Electronic toll management and vehicle identification
First Claim
1. A method of identifying a vehicle in a toll system, the method comprising:
- accessing image data for a first vehicle;
obtaining license plate data from the accessed image data for the first vehicle;
accessing a set of records, each record including license plate data for a vehicle;
comparing the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records;
identifying a set of vehicles from the vehicles having records in the set of records, the set of vehicles being identified based on results of the comparison of the license plate data;
accessing vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle, the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle being based on the accessed image data for the first vehicle;
accessing vehicle fingerprint data for a vehicle in the set of vehicles;
comparing, using a processing device, the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle with the vehicle fingerprint data for the vehicle in the set of vehicles; and
identifying the vehicle in the set of vehicles as the first vehicle based on results of the comparison of vehicle fingerprint data,wherein comparing the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records includes searching a vehicle record database for records that include license plate data that exactly match the license plate data obtained for the first vehicle, andwherein comparing the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records includes performing an extended search of the vehicle record database for records that include license plate data that nearly match the license plate data obtained for the first vehicle, the extended search being conditioned on no vehicle identification records being found that include license plate data that exactly match the license plate data obtained for the first vehicle.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Identifying a vehicle in a toll system includes accessing image data for a first vehicle and obtaining license plate data from the accessed image data for the first vehicle. A set of records is accessed. Each record includes license plate data for a vehicle. The license plate data for the first vehicle is compared with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records. Based on the results of the comparison of the license plate data, a set of vehicles is identified from the vehicles having records in the set of records. Vehicle fingerprint data is accessed for the first vehicle. The vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle is based on the image data for the first vehicle. Vehicle fingerprint data for a vehicle in the set of vehicles is accessed. Using a processing device, the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle is compared with the vehicle fingerprint data for the vehicle in the set of vehicles. The vehicle in the set of vehicles is identified as the first vehicle based on results of the comparison of vehicle fingerprint data.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method of identifying a vehicle in a toll system, the method comprising:
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accessing image data for a first vehicle; obtaining license plate data from the accessed image data for the first vehicle; accessing a set of records, each record including license plate data for a vehicle; comparing the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records; identifying a set of vehicles from the vehicles having records in the set of records, the set of vehicles being identified based on results of the comparison of the license plate data; accessing vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle, the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle being based on the accessed image data for the first vehicle; accessing vehicle fingerprint data for a vehicle in the set of vehicles; comparing, using a processing device, the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle with the vehicle fingerprint data for the vehicle in the set of vehicles; and identifying the vehicle in the set of vehicles as the first vehicle based on results of the comparison of vehicle fingerprint data, wherein comparing the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records includes searching a vehicle record database for records that include license plate data that exactly match the license plate data obtained for the first vehicle, and wherein comparing the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records includes performing an extended search of the vehicle record database for records that include license plate data that nearly match the license plate data obtained for the first vehicle, the extended search being conditioned on no vehicle identification records being found that include license plate data that exactly match the license plate data obtained for the first vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An article comprising a machine-readable storage device storing machine-executable instructions that, when applied to a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
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accessing image data for a first vehicle; obtaining license plate data from the accessed image data for the first vehicle; accessing a set of records, each record including license plate data for a vehicle; comparing the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records; identifying a set of vehicles from the vehicles having records in the set of records, the set of vehicles being identified based on results of the comparison of the license plate data; accessing vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle, the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle being based on the accessed image data for the first vehicle; accessing vehicle fingerprint data for a vehicle in the set of vehicles; comparing the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle with the vehicle fingerprint data for the vehicle in the set of vehicles; and identifying the vehicle in the set of vehicles as the first vehicle based on results of the comparison of vehicle fingerprint data, wherein comparing the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records includes searching a vehicle record database for records that include license plate data that exactly match the license plate data obtained for the first vehicle, and wherein comparing the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records includes performing an extended search of the vehicle record database for records that include license plate data that nearly match the license plate data obtained for the first vehicle, the extended search being conditioned on no vehicle identification records being found that include license plate data that exactly match the license plate data obtained for the first vehicle.
