Profiling and Tracking Vehicles Using Cameras

• US 20140211016A1
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloudparc, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cloudparc, Inc.
• Inventors: Nerayoff, Steven David, Wong, Thompson S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,937,660 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30236 Traffic on road, railway or crossing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30264 Parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/292 Multi-camera tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/54 of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/593 Recognising seat occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/62 : Text, e.g. of license plates, overlay texts or captions on TV images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/625 : License plates
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 : of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 : Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 : Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 : taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/24 : for parking meters
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/00 : Traffic control systems for road vehicles arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00 ; automatic vehicle control B62D
• 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 1/052 : with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/056 : with provision for distinguishing direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/133 : within the vehicle ; Indicators inside the vehicles or at stops
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 : indicating individual free spaces in parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/142 : external to the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/143 : inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/144 : on portable or mobile units, e.g. personal digital assistant [PDA]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/146 : where the parking area is a limited parking space, e.g. parking garage, restricted space
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/148 : Management of a network of parking areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 : Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 : Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 : Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 : Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 : Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 : Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Profiling and tracking vehicles using cameras is disclosed. Initially, two or more first images from a first camera having a first field of view are received. A first static characteristic of a first vehicle is determined based on at least one of the two or more first images. Next, a desired static characteristic of a vehicle of interest is received. The desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest is compared with the first static characteristic of the first vehicle. In response to the comparison, it is determined that the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest is approximately equal to the first static characteristic of the first vehicle. In response, it is determined that the vehicle of interest is present in the first field of view of the first camera. Finally, it is indicated that the vehicle of interest is present in the first field of view.

Claims

1. A method of profiling and tracking vehicles, the method comprising:

receiving two or more first images from a first camera having a first field of view, the two or more first images showing a first vehicle;

determining, based on at least one of the two or more first images, a first static characteristic of the first vehicle;

receiving a desired static characteristic of a vehicle of interest;

comparing the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest with the first static characteristic of the first vehicle;

determining, in response to the comparison of the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest and the first static characteristic of the first vehicle, that the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest is approximately equal to the first static characteristic of the first vehicle;

determining, in response to the approximate equivalence between the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest and the first static characteristic of the first vehicle, that the vehicle of interest is the first vehicle present in the first field of view of the first camera; and

indicating, in response to the determination that the vehicle of interest is present in the first field of view of the first camera, that the vehicle of interest is the first vehicle present in the first field of view of the first camera,

wherein the steps of receiving, determining, comparing and indicating are performed by one or more processors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first static characteristic of the first vehicle is one or more of a vehicle make, a vehicle model, a vehicle year, a vehicle color, a vehicle outline, a vehicle size, and a vehicle dimension; and

the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest is one or more of a vehicle model, a vehicle color, a vehicle outline, and a vehicle dimension.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the first static characteristic of the first vehicle is an outline of the first vehicle; and

the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest is an outline of the vehicle of interest.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the outline of the vehicle of interest comprises a three-dimensional outline of the vehicle of interest.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest is a ratio of the height of the hood of the vehicle of interest to the height of the passenger compartment of the vehicle of interest to the height of the trunk of the vehicle of interest.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein indicating that the vehicle of interest is present in the first field of view of the first camera comprises indicating alphanumeric symbols of the license plate number of the first vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest comprises two or more desired static characteristics; and

the first static characteristic of the first vehicle comprises two or more first static characteristics of the first vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining that the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest is approximately equal to the first static characteristic of the first vehicle comprises determining that each of the two or more first static characteristics of the first vehicle is approximately equal to each of the corresponding two or more desired static characteristics of the vehicle of interest.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest comprises receiving the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest from a third-party law enforcement system, the third-party law enforcement system being different from the one or more processors.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on at least two of the two or more first images, a first dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle;

receiving two or more second images from a second camera having a second field of view, the two or more second images showing the first vehicle, the second camera being different from the first camera, and the second field of view being different from the first field of view;

determining, based on at least one of the two or more second images, a second static characteristic of the first vehicle;

determining, based on at least two of the two or more second images, a second dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle;

comparing the second static characteristic of the first vehicle to the first static characteristic of the first vehicle;

determining, in response to the comparison of the second static characteristic of the first vehicle and the first static characteristic of the first vehicle, that the second static characteristic of the first vehicle is approximately equal to the first static characteristic of the first vehicle;

comparing the second dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle to the first dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle;

determining, in response to the comparison of the second dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle and the first dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle, that the second dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle is approximately equal to the first dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle;

determining, in response to the approximate equivalence between the second static characteristic of the first vehicle and the first static characteristic of the first vehicle and the approximate equivalence between the second dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle and the first dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle, that the first vehicle is present in the second field of view of the second camera; and

indicating, in response to the determination that the first vehicle is present in the second field of view of the second camera, that the vehicle of interest is present in the second field of view of the second camera.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

comparing the second static characteristic of the first vehicle to the first static characteristic of the first vehicle comprises comparing the second static characteristic of the first vehicle to the first static characteristic of the first vehicle and to the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest;

determining that the second static characteristic of the first vehicle is approximately equal to the first static characteristic of the first vehicle comprises determining, in response to the comparison of the second static characteristic of the first vehicle to the first static characteristic of the first vehicle and to the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest, that the second static characteristic of the first vehicle is approximately equal to the first static characteristic of the first vehicle and the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest; and

