Intelligent observation and identification database system

• US 7,439,847 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2003
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Federal Law Enforcement Development Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: John C. Pederson
• Inventors: Pederson, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US10/646,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20040199785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 340/937, 340/5.81, 381/115, 381/118
• US Class Current: 340/5.81
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19645 Multiple cameras, each having view on one of a plurality of scenes, e.g. multiple cameras for multi-room surveillance or for tracking an object by view hand-over
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19652 Systems using zones in a single scene defined for different treatment, e.g. outer zone gives pre-alarm, inner zone gives alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19663 Surveillance related processing done local to the camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19665 Details related to the storage of video surveillance data television signal recording H04N5/76
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19667 Details realated to data compression, encryption or encoding, e.g. resolution modes for reducing data volume to lower transmission bandwidth or memory requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/22 Electrical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 31/00 Predictive alarm systems characterised by extrapolation or other computation using updated historic data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/90 Breath testing

Abstract

An intelligent video/audio observation and identification database system may define a security zone or group of zones. The system may identify vehicles and individuals entering or exiting the zone through image recognition of the vehicle or individual as compared to prerecorded information stored in a database. The system may alert security personnel as to warrants or other information discovered pertaining to the recognized vehicle or individual resulting from a database search. The system may compare images of a suspect vehicle, such as an undercarriage image, to standard vehicle images stored in the database and alert security personnel as to potential vehicle overloading or foreign objects detected, such as potential bombs. The system may track individuals or vehicles within a zone or between zones. The system may further learn the standard times and locations of vehicles or individuals tracked by the system and alert security personnel upon deviation from standard activity.

Claims

1. An apparatus for identifying a vehicle and likely driver comprising:

An optical input device;

a computer;

a database containing information;

and a display;

wherein said computer receives an image of an approaching vehicle'"'"'s license plate from said optical input device, said computer searches said database and identifies information relevant to the license plate and identifies an expected driver of the vehicle;

and wherein said computer receives an actual driver image of said vehicle'"'"'s actual driver from said optical input device, said computer compares said actual driver image with a prerecorded image of the expected driver and determines whether the actual driver image is not substantially similar to said expected driver image for issuance of at least one investigation signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of optical input devices arranged into at least one security observation zone, wherein said computer receives data from said plurality of optical input devices for tracking said vehicle through said at least one security observation zone.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of computers, wherein at least one of said plurality of computers is located within each of said at least one security observation zones.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said plurality of computers are in communication with each other to compile an evolving database.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, each of said plurality of computers comprising an evolving database.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a mainframe computer in communication with said plurality of computers, said mainframe computer having a mainframe database.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, said evolving database comprising individual files representative of at least one of said vehicles and said drivers.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least one of said plurality of computers is in communication with at least one external database.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising comparison software in communication with at least one of said plurality of computers and said evolving database.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising sensitivity software in communication with at least one of said plurality of computers and said evolving database.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said sensitivity software is constructed and arranged to issue said at least one investigation signal to one of a security and law enforcement personnel, relative to one of said observed vehicle and driver.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least one of said plurality of computers comprises at least one defined profile.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said at least one defined profile is constructed and arranged as a search query for communication with said evolving database.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said sensitivity software includes probability analysis software.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said probability analysis software is in communication with threshold criteria for issuance of said at least one investigation signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said sensitivity software ranks said at least one investigation signal as selected from the group consisting of high priority, intermediate priority, low priority, and normal priority.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, said evolving database comprising at least one type of data selected from the group consisting of license plate registration data, vehicle history data, standard vehicle image data, exterior vehicle image data, vehicle profile image data, vehicle undercarriage image data, vehicle specification data, personnel identification data, facial image data, profile image data, fingerprint data, palm print data, and voice identification data.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of optical input devices is selected from the group consisting of fingerprint scanners, palm scanners, microphones, retinal scanners, and cameras.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising at least one scale, said at least one computer being in communication with said at least one scale.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said apparatus is portable.