Importance

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Abstract

A vehicle identification system for identifying motor vehicles in a group of vehicles at distances in excess of 200 feet is disclosed. The system includes an interrogator for directionally broadcasting an interrogation signal toward a vehicle of interest and a set of vehicle identification tags attached to the vehicles for receiving interrogation signals and sending a response signal to the interrogator. The response signal consists of information from the memory in the vehicle identification tag which allows the interrogator to identify the ownership or registration of the vehicle. Preferably, the tags have at least two memory portions with one portion being more secure than the other. Information useful to law enforcement agencies may be stored in the more secure memory portion and information for public or commercial use, such as parking access codes and toll information may be stored in the less secure memory portion. The system can link to an external database to verify and obtain more information regarding the owner of the vehicle, such as name, address, and record of traffic violations. Each tag on the vehicle also communicates with the other tags in the tag set on a vehicle, and, if the tags within a set are separated beyond a preset distance or otherwise subjected to tampering, the tags will transmit an alarm to any nearby interrogator.

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First Claim