[LINK] Hidden device in parking bays

[Steve Jenkin]

On Mon, Nov 27, 2006 at 11:13:13PM +1000, Andy Farkas wrote:

For those interested, company website "how does it work" page:
<http://vm-sys.com/how.html>

Front page has a nice shot of one of the hand-helds.
Offices in Sydney & Melbourne.
Brochure (PDF) is same text and photos as web-site.
[Which came first, the Brochure of the Webpage?]

They come up on IP Australia as well - but IPA is down for maint. this
arvo. Maybe Patent "2005243161" - granted in 2005.

Few details on the device - "10 year battery life", 
"secure radio communication with a handheld unit", (read) "up to a distance of
approximately 50 metre",
"... can be easily and securely reprogrammed."

An ambiguous reference is made:
"All data retrieved from (In Ground Unit) IGUs are encrypted, digitally signed and sent 
to a back office server."

-> are the radio-comms encrypted & signed, or the contents of the
   hand-held?

So we know it's *not* bluetooth - too much range.
Wonder what the RF side could be to go 50M *and* last 10 years...

Couldn't quickly work out the power budget - say 2000mAH for Lithium or
Silver-oxide? But that'd be 70 micro-watts (continuous).
So it'd be like a car electronic tag - read-out on demand.

Anyone work with RF stuff like this??

A question for the LINK list:
 - why haven't cars gone to permanent electronic tags?

 cheers
 sj


> I'm guessing the revenue from fines will offset the expense of digging up
> the asphalt in areas where they want to use these devices, and councils
> will post "sorry for the inconvenience" type signs whilst the work happens:
> 
> <http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20816995-661,00.html>
> 
> "MOTORISTS will be sitting ducks as councils launch a hi-tech parking
> blitz that
> will rip hundreds of millions of dollars in fines from Victorians.
> 
> New technology will enable councils and parking officers to fine
> drivers the second
> a car overstays its time limit."
> 
> -andyf
> _______________________________________________
> Link mailing list
> Link at mailman.anu.edu.au
> http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

-- 
Steve Jenkin, Info Tech, Systems and Design Specialist.
0412 786 915 (+61 412 786 915)
PO Box 48, Kippax ACT 2615, AUSTRALIA

sjenkin at canb.auug.org.au http://www.canb.auug.org.au/~sjenkin