Automated vehicle speed measurement and enforcement method and system

• US 8,692,690 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC (Conduent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Dalal, Edul N.
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US13/044,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20120229304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 340/936, 340/933, 340/937, 340/931, 340/916, 340/905, 340/907, 348/149, 348/148, 702/96, 702/142, 702/143, 702/149
• US Class Current: 340/936
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/92 for velocity measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P

Abstract

An automated vehicle speed measurement and enforcement method and system. Traffic can be continuously monitored utilizing an image capturing unit and a controller. The speed of one or more vehicles within an effective field of view of the image capturing unit can be estimated. A burst of radiation from an associated remote sensing device can be triggered when a vehicle is detected having a speed greater than a predetermined value. An accurate speed of the vehicle can then be determined. Additionally, a transverse velocity component associated with the vehicle can be computed by the image capturing unit in order to thereafter apply the transverse velocity component to a reading generated by the remote sensing device to correct a cosine error with respect to the remote sensing device.

Claims

1. A method for measuring vehicle speed, said method comprising:

continuously monitoring traffic utilizing an image capturing unit and a controller that communicates with said image capturing unit;

estimating via said controller, the speed of at least one vehicle within an effective field of view of said image capturing unit;

triggering a burst of radiation from an associated remote sensing device when said at least one vehicle is detected with a speed greater than a predetermined value, said image capturing unit in association with said remote sensing device operably connected to said controller;

determining an accurate speed of said at least one vehicle; and

computing a transverse velocity component associated with said at least one vehicle by said image capturing unit in order to thereafter apply said transverse velocity component to a reading generated by said remote sensing device reading to correct a cosine error with resect to said remote sensing devices.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying at least one offending vehicle via a recognition unit from at least one image captured by said image capturing unit.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising configuring said recognition unit recognize license plates and particular types of vehicles.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising automatically issuing a violation ticket in response to identifying said at least one offending vehicle, said violation ticket associated with a particular traffic violation.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising archiving at least one image of said particular traffic violation for legal purposes.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising sequentially measuring speed of a plurality of violators at a time, said plurality of violators having been sorted based on at least one criterion in order to ensure the most egregious violators do not possess time to respond to a detector signal.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising cancelling targeting of at least two selected vehicles among said traffic upon existence of a potential interference between said at least two vehicles.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising mounting said remote sensing device in a fixed direction in order to perform an unattended operation.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising mounting said remote sensing device on a one-axis gimbal unit, said gimbal unit being controlled by said controller.

10. The method of claim 5 further comprising mounting said remote sensing device on a two-axis gimbal unit, said gimbal unit being controlled by said controller.

11. A system for measuring vehicle speed, said system comprising:

an image capturing unit and a controller that continuously monitor traffic, such that a speed of at least one vehicle is estimated within an effective field of view of said image capturing unit, wherein said controller communicates with said image capturing unit;

a remote sensing device that is triggered by said controller to emit a burst of radiation when said at least one vehicle is detected with a speed greater than a predetermined value in order to determine an accurate speed of said at least one vehicle wherein said image capturing unit in association with said remote sensing device is operably connected to said controller; and

wherein a transverse velocity component associated with said at least one vehicle is computed by said system in order to apply said transverse velocity component to a reading generated by said remote sensing device reading to correct a cosine error with respect to said remote sensing device.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a recognition module for identifying at least one offending vehicle from at least one image captured by said image capturing unit.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said recognition module further comprises a license plate recognition and type of vehicle recognition capability derived from said image.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein a violation ticket is automatically issued in response to identifying said at least one offending vehicle, said violation ticket associated with a particular traffic violation.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising an archive for archiving said particular traffic violation.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein a speed of a plurality of violators is sequentially measured, said plurality of violators having been sorted based on at least one criterion in order to ensure the most egregious violators do not possess time to respond to a detector signal.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein a targeting of at least two selected vehicles is cancelled upon a potential interference between said at least two vehicles.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein said remote sensing device is mounted in a fixed direction to perform an unattended operation.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein said remote sensing device is mounted on a one-axis gimbal unit, said gimbal unit subject to control by said controller.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein said remote sensing device is mounted on a two-axis gimbal unit, said gimbal unit subject to control by said controller.