German companies collaborate on electronic vehicle identification

German internet of things (IoT) provider Kathrein has agreed a global collaboration on electronic vehicle identification with Tönnjes EAST, a German licence plate manufacturer. Both companies have been working together on the development of new technologies using Kathrein’s expertise in RFID technology combined with Tönnjes EAST’s experience in the integration of transponders into vehicle licence plates or windscreens. Their joint portfolio includes Kathrein’s latest RFID reader, the RRU4500, which h
September 13, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
German internet of things (IoT) provider Kathrein has agreed a global collaboration on electronic vehicle identification with Tönnjes EAST, a German licence plate manufacturer.


Both companies have been working together on the development of new technologies using Kathrein’s expertise in RFID technology combined with Tönnjes EAST’s experience in the integration of transponders into vehicle licence plates or windscreens.

Their joint portfolio includes Kathrein’s latest RFID reader, the RRU4500, which has a read range of up to 20 metres and enables the reliable identification of vehicles in free-flow motorway traffic up to a maximum speed of 250 km/h.

Tönnjes uses RFID technology in two systems, the IDePLATE, a vehicle licence plate with an integrated RFID chip and the IDeSTIX, a windscreen sticker containing a data chip with an encrypted ID number.

In order to ensure the IT security of the transponder data, the two companies use UCODE DNA, the latest generation of high security transponders from NXP Semiconductors. The decryption takes place directly between the transponders and the Kathrein readers. These are a new kind of combined RFID reader-writer and IoT gateway, which means that the data can be loaded directly into a Cloud and used from there.

The partners offer a turn-key solution, which includes implementing the technology on motorways, in low emission zones and toll roads, as well as establishing and operating central database solutions for authorities and providers.

Networking & Communication Systems

Related Content

  • September 7, 2014
    Vendeka applies tolling system on Turkish highways
    Vendeka is here at the ITS World Congress to highlight the free flow tolling system it is applying on Turkey’s highways. The system supports 2–5 axles vehicle classes at speeds of up to 195 km/h across up to six lanes. The system can also cope with low speed vehicle passes, clusters, short distance tailgating, and it also works on emergency lanes. Indeed, Vendeka reports that the system can get accurate results about lane changing and merging while multi-lane traffic flow can be detected.
    Read More
  • April 8, 2014
    3M invests US$1.3 million in tolling technology testing
    3M is investing $1.3million to expand its research center to develop and test tolling and public safety products, and customers can use it too. When 3M opened its Transportation Safety Research Center (TSRC) in the 1970s it was as an extension of its research facilities. More than a showcase for innovation, the center was—and continues to be—a dynamic outdoor laboratory where new traffic materials, systems, vehicle safety and public safety products are tested in real-world conditions. Now, with 3M expanding
    Read More
  • January 23, 2020
    IT security? Get your head in the cloud
    Cloud-based operations have been around for a decade or so - and Andy Souders of All Traffic Solutions suggests they are increasingly viable solutions for the transportation sector
    Read More
  • June 7, 2012
    Camera technology a flexible and cost-effective option
    Perceptions of machine vision being an expensive solution are being challenged by developments in both core technologies and ancillaries. Here, Jason Barnes and David Crawford look at the latest developments in the sector. A notable aspect of machine vision is the flexibility it offers in terms of how and how much data is passed around a network. With smart cameras, processing capabilities at the front end mean that only that which is valid need be communicated back to a central processor of any descripti
    Read More

Highlighted Content