WO1998030421A1

WO1998030421A1 - Remote vehicle identification and disablement method and apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1998030421A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/000787
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark S. Fisch
Original assignee: Fisch Mark S
Priority date: 1997-01-14
Filing date: 1998-01-14
Publication date: 1998-07-16
Also published as: AU6132398A

Abstract

A vehicular disablement method and apparatus, wherein police can identify and stop a vehicle which is attempting to flee from a traffic stop. The apparatus includes an interrogator system located in a law enforcement vehicle and a responder system located in a target vehicle. An interrogation signal is sent to vehicles in the proximate area and the responder system on each vehicle verifies the interrogator signal and then responds with vehicular information stored in the responder system. The interrogation system displays the responding vehicles in the area, or only those selected by the officer, and the law enforcement user selects vehicles for disablement. Multiple vehicles may be stopped at the same time. The responder system includes disablement circuitry connected to the vehicle systems. A disablement command is sent which is acted upon and a confirmation reply is sent by the disabled target vehicle. Any vehicle disabled may be remotely restarted immediately via a subsequent interrogator command.

Description

REMOTE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION AND DISABLEMENT METHOD AND APPARATUS FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to the field of law enforcement, and in particular a wireless interrogation and responder system for identifying and disabling of a target vehicle by law enforcement personnel .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Police officers and other law enforcement personnel continually face the prospect of having to stop a stolen or fleeing vehicle. Such efforts often lead to high speed police chases through busy metropolitan or suburban areas which invariably endanger the lives of innocent bystanders and pedestrians. While police might employ aircraft and radio- coordinated blockade methods, the suspect can still flee within a limited area and cause accidents and destruction. Moreover, present laws tend to disfavor chasing a suspect in a vehicle as a means to effectuate an arrest, due to the danger and liability caused by related accidents. Current pursuit policies for most police departments state that pursuits are either not permitted, or are only permitted when the officer has probable cause to believe that a forcible felony (e.g. rape, robbery, or murder) has occurred and that the individual driving or fleeing in the vehicle is the person who committed the crime. It is usually not enough that the vehicle is known to belong to the suspect, or that the car or person driving the vehicle fits a certain description; such circumstantial facts do not necessarily mean that the person driving the car is the particular felon to be pursued. The latter situation occurs in very limited circumstances, e.g. less than 5% of the time, and therefore pursuits are usually not authorized. Furthermore, most departments do not consider stolen vehicles as worthy of incurring the risks associated with police pursuits. Pursuits are almost never authorized under the majority circumstance when vehicles flee, which occurs when an officer initiates a stop for a traffic violation, or has less than the forcible felony standard. 7Any department authorizing such a chase risks extreme liability if the pursuit causes property damage, injury, and/or death. Under the usual fleeing vehicle circumstance, any device used to force a stop should not risk harm to the public, the vehicle being pursued, the occupants of vehicle, or the officer. For liability purposes, the officer usually has probable cause for a traffic stop and seldom more. Moreover, devices that damage the vehicle (e.g. tire spikes, electrical discharge, etc.) are generally disfavored because of the dangers involved and related liability. For vehicle damage, injury and/or death when such devices are utilized or in the attempt to utilize them. In order to effectuate a proper stop, identification of a vehicle is important. License plates and/or the color of a car can often be readily changed, and hence, it is important for police organizations to have accurate and reliable data regarding the vehicles which they wish to stop. Police can ordinarily utilize central databases by calling in regarding a particular vehicle's license tag to see if it matches the vehicle. However, stolen vehicles often display "temporary tags" which are not kept on police databases, and hence such devices render police identification systems useless. Additionally, the police still need to have the ability to non- destructively stop the vehicle once it is identified. Devices for the electronic identification of vehicles from a distance are presently known in the art . Aircraft have used transponder systems for many years which allow a radio controller to identify a particular aircraft at a particular altitude on a radar screen. An interrogation signal is sent to the aircraft and a response signal consisting of aircraft identification and/or altitude information is sent back to the air controller. Similar technology is employed in anti-theft systems such as LOJACK (trademark) which use a transmitter mounted inside a vehicle which is activated to send out a homing signal when a vehicle is stolen. Police can then use a homing unit to track down the stolen vehicle. U.S. Patent 5,533,045 discloses a vehicle identification system which uses an interrogator and responder, whereby the responder is mounted on a vehicle and sends out information when interrogated. U.S. Patent 5,530,637 discloses a receiving circuit which produces a DC power in response to a microwave interrogation signal . The DC power received is then used to produce an identification signal. U.S. Patent 5,506,584 discloses a radar sensor and processor for intelligent vehicle highway systems controllers. This system allows highway controllers to collect and process information regarding traffic flows and to tailor traffic controls accordingly to rectify any problems. U.S. Patents 5,351,052 and 5,453,747 each disclose a system which uses a first and second transponder for communicating with vehicles in different lanes of the road. U.S. Patent 5,311,186 discloses a transponder for vehicle identification which varies the reflection coefficient according to the bias in the detection device. U.S. Patent 5,424,747 discloses a process and system utilizing radar signals to determine the position and orientation of a vehicle. Such identification systems allow an officer to bypass calling a central database for license or other such vehicular information. This call-in process is relatively slow, and such databases often shutdown for unknown periods of time. Additionally, only limited information can be practically retrieved using such a system. In contrast, electronic identification systems allow more information to be stored on each vehicle as deemed appropriate by State and Federal agencies. Without such control, an officer can not safely target and stop a suspect vehicle from a distance. U.S. Patent 5,513,244 discloses a system whereby an owner contacts his vehicle via a transmitter to invoke control commands. However, no identification function is disclosed because the owner will obviously know which vehicle is his, and will only be able to interface with and control that one vehicle. Such a system simply serves to provide a data link between an owner and his vehicle. U.S Patent 5,420,794 discloses an automated highway system for controlling the operating parameters of a vehicle. A highway control facility along the highway queries a passing vehicle for destination and other travel parameters. The vehicle might then be steered or controlled along the highway as necessary until control of the vehicle is passed along to the next highway control facility. Global Positioning Systems may be used to remotely track and shut down a vehicle. Current usage of such systems is for theft deterrent wherein remote shut down is performed if vehicle tampering is detected. Thus shut down is possible from a remote location, without line of sight, making it impractical for law enforcement. Unless an individual can verify proper conditions for shutting down a vehicle, such a shut down could cause an accident. The above listed systems, however, do not provide any line of sight control over the vehicle itself based upon the interrogated identification of many vehicles within a given area, followed by the individual tagging of the identified vehicle by law enforcement personnel, with a particularized shutdown or other such command then transmitted for reception by the targeted vehicle. Hence, what is needed is a system which would allow law officers to interrogate the identity of vehicles from a distance and to subsequently target a particular identified vehicle for shutdown or disablement in order to prevent a high speed vehicular chase. Visual contact providing control over a number of risks associated with forced stops before a stop is initiated. Ideally, the wireless system could be retrofitted into existing vehicular systems, or manufactured into newly produced vehicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is an apparatus and method for safely stopping a vehicle that is attempting to flee from law enforcement personnel. The device allows law enforcement personnel to identify and target a specific vehicle and force an engine shutdown, or other similar actions. The device might also provide for application of the fleeing vehicle's brakes, along with associated strobing of the vehicle's headlights, reverse lights, and taillights as a warning signal, so that the vehicle might be stopped without adversely affecting surrounding traffic or unnecessarily endangering peoples' lives. T h e apparatus consists of an interrogation system and responder system with each separate unit including a transceiver module. The interrogation unit is connected to a user interface in the police vehicle to allow law enforcement personnel to select and interrogate certain types of vehicles within a given area. As such, an interrogation signal such as a laser to diode or radar to transponder is transmitted across a given radius and/or in a specific direction. The fleeing vehicle includes a corresponding transceiver, or responder system, which receives and responds to the interrogation signal. The responder system includes a memory source with pertinent vehicle information programmable stored onboard. Such pertinent information includes for example, an individual identification number, the model and year of the car, the color, and the tag number. Owners might also program in emergency contact numbers so that police might verify that a car is being used with permission or authorization before attempting to stop it. Hence, officers suspecting a stolen vehicle could have a dispatcher call the relevant numbers and verify that the vehicle is being driven with permission when reasonable suspicion exists that the vehicle might have been stolen, but has not yet been reported. The circuitry in the responder system interprets the incoming interrogation signal, and then reads the vehicle information from memory and sends the information back, if that particular vehicle has been targeted for interrogation. The responder system might also be connected to various engine circuitry or existing control modules such as the fuel pump circuit to allow remote shutdown of the fleeing vehicle upon receipt of an appropriate command from the police interrogator device . The responder system mounted in the consumer vehicle is intended to be concealed and/or made tamper resistant. This is