officer. 
     The disclosure provides an electronic/digital license, insurance policy, registration and legal warning banner device that completely eradicates any transference of germs and/or bacteria between citizens and police officers during traffic stops, by eliminating the need for the citizen to physically hand the police officer a copy of his/her driver&#39;s license, insurance policy and registration, which can be seen, read, examined, and copied by the officer who conducted the traffic stop, taken back to the police cruiser to be verified, checking whether or not the driver has any existing warrants or suspended driver&#39;s license, or any other outstanding obligations that must be attended to. 
     Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the disclosure will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the disclosure, and be protected by the following claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. 
         FIG.  1    depicts an example of the electronic thumbprint device  100  according to various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  2 A  is a side perspective of an aspect of the electronic thumbprint device, according to various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  2 B  illustrates an example of the charging cord utilized to charge the thumbprint device. 
         FIG.  3 A  illustrates a projector device according to an aspect of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  3 B  is an example flow chart of how the information from the electronic fingerprint device is projected. 
         FIG.  4    illustrates an example aspect of an interface of a portable device used for entering a thumbprint and/or identification number through an app, according to various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    illustrates an example aspect of a projector device attached to a front windshield, according to various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is an example of a text of a legal warning banner that will be displayed, according to various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  7    is an example flow chart for acts taken to implement the aspects of the disclosure by an app for activating the electronic warning banner device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The elements in the Figures interoperate as explained in more detail below. Before setting forth the detail explanation, however, it is noted that all of the discussion below, regardless of the particular implementation being described, is exemplary in nature, rather than limiting. For example, although selected aspects, features, or components of the implementations are depicted as being stored in memories, all or part of systems and methods consistent with the display systems may be stored on, distributed across, or read from other machine-readable media, for example, secondary storage devices such as hard disks, floppy disks, and CD-ROMs; a signal received from a network; or other forms of ROM or RAM either currently known or later developed. 
     Furthermore, although specific components of the architecture will be described, methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the architecture may include additional or different components. For example, a processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, microcontroller, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), discrete logic, or a combination of other type of circuits or logic. Similarly, memories, may be DRAM, SRAM, Flash, or any other type of memory. Flags, data, databases, tables, and other data structures may be separately stored and managed, may be incorporated into a single memory or database, may be distributed, or may be logically and physically organized in many different ways. Programs may be parts of a single program, separate programs, or distributed across several memories and processors. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purposes of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
     Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. 
     In describing the disclosure, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases, all of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the disclosure and the claims. 
     The intricacies of the electronic warning banner device are discussed herein. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without specific details. 
     The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the disclosure and is not intended to limit the disclosure to the specific aspects illustrated by the figures or description below. 
     The present disclosure will now be described by referencing the appended figures representing certain aspects.  FIG.  1    depicts an example of an electronic thumbprint device  100  according to various aspects of the present disclosure, which may measure out to around 2.0 inches in width, 3.0 inches in length, 1.0 inches in depth. The electronic thumbprint device  100  includes a thumbprint reader  101 , positioned for easy access by a user&#39;s thumbprint to activate and control. 
       FIG.  2 A  is a side perspective of an aspect of the electronic thumbprint device  200 . The electronic thumbprint device  200  includes a thumbprint reader  201  seen in in a side perspective. The electronic thumbprint device  200  includes a fingerprint portal  202  for the individual to utilize to activate the electronic aspect of a charging cord necessary to charge the electronic thumbprint device  200 . Within one of the aspects of the electronic thumbprint device  200 , it will be charged up ready for use, no different from a cell phone. The electronic thumbprint device  200  includes a suction cup attachment mechanism  203 . In an aspect, the suction cup attachment is a nano suction technology suction cup on the bottom of the electronic thumbprint device  200  (or similar methods available to achieve the same result known to one of skill in the art) which will be utilized to attach the electronic thumbprint device  200  to any smooth surface on the center console or front middle panel of a vehicle. 
       FIG.  2 B  illustrates an example of the charging cord  210  utilized to charge the thumbprint device, according to various aspects of the present disclosure described herein. The charging cord  210  may comprise a USB charging cable, such as micro-USB, Type C, Lightning, Thunderbolt, MagSafe or any charging cord interface known to one of skill in the art. 
