FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a reminder system for the renewal of a registration. The present invention has particular but not exclusive application for a reminder system for the registration of cars, motorbikes and trucks. Reference to the registration of vehicles in the description is by way of example only and the system of registration reminder is not limited to vehicles but includes all types of registrations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Owners of vehicles pay a yearly registration fee to allow them to use the roads. The monies from the registration fees has been used to maintain the roads and provide compulsory third person insurance. The driving of an unregistered vehicle on the roads is an offence and attracts a substantial fine.

Previously the authorities responsible for vehicle registration, the Main Roads Department, issued a sticker or label that the owner was obliged to affix to the vehicle's windscreen or a window on the side of the vehicle to confirm that the vehicle was registered.

The Main Roads Department has now changed their practice and no longer issue a registration sticker. The police and other authorities use scanners that can recognize a number plate of a vehicle and the alpha numeric code of the number plate can be analysed on a vehicle registration database to determine if a vehicle is registered.

The Main Roads Department send out a renewal notice at about 2 weeks before the registration is due. If the vehicle owner does not receive the renewal notice before the due date or does not receive the renewal notice at all and the registration payment is not made, the owner will need to pay a late fee as well as the registration fee. If the registration payment has not been made and the vehicle is identified as being unregistered, the driver can be fined and lose demerit points. The amount of the fine can be prohibitively large. As well, the process of reregistering a vehicle after the registration renewal has lapsed, can be a long and drawn out process requiring the obtaining of a roadworthy certificate for the vehicle. With a registration sticker affixed to the windscreen, a driver was constantly reminded of registration and when the registration was due. Without a registration sticker it is relatively easy to overlook the payment of a registration renewal fee. There are a multitude of reasons why the payment of a registration fee can be overlooked including a change of address, change of ownership, failure to receive the official reminder notice or inadvertently forgetting to attend to payment of the registration by the due date. However, the consequences of failure to pay the registration renewal fee are serious. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system that reminds a person to pay a registration renewal fee and overcomes at least in part one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect the present invention broadly resides in a registration reminder system for the registration of vehicles, boats, pets and other registrable entities, including

a token having registration details including a registration renewal date displayed thereon; and

a subscriber based reminder service that sends a reminder communication to a person providing a visual record of the registration renewal date, said visual record forms part of the token or is integral with the token.

The reminder communication is sent at a predetermined time before the registration renewal date.

The subscriber based reminder service is preferably a web based or online service.

In another aspect the invention broadly resides in a method of reminding a person of a registration renewal date using a subscriber based reminder service and including providing a subscriber with a token that has one or more registration renewal dates displayed thereon.

The token is preferably provided at a predetermined period before the registration renewal date. The token is preferably provided at 6 months, 3 months or 1 month before the registration renewal date. In another aspect the invention broadly resides in a method of reminding a person of a registration renewal date using a subscriber based reminder service, the method including:

providing a subscriber with a token;

providing the subscriber with a reminder communication that displays a registration renewal date, said reminder communication is provided at one or more predetermined periods before the registration renewal date; and

fixing a printed communication or a portion thereof to the token to form a visual record wherein the visual record displays the registration renewal date.

The reminder communication is preferably an electronic communication including an email, a facsimile, a social media communication (such as facebook and twitter) or an SMS text message. The reminder communication can be a printed communication such as a letter.

The reminder communication preferably includes a barcode which can be scanned by a mobile device such as a mobile phone to open the website directly.

In one preferred form, a person can choose to be reminded on two or more different dates. In a further preferred form, a person can choose to be reminded via several different modes of communication.

The visual record whether sent by mail or electronic can preferably be coloured or patterned to indicate the type of registration and or the year for which the renewal payment covers.

In one embodiment the visual record can be completed by the person prior to fixing to the token.

In a further aspect the invention broadly resides in a method of reminding a person of a registration renewal date using a subscriber based reminder service, the method including:

providing a subscriber with a token;

providing the subscriber with a printed or electronic communication that displays the registration renewal date, said printed or electronic communication is provided at one or more predetermined periods before the registration renewal date; and

fixing the printed communication or printed electronic communication or a portion thereof to the token to form a visual record wherein the visual record displays the registration renewal date. The printed communication or electronic communication can have one or more registration renewal dates displayed as the visual record. The registration renewal dates preferably refer to different entities that require registration such as different cars, trucks, motor bikes, boats, dogs and cats.

The token is preferably a plastic name tag for a key ring within which the visual record can be placed. Alternately the token is a tag for a key ring on which one or more registration renewal dates are displayed.

