RFID vehicle management system and method

1. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag for managing a vehicle, the RFID tag coupled with the vehicle through an onboard computer, communicably coupled with a flash memory, and operable to:

store identifying information associated with the vehicle, the identifying information comprising static data describing the vehicle;

automatically communicate the identifying information to an RFID tag reader via a wireless communication;

automatically communicate electronic representations of varying vehicle characteristics, stored in the flash memory, to the RFID tag reader via the wireless communication;

customize at least one of the varying vehicle characteristics through a radio control console in the vehicle; and

activate a vehicle security feature upon detection of being decoupled from the vehicle.

2. The RFID tag of claim 1 , the identifying information comprising one or more of the following:

a vehicle identification number of the vehicle;

an identifier associated with a plant that at least partially manufactured the vehicle;

a make of the vehicle;

a model of the vehicle; and

an engine type of the vehicle.

3. The RFID tag of claim 1 , the varying vehicle characteristics comprising one or more of the following:

maintenance information of the vehicle;

ownership data of the vehicle;

mileage of the vehicle;

date of purchase;

information of the dealership associated with the vehicle;

warranty information;

asking price of the vehicle;

invoice price of the vehicle;

owner manual; and

diagnostic system information.

4. The RFID tag of claim 3 , the varying vehicle characteristics further comprising:

a current setting;

an oil life monitor reset;

a tire inflation monitor reset;

a delayed headlamp illumination;

an automatic door lock and unlock;

a remote visual/audible verification of remote lock/unlock;

an enable/disable content theft;

an enable/disable trunk lock shock sensor;

a short or long horn with remote lock/unlock; and

a key fob transmitter programming.

5. The RFID tag of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication is encoded.

6. The RFID tag of claim 1 , the vehicle security feature comprising one of the following:

disabling the vehicle engine; and

disabling the vehicle onboard computer.

7. The RFID tag of claim 1 , the radio control console coupled to the vehicle using a serial data link.

8. A method for managing vehicles using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) comprising:

querying a first RFID tag, coupled with a first vehicle through a first onboard computer and communicably coupled with a flash memory, for identifying information of the first vehicle and for varying vehicle characteristics of the first vehicle stored in the flash memory, the first RFID tag operable to activate a vehicle security feature upon detection of the removal of the first RFID tag from the first vehicle;

querying a second RFID tag coupled with a second vehicle through a second onboard computer for identifying information of the second vehicle;

customizing at least one of the varying vehicle characteristics of the first vehicle through a radio control console in the first vehicle; and

automatically communicating the first identifying information, the first varying vehicle characteristics, and the second identifying information to a user.

9. The method of claim 8 , the first identifying information comprising one or more of the following:

a vehicle identification number of the vehicle;

an identifier associated with a plant that at least partially manufactured the vehicle;

a make of the vehicle;

a model of the vehicle; and

an engine type of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

dynamically identifying at least one parameter for filtering the vehicles; and

automatically comparing the first varying vehicle characteristics to the one or more identified parameters.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising communicating a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to the user based on the comparison.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising identifying the first vehicle as a vehicle in need of maintenance based on the comparison.

13. The method of claim 8 , the varying vehicle characteristics comprising one or more of the following:

maintenance information of the vehicle;

ownership data of the vehicle;

mileage of the vehicle;

date of purchase;

information of the dealership associated with the vehicle;

warranty information;

asking price of the vehicle;

invoice price of the vehicle;

owner manual; and

diagnostic system information.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the query of the first RFID tag comprises a first query of the first RFID tag at a factory and the method further comprising querying the first RFID tag at a storage location.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising querying the first RFID tag at a shipping point.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein communicating the first identifying information, the first varying vehicle characteristics, and the second identifying information to the user comprises:

identifying a first location of the first vehicle;

identifying a second location of the second vehicle;

generating a graphical representation of a vehicle lot associated with the first and second vehicles, the graphical representation identifying the identified first location and the identified second location;

embedding the first identifying information into the graphical representation of the identified first location for presentation to the user; and

embedding the first varying vehicle characteristics into the graphical representation of the identified first location for presentation to the user.

17. The method of claim 8 , wherein querying the first and second RFID tags occurs through an encoded communication.

18. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) vehicle management system comprising:

a first RFID tag coupled with a first vehicle through a first onboard computer and communicably coupled with a first flash memory, operable to activate a vehicle security feature upon detection of being decoupled from the first vehicle and customize at least one varying vehicle characteristic through a radio control console in the first vehicle;

a second RFID tag coupled with a second vehicle through a second onboard computer; and

a first RFID tag reader operable to:

query the first RFID tag for identifying information of the first vehicle;

query the first RFID tag for varying vehicle characteristics of the first vehicle; and

dynamically communicate the identifying information and the varying vehicle characteristics to a user.

19. The RFID vehicle management system of claim 18 , the identifying information comprising one or more of the following:

a vehicle identification number of the coupled vehicle;

an identifier associated with a plant that at least partially manufactured the coupled vehicle;

a make of the coupled vehicle;

a model of the coupled vehicle; and

an engine type of the coupled vehicle.

20. The RFID vehicle management system of claim 18 , the first RFID tag reader located at a manufacturing plant.

21. The RFID vehicle management system of claim 18 , the first RFID tag reader located at a dealership.

22. The RFID vehicle management system of claim 18 , further comprising a workstation, the workstation operable to:

identify a first location of the first vehicle;

identify a second location of the second vehicle;

generate a graphical representation of a vehicle lot associated with the first and second vehicles, the graphical representation identifying the identified first location and the identified second location; and

embed the first identifying information into the graphical representation of the identified first location for presentation to the user.