       FIG.  3 A  illustrates a projector device  300  according to an aspect of the disclosure. The projector device  300  is in electrical, electromechanical or mechanical communication with the electronic thumbprint device  100 . In an aspect of the disclosure, the projector device  300  is in electromagnetic communication with electronic thumbprint device  100  or  200 . In aspects of the disclosure, the projector device  300  is in communication with the electronic thumbprint device  100  or  200  through a wireless connection such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, near-field communication (NFC), cellular or other known wireless technologies. 
       FIG.  3 B  illustrates an electronic banner warning device  310 . The electronic warning device  310  comprises an electronic thumbprint device  311  (as described in and according to aspects of the disclosure in relation to  FIG.  1    and  FIG.  2    herein) in communication with a projector device  312  (as described in and according to aspects of the disclosure in relation to  FIG.  3    herein). 
     In an aspect of the disclosure, the projector device  300  may measure out to around 3.5 inches in width, 3.5 inches in length, and 1.5 inches in depth. In some aspects, the projector device  300  may be smaller. In an aspect, the projector device  300  includes a suction cup attachment  301 . In an aspect, the suction cup attachment may be a nano suction technology attached to the top of the projector device  300 , utilized to connect the projector device  300  to a windshield, driver&#39;s side window or rear window of the vehicle (not shown). Both the projector device  300  and the electronic thumbprint device  100  or  200  can either remain on the window(s) (i.e., projector) or somewhere on the center console (i.e., thumbprint device) or be put in place when pulled over by law enforcement officials. 
     In an aspect, the projector device  300  includes a projector lens  302  out of which an electronic projection of an individual&#39;s license, insurance policy, registration and/or legal warning banner will appear once the electronic warning device  310  is activated by way of the individual pressing his thumbprint into one of, or any variation of one of the electronic thumbprint devices  100  or  200 . 
     The projector device  300  includes a charging port  303  for the projector device  300 . The charging port  303  may use a charging cord such as the charging cord  210  illustrated and described in relation to  FIG.  2   . 
     In an aspect of the disclosure, the projector device  300  may include a vent  304  attached to or embedded in the projector device  300 . The vent  304  may be configured to cool the projector device  300  by allowing warm air to escape the projector device  300  and maintain a suitable operating temperature for components within the projector device. 
     The electronic thumbprint device  100  or  200  may include GPS, GLNSS or other positional communications technologies, and will be utilized by an individual to activate the electronic warning banner device  310  and a related app operable to activate and interact with the electronic warning banner device  310 . 
       FIG.  4    illustrates an example aspect of an interface, such as a graphical user interface (“GUI”) of a portable device, such as smartphone  400 , where a company app  401  is displayed, and the section where an individual must either utilize his thumbprint  402  or type in an allotted identification number  403  to activate the electronic warning banner device  310  upon being pulled over by law enforcement officials. The smartphone  400  may also be in the form of a wearable device, such as a smart watch or other wearable known to one of skill in the art. In an aspect of the disclosure, the GUI of the smartphone  400  may be a voice-activated interface, TTY interface or other alternative input mechanisms for users of varying capabilities or disabilities. 
     Before utilizing the electronic warning banner device, the individuals who opt to purchase the service and electronic warning banner device  310 , will provide their thumbprint, a valid hard copy of the driver&#39;s license, proof of insurance and registration via the company app, to be downloaded into a company database. If individuals do not want to share their fingerprints, they may be provided an identification number for the purposes of activating the electronic warning banner device  310  upon being pulled over by law enforcement officials. 
       FIG.  5    illustrates an example aspect of a projector device  500  attached to a front windshield by way of nano suction technology typically utilized on cell phones to achieve the same result of attaching to flat, smooth surfaces or other attachment mechanisms known to one of skill in the art. The attached projector device  501  may illuminate an electronic image  502  of the driver&#39;s license, registration, insurance and legal warning banner  503  on the front windshield of a window  504 , after being activated by way of the electronic thumbprint device  100  or  200 . The projected electronic image  502  may be positioned in any suitable region of the front windshield of the window  504 , but in some aspects, will be positioned on the left hand corner of the windshield of the window  504 . 
