System and method for recording and reporting license number violation

• US 10,713,518 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2018
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Meng, Ming Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Shen, Qun
• Application Number:
  US15/882,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20190236395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/80 characterised by the intended use of the viewing arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/63 Scene text, e.g. street names
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9206 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

A method and system for recording and reporting license plate indicia are provided. The method includes receiving an input command from a user of a vehicle requesting a capture of an image of license plate indicia of a second vehicle, capturing, via one or more cameras, one or more image of the license plate of the second vehicle, determining, using the processing circuitry, a license plate number from the captured one or more images of the license plate, and displaying the recognized license plate number on a display of the vehicle. The method further includes detecting a location of the vehicle and storing the determined license plate number, the location of the vehicle, and the image of the license plate indicia in an audio head unit or in a navigation unit.

Claims

1. A method for recording and reporting license plate indicia, the method comprising:

receiving, using processing circuitry, an input command from a user of a vehicle requesting a capture of an image of license plate indicia of a second vehicle, the input command being a voice command including second vehicle information, the second vehicle information including a location of the second vehicle;

capturing, via one or more cameras, one or more images of the license plate of the second vehicle, the one or more cameras being identified based on the location of the second vehicle information;

determining, using the processing circuitry, a license plate number from the captured one or more images of the license plate;

displaying the determined license plate number using a head unit of the vehicle;

detecting a location of the vehicle; and

storing the determined license plate number, the location of the vehicle, and the image of the license plate indicia in the head unit, wherein the head unit provides navigation services.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

uploading the determined license plate number to a server associated with a call center.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the license plate number is uploaded when the input command indicates urgency.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the license plate number is uploaded to the server when a license plate number is detected two or more times in a predetermined period.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the license plate number is uploaded when the same license number is detected successively.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rotating the identified one or more cameras to a direction indicated in the input command.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a timestamp and the one or more images with the recognized license plate number.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a specific designation with the stored determined license plate number when two or more license plate numbers are recognized.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the license plate number is uploaded to the server when the same license plate number is detected two or more times successively.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein the license plate number is uploaded to the server when the same license plate number is detected within a predetermined period of time.

8. A system for recording and reporting license plate indicia, the system comprising:

one or more cameras; and

processing circuitry configured to receive an input command from a user of a vehicle requesting a capture of an image of license plate indicia of a second vehicle,

the input command being a voice command including second vehicle information, the second vehicle information including a location of the second vehicle,

capture, via the one or more cameras, one or more images of the license plate of the second vehicle, the one or more cameras being identified based on the location of the second vehicle, determine a license plate number from the captured one or more images of the license plate, and

display the recognized license plate number on a head unit of the vehicle, detect a location of the vehicle, and

store the determined license plate number, the location of the vehicle, and the image of the license plate indicia in the head unit,

wherein the head unit provides navigation services.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

upload the determined license plate number to a server associated with a call center.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the license plate number is uploaded when the input command indicates urgency.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the license plate number is uploaded to the server when a license plate number is detected two or more times in a predetermined period.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

rotate the identified one or more cameras to a direction indicated in the input command.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

associate a timestamp and the one or more images with the recognized license plate number.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer-readable instructions therein which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for recording and reporting license plate indicia, the method comprising:

receiving an input command from a user of a vehicle requesting a capture of an image of license plate indicia of a second vehicle, the input command being a voice command including second vehicle information,

the second vehicle information including a location of the second vehicle;

capturing, via one or more cameras, one or more images of the license plate of the second vehicle, the one or more cameras being identified based on the location of the second vehicle;

determining a license plate number from the captured one or more images of the license plate;

displaying the recognized license plate number on a head unit of the vehicle;

detecting a location of the vehicle; and

storing the determined license plate number, the location of the vehicle, and the image of the license plate indicia in the head unit,

wherein the head unit provides navigation services.