The token being a plastic name tag or a tag can be placed on a person's key ring to provide a constant reminder of the upcoming registration renewal date. The placement of the token on a person's key ring helps to prevent a person from overlooking payment of registration renewal fees because of the constant reminder provided by the token attached to the key ring.

There is a preliminary step that preferably includes the step of a person subscribing to the subscriber based reminder service by forming a profile with providing personal information including their contact details and one or more registration renewal dates.

Preferably the subscriber based reminder service includes a web based platform where registration and personal details of registered users are maintained on one or more servers. Preferably the web based platform is accessible through a password protected portal to allow subscribers to update their details from any suitable internet connected computer. Preferably communications are sent to subscribers by the selected means at the designated address at the selected time period via web-based coding.

The communication preferably includes a barcode which can be scanned by a mobile device such as a mobile phone to open the website directly.

The features described with respect to one aspect also apply where applicable to all other aspects of the invention. Furthermore, different combinations of described features are herein described and claimed even when not expressly stated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the present invention can be more readily understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein:

Figure 1 is a flow diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present invention where a registration renewal reminder service accessible through a website is used;

Figure 2 is a series of diagrammatic drawings of the preferred token being a name tag for a key ring of the preferred embodiment, and

Figure 3 is a series of diagrammatic drawings showing the printing of an email with the visual record (A), the resultant email and visual record (B) and the placement of the visual record in the name tag (C). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the Figures 1 to 3, there is a system and a method for providing registration renewal reminders for motor vehicles including cars, trucks and motorbikes; caravans, trailers and boats; animals including cats and dogs and any other registrable entities.

The preferred embodiment provides a registration renewal reminder service whereby a person is reminded of a registration renewal due date at a predetermined time before that date. Part of the reminder service includes an interactive website where a person goes online and subscribes to the service by entering their details including name, contact details, type of registration and entity being registered. The subscriber then has the option of choosing one or more reminder communications. Typically, the reminder communications can be sent out at one month, three months, six months or twelve months prior to the due date. The subscriber also has the option of receiving reminder communications via email, social media such as Facebook and twitter, SMS texting, facsimiles and/or in a written letter via posted mail. The subscriber can choose to receive multiple reminders via different modes of communications.

In an alternate embodiment the registration renewal reminder service can be a manual service where a diary is established with renewal dates entered for each subscriber and or registrable entity. With each subscription, the subscriber is sent a name tag that can be attached to a key ring. Figure 2 shows an example of a name tag 10 having an outer casing 1 1 and a spigot 12. The name tag 10 can receive a paper or cardboard record of the registration renewal details. The registration renewal details also include the registration renewal date, type of registration and registration entity. For example, the registration renewal date can be 1 June 2016. The type of registration can be a car while the registration entity can be the cars alpha numeric number plate code. The paper or cardboard record can be enclosed in the envelope with the name tag key ring that is mailed to the subscriber. Alternately the record can be printed from an email or other suitable communication mode and printed onto paper or cardboard (see Figures 3A and 3B). Where the record has been printed, the record 15 can be cut-out and inserted within the name tag 10 by folding it about the spigot 12 and positioning the spigot 12 within the name tag 10 (see Figure 3C).

Further different colours and/or patterns of the record can provide an immediate recognition of the type of registration and or year of registration renewal.

In an alternative embodiment, the registration details as mentioned above can be integrally stamped on or set out on a disc or spigot that has a hole that allows it to be attached to a key ring.

In a further embodiment the record can be left blank to allow a person to insert the details of the registration renewal date, registration type and registrable entity.

The name tag, tag or disc/spigot with hole can then be attached to a key ring such as a set of car or house keys. If it is attached to a set of keys it will increase the awareness of the need to pay the registration renewal in a similar manner that was achieved by the vehicle registration label affixed to the windshield. Furthermore, multiple registration renewal due dates displayed on the record, keeps the important dates together, provide a constant reminder to pay and further focuses a person's attention to the awareness of registration renewal. ADVANTAGES

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is a system and method of providing a registration renewal reminder to a person so they do not forget to pay the renewal registration fees. The system and method includes having a name tag (token) with registration renewal details attached to a key ring where a reminder with the registration renewal details are provided by a registration reminder subscription service at a predetermined time before the renewal date.

An advantage of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is that a person has a constant reminder of the registration renewal due date. The use of a token serves as a reminder in a similar manner as the registration sticker affixed to the vehicle. Furthermore, in some embodiments a person can receive multiple reminders in the form of a token and one or more communications through one or more modes such as emails, SMS text messages, social media messages and mailed letters.

VARIATIONS

It will of course be realised that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification the word "comprise" and variations of that word such as "comprises" and "comprising", are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.