METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MONITORING TRAFFIC FLOW

• US 20120162431A1
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CRS Electronic Company Limited
• Original Assignee: CRS Electronic Company Limited
• Inventors: Riesebosch, Scott
• Application Number:
  US12/977,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20120162431A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/149
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors

Abstract

In accordance with certain embodiments, a method of monitoring traffic includes capturing a plurality of time-separated images of a moving vehicle, calculating a velocity of the vehicle based on at least two of the images, and obtaining vehicle-identifying information from at least one of the images or transmitting a notification to a central location if the velocity is greater than a threshold velocity.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring traffic, the method comprising:

capturing a plurality of time-separated images of a moving vehicle;

calculating a velocity of the vehicle based on at least two of the images; and

transmitting a notification to a central location if the velocity is greater than a threshold velocity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is transmitted without transmission of an image of the vehicle to the central location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of images is captured by a camera mounted on an elevated streetlight.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising changing the threshold velocity based on driving conditions proximate the streetlight.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of images is captured by a plurality of cameras, each camera being mounted on a different elevated streetlight.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of images is captured by a plurality of cameras, each camera being mounted on the same elevated streetlight.

7. A method of monitoring traffic, the method comprising:

(a) capturing a plurality of time-separated images of a moving vehicle;

(b) calculating a velocity of the vehicle based on at least two of the images;

(c) determining if the velocity exceeds a threshold velocity, thereby defining the vehicle as speeding;

(d) repeating steps (a) through (c) for a plurality of different moving vehicles; and

(e) transmitting a notification to a central location if a number of speeding vehicles exceeds a threshold number.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of images is captured by a camera mounted on an elevated streetlight.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising changing the threshold velocity based on driving conditions proximate the streetlight.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the threshold number is a function of time.

11. A method of monitoring traffic, the method comprising:

capturing a plurality of time-separated images of a moving vehicle;

calculating a velocity of the vehicle based on at least two of the images; and

obtaining vehicle-identifying information from at least one of the images.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting the plurality of images to a central location, wherein calculating the velocity and obtaining the vehicle-identifying information are performed at the central location.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting at least one of the velocity, the vehicle-identifying information, or the plurality of images to a central location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein transmission to the central location occurs only if the velocity exceeds a threshold velocity.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle-identifying information is obtained by a first node of a traffic-monitoring system, and further comprising transmitting the vehicle-identifying information to a second node of the traffic-monitoring system, the second node being different from the first node.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the vehicle-identifying information is transmitted by the first node to a first plurality of nodes geographically neighboring the first node, whereupon detection, by any of the first plurality of nodes, of a vehicle conforming to the vehicle-identifying information causes the detecting node to transmit the vehicle-identifying information to a second plurality of nodes geographically neighboring the second node.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first node and the detecting node store the vehicle-identifying information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first node and the detecting node transmit the vehicle-identifying information to a central location accessible to law enforcement.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising computing a trajectory of the detected vehicle based on geographical locations of the first node and the detecting node.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising recording the times at which the vehicle is detected by the first node and the detecting node.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle-identifying information is a license plate number of the vehicle.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of images is captured by a camera mounted on an elevated streetlight.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of images is captured by a plurality of cameras, each camera being mounted on a different elevated streetlight.

24. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of images is captured by a plurality of cameras, each camera being mounted on the same elevated streetlight.

25. A traffic-monitoring system for use in connection with a camera having a shutter frequency sufficient to capture a plurality of time-separated images of a moving vehicle, the system comprising:

an analysis module for calculating a velocity of the vehicle based on the images and obtaining vehicle-identifying information from at least one of the images; and

a reporting module for transmitting the velocity and vehicle-identifying information to a central location.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the velocity and vehicle-identifying information are transmitted only if the analysis module determines that the velocity exceeds a threshold velocity.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the analysis module is configured to locate and identify a license plate number in at least one of the images.

28. A monitoring system comprising:

a network server;

a plurality of streetlights;

a plurality of modules for monitoring traffic flow, each module (i) being associated with one of the streetlights, (ii) being in communication with the network server, and (iii) comprising a first camera having a shutter frequency sufficient to capture a plurality of time-separated images of a moving vehicle.

29. The monitoring system of claim 28, wherein the first camera is disposed proximate an illumination source of the streetlight.

30. The monitoring system of claim 29, wherein each module comprises a second camera disposed below the first camera, the first camera and the second camera being time-synchronized.

31. The monitoring system of claim 28, wherein each module has a unique address addressable by the network server.

32. The monitoring system of claim 28, wherein each streetlight comprises at least one light-emitting diode and emits substantially white light.

33. The monitoring system of claim 28, wherein each module comprises (i) an analysis module for calculating a velocity of the vehicle based on the images and obtaining vehicle-identifying information from at least one of the images, and (ii) a reporting module for transmitting the velocity and vehicle-identifying information to the central location.

34. The monitoring system of claim 33, wherein the velocity and vehicle-identifying information are transmitted only if the analysis module determines that the velocity exceeds a threshold velocity.

35. The monitoring system of claim 33, wherein the analysis module is configured to locate and identify a license plate number in at least one of the images.