Mobile driver's license reader
A reader and method for reading a mobile driver's license (mDL) and other forms of electronic identification are provided. The reader may establish wireless communication with a driver's mobile device to receive the mobile driver's license information from the smartphone after prompting the driver to approve transfer of the information. The reader may securely store the received information and transfer the information to a docking system and may ensure reliable deletion of the data by linking the data with a triggering event. The reader may also read physical driver's licenses and other forms of physical identification, car registrations, and other similar items, and may capture images.
1 . An electronic identification reader configured to read government-issued electronic identification, comprising:
a handheld housing;
a wireless communication module disposed within the handheld housing and configured to communicate wirelessly with a mobile electronic device storing a government-issued electronic identification to receive the government-issued electronic identification from the mobile electronic device;
at least one touch-sensitive control disposed on the handheld housing;
a camera disposed in the handheld housing and configured to, in response to a first input from the at least one touch-sensitive control, capture an image of a code of a physical identification;
at least one processor disposed in the handheld housing and configured to:
in response to a second input from the at least one touch-sensitive control, trigger the mobile electronic device to prompt a user of the mobile electronic device with a request for approval to transmit the government-issued electronic identification from the mobile electronic device;
upon receiving the approval to transmit the government-issued electronic identification from the mobile electronic device, request the government-issued electronic identification;
perform the receiving the government-issued electronic identification from the mobile electronic device; and
obtain identification information from the government-issued electronic identification;
a physical connection between the electronic identification reader and a vehicle-mounted docking system configured to transfer the identification information from the government-issued electronic identification to the vehicle-mounted docking system,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, after the physical connection transfers the identification information from the government-issued electronic identification to the vehicle-mounted docking system, delete the identification information from the government-issued electronic identification from the electronic identification reader.
2 . The electronic identification reader of claim 1 , further comprising:
a retention member configured to engage a complementary retention feature of a body-mounted holster.
3 . The electronic identification reader of claim 2 , further comprising an NFC circuit,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to, after a triggering event, lock the electronic identification reader until the NFC circuit detects an NFC tag of a docking system or the holster.
4 . The electronic identification reader of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving the government-issued electronic identification from the mobile electronic device comprises limiting transfer of information from the mobile electronic device other than the government-issued electronic identification.
5 . The electronic identification reader of claim 1 , further configured to:
obtain a plurality of pieces of information from one or more persons, wherein at least one piece of information of the plurality of pieces of information is selected from the group consisting of: an identification, a vehicle registration, and a vehicle insurance,
wherein the electronic identification reader further comprises a display configured to display the plurality of pieces of information.
6 . The electronic identification reader of claim 1 , further configured to wirelessly connect to a wireless docking system.
7 . A method of reading government-issued identifications, the method comprising:
using a wireless communication module disposed within a handheld housing of an electronic identification reader to communicate wirelessly with a mobile electronic device storing a government-issued electronic identification to receive the government-issued electronic identification from the mobile electronic device;
in response to a first input from at least one touch-sensitive control disposed on the handheld housing, using a camera disposed in the handheld housing to capture an image of a code of a physical identification;
using at least one processor disposed in the handheld housing to:
in response to a second input from the at least one touch-sensitive control, trigger the mobile electronic device to prompt a user of the mobile electronic device with a request for approval to transmit the government-issued electronic identification from the mobile electronic device;
upon receiving the approval to transmit the government-issued electronic identification from the mobile electronic device, request the government-issued electronic identification;
perform the receiving the government-issued electronic identification from the mobile electronic device; and
obtain identification information from the government-issued electronic identification;
using a physical connection between the electronic identification reader and a vehicle-mounted docking system to transfer the identification information from the government-issued electronic identification to the vehicle-mounted docking system,
after using the physical connection to transfer the identification information from the government-issued electronic identification to the vehicle-mounted docking system, using the at least one processor to delete the identification information from the government-issued electronic identification from the electronic identification reader.
8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
encrypting the government-issued electronic identification.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
receiving the government-issued electronic identification comprises limiting transfer of information from the mobile electronic device other than the government-issued electronic identification.
10 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out:
using a wireless communication module disposed within a handheld housing of an electronic identification reader to communicate wirelessly with a mobile electronic device storing a government-issued electronic identification to receive the government-issued electronic identification from the mobile electronic device;
in response to a first input from at least one touch-sensitive control disposed on the handheld housing, using a camera disposed in the handheld housing to capture an image of a code of a physical identification;
using at least one processor disposed in the handheld housing to:
in response to a second input from the at least one touch-sensitive control, trigger the mobile electronic device to prompt a user of the mobile electronic device with a request for approval to transmit the government-issued electronic identification from the mobile electronic device;
upon receiving the approval to transmit the government-issued electronic identification from the mobile electronic device, request the government-issued electronic identification;
perform the receiving the government-issued electronic identification from the mobile electronic device; and
obtain identification information from the government-issued electronic identification;
using a physical connection between the electronic identification reader and a vehicle-mounted docking system to transfer the identification information from the government-issued electronic identification to the vehicle-mounted docking system,
after using the physical connection to transfer the identification information from the government-issued electronic identification to the vehicle-mounted docking system, using the at least one processor to delete the identification information from the government-issued electronic identification from the electronic identification reader.
11 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising:
instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out encrypting the government-issued electronic identification.
12 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising:
instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to connect with the docking system, and after connecting with the docking system, selectively perform at least one of:
transferring the identification information from the electronic identification reader to the docking system;
deleting the identification information from the electronic identification reader; or
installing an update to the electronic identification reader.
13 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein:
receiving the government-issued electronic identification comprises limiting transfer of information from the mobile electronic device other than the government-issued electronic identification.