Mobile motor vehicle identification

• US 20030095688A1
• Filed: 08/09/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: HUBB Systems LLC (Broadcast Microwave Services LLC)
• Original Assignee: HUBB Systems LLC (Broadcast Microwave Services LLC)
• Inventors: Kirmuss, Charles Bruno
• Application Number:
  US10/216,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20030095688A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/105
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0211 for record carriers apparatus, e.g. video recorders, tape players or CD players
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0052 using screws, bolts, rivets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/63 Scene text, e.g. street names
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19669 Event triggers storage or change of storage policy
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19673 Addition of time stamp, i.e. time metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19676 Temporary storage, e.g. cyclic memory, buffer storage on pre-alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19695 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9201 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9261 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus for identifying license plates, and includes camera means for generating a video signal corresponding to an observed scene, the camera means being mounted in a mobile vehicle and oriented so as to observe license plates of other vehicles. Processing means processes the video signal so as to obtain textual representations of vehicle license plate numbers in the video signal, and storage means stores a list of target vehicle license plate numbers. Comparison means compares the textual representations of vehicle license plate numbers in the video signal against the list of target vehicle license plate numbers to determine if there is a match, and then output means notifies a user of the match.

Claims

1. An apparatus for identifying license plates, comprising:

(a) camera means for generating a video signal corresponding to an observed scene, said camera means being mounted in a mobile vehicle and oriented so as to observe license plates of other vehicles;

(b) processing means for processing the video signal so as to obtain textual representations of vehicle license plate numbers in the video signal;

(c) storage means for storing a list of target vehicle license plate numbers;

(d) comparison means for comparing the textual representations of vehicle license plate numbers in the video signal against the list of target vehicle license plate numbers to determine if there is a match; and

(e) output means for notifying a user of the match.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus continually generates new video signals, checks for matches and notifies the user of any matches as the mobile vehicle travels.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the camera means is angled to look downwardly.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the camera means is angled to look rightwardly of a forward motion of the mobile vehicle.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage means comprises a removable memory module.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing means performs optical character recognition processing.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional camera means for generating a video signal corresponding to an observed scene and video recorder means for recording a video signal from at least one of the camera means and the additional camera means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage means also stores information regarding an owner of each vehicle registered to each target vehicle license plate number, and wherein the output means also outputs the information regarding the owner of the vehicle corresponding to the match.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing means operates in a real-time operating system environment.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing means uses only direct point-to-point connections, as distinguished from a shared bus.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing means operates in a non-PC-based environment.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising updating means for updating an entry in the list upon occurrence of the match.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the updating means updates the list with a geographic position of the vehicle corresponding to the match.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said output means notifies the user with an audible alarm.

15. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said output means outputs a notification signal regarding the match to a general-purpose computer.

16. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said output means comprises transmission means for wirelessly transmitting a notification signal regarding the match to a central base station.