Deployable checkpoint system

• US 8,243,140 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2009
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Selex ES, Inc. (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Elsag North America LLC (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Inventors: Howe, Bernard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US12/362,179
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/148, 348/149, 705/13
• US Class Current: 348/149
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules

Abstract

A system and method for conducting traffic surveillance at a deployable checkpoint lane. At least one license plate reader is positioned adjacent to the checkpoint lane, in a predetermined location relative to a license plate reading zone, for acquiring and interpreting images of a license plate on a vehicle transiting through the license plate reading zone. At least one video camera is positioned adjacent to the checkpoint lane for capturing images of the vehicle transiting through the license plate reading zone. A trigger device is positioned adjacent to the checkpoint lane for initiating the capture of video images of the vehicle. A field control unit including a processor and a data store, and cooperative with each digital and video camera, compares images of the license plate on the vehicle and determines which license plate characters and vehicle images to store in a vehicle record to be transmitted to an external database for processing and analysis.

Claims

1. A portable system for conducting traffic surveillance at a deployable checkpoint lane, comprising:

at least one license plate reader positioned adjacent to the checkpoint lane in a predetermined location relative to a license plate reading zone, for acquiring and interpreting images of a license plate on a vehicle transiting through the license plate reading zone, the license plate reading zone corresponding to a depth of field for the license plate reader;

at least one video camera positioned adjacent to the checkpoint lane for capturing images of the vehicle transiting through the license plate reading zone;

a trigger device positioned adjacent to the checkpoint lane for detecting the vehicle crossing a trigger line while transiting through the license plate reading zone and initiating the capture of video images of the vehicle; and

a field control unit including a processor and a data store, and cooperative with each digital and video camera, for comparing images of the license plate on the vehicle and determining which license plate characters and vehicle images to store in a vehicle record to be transmitted to an external database for processing and analysis.

2. The portable system for conducting traffic surveillance of claim 1 wherein each license plate reader comprises:

a digital camera for imaging of vehicle license plates;

an illuminator cooperative with the camera to provide illumination of the vehicle license plates; and

an image acquisition and processing device coupled to the camera to acquire images of the vehicle license plates from the camera and to extract a plurality of character strings from each detected license plate.

3. The portable system for conducting traffic surveillance of claim 1 wherein the at least one license plate reader comprises a first license plate reader positioned adjacent to the checkpoint lane in a location relative to the license plate reading zone to capture a front license plate, and a second license plate reader positioned adjacent to the checkpoint lane in a location relative to the license plate reading zone to capture a rear license plate.

4. The portable system for conducting traffic surveillance of claim 3 wherein the field control unit further comprises a cache for temporarily storing the characters detected on the front license plate until a vehicle record is created by the field control unit processor.

5. The portable system for conducting traffic surveillance of claim 3 further comprising an additional rear license plate reader having a digital camera with a short focal length to detect any hazard placards and a license plate affixed to a first trailer of a vehicle including tandem trailers.

6. The portable system for conducting traffic surveillance of claim 1 wherein the at least one video camera for capturing images of the vehicle is located adjacent to a front end of the checkpoint lane.

7. The portable system for conducting traffic surveillance of claim 1 wherein the at least one video camera for capturing images of the vehicle is located adjacent to a rear end of the checkpoint lane.

8. The portable system for conducting traffic surveillance of claim 1 further comprising at least one video camera positioned adjacent to the checkpoint lane for capturing images of an occupant in the vehicle transiting through the license plate reading zone.

9. The portable system for conducting traffic surveillance of claim 8 wherein the at least one video camera for capturing occupant images is located adjacent to a front end of the checkpoint lane for capturing a frontal facial image.

10. The portable system for conducting traffic surveillance of claim 8 wherein the at least one video camera for capturing occupant images is located adjacent to the license plate reading zone for capturing a side view facial image.

11. The portable system for conducting traffic surveillance of claim 1 wherein the trigger device comprises at least one of a laser detector, an ultrasonic receiver, a radar detector, and a passive infrared sensor.

12. The portable system for conducting traffic surveillance of claim 1 wherein the trigger device comprises a radiation detector.

13. The portable system for conducting traffic surveillance of claim 1 wherein the trigger device comprises a vehicle undercarriage scanner.

14. The portable system for conducting traffic surveillance of claim 1 further comprising an auxiliary light positioned adjacent to the checkpoint lane for adding ambient light to an area proximate to the trigger device.

15. A method for conducting traffic surveillance at a deployable checkpoint lane including a license plate reading zone by a portable vehicle detection and imaging system, comprising the steps of:

acquiring and interpreting images of a license plate on a vehicle transiting through the license plate reading zone by at least one license plate reader, the license plate reading zone corresponding to a depth of field for the license plate reader;

triggering a vehicle tracking system when a portable trigger device detects the presence of the vehicle crossing a trigger line while transiting through the license plate reading zone;

creating a vehicle record in a data store by a processor in a field control unit;

capturing images of the vehicle transiting through the license plate reading zone by at least one video camera positioned adjacent to the checkpoint lane;

comparing images of the license plate on the vehicle and determining which license plate characters and vehicle images to store in the vehicle record to be transmitted to an external database for processing and analysis.

16. The method for conducting traffic surveillance at a deployable checkpoint lane of claim 15 wherein the steps of acquiring and interpreting images of the license plate comprise extracting a plurality of character strings on the detected license plate.

17. The method for conducting traffic surveillance at a deployable checkpoint lane of claim 15 wherein the steps of acquiring and interpreting images of the license plate further comprises capturing images of a front license plate by a first license plate reader positioned adjacent to the checkpoint lane in a first location relative to the license plate reading zone, and capturing images of a rear license plate of a vehicle by a second license plate reader positioned adjacent to the checkpoint lane in a second location relative to the license plate reading zone.

18. The method for conducting traffic surveillance at a deployable checkpoint lane of claim 17 further comprising storing the plurality of character strings of the front license plate in a cache of the field control unit until the processor creates the vehicle record.

19. The method for conducting traffic surveillance at a deployable checkpoint lane of claim 15 further comprising capturing images of an occupant in the vehicle transiting through the license plate reading zone by at least one video camera positioned adjacent to the checkpoint lane.

20. The method for conducting traffic surveillance at a deployable checkpoint lane of claim 19 wherein the captured images of the occupant include a side facial image.

21. The method for conducting traffic surveillance at a deployable checkpoint lane of claim 19 wherein the captured images of the occupant include a front facial image.

22. The method for conducting traffic surveillance at a deployable checkpoint lane of claim 15 further comprising detecting if radioactive materials are carried in the vehicle transiting through the license plate reading zone.

23. The method for conducting traffic surveillance at a deployable checkpoint lane of claim 15 further comprising scanning an undercarriage of the vehicle.

24. The method for conducting traffic surveillance at a deployable checkpoint lane of claim 15 further comprising adding a timestamp, and a checkpoint lane location name or global positioning system identifier to the vehicle record.

25. The method for conducting traffic surveillance at a deployable checkpoint lane of claim 15 further comprising positioning an auxiliary light adjacent to the checkpoint lane to add ambient light to an area proximate to the trigger device.

26. The method for conducting traffic surveillance at a deployable checkpoint lane of claim 15 further comprising detecting any hazard placards on the vehicle and a license plate affixed to a first trailer of a vehicle including tandem trailers.