especially useful when the vehicle used in fleeing law enforcement personnel has been recently stolen. In such a situation, the offender would generally not have the technical ability, and/or would lack sufficient time, to successfully locate and tamper with the concealed responder system or shutdown device. In operation, the responder system in the citizen vehicle remains in a dormant mode until the responder system receives a verified signal from the law enforcement interrogation system. Once a responder system processes and verifies such an interrogation signal, it then broadcasts a return data stream which is received by the law enforcement vehicle. The data stream includes, among other information, a vehicle description and identification code specific to the vehicle. The identification code is capable of essentially limitless permutations depending upon the number of characters in the string. This permits a large number of vehicles to be individually identifiable, but without excessively cluttering up the radio airways as both the interrogator and responder operate in the same frequency range . Upon transmission of the data stream from the target vehicle, the responder awaits commands from the law enforcement system which now specifically addresses the citizen's unit as a target vehicle. When this occurs, the responder verifies the interrogator system commands, processes the information, and thereby forces the vehicle to perform the functions required by the interrogator commands. Among the commands available in the sample apparatus are engine shutdown, strobing of brake lights, engine reset, window roll up and automatic door activation or deactivation. If the responder does not receive a proper command addressed to a particular citizen's vehicle, it remains active for a predetermined time awaiting such command but returns to a dormant and power-saving stage thereafter. The interrogator system on the police vehicle functions in a reciprocal manner. A user interface is connected to the interrogator unit and system antenna. The user interface may take on several forms such as a laptop computer or a specifically designed display and associated keypad. The transceiver can include an auxiliary connection for an external or laptop computer. Additionally, voice recognition, a heads -up display or other similar interface devices, in any combination, might be used. Once a law enforcement officer identifies or knows of a vehicle that is required to be stopped, the law enforcement officer activates the interrogator and the interrogator polls all vehicle responder units within a given range. This exchange of information may be in the form of radio frequency transmissions, or like transmissions, in order to reach a particular range of vehicles. Once the interrogator activates the appropriate responder unit, the responder will transmit its data back to the interrogator in the method previously described. Contact vehicles which do not pass an identification or logic test are not displayed upon the interrogator system's user interface. Once the interrogator system receives and processes the data stream from the contacted vehicle, the interrogator system displays the contacted vehicle's description information on a monitor or heads up display. The law enforcement personnel then selects, via a pointing device or otherwise, which vehicle on the display needs to be stopped. Multiple vehicles may be entered into the system and forced to stop by selecting multiple targets. Each vehicle's identification and shutdown information is stored in a buffer or memory whereby selection and shutdown of each individual vehicle is accomplished in a sequence selected by the officer working off the same initial contact screen. Once such screen selections are made, a second page appears on the display asking the law enforcement personnel to verify the vehicle that needs to be stopped. This second screen will contain more detailed information about each contacted vehicle, and once approval is given pursuant to this screen selection, the vehicle's information is sent to a data broadcast buffer. If the wrong vehicle has been accidentally selected, it can be removed from the buffer. The identification and shutdown codes are broadcast over a known range and received by the target vehicles . The targeted vehicles will then send a reply signal verifying the action taken, e.g. shutdown of the engine, which will be displayed for verification by the officer. The present system is capable of installation and use on all types of vehicles including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and even boats. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method to eliminate police chases before they begin, and to thereby eliminate the ensuing dangers to the public, police officers and fleeing suspects which are caused by high speed police chases. It is a related object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method which uses a wireless link to interrogate area vehicles for vehicle identification information. It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method which stores, and subsequently transmits, vehicle identification information from a vehicle which has been contacted by the interrogator. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method to prevent high speed car chases by allowing law enforcement personnel to control various aspects of the fleeing vehicle, whether it be electrical or mechanical, for the purpose of partially or totally disabling a vehicle. Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a control system that assimilates the traditional traffic stop into one which might be performed by radio contact with the contact vehicle. Still another object of the instant invention is to provide a broadcast range and directional control that is sensitive to the operating environment and prohibits false shutdowns of nontarget vehicles . Another object of the instant invention is to provide a control system which can incorporate other command functions such a video cameras, voice recorders, and the like to monitor activities within a vehicle during control system activation. Yet still another object of the instant invention is to provide a control system that allows for remote restarting or restarting of a vehicle by timer activation. Another object of the instant invention is to provide a control system that will work on both new and used vehicle, vessel, or other motorized apparatus. Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a block diagram of the wireless interrogator system to be mounted in a law enforcement vehicle and a corresponding responder system to be mounted in a fleeing target vehicle. Figure 2 is a block diagram of steps performed by the system hardware and software of the interrogator and responder system. Figure 3 is yet another variation of the block diagram of steps performed by the system hardware and software of the interrogator and responder system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Although the invention has been described in terms of a specific embodiment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art that various modifications, rearrangements and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims appended hereto. Referring now to Figure 1, a block diagram is shown of the overall system 10 which includes interrogator system 12 and a responder system 14. The interrogator system 12 is mounted or located in a law enforcement vehicle 6 and includes a police vehicle command control unit 16. The control unit 16 incorporates a microprocessor 18 which is connected to a programmable memory device 20 such as RAM or an EPROM. The unit 16 includes power supply circuitry 22 connected to +12VDC and ground leads 24 and 26. A keypad 28 is connected to the microprocessor 18 through a keypad interface 30. The front of the unit 16 also includes an LCD display device 32 which is driven by a display driver 34 with a connection 36 to the microprocessor 18. An external computer such as a laptop computer 17 might also be connected to interface with and operate the interrogator system 12. A spread spectrum radio transceiver module 38 is connected to the command control unit 16 via a bus 40. The transceiver includes standard components such as a modulator, demodulator, and transmitter. The bus 40 connects through a serial interface port 42 with a connection 44 leading to the microprocessor 18. The radio transceiver module 38 is connected to an antenna unit 46. The antenna unit shown preferably includes a series of directional antenna horns 48 which are selectively connected to the radio transceiver module 38 via an antenna selector switch 50. Each horn, for instance, might project signals across a thirty degree (30°) span, and each could be used individually or in combination to achieve wider coverage angles. This selectability allows a user to choose between different types of antennas to cover a broader or narrower transmission path as needed. The directional ability of the antenna allows the user to minimize the number of vehicles contacted or affected by the interrogator device . The shown embodiment incorporates a log periodic type antenna with 6 dB of gain. Alternatively other types of antennas might similarly be used, including a signal horn antenna, or other types of antennas with different gains. Power output of the interrogator unit in general can be varied so as to minimize or maximize the contact and command range of the interrogator. A corresponding responder system 14 is concealed within the target vehicle 8. The responder system 14 includes an identification and logic control module 52 with a power supply 54 having +12VDC and ground leads 56 and 58. The control module 52 includes a microprocessor 60 which is connected to a programmable memory device 62 such as RAM or an EPROM. The memory device 62 might also include a nonvolatile memory source for permanent and tamper- free storage of pertinent vehicle information. A preprogrammed chip may also be provided by state government detailing current registration details. The responder system 14 communicates with the interrogator system 12 via a spread spectrum radio transceiver module 64. As stated above, the transceiver includes standard components such as a modulator, demodulator, and transmitter. The radio transceiver module 64 utilizes an omnidirectional antenna 66 to transmit and receive signals in all directions to and from the interrogator system 12. Again, while any such omnidirectional antenna might be used, the present embodiment utilizes a 1/4 wave omnidirectional antenna mounted in the tail lamp of the target vehicle. The radio transceiver module 64 is connected to the control module 52 via bus 68 through serial interface port 70. A keypad device 74 is also detachably connected through the serial interface port 70 or otherwise. The keypad device is used to download and program pertinent information for each vehicle 8 into the memory storage device 62 through the microprocessor 60. Depending upon the command received from the interrogator system 12 through the transmission link 72, the control module 52 can order the vehicle to respond in various ways. The embodiment shown includes a fuel pump shutoff control circuit 76 connected to the microprocessor 60. This control circuit 76 is connected to a fuel pump circuit 78 in the vehicle 8 which would be responsive to on and off signals to the fuel flow. When the fuel flow is cut off, the vehicle would lose power and roll to a stop. Associated with such an action is a lamp strobe control circuit 78 which is connected to brake and reverse lamp circuits 80. When the vehicle 8 is disabled, the brake and reverse lights will then flash in order to warn the vehicle passengers, surrounding vehicles and pedestrians that the vehicle will be stopping soon thereafter. Also included is a brake control circuit 120 which may