Autonomous wide-angle license plate recognition

• US 20060171564A1
• Filed: 07/10/2003
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MPB Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: James Simon
• Inventors: Simon, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,711,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/625 License plates
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/63 Scene text, e.g. street names
• 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 1/054 photographing overspeeding vehicles

Abstract

A system in a moving surveillance vehicle operates in background mode to capture images of license plates of neighboring moving vehicles, which may occupy lanes other than the lane in which the surveillance vehicle is moving. The images are used to determine the license plate numbers of the moving vehicles, which are then checked against a database to determine whether there are any potential law enforcement-related problems that require the attention of the operator. If so, the system alerts the operator using an audible tone, visual prompt, vibration, or in some other suitable manner. The entire process, including generation of the alert can occur autonomously of the operator.

Claims

1. A system carried by a first moving vehicle, comprising:

at least one camera mounted on the first moving vehicle, the camera capturing an image of a license plate on any nearby second vehicle moving in a lane other than that occupied by the first moving vehicle and positioned in front of or behind the first vehicle with a viewing angle of at least 120 degrees, without a need for input from an operator of the first vehicle to initiate the capturing of the image upon noticing the second vehicle; and

at least one processor that uses information derived from the image to determine the license plate of the second moving vehicle, and to alert the operator of first vehicle only upon discovering that there is a potential problem related to the second moving vehicle, all without a need for input from the operator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle comprises a police patrol unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera comprises a motion video camera.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera comprises a still image camera.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera is mounted at the front of the first vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera is mounted at the rear of the first vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the viewing angle is at least 160 degrees.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera has sufficient sensitivity to identify the license plate number of the second vehicle while the first vehicle is moving at a speed of at least 50 kilometers per hour.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to derive a license plate number from the image, using a database local to the first vehicle.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to transmit at least a portion of the image to a remote facility for license plate recognition.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to receive information related to the potential problem from a remote facility.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising an auditory alert that alerts the operator to the existence of the potential problem.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a non-auditory alert that alerts the operator to the existence of the potential problem.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle comprises a police patrol unit, the camera has a viewing angle of at least 160 degrees, and the processor is programmed to derive a license plate number from the image, using a database local to the first vehicle.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle comprises a police patrol unit, the camera has a viewing angle of at least 160 degrees, and the processor is programmed to transmit at least a portion of the image to a remote facility for license plate recognition.