License plate surveillance system

• US 6,433,706 B1
• Filed: 12/26/2000
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hector Irizarry, Philip M. Anderson III
• Original Assignee: Hector Irizarry, Philip M. Anderson III
• Inventors: Anderson, Philip M. III, Irizarry, Hector
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/748,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20020080013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/903, 340/928, 340/932.2, 340/933, 340/937, 340/942, 340/936, 348/148, 348/149, 701/1, 701/32, 705/28, 705/30, 705/418
• US Class Current: 340/937
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0891 Video recorder in combination with video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence

Abstract

A license plate number for any vehicle extant within a field of view of an electronic camera is interpreted as a character sequence group in an image. Each character sequence group found in the image is converted to machine readable format by an optical character recognition engine and compared with a database having a plurality of license plate numbers and associated records. Each matching license plate number and associated record is displayed within the surveillance vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of identifying licence plate numbers, using an electronic camera mounted on a surveillance vehicle, comprising the steps of

(a) capturing a video image with said electronic camera;

(b) converting any character sequence groups within said image to machine readable format using a processor having an optical character recognition engine;

(c) comparing said character sequence groups with license plate numbers in a database in order to find a matching license plate number, said license plate numbers in said database each having an associated record; and

(d) displaying said matching license plate number and associated record on a display device in said surveillance vehicle,

whereby a license plate number of any vehicle extant within a field of view of said electronic camera is interpreted as a character sequence group, the character sequence group found in the image is converted to machine readable format by said optical character recognition engine and compared with said database, and any matching license plate number and associated record is displayed within said surveillance vehicle.

2. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein steps “

a”

through “

d”

are continuously repeated and each unique record is displayed on said display device forming a list.

3. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein a duplicate of said license plate number and its associated record will not be displayed on said display means within a redetermined time period.

4. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein a character sequence group that is a member of a predetermined list will not be compared, sent, or displayed.

5. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein a character that is within any said character sequence group and is a member of a predetermined list will not be included as part of said character sequence group.

6. A system for identifying license plate numbers, using an electronic camera mounted on a surveillance vehicle, comprising:

(a) an electronic camera mounted on a surveillance vehicle for capturing an image within the field of view of said camera;

(b) a database containing a plurality of license plate numbers, each of said license plate numbers having an associated record;

(c) a processor having an optical character recognition engine for converting any character sequence groups within said image to machine readable format, and means for matching said character sequence groups with said license plate numbers in said database in order to identify a matching license plate number;

(d) a display means within said surveillance vehicle for displaying said matching a matched license plate number and its associated record,

whereby a license plate number for a vehicle extant within a field of view of said electronic camera is interpreted as a character sequence group, every character sequence group found in said image is converted to machine readable format by said optical character recognition engine and is compared with said database, and each matched license plate number and associated record is displayed within said surveillance vehicle.

7. A system as recited by claim 6, further comprising means for sounding an alert when said matching license plate number is displayed.

8. A method for identifying license plate numbers using an electronic camera mounted on a surveillance vehicle, comprising the steps of:

(a) capturing a video image with said electronic camera;

(b) converting any character sequence groups within said image to machine-readable format using a processor having an optical character recognition engine;

(c) sending said character sequence groups via wireless connection to a server having a database of license plate numbers, said license plate numbers in said database each having an associated record;

(d) comparing said character sequence groups with license plate numbers in said database in order to find a matching license plate number;

(e) sending said matching license plate number and associated record via wireless connection to said surveillance vehicle; and

(f) displaying said matching license plate number and associated record on a display device in said surveillance vehicle,

whereby a license plate number for each vehicle extant within a field of view of said electronic camera is interpreted as a character sequence group, each character sequence group found in said image is converted to machine readable format by said optical character recognition engine and is compared with said database, and each of said matching license plate numbers and associated record is displayed within said surveillance vehicle.

9. A method as recited by claim 8, wherein each of steps a through d is continuously repeated and each unique record is displayed on said display device, forming a list.

10. A method as recited by claim 8, wherein no duplicate of said license plate number and associated record is displayed on said display means during a predetermined time period.

11. A method as recited by claim 8, wherein no character sequence groups that are members of a predetermined list are compared, sent, or displayed.

12. A method as recited by claim 8, wherein no characters within said character sequence groups that are members of a predetermined list are included as part of said character sequence groups.

13. A system for identifying license plate numbers, using an electronic camera mounted on a surveillance vehicle, comprising:

(a) an electronic camera mounted on a surveillance vehicle for capturing an image within the field of view of said camera;

(b) a processor having an optical character recognition engine for converting any character sequence groups within said image to machine readable format;

(c) a database of license plate numbers, said license plate numbers each having an associated record;

(d) a server associated with said database for comparing said character sequence groups with said license plate numbers in said database to find a matching license plate number;

(e) a vehicle wireless transceiver within said surveillance vehicle for transmitting said character sequence groups to said server and receiving said matched license plate number and associated record;

(f) a server wireless transceiver associated with said server for receiving said character sequence groups and sending said matching license plate number and associated record to said surveillance vehicle;

(g) a display device within said surveillance vehicle for displaying said matching license plate number and its associated record,

whereby a license plate number for any vehicle extant within a field of view of said electronic camera is interpreted as a character sequence group, each character sequence group found in said image is converted to machine readable format by said optical character recognition engine and is compared with said database, and each matching license plate number and associated record is displayed within said surveillance vehicle.

14. A system as recited by claim 13, further comprising means for sounding an alert when said matching license plate number is displayed.