be connected to a brake circuit 122 on a vehicle. Yet another command might include window and door locking in order to prevent a suspect from fleeing a disabled vehicle. Accordingly, a window and door lock circuit 82 is included which is connected to power window and door lock circuits onboard the vehicle 8. Referring also now to Figure 2, a block diagram of the general steps of operation of the interrogator and responder systems 12 and 14 are shown. In step 90, the interrogator system 12 sends out a polling or interrogation signal via the transmission link 72 to find out what vehicles are within a given reception area. The law enforcement officer using the system operates the keypad or user interface 28 to select the appropriate interrogation signal, as assisted by visual feedback from the display unit 32. The user interface may take on several forms, with one example being a handheld unit, and another example being any portable computer currently in use by the policy agency in its patrol cars. The officer activates the interrogator by pressing a button on the user interface 28. Alternatively, voice recognition, joystick, or the like command sending devices can be used to activate the interrogator. The interrogator 12 might use any of several transmission mediums to send and receive signals, preferably laser to diode or radar to transponder. The embodiment shown uses spread spectrum radio frequency transmissions. The interrogator system 12 then activates only particular vehicles targeted, and/or the system may activate all the vehicle responder systems 14 within a given contact region. The officer might also select the direction and power to be applied to the interrogation signal so that only a given area or radius will be polled. In step 92, the responder system 14 in each contacted target vehicle 8 receives the interrogation signal, verifies it, and reads the vehicle identification data from memory 62. The vehicle identification data can be stored in either programmable memory or permanent nonvolatile memory as stated above. If the signal is not verified, it will be ignored. Each responder system 14 transmits its vehicular data back to the interrogator via the radio transceiver module 64 in the form of a data stream. In step 94, the interrogator system receives and processes the data stream. Contacted vehicles which do not pass a logic test are not displayed upon the user interface. In this manner, the interrogation signal can be sent out for all vehicles in the vicinity to respond. This might include, however, fifty or more vehicles. The interrogator unit will receive and process the incoming signals, but will then only display the vehicles which are of interest to the police officer, e.g. Pontiac Firebirds, Mercedes 560SL, or Lincoln Towncars, and will block out the rest. Also, if a target vehicle is known to be in the vicinity but does not appear on the interrogator display 32, then the officer needs only to reactivate the interrogator to receive new response signals or the officer will know the responder is not functioning properly, has not yet been installed, or has been removed. A traffic stop under such circumstances will reveal whether the device has been tampered with as a typical citizen would not fee from police. Other logic test variations might include elimination of vehicles coming the other direction in a traffic pattern through their not remaining within a contact range for a sufficient period of time. This time period is established by a user selected switch or software cue. Otherwise, the system would permit near instantaneous contact search within a given area. Once the interrogator receives and processes the data streams, it displays the contact vehicles' description information on a monitor or display device 32. In step 96 the officer then uses a pointing device, or other method such as voice recognition, to select a vehicle from the display 32 which the officer wishes to stop or disable. Multiple vehicles might be entered into the system for a forced stop by "tagging" multiple targets to control an entire range of vehicles. This information is stored in a buffer and/or memory 20 and the officer can then shutdown the vehicles in any sequence deemed appropriate by working from the same initial contact screen displayed on the display device 32. The identification and appropriate vehicular commands are then processed into broadcast commands as per step 98. In step 100, the user is then prompted, via a second screen or otherwise, if the targets selected are the correct ones for a vehicular stop. The second screen will contain more detailed information on each vehicle as available and appropriate for the particular search being conducted. If a selection is incorrect 101, the user will be prompted to select again in step 96 and any incorrect entries can be removed from the transmission buffer or memory 20. Once an approval 102 is given, the identification codes and vehicular commands are transmitted as per step 104 for reception by the particular target vehicles due to the identification codes contained within the commands. Non-identified vehicles will simply ignore and not act upon the commands. Targeted vehicle responder systems 14, however, will receive the command and act upon receipt of the data after verification of the signal. A reply signal will be sent back from the vehicle responder system 14 confirming the action by the target vehicle as per step 106. For instance, if a target vehicle is sent a shutdown command, the reply signal will send a "kill" or "shutdown" response back to the interrogator. If an identification signal or reply signal is not received, the interrogator unit will continuously send out interrogation or disablement commands until appropriate action is achieved, when, for example, the fleeing vehicle is close to maximum range. This prevents the law enforcement officers from having to continually re-initiate transmission of such signals as they