Classic metal license plates are easy to steal, copy and illegally reuse. The Third License Plate from Schreiner PrinTrust is used to complement these plates at a vehicle’s front and rear. It is a security label and placed on the inside of the windshield in the secure interior of the vehicle, which protects it against theft and tampering. It bears the vehicle’s data issued by the registration authority. In addition, it provides protective mechanisms against tampering and counterfeiting. As a result, proof of registration is safeguarded against illegal access.
Additional RFID Function
The Third License Plate can additionally be equipped with RFID. Besides the registration data, customized information may be stored on the chip for contactless reading. This enables other complementary uses such as parking or tolling applications. For these purposes, long-range UHF RFID is utilized.
A particularly innovative solution is offered by the combination of long-range UHF and NFC for short-range smartphone-based readability that Schreiner PrinTrust has developed for DKT (Deutsche Kennzeichen Technik GmbH). This label uses two chips in parallel: UHF RFID and NFC.
Functionality and Security with ((rfid))-3rd License Plate Hybrid UHF+HF
In addition to secure vehicle license plates, DKT provides smart solutions and systems for vehicle registration and identification, and traffic management systems. In the area of vehicle identification, DKT has opted for the Third License Plate from Schreiner PrinTrust:
The new ((rfid))-3rd License Plate Hybrid UHF+HF with its combination of the two technologies, RFID UHF and RFID HF/NFC, in one security label (hybrid license plate) delivers particularly high flexibility in the area of unique vehicle identification and opens up all-new possibilities in vehicle monitoring to law enforcement agencies.
The integrated UHF RFID technology enables data reading from a distance of several meters in moving traffic. By means of special readers, the ((rfid))-3rd License Plates are read in passing and matched with the related database in real time. Among other details, status information such as “proper registration,” “paid tax” and even “stolen vehicle” is queried. Using state-of-the-art traffic engineering, this information can be displayed or, with mobile solutions, provided to local law enforcement agencies for checking purposes.
Other opportunities result from the HF technology that is additionally integrated in the Third License Plate in the form of an NFC chip. Consequently, vehicle checks are now also possible using commercially available smartphones. Nearly all current smartphone devices have integrated NFC readers, thus enabling numerous new use cases by means of mobile apps with corresponding approvals by the relevant authority or licensor.
“The vehicle data captured during registration and while the vehicle is being operated are gaining increasing importance, be it for roadside vehicle checks, in the case of accidents or in conjunction with periodic technical vehicle inspections,” says DAK’s CEO Bernhard Gött. “With the combined UHF RFID and NFC function in the Third License Plate behind the windshield these data can be read in various ways and matched with the vehicle database of the respective country. This enhances security in vehicle registration, traffic safety and provides high monitoring flexibility.”
Central Databases Enable Diverse Functions
Besides government security applications, there are other relevant uses, which may include access controls and toll fee monitoring. The dual solution creates flexibility in terms of application, utilization and availability of vehicle data.
An extensive vehicle database is available as a central hub for data processing. The advantage of such a central database and real-time reading of data is that the same information is always updated and available to the various institutions and users such as insurance companies, tax authorities, banks, inspection organizations and local law enforcement agencies in real time.
Additional information at: https://www.dkt-international.com/fahrzeugidentifizierung/
Summary
The vehicle data stored on the ((rfid))-3rd License Plate Hybrid UHF+HF can either be read from a distance and in moving traffic using an RFID reader or at close range by means of smartphone apps. Reading in moving traffic enhances transparency due to unique vehicle identification, for instance in fighting crime and protection against terrorism, while smartphone-based reading reduces complexity and expands the usability range by eliminating the need to purchase readers.