Image recording apparatus and method

• US 7,986,248 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Redflex Traffic Systems Inc.
• Original Assignee: Redflex Traffic Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Lock, Roy William
• Primary Examiner(s): La; Anh V
• Application Number:
  US11/133,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,258 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/937, 340/933, 340/938, 340/916, 340/921, 348/149, 701/117, 701/300, 701/301, 701/302
• US Class Current: 340/937
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules

Abstract

An image recording apparatus suitable for recording a traffic signal violation at an intersection controlled by a traffic light is described. The image recording apparatus includes a first camera focused on the intersection, and a second camera focused on a first lane of a street leading to the intersection. A first control circuit is coupled to the first camera causes the first camera to capture a first image at substantially an instant of time that the traffic light indicates a change of traffic control status. The apparatus also includes a detection circuit to detect when a portion of a vehicle crosses a trigger location in the first lane after the change in traffic control status. A second control circuit coupled to the second camera causes the second camera to capture a close-up image of the vehicle in the event that the detection circuit detects the portion of the vehicle at the trigger location after a change in traffic control status.

Claims

1. An image recording apparatus suitable for recording a traffic signal violation at an intersection controlled by a traffic light, the apparatus including:

a wide angle camera focused on the intersection;

a first telephoto camera focused on a first lane of the intersection to capture a first number plate of a first vehicle;

a second telephoto camera focused on a second lane of the intersection to capture a second number plate of a second vehicle;

a first detection circuit configured to emit an infringement signal if at least a portion of the first vehicle in the first lane or the second vehicle in the second lane positioned beyond a location of the intersection at which the first vehicle and the second vehicle are required to stop in response to the change in traffic control status; and

a first control circuit coupled to the wide angle camera, the first telephoto camera and the second telephoto camera wherein the first control circuit is configured to cause the wide angle camera to capture an image of the intersection and cause the first telephoto camera or the second telephoto camera corresponding to the position of the first vehicle or the second vehicle to capture a first close-up image of the first vehicle in the first lane or the second vehicle in the second lane of the intersection in response to the infringement signal from the first detection circuit.

2. The image recording apparatus of claim 1 wherein, if the first detection circuit emits the infringement signal, the first control circuit causes the first telephoto camera or the second telephoto camera to capture a second close up image of the first vehicle or the second vehicle after a first predetermined time period from the instant of time that the first close up image of the first vehicle or the second vehicle was captured.

3. The image recording apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a recording circuit coupled to the first detection circuit and configured to store the first close-up image in temporary memory and to delete the first close-up image from the temporary memory in the event that the detection circuit does not detect the portion of the first vehicle or the second vehicle at the trigger location upon the change of traffic control status.

4. The image recording apparatus of claim 3 wherein, if the first detection circuit emits the infringement signal, the recording circuit records each of the first close-up image, and the second close-up image to permanent memory.

5. The image recording apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a compression circuit configured to compress the image size of the first close-up image.

6. The image recording apparatus of claim 5 wherein each of the wide angle camera, the first telephoto and the second telephoto camera comprise digital cameras, and wherein the compression circuit performs digital compression.

7. The image recording apparatus of claim 3 wherein the temporary memory comprises RAM.

8. The image recording apparatus of claim 1 wherein the detection circuit includes an inductive loop set below a road surface proximate to the intersection, and wherein the trigger location comprises a stop line marked on a roadway proximate said intersection.

9. An image recording apparatus suitable for recording a traffic signal violation at an intersection controlled by a traffic light, the apparatus including:

a first telephoto camera focused on a first lane of the intersection to capture a first number plate of a first vehicle;

a second telephoto camera focused on a second lane of the intersection to capture a second number plate of a second vehicle;

a detection circuit configured to emit an infringement signal if at least a portion of the first vehicle is in the first lane or the second vehicle is in the second lane at a trigger location proximate the intersection after a change in traffic control status signaled by the traffic light; and

a control circuit coupled to the first telephoto camera and the second telephoto camera, and configured to cause the first telephoto camera to capture a first image of the first number plate of the first vehicle in the first lane of the intersection or to cause the second camera to capture a second image of the second number plate of the second vehicle in the second lane of the intersection in response to the infringement signal from the detection circuit.

10. The image recording apparatus of claim 9 wherein, if the detection circuit emits the infringement signal, the control circuit causes the recording of each of the first image or the second image to permanent memory.

11. The image recording apparatus of claim 9 wherein, if the detection circuit emits the infringement signal, the control circuit causes the first telephoto camera to capture a third image of the first vehicle after a first predetermined time period from the instant of time of the change of traffic control status, or causes the second telephoto camera to capture a fourth image of the second vehicle after a second predetermined time period from the instant of time of the change of traffic control status.

12. The image recording apparatus of claim 11 wherein the control circuit causes the recording of each of the third image or the fourth image to permanent memory.

13. The image recording apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a compression circuit configured to compress the image size of the first image or the second image.

14. The image recording apparatus of claim 13 wherein each of the first telephoto camera and the second telephoto camera comprises a digital camera, and wherein the compression circuit performs digital compression.

15. The image recording apparatus of claim 9 wherein the temporary memory comprises RAM.

16. The image recording apparatus of claim 10 wherein the permanent memory comprises a WORM device.