are simultaneously required perform other related law enforcement tasks such as driving, surveillance, and/or radio communications. As per step 108, the interrogator system 12 then displays a confirmation that such action has been taken upon the target vehicle. If a vehicle has erroneously been shutdown, the user can send an immediate reset signal to the affected vehicles as per step 110. Otherwise, the shutdown vehicles will begin a reactivation timer sequence 112 whereupon control will be returned to the vehicle after approximately 5 minutes if the police overlook resetting the erroneously targeted vehicle. Referring now to Figure 3, another variation of the general steps of operation of the interrogator and responder systems 12 and 14 are shown. In this Figure, the steps are essentially the same as in Figure 2. However, in order to prevent possible abuse of the shutdown system by police or authorities, the police would request an additional authorization code from the centralized police station as per step 114. This code is then transmitted back to the police unit thereby allowing the interrogator to complete the shutdown transmission. Alternatively, the police station might be responsible for all such shutdown or vehicle command transmissions in step 104. Such centralized decision-making and authority would be analogous to seeking a warrant from a higher authority in order to continue with the legal process in question. Referring again to Figure 1, the interrogator system 12 might additionally utilize a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit 116 connected to the police vehicle command control unit 16. Accordingly, for evidentiary and security purposes, the control unit 116 can be made to generate a log of shutdowns, kills or other such uses of the device, including for instance, date; time; stopped vehicle information; police officer utilizing the device; and the exact location of the stop as provided by the GPS signal. Without the GPS system, a log of the remaining information can still be stored away in a protected nonvolatile memory device to achieve the same purposes. Unauthorized use by non-police could be achieved by using such schemes as identi ication code rollover protections in the responder unit. Such rollover protections can be used to generate a new code automatically with each search inquiry, which resets or rolls-over after a prescribed time period. The spread spectrum radios were using now already make it difficult for hackers to scan. Additionally, the responder system can test and verify the signal integrity as one coming from an authorized source. This would include, for example, imbedding a carrier wave within the police interrogator signal which the responder would specifically look for. Additionally, the police could use special identification codes known only to them when contacting the responder units of individual vehicles. Still other security measures include: anti-scan technology incorporated into the responder system; usage of special frequencies above the range of scanning devices as provided by the FCC; scrambling and descrambling various transmissions; usage of various light sensitive or motion sensitive chips, which for instance would erase all memory from either transceiver if improperly tampered with; locking key portions of the system of the police unit in a fixed-mounted, heavy-duty frame or safe within the vehicle; controlled distribution of the police units at the station with timed battery usage which wipes the memory if not returned within a certain time period; and/or usage of officer identification codes into the interrogator unit before the unit will activate. Countermeasures against blockage or jamming of the signals transmitted to and from the responder would also be included as needed. Such measures might include: constant circuitry testing to detect damage or tampering with the responder system; monitoring for jamming of the radio receiver/transponder and/or blockage of the diode in a laser based system. Responsive measures might also be taken upon detection of tampering, disablement, or mechanical fault of the responder including: usage of a transmitter or transponder hidden on the vehicle to broadcast a signal to the police station or police vehicle under such failure conditions; design of automobile parts which integrally contain features of the system and do not readily allow removal and substitution with replacement parts; and/or incorporation of permanent disabling features upon the vehicle if device tampering is detected. It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown in the drawings and descriptions.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A vehicle identification and disablement system for electronically identifying vehicles within a known proximity and allowing selection and disablement of targeted vehicles, said vehicle identification and disablement system comprising: a responder system concealably mounted in a target vehicle including a logic control means with a memory means and microprocessor, a disablement means, and a transceiver means; an interrogator system mounted in a law enforcement vehicle including a command control unit means with a memory means and a microprocessor, an input and display means, and a transceiver means; whereby said interrogator system sends out an interrogation signal and said responder system responds back with a signal containing vehicle identification information, said interrogation system displays said identified vehicles on said display for disablement selection and targeting, said interrogation system sends out a disablement signal to cause a disablement action which is received by said targeted vehicles, said responder system thereby activates said disablement means and sends a confirmation signal to said interrogator system which displays said disablement action taken on said targeted vehicle, and allows for remote restarting of a disabled vehicle.

