Multiple object speed tracking system

• US 20100172543A1
• Filed: 12/17/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Traffic Solutions Incorporated (Verra Mobility Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Automaqted Speed Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Winkler, Thomas D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,284,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20081 Training; Learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20224 Image subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30236 Traffic on road, railway or crossing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/194 involving foreground-background segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P

Abstract

A multiple object speed tracking system that can provide data related to the rate of travel of each object in a set of multiple objects as each object is traveling either toward or away from a predetermined point.

Claims

1. A multiple object speed tracking apparatus comprising:

at least one video camera positioned to capture images of a monitored area;

at least one set of video images of the monitored area that are generated by the video camera; and

,

a computer system that can analyze the at least one set of video images to detect at least two moving objects that are moving substantially simultaneously within the monitored area.

2. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 1 wherein the computer system can determine a rate of speed of at least one of the moving objects.

3. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 2 wherein the computer system can compare the rate of speed of the at least one moving object to a predetermined speed.

4. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 3 wherein a set of incident data is generated when the rate of speed of the at least one moving object exceeds the predetermined speed.

5. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a video camera housing and a video camera housing positioning unit.

6. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a video camera housing positioning unit mounted on a mast to position the video camera at an elevation of at least about fifteen feet above ground level.

7. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 5 wherein the video camera is a low resolution digital camera operatively disposed near the video camera housing.

8. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a high resolution digital camera operatively disposed near the video camera housing.

9. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 8 wherein the low resolution video camera communicates a set of low resolution video images to the computer system, and wherein the high resolution video camera communicates a set of high resolution video images to the computer system.

10. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 9 wherein the computer system communicates with a video camera housing positioning unit to tilt, pan, and achieve an alignment of at least one of either the low resolution video camera or the high resolution video camera wherein the alignment allows at least one of either the low resolution video camera or the high resolution video camera to capture at least one of either the set of low resolution video images or the set of high resolution video images of the monitored area in which a plurality of moving objects are found.

11. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 10 wherein the at least two moving objects are automotive vehicles and the monitored area includes a portion of a roadway upon which the automotive vehicles are moving.

12. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 11 wherein the computer system includes a display monitor that can display at least one of either the low resolution video image or the high resolution video image to an operator of the multiple speed tracking apparatus.

13. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 12 wherein the display monitor displays a speed indicator window positioned adjacent to at least one of the moving objects in one of either the low resolution video image or the high resolution video image.

14. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 13 wherein the speed indicator window includes a signal that the rate of speed of the moving object exceeds the predetermined speed.

15. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 13 wherein the set of incident data includes at least one of either a portion of a video image of the monitored area generated during a time when the rate of speed of the moving object exceeded the value of the predetermined speed, the speed indicator window displaying the speed of the moving object during the time when the rate of speed of the moving object exceeded the value of the predetermined speed, an identification image that includes a set of identification information related to the moving object moving at the rate of speed that exceeds the predetermined speed, an incident list having information about other moving objects detected at about the same period of time during which the rate of speed of the moving object exceeded the predetermined speed, and a set of information related to the determination by the computer system that the rate of speed of the moving object exceeds the predetermined speed.

16. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 15 wherein the set of identification information includes at least one of either a license plate mounted on the moving object or a set of descriptive data related to the appearance of the moving object.

17. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a thermal imaging device capable of providing information to the computer system that allows the computer system to detect a moving object and determine a rate of speed of the moving object.

18. A multiple object speed tracking apparatus comprising:

a video camera housing mounted and a video camera housing positioning unit;

a low resolution digital camera operatively disposed near the video camera housing;

a high resolution digital camera operatively disposed near the video camera housing;

a computer system including a display wherein the low resolution video camera communicates a set of low resolution images to the computer system, wherein the high resolution video camera communicates a set of high resolution images to the computer system, and the computer system communicates with the video camera housing positioning unit to tilt, pan, and achieve an alignment of at least one of either the low resolution video camera or the high resolution video camera wherein the alignment allows at least one of either the low resolution video camera or the high resolution video camera to capture at least one of either the set of low resolution images or the set of high resolution images to capture as set of images of a monitored area in which a plurality of moving objects are found; and

,

a software package capable of;

detecting at least one of the plurality of moving objects and the speed of travel of the individual objects;

determining a speed of travel for the at least one of the plurality of moving objects;

determining if the speed of travel exceeds a value of a predetermined speed of travel;

determining an identification of the at least one of the plurality of objects that has exceeded the value of the predetermined speed of travel; and

preparing a set of incident data related to the at least one of the plurality of objects that has exceeded the value of the predetermined speed of travel.

19. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 18 wherein the display monitor displays a speed indicator window positioned adjacent to at least one of the moving objects in one of either the low resolution video image or the high resolution video image.

20. The multiple object speed tracking apparatus of claim 19 wherein the set of incident data includes at least one of either a portion of a video image of the monitored area generated during a time when the rate of speed of the moving object exceeded the value of the predetermined speed, the speed indicator window displaying the speed of the moving object during the time when the rate of speed of the moving object exceeded the value of the predetermined speed, an identification image that includes a set of identification information related to the moving object moving at the rate of speed that exceeds the predetermined speed, an incident list having information about other moving objects detected at about the same period of time during which the rate of speed of the moving object exceeded the predetermined speed, and a set of information related to the determination by the computer system that the rate of speed of the moving object exceeds the predetermined speed.