System and method of vehicle surveillance

• US 20040201460A1
• Filed: 04/09/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mvconnect LLC (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Andrew J. Bucholz, Matthew D. Roberts, Patrick D. Minix
• Inventors: Minix, Patrick D., Bucholz, Andrew J., Roberts, Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US10/409,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20040201460A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/10 actuating a signalling device
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method of conducting surveillance of stolen vehicles. Stolen vehicle information is downloaded from a database to a central server. At the central server, vehicle information is parsed to the specific requirements. Each subscribing jurisdiction downloads its area-specific stolen vehicle database to a subscriber workstation, e.g., via the Internet or an intranet. Police cars have on-board mobile surveillance points having a camera and a processor. A copy of the area-specific stolen vehicle database is loaded into each car'"'"'s processor. The mobile surveillance point reads license plates of vehicles in traffic, and the processor compares the license plates to stolen plate numbers stored in the database. The processor activates a signal to alert the officer. Stationary checkpoints located in the jurisdiction have a stationary surveillance point having a camera and a processor. The surveillance system stores images and creates a database of all vehicle plates in the area. The surveillance data is downloaded to the subscriber computer. The subscriber computer has a map database. A comparison algorithm identifies stolen vehicles in the area and their direction of travel, and displays the information on an area map. The analysis if performed with a spatial analysis algorithm along with temporal analysis using police officer'"'"'s experience and knowledge of the area and vehicle types (make/model/value/etc) stolen. The police officer analyzes patterns of stolen vehicles and generates suggested new locations for checkpoints, narrowing in on a possible chop shop location.

Claims

1. A system for detecting stolen vehicles comprising:

a central server comprising;

a processor;

memory for storing a stolen vehicle information database; and

logic for parsing and downloading stolen vehicle information;

a communications link for transferring data between at least one subscriber computer and the central server;

at least one subscriber computer comprising;

a processor;

memory for storing an area-specific stolen vehicle database; and

an I/O means for transferring data to and from the subscriber computer;

a data storage means for storing and transferring data; and

at least one mobile surveillance point comprising

a user interface for accepting the data storage means;

a power unit;

a camera unit for capturing and processing images;

a display unit having an alarm; and

a processor unit comprising

a processor;

memory for storing a stolen vehicle database; and

logic for processing images and alphanumeric information, comparing vehicle information to the stolen vehicle database, activating the alarm and displaying an image and associated data on the display unit when a match is found;

wherein the power unit, camera unit, processor unit, alarm, and display unit are electrically connected; and

wherein, the central server is capable of transmitting stolen vehicle information to the subscriber computer through the communications link, the data storage means is capable of transferring stolen vehicle information between the subscriber computer and the mobile surveillance point, the camera unit is capable of capturing images, the processor unit is capable of extracting alphanumeric information from the captured images, comparing the alphanumeric information to the stolen vehicle information, activating an alarm, and displaying the image and information associated with the vehicle when a match is found.

2. A system for detecting stolen vehicles comprising:

a central server comprising

a processor;

memory for storing a vehicle information database; and

a computer program for parsing and downloading stolen vehicle information;

a communications link for connecting at least one subscriber computer and the central server;

at least one subscriber computer comprising

a processor;

memory for storing a mapping database and a stolen vehicle database including vehicle associated data;

logic for comparing images to the stolen vehicle database and generating maps showing vehicle locations and vehicle associated data;

an I/O means for transferring data to and from the subscriber computer; and

a display;

a data storage means for storing and transferring data; and

at least one stationary surveillance point comprising;

a user interface for accepting the data storage means;

a power unit;

a camera unit for capturing and processing images; and

a processor unit comprising;

a processor;

memory; and

software for processing images and alphanumeric information and storing images and alphanumeric information on the data storage means;

wherein the power unit, camera unit, and processor unit are electrically connected; and

wherein, the central server is capable of transmitting stolen vehicle information to the subscriber computer through the communications link, the data storage means is capable of transferring stolen vehicle information to the stationary surveillance point, the camera unit is capable of capturing images, the processor unit is capable of extracting alphanumeric information from the captured images and storing the images and alphanumeric information on the data storage means, the data storage means is capable of transferring the stored images and alphanumeric information to the subscriber computer, and the computer program for comparing vehicle images to the area-specific stolen vehicle database is capable of generating maps showing vehicle locations and direction of travel on the display monitor.

3. A method of surveillance comprising:

Capturing images from a mobile surveillance point;

Extracting alphanumeric license plate data from the images;

Comparing the license plate data to known license plate data of stolen vehicles to identify stolen vehicles in real time; and

Generating an alarm that a stolen vehicle has been identified.

4. A method of surveillance comprising:

S1—

capturing images from at least one mobile surveillance point, at least one stationary surveillance point, or both;

S2—

extracting alphanumeric license plate data from the images;

S-3 comparing the license plate data to known license plate data of stolen vehicles to identify stolen vehicles;

S-4 displaying the location and direction of travel of stolen vehicles on a map; and

S-5 identifying areas likely to include chop shop locations.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

S-6 repositioning mobile, stationary, or mobile and stationary surveillance points closer to the identified areas likely to be chop shops; and

S-7 repeating steps S1 through S6 until a building location likely to include a chop shop is identified.