2. The vehicle identification and disablement system of Claim 1, wherein said interrogator transceiver means includes a spread spectrum radio transceiver with a selectable directional antenna, and said responder transceiver means includes a spread spectrum radio transceiver with an omnidirectional antenna.

3. The vehicle identification and disablement system of Claim 2, wherein said selectable direction antenna consists of a plurality of selectable antenna horns, each horn transmitting across a fixed transmission radius.

4. The vehicle identification and disablement system of Claim 1, wherein said responder system memory means includes a nonvolatile memory device for permanent storage of pertinent vehicle information.

5. The vehicle identification and disablement system of Claim 1, wherein said responder system includes an interface port for connection of a programming device for inputting vehicle information into said memory means and for programming said responder system.

6. The vehicle identification and disablement system of Claim 1, wherein said responder system disablement means includes a fuel pump shutoff control circuit connected to said microprocessor in said logic control means, wherein said fuel pump shutoff control circuit is also connected to the fuel pump circuit on said target vehicle.

7. The vehicle identification and disablement system of Claim 1, wherein said responder system disablement means includes a lamp strobe control circuit connected to said microprocessor in said logic control means, wherein said lamp strobe control circuit is also connected to the brake and reverse lamp circuits on said target vehicle, said lamp control circuit causing the brake and reverse lights to flash when the target vehicle is disabled.

8. The vehicle identification and disablement system of Claim 1, wherein said responder system disablement means includes a window and lock control circuit connected to said microprocessor in said logic control means, wherein said window and lock control circuit is also connected to the power window and door lock circuits on said target vehicle.

9. The vehicle identification and disablement system of Claim 1, wherein said responder system disablement means includes a brake control circuit connected to said microprocessor in said logic control means, wherein said brake control circuit is also connected to a brake circuit on said target vehicle.

10. The vehicle identification and disablement system of Claim 1, wherein said input and display means includes a display screen, a display driver and associated keypad incorporated into said command control unit means.

11. The vehicle identification and disablement system of Claim 1, wherein said input and display means includes a computer connected to said command control unit means.

12. The vehicle identification and disablement system of Claim 1, wherein said interrogation system further may include a GPS device for providing location information to said interrogation system.

13. A method of vehicle identification and disablement for electronically identifying vehicles within a known proximity and allowing selection and disablement of targeted vehicles by utilizing an interrogation system located in a law enforcement vehicle with an input and display means, a memory means, and a transceiver; and responder system located in a target vehicle with a memory means, a vehicle disablement means, and a transceiver, said method comprising the steps of: (a) storing pertinent vehicle identification information on said responder system memory means; (b) sending out an interrogation signal from said interrogation system; (c) receiving said interrogation signal by said responder system; (d) retrieving said vehicle identification information from said memory and transmitting said information from said responder system; (e) receiving said target vehicle identification information by said interrogation system and displaying said target vehicles responding to said interrogation signal on said interrogation system display means; (f) processing user inputs from said input means regarding selection of a target vehicle to be disabled; (g) transmitting a disablement command from said interrogation system; (h) receiving said disablement command by said responder system of said selected target vehicle; (i) disabling said target vehicle through said disablement means in response to said disablement command.

14. The method of vehicle identification and disablement of Claim 13, further including the steps of: (j) transmitting a confirmation of said disablement by said responder system; (k) receiving and displaying said confirmation of vehicle disablement on said display means of said interrogation system.

15. The method of vehicle identification and disablement of Claim 13, which further includes between steps (g) and (h) the step of: (i) transmitting and receiving an authorization for the vehicular disablement from a superior authority.

16. The method of vehicle identification and disablement of Claim 13, which replaces step (g) : (g) transmitting a request for a disablement command to a superior authority and transmitting said disablement command from said superior authority.

17. The method of vehicle identification and disablement of Claim 14 wherein said interrogation system further includes a GPS device, said method further including the steps of: (1) generating a vehicular disablement log with vehicular position information from said GPS device.

18. The method of vehicle identification and disablement of Claim 13 wherein said disablement means includes a fuel flow control circuit, a lamp strobe control circuit, a door lock and window control circuit, a brake control circuit, ignition on starter kill, or other similar means of disabling an engine, said method further including the steps of : (j) disabling the fuel flow system of said target vehicle through said fuel flow control circuit; and (k) flashing the brake and tail lights of said target vehicle through said lamp strobe control circuit.

19. The method of vehicle identification and disablement of Claim 18, further including the steps of: (1) applying the brakes of said target vehicle through said brake control circuit.

20. The method of vehicle identification and disablement of Claim 18, further including the steps of: (1) locking the doors and windows of said target vehicle through said door lock and window control circuit.