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27. An apparatus for identifying a vehicle in a toll system, the apparatus comprising:
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an image capture device configured to capture image data for a first vehicle; and one or more processing devices communicatively coupled to each other and to the image capture device and configured to; obtain license plate data from the captured image data for the first vehicle; access a set of records, each record including license plate data for a vehicle; compare the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records; identify a set of vehicles from the vehicles having records in the set of records, the set of vehicles being identified based on results of the comparison of the license plate data; access vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle, the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle being based on the captured image data for the first vehicle; access vehicle fingerprint data for a vehicle in the set of vehicles; compare the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle with the vehicle fingerprint data for the vehicle in the set of vehicles; and identify the vehicle in the set of vehicles as the first vehicle based on results of the comparison of vehicle fingerprint data, wherein the one or more processing devices being configured to compare the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records includes the one or more processing devices being configured to search a vehicle record database for records that include license plate data that exactly match the license plate data obtained for the first vehicle, and wherein the one or more processing devices being configured to compare the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records includes the one or more processing devices being configured to perform an extended search of the vehicle record database for records that include license plate data that nearly match the license plate data obtained for the first vehicle, the extended search being conditioned on no vehicle identification records being found that include license plate data that exactly match the license plate data obtained for the first vehicle.
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28. A method of identifying a vehicle in a toll system, the method comprising:
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accessing image data for a first vehicle; accessing laser signature data or inductive signature data for the first vehicle; obtaining license plate data from the accessed image data for the first vehicle; accessing a set of records, each record including license plate data for a vehicle and laser signature data or inductive signature data for a vehicle; comparing the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records; comparing laser signature data or inductive signature data for the first vehicle with laser signature data or inductive signature data for vehicles in the set of records, identifying a set of vehicles from the vehicles having records in the set of records, the set of vehicles being identified based on results of the comparison of the license plate data and the results of the comparison of the laser signature data or the inductive signature data; accessing vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle, the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle being based on the accessed image data for the first vehicle; accessing vehicle fingerprint data for a vehicle in the set of vehicles; comparing, using a processing device, the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle with the vehicle fingerprint data for the vehicle in the set of vehicles; and identifying the vehicle in the set of vehicles as the first vehicle based on results of the comparison of vehicle fingerprint data, wherein identifying the set of vehicles based on the results of the comparison of the license plate data and the results of the comparison of the laser signature data or inductive signature data includes determining a combined equivalent matching score for each vehicle having a record in the set of records and identifying the set of vehicles as a set of vehicles having combined equivalent matching scores above a predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A method of identifying a vehicle in a toll system, the method comprising:
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accessing image data for a first vehicle; accessing laser signature data or inductive signature data for the first vehicle; obtaining license plate data from the accessed image data for the first vehicle; accessing a set of records, each record including license plate data for a vehicle and laser signature data or inductive signature data for a vehicle; comparing the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records; comparing laser signature data or inductive signature data for the first vehicle with laser signature data or inductive signature data for vehicles in the set of records, identifying a set of vehicles from the vehicles having records in the set of records, the set of vehicles being identified based on results of the comparison of the license plate data; accessing vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle, the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle being based on the accessed image data for the first vehicle; accessing vehicle fingerprint data for a vehicle in the set of vehicles; comparing, using a processing device, the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle with the vehicle fingerprint data for the vehicle in the set of vehicles; and identifying the vehicle in the set of vehicles as the first vehicle based on results of the comparison of vehicle fingerprint data and results of the comparison of the laser signature or inductive signature data, wherein identifying the vehicle in the set of vehicles as the first vehicle based on the results of the comparison of the vehicle fingerprint data and the results of the comparison of the laser signature data or inductive signature data includes determining a combined equivalent matching score for the vehicle in the set of vehicles and determining that the combined equivalent matching score is higher than a predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A method of identifying a vehicle in a toll system, the method comprising:
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accessing image data for a first vehicle; obtaining license plate data from the accessed image data for the first vehicle; accessing a set of records, each record including license plate data for a vehicle; comparing the license plate data for the first vehicle with the license plate data for vehicles in the set of records; identifying a set of vehicles from the vehicles having records in the set of records, the set of vehicles being identified based on results of the comparison of the license plate data; accessing vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle, the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle being based on the accessed image data for the first vehicle; accessing vehicle fingerprint data for a vehicle in the set of vehicles; comparing, using a processing device, the vehicle fingerprint data for the first vehicle with the vehicle fingerprint data for the vehicle in the set of vehicles; and identifying the vehicle in the set of vehicles as the first vehicle based on results of the comparison of vehicle fingerprint data, wherein identifying the vehicle in the set of vehicles as the first vehicle includes identifying the vehicle by combining vehicle identification number (VIN), laser signature, inductive signature, and image data.
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Specification