Apparatus, systems and methods for improved facial detection and recognition in vehicle inspection security systems
First Claim
1. A method for detecting a vehicle occupant, comprising the steps of:
- providing an apparatus comprising a camera and an illumination device, wherein the camera comprises a linear polarization filter secured adjacent a camera lens, wherein the camera lens has a fixed field of view;
detecting the presence of an oncoming vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes at least one vehicle window separating a vehicle interior enclosure from an external environment, wherein the at least one vehicle window has a frame surrounding the at least one vehicle window;
triggering the automatic capture of a plurality of current facial images of at least one vehicle occupant present within the vehicle interior enclosure when the at least one vehicle window frame is maximized in the fixed field of view, wherein each of the plurality of current facial images is captured automatically via the camera through the linear polarization filter, and wherein each of the plurality of current facial images is further captured from a different distance to the oncoming vehicle;
obtaining, by a processing unit, at least one archived image of at least one individual;
comparing, by the processing unit, at least one of the current facial images with the at least one archived image; and
determining whether the at least one vehicle occupant and the at least one individual are the same.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Devices, systems, and methods provide for improved facial detection and facial recognition in vehicle interior inspections. In various embodiments, one or more high-resolution cameras having one or more lens and filter attachments operate in conjunction with one or more auxiliary illumination devices and a related computer system. According to various embodiments, an auxiliary illumination device can be synchronized to one or more cameras, and configured to supply auxiliary illumination to facilitate capture of accurate and usable images. The filter(s) and advanced image processing solutions assist with facial detection and identifying individuals inside a vehicle, removing light glare and undesired reflections from a window surface, and capturing an image through a tinted window, among other things. Further, embodiments can compare a captured image to an authenticated image from a database, in order to confirm the identity of a vehicle occupant.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for detecting a vehicle occupant, comprising the steps of:
- providing an apparatus comprising a camera and an illumination device, wherein the camera comprises a linear polarization filter secured adjacent a camera lens, wherein the camera lens has a fixed field of view;
detecting the presence of an oncoming vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes at least one vehicle window separating a vehicle interior enclosure from an external environment, wherein the at least one vehicle window has a frame surrounding the at least one vehicle window; triggering the automatic capture of a plurality of current facial images of at least one vehicle occupant present within the vehicle interior enclosure when the at least one vehicle window frame is maximized in the fixed field of view, wherein each of the plurality of current facial images is captured automatically via the camera through the linear polarization filter, and wherein each of the plurality of current facial images is further captured from a different distance to the oncoming vehicle; obtaining, by a processing unit, at least one archived image of at least one individual; comparing, by the processing unit, at least one of the current facial images with the at least one archived image; and determining whether the at least one vehicle occupant and the at least one individual are the same. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- providing an apparatus comprising a camera and an illumination device, wherein the camera comprises a linear polarization filter secured adjacent a camera lens, wherein the camera lens has a fixed field of view;
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12. A method, comprising the steps of:
- providing a camera having a lens facing a fixed field of view, a linear polarization filter secured adjacent the lens and an optical bandpass filter secured adjacent the lens;
providing an illumination device for illuminating the field of view;providing an image processing component for synchronizing the activation of the illumination device with activation of the camera; detecting the presence of an oncoming vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes at least one front windshield separating a vehicle interior enclosure from an external environment, wherein the at least one front windshield has a frame surrounding the at least one front windshield; upon the oncoming vehicle entering the field of view and the at least one front windshield frame being maximized in the fixed field of view, activating the illumination device while capturing, via the camera through the linear polarization filter, the optical bandpass filter and the at least one window, a plurality of current facial images of at least one vehicle occupant present within the vehicle interior enclosure, wherein each of the plurality of current facial images is captured from a different distance to the oncoming vehicle; obtaining, by a processing unit, at least one archived image of at least one individual previously associated with the detected vehicle identifier; comparing, by the processing unit, the at least one present image with the at least one archived image; and determining whether the at least one vehicle occupant and the at least one individual are the same. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
- providing a camera having a lens facing a fixed field of view, a linear polarization filter secured adjacent the lens and an optical bandpass filter secured adjacent the lens;
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17. A system for detecting a vehicle occupant, comprising:
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a camera comprising a linear polarization filter secured adjacent a camera lens, and a lens facing a fixed field of view; at least one illumination device; at least one processor; and at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to; store one or more images of at least one individual person; synchronize the activation of the at least one illumination device with the camera; automatically trigger the activation of the camera when a trapezoidal frame of a front windshield of a moving vehicle is maximized within the fixed field of view; compare at least one image captured by the camera of at least one vehicle occupant present within a vehicle interior enclosure of a vehicle, with the one or more stored images of the at least one individual person, wherein the at least one image is captured by the camera through the linear polarization filter and a window of a vehicle; and determine whether the at least one vehicle occupant and the at least one individual person are the same. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification