Vehicle id

• US 20060232442A1
• Filed: 01/29/2004
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Facility Parking Europe AB
• Original Assignee: Facility Parking Europe AB
• Inventors: Hallberg, Jesper, Vastad, Fredrik
• Granted Patent: US 7,471,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/932.200
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/04 comprising devices to free a barrier, turnstile, or the like turnstiles with registering means G07C9/10; coin-freed aspects G07F17/00

Abstract

The invention is provided by means of a method for identifying a vehicle, comprising recording at least a first image of the said vehicle using a digital camera, which first image includes at least a registration plate and a light arrangement. The method comprises the steps of identifying the position on the car and the orientation of the light arrangement from the first image, and of determining the type of vehicle on the basis of information stored in a database relating to the position and orientation of light arrangements on different types of car and the identification of the position and orientation of the light arrangement, and of identifying the position on the car and the orientation of the registration plate in relation to the identified position of the light arrangement from the first image in order thereby to obtain a unique identification of the said vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for checking vehicles in a car park comprising identification of a vehicle by recording images and analysis of the said vehicle at an entrance control and at an exit control, storage of the analysis results from the entrance control, comparison of the analysis results from the exit control with the stored analysis results from the entrance control, and preventing or allowing the said vehicle to leave, wherein

at the exit control, the said vehicle is driven forwards to a front exit barrier,

a rear exit barrier is set up behind the said vehicle,

said analysis involves identifying, in at least one of said images taken at the entrance control and at least one of said images taken at the exit control, the position of at least one reflector device on said vehicle,

said comparison involves comparing said identified reflector device, and

only the said front exit barrier is removed when the vehicle is to be allowed to leave, whereby other vehicles are prevented from driving through the exit control at the same time as the said vehicle.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the said entrance control comprises a front and a rear exit barrier,

at the entrance control, the said vehicle is driven forwards to the said front exit barrier,

the said rear exit barrier is set up behind the said vehicle, and

only the said front exit barrier is removed when the vehicle is to be allowed to pass through, whereby other vehicles are prevented from driving through the entrance control at the same time as the said vehicle.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising the steps of

the said front exit barrier being set up again after the said vehicle has passed through,

the said rear exit barrier being removed after the said front exit barrier is set up again to allow another vehicle to drive into the said passage control.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said front and rear exit barriers are barriers that are lowered and raised or raised and lowered automatically in order to prevent or allow the passage of vehicles.

5. A method as claimed in claims 1-4, wherein a receipt generated at the entrance control constitutes a code that is created during the storage of the analysis results and printed out onto a car park ticket for the driver of the vehicle, to be used by the driver when paying for the parking and at the exit control.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the receipt consists of the recording of a code, obtained for example from a bank card or credit card provided by the driver of the vehicle, together with the analysis results from the entrance control.

7. A method as claimed in claims 1, wherein the said analysis comprises

identifying the position and orientation on the car of at least one light arrangement by means of the said analysis of the said image recording,

determining the type of vehicle on the basis of information stored in a database relating to the position and orientation of light arrangements on different types of cars and the said identification of the position and orientation of the said light arrangement,

identifying the position on the car and the orientation of the said registration plate in relation to the identified position of the said light arrangement by means of the said image analysis of the said first image in order thereby to obtain a unique identification of the said vehicle.

16. A method as claimed in claims 1, wherein other dimensions are identified, for example length, height, color, height above the ground of the rear light arrangements, etc.

8. A vehicle lock in a car park arranged to allow vehicles to pass through in a secure way from a first area to a second area, wherein

an entry barrier is arranged to prevent entry to the said vehicle lock in a first position and to allow entry to the said vehicle lock in a second position,

an exit barrier is arranged to prevent exit from the said vehicle lock in a first position and to allow exit from the said vehicle lock in a second position, with

the said entry barrier being arranged to prevent entry into the said vehicle lock when the said exit barrier allows exit from the said lock, and

the said exit barrier being arranged to prevent exit from the said vehicle lock when the said entry barrier allows entry into the said vehicle lock, and

an identification device is provided to identify at least one reflector device on said vehicle and that the position of said reflector device is used in determining if a vehicle is allowed to pass through said vehicle lock.

