METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CAPTURING AN IMAGE OF A SPEED-VIOLATING VEHICLE

• US 20140055298A1
• Filed: 08/12/2013
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Original Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Inventors: Abl, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 9,594,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/52
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/66 Radar-tracking systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/054 photographing overspeeding vehicles

Abstract

Methods and devices are provided for recording images of vehicles that pass through a section between an entrance and an exit at excessive speed, comprising the following steps: capturing an entry time of a vehicle at the entrance, generating a unique object identifier for the vehicle and storing the entry time under the object identifier; tracking the movement of the vehicle, which is being continuously referenced by way of the object identifier, over the entire section using a sensor arrangement; capturing an exit time of the vehicle that is referenced by way of the object identifier at the exit; and if a comparison of the captured exit time to the stored entry time indicates a speed that exceeds a threshold value: determining an entry image stored under the object identifier or creating an exit image of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for recording images of vehicles that pass through a section between an entrance and an exit at excessive speed, comprising:

capturing the entry time of a vehicle at the entrance, generating a unique object identifier for the vehicle and storing the entry time under the object identifier;

tracking the movement of the vehicle, which is being continuously referenced during the tracking by way of the object identifier, over the entire section using a sensor arrangement;

capturing the exit time of the vehicle that is referenced by way of the object identifier at the exit; and

if a comparison of the captured exit time to the stored entry time indicates a speed that exceeds a threshold value;

capturing an exit image of the vehicle at the exit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tracking is carried out using a sensor arrangement comprising at least two radar devices, which contiguously capture the section without interruption and in the radar images of which the vehicle is detected and tracked.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tracking is carried out using a sensor arrangement comprising at least two cameras, which contiguously capture the section without interruption and in the camera images of which the vehicle is detected and tracked.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the object identifier is randomly selected.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the object identifier is consecutively taken from a sequence of unique identifiers.

6. A method for recording images of vehicles that pass through a section between an entrance and an exit at excessive speed, comprising the following steps:

capturing an entry image and the entry time of a vehicle at the entrance, generating a unique object identifier for the vehicle and storing the entry image and the entry time under the object identifier;

tracking the movement of the vehicle, which is being continuously referenced during the tracking by way of the object identifier, over the entire section using a sensor arrangement;

capturing the exit time of the vehicle that is referenced by way of the object identifier at the exit; and

if a comparison of the captured exit time to the stored entry time indicates a speed that exceeds a threshold value;

determining the entry image stored under the object identifier;

otherwise;

deleting the entry image stored under the object identifier.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the tracking is carried out using a sensor arrangement comprising at least two radar devices, which contiguously capture the section without interruption and in the radar images of which the vehicle is detected and tracked.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the tracking is carried out using a sensor arrangement comprising at least two cameras, which contiguously capture the section without interruption and in the camera images of which the vehicle is detected and tracked.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein an exit image of the vehicle is captured and stored together with the exit time, and the exit image is deleted if said comparison indicates no speed that exceeds the threshold value.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the entry image and the entry time are stored as an entry data record and the exit image and the exit time are stored as an exit data record, and if said comparison indicates a speed that exceeds the threshold value, the entry data record and the exit data record are output, and if no speeding is indicated, the entry data record and the exit data record are deleted.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein an exit image of the vehicle is captured and stored only if said comparison indicates a speed that exceeds the threshold value.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the entry image and the entry time are stored as an entry data record and the exit image and the exit time are stored as an exit data record, and if said comparison indicates a speed that exceeds the threshold value, the entry data record and the exit data record are output, and if no speeding is indicated, the entry data record and the exit data record are deleted.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein the object identifier is randomly selected.

14. The method according to claim 6, wherein the object identifier is consecutively taken from a sequence of unique identifiers.

15. A device for recording images of vehicles that pass through a section between an entrance and an exit at excessive speed, comprising:

a first timekeeper unit disposed at the entrance for capturing an entry time of a vehicle;

a processor for generating a unique object identifier for the vehicle and storing the entry time under the object identifier in a memory;

a sensor arrangement, which receives the object identifier from the processor and tracks the vehicle that is referenced by way of the object identifier over the entire section;

a second timekeeper unit disposed at the exit for capturing an exit time of the vehicle that is referenced by way of the object identifier; and

an evaluation unit, which is configured to determine the entry time stored under the object identifier and, if a comparison of the captured exit time to the determined entry time indicates a speed that exceeds a threshold value, generating an exit image of the vehicle by way of a second camera disposed at the exit.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises at least two radar devices contiguously capturing the section without interruption and is configured to detect and track the vehicle in the radar images of the radar devices.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises at least two cameras contiguously capturing the section without interruption and is configured to detect and track the vehicle in the camera images of the cameras.

18. A device for recording images of vehicles that pass through a section between an entrance and an exit at excessive speed, comprising:

a first camera and a first timekeeper unit disposed at the entrance for capturing an entry image and an entry time of a vehicle;

a processor for generating a unique object identifier for the vehicle and storing the entry image and the entry time under the object identifier in a memory;

a sensor arrangement, which receives the object identifier from the processor and tracks the vehicle that is referenced by way of the object identifier over the entire section;

a second timekeeper unit for capturing an exit time of the vehicle that is referenced by way of the object identifier; and

an evaluation unit, which is configured to determine the entry time stored under the object identifier and, if a comparison of the captured exit time to the determined entry time indicates a speed that exceeds a threshold value, determining the entry image stored under the object identifier, or otherwise deleting the entry image stored under the object identifier.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises at least two radar devices contiguously capturing the section without interruption and is configured to detect and track the vehicle in the radar images of the radar devices.

20. The device according to claim 18, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises at least two cameras contiguously capturing the section without interruption and is configured to detect and track the vehicle in the camera images of the cameras.

21. The device according to claim 18, characterized by a second camera disposed at the exit for capturing an exit image of the vehicle, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to delete the exit image if said comparison does not indicate a speed that exceeds the threshold value.

22. The device according to claim 18, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to capture an exit image of the vehicle using a second camera disposed at the exit if said comparison indicates a speed that exceeds the threshold value.