METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATING MULTIPLE CAMERA IMAGES TO TRACK A VEHICLE

• US 20130307979A1
• Filed: 08/14/2012
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chen, Yi-Yuan, Chang, Leii H., Hung, Shang-Chih, Chen, Jian-Ren
• Granted Patent: US 9,761,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/54 of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules

Abstract

A method and a system for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle are provided. In the method, a security request of a vehicle to be tracked is received from a user, in which the security request comprises registration information and position information of the vehicle. Next, images captured by multiple cameras in a specific range around a location of the position information are retrieved. The retrieved images are analyzed according to the registration information, so as to recognize the images comprising the vehicle. Finally, a message is issued when the images comprising the vehicle are recognized.

Claims

1. A method for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle, adapted to a server tracking the vehicle by using images captured by a plurality of cameras, the method comprising:

receiving a request to track the vehicle, wherein the request comprises a registration information and a position information of the vehicle;

retrieving a plurality of images captured by the plurality of cameras in a specific range around a location of the position information;

analyzing the retrieved images according to the registration information, so as to recognize the images comprising the vehicle; and

issuing a message when the images comprising the vehicle are recognized.

2. The method for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein before the step of receiving the request of the vehicle, the method further comprises:

activating a function and setting the position information of the vehicle by a user device; and

incorporating the position information and the registration information of the vehicle into the request and transmitting the request to the server by the user device.

3. The method for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of activating the function and setting the position information of the vehicle by the user device comprises:

positioning the vehicle to obtain the position information by the user device.

4. The method for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of activating the function and setting the position information of the vehicle by the user device further comprises:

setting an alert rule and the registration information, wherein the server issues the message according to the alert rule and the registration information when the images comprising the vehicle are recognized.

5. The method for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the alert rule comprises time, location, frequency, distance or time interval for detecting the vehicle.

6. The method for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing the retrieved images according to the registration information, so as to recognize images comprising the vehicle comprises:

performing an image processing on the images captured by each of the cameras, so as to recognize at least one license plate from the images; and

comparing the recognized at least one license plate with the license plate corresponding to the registration information, so as to find out images having the license plate matched to serve as the images comprising the vehicle.

7. The method for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the image processing comprises moving object detection, license plate detection, or plate number recognition, or a combination thereof.

8. The method for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the step of analyzing the retrieved images according to the registration information, so as to recognize the images comprising the vehicle, and the step of issuing the message when the images comprising the vehicle are recognized further comprise:

setting an expected value of expecting a same license plate to be recognized in the images captured by the cameras according to a historical statistic value of a license plate recognition accuracy, and estimating a recognition frequency threshold value of a number of cameras that recognize the license plate according to the expected value;

calculating a number of cameras that the license plate is recognized in n cameras, and comparing the number of cameras with the recognition frequency threshold value, wherein n is a positive integer; and

issuing the message when the calculated number of cameras is equal to or greater than the recognition frequency threshold value.

9. The method for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of analyzing the retrieved images according to the registration information, so as to recognize the images comprising the vehicle further comprises:

dynamically adjusting the recognition frequency threshold value by referring to a vehicle information, wherein the vehicle information comprises time, distance, or speed of driving, or a combination thereof.

10. The method for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the images comprising the vehicle are recognized, the method further comprises:

according to a location of the camera corresponding to the images comprising the vehicle, capturing images captured by other cameras in the specific range around the location of the camera, so as to recognize the vehicle.

11. The method for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the message comprises the recognized images comprising the vehicle, or the locations and times of the cameras capturing the images, or a combination thereof.

12. The method for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step of issuing the message comprises:

transmitting the message to a user device; and

according to a location of the camera capturing the images recorded in the message, displaying a map around the location on the user device, and labeling the recognized images comprising the vehicle on the map.

13. A system for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle, comprising:

a request processing unit, configured to receive a request of a vehicle, wherein the request comprises a registration information and a position information of the vehicle;

a data storage unit, configured to store the registration information and the position information of the vehicle;

an image capturing unit, configured to retrieve a plurality of images captured by a plurality of cameras in a specific range around a location of the position information;

an image processing unit, configured to perform an image processing on the images; and

an analyzing unit, configured to analyze the retrieved images according to the registration information, so as to recognize the images comprising the vehicle, wherein

the request processing unit issues a message when the images comprising the vehicle are recognized.

14. The system for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the request processing unit further provides a user device for setting the position information of the vehicle.

15. The system for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the request processing unit further provides a user device for setting an alert rule and the registration information, wherein the server issues the message according to the alert rule and the registration information when the images comprising the vehicle are recognized.

16. The system for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 15, wherein the alert rule comprises time, location, frequency, distance or time interval for detecting the vehicle.

17. The system for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the image processing unit performs an image processing on the images captured by each of the cameras, so as to recognize at least one license plate from the images, and compares the recognized at least one license plate with the license plate corresponding to the registration information, so as to find images having the license plate matched to serve as the images comprising the vehicle.

18. The system for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 17, wherein the image processing comprises moving object detection, license plate detection, or plate number recognition, or a combination thereof.

19. The system for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 17, wherein the analyzing unit further calculates a number of cameras that the license plate is recognized in n cameras, compares the number of cameras with a recognition frequency threshold value, and issues the message when the calculated number of cameras is equal to or greater than the recognition frequency threshold value, wherein n is a positive integer.

20. The system for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 19, wherein the analyzing unit further sets an expected value of expecting a same license plate to be recognized in the images captured by the cameras according to a historical statistic value of a license plate recognition accuracy, and estimates a recognition frequency threshold value of the same license plate required to be recognized in the images according to the expected value.

21. The system for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 20, wherein the analyzing unit further dynamically adjusts the recognition frequency threshold value by referring to a vehicle information, wherein the vehicle information comprises time, distance, or speed of driving, or a combination thereof.

22. The system for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the request processing unit further captures images captured by other cameras in the specific range around the location of the camera according to a location of the camera corresponding to the images comprising the vehicle, so as to recognize the vehicle.

23. The system for integrating multiple camera images to track a vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the message comprises the recognized images comprising the vehicle, or the locations and time of the cameras capturing the images, or a combination thereof.