Parking ticket enforcement system

Claim 1

A parking ticket enforcement system comprising: a base station computer with memory means for storing a data file of a selected group of license plate numbers and coded violation information associated with each of said numbers; at least one stand-alone computer with memory means for storing the data file of license plate members and coded violation information, the stand-alone computer being compatible with said base station computer for periodic transfer of said data file therebetween, the system including one stand-alone computer for each of a plurality of officers on duty; a portable unit associated with each said stand-alone computer, the unit assigned to an officer on duty; and each stand-alone computer including voice recognition means for receiving and recognizing a voiced message from said officer regarding an observed license plate number, said stand-alone computer adapted to compare said recognized number with said data file stored in the memory means of the stand-alone computer and in response thereto, to generate a status message related to coded violation information containing said data file stored in the memory of the stand-alone computer and associated with the observed license plate number, wherein said officer obtains the violation information via real-time interaction between the respective portable unit and the stand-alone computer while on duty and via interaction between the base station and the stand-alone computer prior to duty.

Claim 5

A method of enforcing parking tickets comprising the steps of: maintaining in memory means at a base station computer a data file representative of a select group of vehicle license plate numbers and coded violation information associated with each of said numbers; transferring, prior to an enforcement duty time period, said data file from said base computer to at least one stand-alone computer with memory means capable of storing said data file therein; transmitting by voice an observed license plate number from a hand-held unit to the respective stand-alone computer; receiving and recognizing said voiced transmission at the respective stand-alone computer and comparing said observed number with said data file stored in said stand-alone computer to generate a status message corresponding to coded violation information stored therein associated with said observed license plate number, whereby said coded violation information is received at the hand-held unit via real-time interaction between the hand-held unit and the respective stand-alone computer during said enforcement duty time period based upon interaction between the stand alone computer and the base station prior to said enforcement duty time period; and updating the data file at the base station after the duty time period.

Claim 6

A method of enforcing parking tickets comprising the steps of: maintaining in memory means at a base station computer a data file representative of a select group of vehicle license plate numbers and coded violation information associated with each of said numbers; transferring, prior to an enforcement duty time period, said data file from said base computer to at least one stand-alone computer with memory means capable of storing said data file therein; transmitting by voice an observed license plate number from a hand-held unit to the respective stand-alone computer; receiving and recognizing said voiced transmission at the respective stand-alone computer and comparing said observed number with said data file stored in said stand-alone computer to generate a status message corresponding to coded violation information stored therein associated with said observed license plate number, whereby said coded violation information is received at the hand-held unit via real-time interaction between the hand-held unit and the respective stand-alone computer during said enforcement duty time period based upon interaction between the stand alone computer and the base station prior to said enforcement duty time period; and updating the data file at the base station after the duty time period.

Claim 12

A method of enforcing parking ticket comprising the steps of: maintaining in memory means of a base station computer a data file representative of a select group of vehicle license plate numbers and coded violation information associated with each of said numbers; transferring, prior to the beginning of a duty shift, said data file from said base station computer to memory means of at least one stand-alone computer capable of storing said data file therein; communicating to one of said stand-alone computers a voiced signal relates to a license plate number observed by an officer during the duty shift; generating at the respective stand-alone computer, in response to recognition of said voiced signal, a status message corresponding to coded violation information stored in and retrieved from said memory means of the stand-alone computer and associated with the observed license plate number; audibly communicating said status message retrieved from said memory means at said stand-alone computer to said officer, thereby to enable the officer to take appropriate enforcement action, whereby the officer obtains the coded violation information via real-time interaction with the stand-alone computer during the duty shift based upon interaction with the base station prior to the duty shift; and updating the data file at the base station after the duty shift.

Claim 13

A method of enforcing parking ticket comprising the steps of: maintaining in memory means of a base station computer a data file representative of a select group of vehicle license plate numbers and coded violation information associated with each of said numbers; transferring, prior to the beginning of a duty shift, said data file from said base station computer to memory means of at least one stand-alone computer capable of storing said data file therein; communicating to one of said stand-alone computers a voiced signal relates to a license plate number observed by an officer during the duty shift; generating at the respective stand-alone computer, in response to recognition of said voiced signal, a status message corresponding to coded violation information stored in and retrieved from said memory means of the stand-alone computer and associated with the observed license plate number; audibly communicating said status message retrieved from said memory means at said stand-alone computer to said officer, thereby to enable the officer to take appropriate enforcement action, whereby the officer obtains the coded violation information via real-time interaction with the stand-alone computer during the duty shift based upon interaction with the base station prior to the duty shift; and updating the data file at the base station after the duty shift.

Claim 14

A method of enforcing parking tickets comprising the steps of: maintaining in memory means of a base station computer a data file representative of a select group of vehicle license plate numbers and coded violation information associated with each of said numbers; transferring, prior to an officer's serving of a duty shift, said data file from said base station computer to memory means of at least one stand-alone computer capable of storing said data file therein; communicating to one of said stand-alone computers a voiced signal related to a license plate number observed by an officer during the duty shift; generating at the respective stand-alone computer, in response to recognition of said voiced signal, a status message corresponding to coded violation information stored in and retrieved from said memory means of the stand-alone computer and associated with the observed license plate number; displaying, at said stand-alone computer, said status message retrieved from said memory means of said stand-alone computer, thereby to enable the officer to take appropriate enforcement action, whereby the officer obtains the coded violation information via real-time interaction with the respective stand-alone computer during the duty shift based upon interaction with the base station prior to the duty shift; and updating the data file at the base station after the duty shift.

Claim 15

A method of enforcing parking tickets comprising the steps of: maintaining in memory means of a base station computer a data file representative of a select group of vehicle license plate numbers and coded violation information associated with each of said numbers; transferring, prior to an officer's serving of a duty shift, said data file from said base station computer to memory means of at least one stand-alone computer capable of storing said data file therein; communicating to one of said stand-alone computers a voiced signal related to a license plate number observed by an officer during the duty shift; generating at the respective stand-alone computer, in response to recognition of said voiced signal, a status message corresponding to coded violation information stored in and retrieved from said memory means of the stand-alone computer and associated with the observed license plate number; displaying, at said stand-alone computer, said status message retrieved from said memory means of said stand-alone computer, thereby to enable the officer to take appropriate enforcement action, whereby the officer obtains the coded violation information via real-time interaction with the respective stand-alone computer during the duty shift based upon interaction with the base station prior to the duty shift; and updating the data file at the base station after the duty shift.