Method and system for recording a traffic violation committed by a vehicle

• US 7,433,764 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gatsometer B.V. (Sensys Gatso Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Gatsometer B.V. (Sensys Gatso Group AB)
• Inventors: Janssen, Theodorus Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/511,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20060047371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,002 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/119, 701/1, 382/105, 382/106, 340/933, 340/941, 340/937, 340/928, 340/988, 348/148, 348/149
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for recording a traffic violation in which a vehicle is involved, by detecting the violation, making a record of the violation, and searching for and reading from the record a license plate of the vehicle involved in the violation. During making of the record position information of the vehicle is herein recorded, and on the basis of this information a search is made for the license plate in only a part of the record. The recorded position information can comprise the travel direction of the vehicle, or the lane in which the vehicle is located. The record can be a picture record wherein a search for the license plate is made, on the basis of the recorded travel direction, only in a left or right-hand half or, on the basis of the recorded position information, only in a narrow strip. The invention also relates to a system for performing the method.

Claims

1. A method for recording an incident, in particular a traffic violation, in which a vehicle is involved, comprising the steps of:

detecting the incident,

making at least one record of the detected incident, and

searching for and reading from the record a license plate of the vehicle involved in the incident,

wherein during making of the record, information is recorded relating to the position of the vehicle, and on the basis of this information, a search is made for the license plate in only a part of the record.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recorded position information comprises the travel direction of the vehicle.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the record is a picture record and a search for the license plate is made, on the basis of the recorded travel direction, only in a left or right-hand half of the record.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein a plurality of vehicles are caught in the picture record, and a search is made, on the basis of the recorded position information, for the license plate of only one of the vehicles.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recorded position information comprises the lane in which the vehicle is located.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the record is a picture record and a search for the license plate is made, on the basis of the recorded position information, only in a relatively narrow vertical strip of the record.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein a plurality of vehicles are caught in the picture record, and a search is made, on the basis of the recorded position information, for the license plate of only one of the vehicles.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the incident is detected by emitting a signal and analysing a signal reflected by the vehicle, and a set transmission range is recorded as position information.

9. The method as claimed in claims 1, wherein the incident is detected by making use of a number of fixed detection elements, and the identity of the detection element detecting the incident is recorded as position information.

10. The method as claimed claim 1, wherein during detecting of the incident the distance to the vehicle is measured and recorded as position information.

11. A method for recording an incident, in particular a traffic violation, in which a vehicle is involved, comprising the steps of:

detecting the incident,

making at least one record of the detected incident, including recording information relating to the position of the vehicle, and

on the basis of the recorded position information, searching only a part of the record for a license plate of the vehicle involved in the incident,

wherein the recorded position information includes the direction of travel of the vehicle.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the record is a picture record and a search for the license plate is made, on the basis of the recorded travel direction, only in a left or right-hand half of the record.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a plurality of vehicles are caught in the picture record, and a search is made, on the basis of the recorded position information, for the license plate of only one of the vehicles.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the incident is detected by emitting a signal and analysing a signal reflected by the vehicle, and a set transmission range is recorded as position information.

15. The method as claimed claim 11, wherein during detecting of the incident the distance to the vehicle is measured and recorded as position information.

16. A method for recording an incident, in particular a traffic violation, in which a vehicle is involved, comprising the steps of:

detecting the incident,

making at least one record of the detected incident, including recording information relating to the position of the vehicle, and

on the basis of the recorded position information, searching only a part of the record for a license plate of the vehicle involved in the incident,

wherein the recorded position information includes the lane in which the vehicle is travelling.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the record is a picture record and a search for the license plate is made, on the basis of the recorded position information, only in a relatively narrow vertical strip of the record.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein a plurality of vehicles are caught in the picture record, and a search is made, on the basis of the recorded position information, for the license plate of only one of the vehicles.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the incident is detected by making use of a number affixed detection elements, and the identity of the detection element detecting the incident is recorded as position information.

20. A system for recording an incident, in particular a traffic violation, in which a vehicle is involved, comprising:

a detector unit for detecting the incident,

a recorder connected to the detector unit for making at least one record of the detected incident, and

a reader for searching for and reading from the record a license plate of the vehicle involved in the incident,

wherein the recorder is adapted to record information relating to the position of the vehicle, and the reader is adapted to search for the license plate, on the basis of the position information, in only a part of the record.

21. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein a plurality of vehicles are caught in the record and the reader is adapted to search, on the basis of the recorded position information, for the license plate of only one of the vehicles.

22. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the recorder is adapted to make picture records, and the reader is adapted to identify and read the license plate from the picture record by optical means.

23. The system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the recorder is an analog camera making picture records on film.

24. The system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the recorder is a digital camera including a memory for storing the picture records made.

25. The system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the camera is arranged near a road and the reader is arranged at a central location remote from the road, the camera being connected to the central location via a cable or a wireless network.

26. The system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the reader comprises a suitably programmed computer including software for optical character recognition.

27. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the detector unit comprises a radar trap arranged near a road.

28. The system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the detector unit comprises a plurality of induction loops arranged in a road.

29. A system for recording an incident, in particular a traffic violation, in which a vehicle is involved, comprising:

a detector unit arranged in or near a road on which vehicles travel for detecting the incident,

a camera arranged over or near the road and connected to the detector unit for making at least one pictorial record of the detected incident, the camera being adapted to include in the record information relating to the position of the vehicle, and

a reader for searching, on the basis of the recorded position information, only a part of the record for a license plate of the vehicle involved in the incident and for reading the license plate from the record, the reader being adapted to identify and read the license plate from the pictorial record by optical means.

30. The system as claimed in claim 29, wherein the reader comprises a suitably programmed computer including software for optical character recognition.

31. The system as claimed in claim 30, wherein the camera is a digital camera including a memory for storing each pictorial record made, the camera being adapted for recording the position information as attachment to a data file containing the pictorial record.

32. The system as claimed in claim 30, wherein the camera is an analog camera adapted for making pictorial records on film and for displaying the position information in each pictorial record.

33. The system as claimed in claim 30 or 31, wherein the reader is adapted to search the record for position information, to select a part of the record on the basis of this position information, and to search only the selected part of the record for the license plate of the vehicle.

34. The system as claimed in claim 33, wherein the reader is adapted to display the record as image on a screen for human checking if no position information is found.