DEVICE FOR TOLLING OR TELEMATICS SYSTEMS

• US 20160247398A1
• Filed: 11/19/2013
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AB (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Original Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AB (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Inventors: Carlsson, Carl-Olov
• Granted Patent: US 10,777,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/625 License plates
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/06 Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The present subject matter relates to a device for tolling or telematics systems provided with a pixel based image sensor. The image sensor is adapted to be arranged above a surveillance zone provided on a road, wherein the surveillance zone has an extension along the direction of the road. The image sensor is adapted to be arranged in between a first and a second end zone of said surveillance zone. The image sensor is provided with a wide-angle optical system having a refraction and which is arranged such, relative said image sensor that an image captured by said image sensor comprises both said first and said second end zone.

Claims

1. A device for tolling or telematics systems, wherein said device is provided with an image sensor, wherein said image sensor is adapted to be arranged above a road, whereby said image sensor defines a surveillance zone in a plane at a predetermined distance from said device, wherein said surveillance zone having an elongated extension in said plane, wherein said image sensor is provided with an optical system, which optical system is provided with a refraction and is arranged such relative said image sensor that an image captured by said image sensor comprises a first and a second end zone and a middle zone located in between said first and said second end zones, wherein characterized in that

a resolution of said image captured by said image sensor varies and the optical system is adapted to, and arranged relative, said image sensor such that said resolution is higher in a part of the image capturing at least one of said first and second end zones, and lower in a part of the image capturing said middle zone wherein said variation in resolution is due to a refraction of said optical system, whereby said optical system projects one area unit of said surveillance zone upon a different number of pixels depending on where in said surveillance zone said area unit is located.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said image sensor is pixel based and variation in resolution is excelled with a varied pixel density of said image sensor.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said optical system comprises at least one mirror and/or lens arranged in front of said image sensor and causing said refraction.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said optical system is provided with a shape enabling a rectangular surveillance zone.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said device is part of, or combined with, sensors providing stereoscopic and/or multidimensional images in which vehicle types and/or heights of vehicles can be detected.

9. A method to control the device according to claim 1, wherein said image sensor continuously captures images of said surveillance zone.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said is adapted to be controlled to save an output from said image sensor, wherein said output comprises at least a first and a second image wherein said first image comprises characteristics of a front of a vehicle in said first end zone and a second image comprises the characteristics of a rear of said vehicle in said second end zone.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said output comprises a third image wherein the third image comprises said vehicle in between said first and said second end zone.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said output consists of one compound image of said surveillance zone, wherein said compound image is put together of at least first and a second image captured at different moments such that said compound image discloses said surveillance zone and comprises at least a front view and a rear view of said vehicle in said first and second end zone respectively.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said compound image further comprises a third image captured at a third moment such that a view of said vehicle from essentially above and in said middle zone also is comprised in said compound image.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein said device is combined with other technology for vehicle identification, such as radio frequency identification.

6. A system of a plurality of devices, wherein each device of the plurality of devices is provided with an image sensor, wherein said image sensor is adapted to be arranged above a road, whereby said image sensor defines a surveillance zone in a plane at a predetermined distance from said device, wherein said surveillance zone having an elongated extension in said plane, wherein said image sensor is provided with an optical system, which optical system is provided with a refraction and is arranged such relative said image sensor that an image captured by said image sensor comprises a first and a second end zone and a middle zone located in between said first and said second end zones, wherein

a resolution of said image captured by said image sensor varies and the optical system is adapted to, and arranged relative, said image sensor such that said resolution is higher in a part of the image capturing at least one of said first and second end zones, and lower in a part of the image capturing said middle zone, wherein said variation in resolution is due to a refraction of said optical system, whereby said optical system projects one area unit of said surveillance zone upon a different number of pixels depending on where in said surveillance zone said area unit is located.

7. The system according to claim 15, wherein said system can combine information withdrawn from said images in order to track a vehicle moving between surveillance zones corresponding to different image sensors.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein said system can combine information from images taken by different image sensors in order to estimate a height, a length and/or a volume of a vehicle.

15. The system according to claim 6, wherein said system having access to images captured by the plurality of devices.