determining that the first vehicle is present in the second field of view of the second camera comprises determining, in response to the approximate equivalence between the second static characteristic of the first vehicle, the first static characteristic of the first vehicle and the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest, and the approximate equivalence between the second dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle and the first dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle, that the first vehicle is present in the second field of view of the second camera.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first static characteristic of the first vehicle and the second static characteristic of the first vehicle are characteristics of the first vehicle that do not change over time; and

the first dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle and the second dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle are characteristics of the first vehicle that change over time.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first static characteristic of the first vehicle and the second static characteristic of the first vehicle are alphanumeric symbols of the license plate number of the first vehicle.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first static characteristic of the first vehicle is one or more of a vehicle make, a vehicle model, a vehicle year, a vehicle color, a vehicle outline, a vehicle size, and a vehicle dimension; and

the second static characteristic of the first vehicle is one or more of a vehicle make, a vehicle model, a vehicle year, a vehicle color, a vehicle outline, a vehicle size, and a vehicle dimension.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the type of the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest is the same as the type of the first static characteristic of the first vehicle; and

the type of the first static characteristic of the first vehicle is different from the type of the second static characteristic of the first vehicle.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle is one or more of a vehicle speed of travel, a lane identifier, and a vehicle direction of travel; and

the second dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle is one or more of a vehicle speed of travel, a lane identifier, and a vehicle direction of travel.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first static characteristic of the first vehicle comprises two or more first static characteristics of the first vehicle; and

the second static characteristic of the first vehicle comprises two or more second static characteristics of the first vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining that the second static characteristic of the first vehicle is approximately equal to the first static characteristic of the first vehicle comprises determining that each of the two or more second static characteristics of the first vehicle is approximately equal to each of the corresponding two or more first static characteristics of the first vehicle.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the second field of view of the second camera at least partially overlaps with the first field of view of the first camera.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein indicating that the vehicle of interest is present in the second field of view of the second camera comprises recording the time at which the vehicle of interest first enters the second field of view.

21. The method of claim 10, wherein indicating that the first vehicle is present in the second field of view of the second camera comprises handing off tracking of the first vehicle from the first camera to the second camera.

22. The method of claim 10, wherein the second field of view of the second camera includes a destination location for a second vehicle, and the second vehicle is different from the first vehicle, the method further comprising:

determining, based on at least one of the two or more second images, that the second vehicle is stopped within the destination location at a first time;

determining, based on at least another of the two or more second images, that the second vehicle has left the destination location at a second time that is after the first time;

indicating that the second vehicle began use of the destination location at the first time; and

indicating that the second vehicle completed use of the destination location at the second time.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining that the second vehicle is stopped within the destination location at the first time comprises determining that a portion of the at least one second image corresponding to the second vehicle is within a portion of the at least one second image corresponding to the destination location.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining a cost for the second vehicle to occupy the destination location from the first time to the second time; and

charging the cost to an account associated with the second vehicle.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining a cost for the second vehicle to occupy the destination location from the first time to the second time; and

receiving payment information for the cost from a third-party parking payment system.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the third-party parking payment system is a third-party pay-by-phone parking payment system, a third-party pay-by-space parking payment system, a third-party pay-and-display parking payment system, or a third-party curbside parking meter payment system.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

obtaining payment information for the destination location from a third-party parking payment system, the payment information specifying a period of time for which payment was received by the third-party parking payment system for use of the destination location by the second vehicle; and

determining that the use of the destination location by the second vehicle from the first time to the second time is outside of the period of time received from the third-party parking payment system.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

obtaining a description of one or more restrictions for use of the destination location;

determining that the use of the destination location by the second vehicle from the first time to the second time violates at least one of the one or more restrictions; and

indicating the at least one of the one or more restrictions violated by the second vehicle.

29. A system for profiling and tracking vehicles, the system comprising one or more processors connected to at least one storage device, the system being configured to:

receive two or more first images from a first camera having a first field of view, the two or more first images showing a first vehicle;

determine, based on at least one of the two or more first images, a first static characteristic of the first vehicle;

receive a desired static characteristic of a vehicle of interest;

compare the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest with the first static characteristic of the first vehicle;

determine, in response to the comparison of the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest and the first static characteristic of the first vehicle, that the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest is approximately equal to the first static characteristic of the first vehicle;

determine, in response to the approximate equivalence between the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest and the first static characteristic of the first vehicle, that the vehicle of interest is the first vehicle present in the first field of view of the first camera; and

indicate, in response to the determination that the vehicle of interest is present in the first field of view of the first camera, that the vehicle of interest is the first vehicle present in the first field of view of the first camera.

30. A storage device storing a computer program for profiling and tracking vehicles, the computer program comprising one or more code segments that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

receive two or more first images from a first camera having a first field of view, the two or more first images showing a first vehicle;

determine, based on at least one of the two or more first images, a first static characteristic of the first vehicle;

receive a desired static characteristic of a vehicle of interest;

compare the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest with the first static characteristic of the first vehicle;

determine, in response to the comparison of the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest and the first static characteristic of the first vehicle, that the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest is approximately equal to the first static characteristic of the first vehicle;

determine, in response to the approximate equivalence between the desired static characteristic of the vehicle of interest and the first static characteristic of the first vehicle, that the vehicle of interest is the first vehicle present in the first field of view of the first camera; and

indicate, in response to the determination that the vehicle of interest is present in the first field of view of the first camera, that the vehicle of interest is the first vehicle present in the first field of view of the first camera.