       FIG.  6    is an example of a general variation of the text of the legal warning banner  503  that will be displayed, along with the driver&#39;s license, insurance policy and registration, when the electronic warning banner device is activated either by fingerprint or identification number. An example text, though not limiting, may read “Via (company name), I have electronically provided my license, registration and insurance policy to you as required by U.S. Supreme Court law, see  U.S.  v.  Rodriguez,  575 U.S. 348, 349 (2015) (stating that, during a traffic stop, police officers may “check[] driver&#39;s license . . . card, inspect[] registration and proof of insurance.”). I otherwise do not consent to speaking or answering any questions at any time throughout the duration of this traffic stop, a legal right I have pursuant to Supreme Court law and my First Amendment right to refrain from speaking. See  Berkener  v.  McCarty,  468 U.S. 420, 439 (1984) (holding during a traffic stop that “the officer may ask the detainee a moderate number of questions to determine his identity and . . . dispel[] the officer&#39;s suspicions, but the detainee is not obliged to respond.”). In the event you choose to write a traffic citation, please issue it to me and allow me to go on my way. Thank you.” Other examples of similar wording may be used, so the above example text may be modified or substituted with other content that satisfies the goal of the disclosure. 
       FIG.  7    is an example flow chart  700  for acts taken to implement the aspects of the disclosure by the app  401  for activating the electronic warning banner device  310 . In act  701 , a user applies his/her thumb to the electronic thumbprint device  100 , when the user has need to use the electronic warning banner device  310 . This may occur when the user sees a law enforcement vehicle flashing its lights behind the user&#39;s vehicle. Another instance requiring use of the electronic warning banner device  310  may occur when a law enforcement officer is approaching the user&#39;s vehicle either from the law enforcement officer&#39;s vehicle or from a different direction. 
     In act  702 , the electronic thumbprint device  100  communicates with a projector device  300  via a wired or wireless connection. The electronic thumbprint device  100  may send a “wake-up” or synchronization message to notify the projector device  300  to start up and power on a projector lens  302 . 
     In act  703 , the projector device  300 , through the projector lens  302 , projects a digital projected image on an area of a windshield of the user&#39;s vehicle. The digital projected image may include images of the driver&#39;s license, insurance policy, registration and a legal warning banner on an appointed area of the window; and the information that is automatically downloaded to a database via the app, including, but not limited to, the 1) name of driver; 2) their age; 3) their race; 4) gender; 5) the time of the traffic stop; 6) complete duration of the traffic stop, from beginning to end; 7) the speed the vehicle was driving; and 8) compilation of other pertinent data that the company accumulates in general and over time and will be made available to customer via the app, and other business consumers who purchase certain kinds of data related to the service our company provides. 
     The flow chart and acts illustrated in  FIG.  7    may be implemented on an apparatus comprising a processor and a memory comprising computer program code for one or more programs, where the computer program code is configured to cause the processor of the apparatus to implement the acts illustrated in  FIG.  7   . 
     The sequence diagrams in  FIG.  7    may be encoded in a signal bearing medium, a computer readable medium such as a memory, programmed within a device such as one or more integrated circuits, or processed by a controller or a computer. If the methods are performed by software, the software may reside in a memory resident to or interfaced to the any type of non-volatile or volatile memory interfaced or resident to the memory incorporated in the components in a communications network. Such memory may include an ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. A logical function may be implemented through digital circuitry, through source code, through analog circuitry, or through an analog source such through an analog electrical, audio, or video signal. The software may be embodied in any computer-readable or signal-bearing medium, for use by, or in connection with an instruction executable system, apparatus, or device. Such a system may include a computer-based system, a processor-containing system, or another system that may selectively fetch instructions from an instruction executable system, apparatus, or device that may also execute instructions. 
     A “computer-readable medium,” “machine-readable medium,” “computer program code”, “propagated-signal” medium, and/or “signal-bearing medium” may comprise any means that contains, stores, communicates, propagates, or transports software for use by or in connection with an instruction executable system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium may selectively be, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. A non-exhaustive list of examples of a machine-readable medium would include: an electrical connection “electronic” having one or more wires, a portable magnetic or optical disk, a volatile memory such as a Random Access Memory “RAM” (electronic), a Read-Only Memory “ROM” (electronic), an Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM or Flash memory) (electronic), or an optical fiber (optical). A machine-readable medium may also include a tangible medium upon which software is printed, as the software may be electronically stored as an image or in another format (e.g., through an optical scan), then compiled, and/or interpreted or otherwise processed. The processed medium may then be stored in a computer and/or machine memory. 
     While various aspects of the disclosure have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more aspects and implementations are possible within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.