Assistance to law enforcement through ambient vigilance

• US 9,495,869 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhogal, Kulvir S., Boss, Gregory J., Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M.
• Primary Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US14/505,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20160098925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/625 License plates
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product of using cameras in a plurality of vehicles within a geographic area to aid in identifying a location of a vehicle of interest for authorities.

Claims

1. A method of using cameras in a plurality of vehicles belonging to citizens which are not part of law enforcement and governmental authorities within a geographic area to aid in identifying a location of a vehicle of interest for authorities comprising the steps of:

a computer receiving an alert to search for a vehicle of interest and a location from the authorities;

the computer sending a notification of the vehicle of interest to a plurality of vehicles within a radius of the location to activate rear-facing cameras of the plurality of vehicles without notifying occupants of the plurality of vehicles;

the computer receiving a vehicle of interest recognition from one of the plurality of vehicles indicating that the vehicle of interest had appeared in the rear-facing camera in the one of the plurality of vehicles; and

the computer sending at least a location and a time of the vehicle of interest recognition to the authorities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is sent to the plurality of vehicles to be received by a communication device selected from the group consisting of:

a global positioning system receiver, a cellular connection inside the vehicle, a handheld communication device, a wireless data device receiving rich site summary feed, and a receiver for near-field protocols.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer further sends a make, model and color of the vehicle of interest to the authorities.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle of interest recognition is derived from license plate identification.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle of interest recognition is derived from imaging of a grille of the vehicle of interest.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle of interest recognition is derived from imaging of a bumper of the vehicle of interest.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of the computer receiving a notification from the authorities that that the vehicle of interest has been found.

8. A computer program product for using cameras in a plurality of vehicles belonging to citizens which are not part of law enforcement and governmental authorities within a geographic area to aid in identifying a location of a vehicle of interest for authorities comprising a computer comprising at least one processor, one or more memories, one or more computer readable storage media, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by the computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by the computer, an alert to search for a vehicle of interest and a location from the authorities;

sending, by the computer, a notification of the vehicle of interest to a plurality of vehicles within a radius of the location to activate rear-facing cameras of the plurality of vehicles without notifying occupants of the plurality of vehicles;

receiving, by the computer, a vehicle of interest recognition from one of the plurality of vehicles indicating that the vehicle of interest had appeared in the rear-facing camera in the one of the plurality of vehicles; and

sending, by the computer, at least a location and a time of the vehicle of interest recognition to the authorities.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the notification is sent to the plurality of vehicles to be received by a communication device selected from the group consisting of:

a global positioning system receiver, a cellular connection inside the vehicle, a handheld communication device, a wireless data device receiving rich site summary feed, and a receiver for near-field protocols.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer further sends a make, model and color of the vehicle of interest to the authorities.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the vehicle of interest recognition is derived from license plate identification.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the vehicle of interest recognition is derived from imaging of a grille of the vehicle of interest.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the vehicle of interest recognition is derived from imaging of a bumper of the vehicle of interest.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising receiving, by the computer, a notification from the authorities that that the vehicle of interest has been found.

15. A computer system for using cameras in a plurality of vehicles belonging to citizens which are not part of law enforcement and governmental authorities within a geographic area to aid in identifying a location of a vehicle of interest for authorities comprising a computer comprising at least one processor, one or more memories, one or more computer readable storage media having program instructions executable by the computer to perform the program instructions comprising:

receiving, by the computer, an alert to search for a vehicle of interest and a location from the authorities;

sending, by the computer, a notification of the vehicle of interest to a plurality of vehicles within a radius of the location to activate rear-facing cameras of the plurality of vehicles without notifying occupants of the plurality of vehicles;

receiving, by the computer, a vehicle of interest recognition from one of the plurality of vehicles indicating that the vehicle of interest had appeared in the rear-facing camera in the one of the plurality of vehicles; and

sending, by the computer, at least a location and a time of the vehicle of interest recognition to the authorities.

16. The computer system product of claim 15, wherein the notification is sent to the plurality of vehicles to be received by a communication device selected from the group consisting of:

a global positioning system receiver, a cellular connection inside the vehicle, a handheld communication device, a wireless data device receiving rich site summary feed, and a receiver for near-field protocols.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the computer further sends a make, model and color of the vehicle of interest to the authorities.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle of interest recognition is derived from license plate identification.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle of interest recognition is derived from imaging of a grille of the vehicle of interest.

20. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising receiving, by the computer, a notification from the authorities that that the vehicle of interest has been found.