Parking violation recording system

• US 6,459,386 B1
• Filed: 04/09/2001
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph Jones
• Original Assignee: Joseph Jones
• Inventors: Jones, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US09/829,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20020145664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 340/937, 340/933, 340/932.2, 340/425.5, 348/148, 348/159
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules

Abstract

A parking violation recording system, for recording parking violations committed by violating vehicles, using an official vehicle having cameras located along the passenger side and along the driver side near the front and rear of the official vehicle. The operator of the official vehicle positions said vehicle substantially alongside the violating vehicle, and views images from the cameras on a display unit within the official vehicle. Once satisfied with the content of the images, the recording system acquires the images at the operator'"'"'s request, and creates a data record memorializing the violation. Numerous data records are stored in image memory for later retrieval.

Claims

1. A parking violation recording system, for recording parking violations by violating vehicles, each having a side and a rear, a license plate at the rear, by an operator and an official vehicle having a front, a rear, a passenger side, and a driver side, comprising:

at least two cameras located along the passenger side of the vehicle the official vehicle, one of said cameras located near the front and the other of said cameras located near the rear of the official vehicle, the cameras] oriented so that it is capable of viewing the violating vehicle when positioned substantially alongside the official vehicle;

a display device for displaying a display image which represents what is visible to the at least one camera, the display device mounted within the official vehicle so that it is viewable by the operator; and

a means for acquiring and storing still images from the at least two cameras at the request of the operator to create a data record containing a visual recordation of the side and rear of the violating vehicle and the violation.

2. The parking violation recording system as recited in claim 1, wherein said cameras oriented for obtaining images of the violating vehicle located along the passenger side of said official vehicle.

3. The parking violation recording system as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least two cameras further comprises two additional cameras located along the driver side of the vehicle, and wherein the recording system further comprises a selection means for selecting between the cameras on the driver side and on the passenger side, for selectively recording the violating vehicle when located on the driver side and the passenger side of the official vehicle.

4. The parking violation recording system as recited in claim 3, further comprising a date and time clock, wherein date and time information is recorded in the data record.

5. The parking violation recording system as recited in claim 4, further comprising image memory for storing multiple data records, wherein each data record includes images and time and date information of one violating vehicle.

6. A parking violation recordation system, for recording parking violations by violating vehicles, each having a side, and a rear having a license plate, by an operator and an official vehicle having a front, a rear, a passenger side, and a driver side, comprising the steps of:

locating a violating vehicle by-the operator;

positioning the official vehicle substantially alongside the violating vehicle; and

acquiring two images of the violating vehicle sufficient to ascertain the identify of the vehicle and show that the vehicle is committing a violation by;

acquiring an image of the violating vehicle from its side, and

acquiring an image of the violating vehicle from its rear which shows the license plate of said violating vehicle.

7. The parking violation recording system as recited in claim 6, wherein the official vehicle has at least two cameras, one camera located near the front of the official vehicle, the other camera located near the rear of the official vehicle.

8. The parking violation recording system as recited in claim 7, wherein the official vehicle has two cameras located on the passenger side and two cameras located on the driver side, and wherein the step of acquiring a pair of images of the violating vehicle is preceded by selecting by the operator the use of the cameras on the passenger side or the cameras on the driver side.

9. The parking violation recording system as recited in claim 8, wherein a display unit is located inside the official vehicle for displaying display images from the selected cameras, and wherein the step of acquiring a pair of images of the violating vehicle is preceded by the step of viewing the display images by the operator to determine if the display images properly record the violating vehicle.

10. The parking violation recording system as recited in claim 9, wherein the step of acquiring the images is preceded by the operator ascertaining whether the display images properly record the violating vehicle, and then if they do not properly record the violating vehicle, the method further includes the step of repositioning the official vehicle until the display images properly depict the violating vehicle.

11. The parking violation recording system as recited in claim 9, wherein the steps as recited is followed by the step of leaving a notification sticker on the violating vehicle.

12. The parking violation recording system as recited in claim 11, wherein the steps as recited are repeated for multiple violating vehicles, wherein a data record is created for each violating vehicle, further using a removable storage device, and further comprising the step of transferring the data records to the removable storage device.

13. The parking violation recording system as recited in claim 12, wherein view buttons are located adjacent to the display screen, and wherein the operator views the data records by operating the view buttons.

14. A parking violation recording system, for recording parking violations by violating vehicles, each having a license plate, by an operator and an official vehicle having a front, a rear, a passenger side, and a driver side, the official vehicle further having at least one camera and a display unit, comprising the steps of:

a) spotting a violating vehicle committing a traffic violation by the operator;

b) positioning the official vehicle near the violating vehicle to orient the at least one camera toward the violating vehicle;

c) viewing display images representing prospective images of the official vehicle on the display unit by the operator;

d) ascertaining whether the display images adequately show the traffic violation and the vehicle identification, if they do not, then repeating steps (b) and (c);

e) acquiring the display images when requested by the operator; and

f) creating a data record with the images.

15. The parking violation recording system as recited in claim 14, using at least two cameras, one of said cameras located near the official vehicle front, the other of said cameras located near the official vehicle rear, and wherein the step of acquiring the images further comprises acquiring an image of the violating vehicle from its side with the camera located near the official vehicle front, and acquiring an image of the violating vehicle from its side and rear wherein said image shows the license plate of the violating vehicle.

16. The parking violation recording system as recited in claim 15, wherein the cameras previously recited are located along the passenger side of the official vehicle, wherein the official vehicle has two additional cameras located along the driver side, and wherein the step of acquiring the images is preceded by the step of selecting the passenger or driver side cameras by the operator.

17. The parking violation recording system as recited iin claim 16, wherein the steps as recited are followed by the step of leaving a notification sticker on the violating vehicle.

18. The parking violation recording system as recited in claim 17, wherein the official vehicle has image memory and a removable storage drive, and further comprising the step of storing the data records in the image memory, and transferring the data records from image memory to the removable storage drive.