9. A traffic control system for controlling the entry of vehicles from an outer area to an inner area and exit from the said inner area to the said outer area, wherein

entry to and exit from the said inner area takes place by means of at least one road, and a vehicle lock as claimed in claim 8 is arranged to control vehicles that pass along the said road.

10. A traffic control system as claimed in claim 9, wherein a first vehicle lock is arranged to control vehicles that are entering into the said inner area on an entrance road and a second vehicle lock is arranged to control vehicles that are leaving the said inner area on an exit road.

11. A traffic control system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the said inner area is a car park or a multistori garage.

12. A method for identifying a vehicle, comprising recording at least a first image of the said vehicle using a digital camera, the said first image including at least a registration plate and a light arrangement, wherein the steps of

identifying the position and orientation on the car of the said light arrangement by image analysis of the said first image,

determining the type of vehicle on the basis of information stored in a database relating to the position and orientation of light arrangements on different types of car and the said identification of the position and orientation of the said light arrangement,

identifying the position and orientation on the car of the said registration plate in relation to the identified position of the said light arrangement by means of the said image analysis of the said first image in order thereby to achieve a unique identification of the said vehicle.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein

the said position and orientation identification of the said light arrangement only provides a sufficiently good identification to be able to distinguish what type of car the light arrangement represents, on the basis of information stored in the said database, and

the said identification of the type of vehicle is used in order to set up a coordinate system for the said vehicle in which the position and orientation of the said registration plate can be determined precisely.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the said first image is recorded of the back of the said vehicle and the said light arrangement is a rear light arrangement comprising at least a reflector, a rear light and/or a brake light.

15. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the vehicle is illuminated during the recording of the images and where the illumination is infrared illumination, for example from a flash unit or constant illumination, or is light in the visible spectrum, for example from a flash unit or constant illumination, or is laser illumination.

17. A method as claimed in claims 12, wherein determination of the type of vehicle is carried out by

matching at least one geometric figure which comprises a first and a second axis and a center of gravity, for example an oval or a rectangle, to the light fields in the said first image,

calculating a first set of values on the basis of the dimensions of the said first and second axes, and their angle in relation to each other for a number of the different light fields,

searching in the database for values that are the same as the said first set of values and associating the said vehicle with the type of vehicle which is associated in the database with the said first set of values.

18. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the position, shape and orientation of the said registration plate is carried out by

matching at least one geometric figure which comprises a first and a second axis and a center of gravity, for example an oval or a rectangle, to the light field in the said first image that represents the registration plate.

19. A method as claimed in claim 12-18, wherein, for each type of vehicle, the said database comprises at least two different sets of values for position and/or orientation of the rear light arrangements/registration plate that identify the same type of vehicle.

20. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the said database comprises other typical dimensions for the type of vehicle, for example length, height, shape, etc.

21. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein, for each type of vehicle, the said database comprises position and/or orientation of at least one of or a combination of any, of the following identification features:

rear light, braking light, reflector, defective rear light, defective brake light, defective reflector, dirty rear light, dirty brake light, dirty reflector, snow-covered rear light, snow-covered brake light, snow-covered reflector, etc.

22. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the registration number on the registration plate is also identified by image analysis of the said image.

23. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the position of the tax mark on the registration plate is also identified by image analysis of the said image.

24. A method as claimed in claims 12, wherein further recording of images of the vehicle are carried out with simultaneous infrared illumination, and in that the analysis comprises these images being subtracted from images recorded without infrared illumination, whereby images are obtained that are independent of the light.

25. An arrangement for vehicle control in a car park by means of the method as claimed in claims 12, comprising an entrance lock and an exit lock provided with a digital camera for recording images of the vehicle and control arrangements, for example a PC connected to a server, wherein a computer is arranged to carry out the steps