DETECTING AND REPORTING IMPROPER ACTIVITY INVOLVING A VEHICLE

• US 20150161464A1
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mirsani, LLC
• Original Assignee: Mirsani, LLC
• Inventors: Hansen, Eric Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 9,495,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/44 Event detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/625 License plates

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for detecting and reporting improper activity, such a traffic violation. In one embodiment, a computing device receives multiple image frames from a client device. The computing device detects that a vehicle shown in at least one of the image frames is in violation of a rule. The computing device generates an evidence package based on at least one of the image frames. The computing device transmits the evidence to an evidence review device for review by an enforcement individual.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one server device; and

an evidence processing system executable in the at least one computing device, the evidence processing system comprising;

logic that obtains a plurality of image frames from a client device, wherein at least one of the image frames shows a vehicle;

logic that detects whether at least one of the image frames shows the vehicle in violation of a traffic rule;

logic that generates an evidence package using at least one of the image frames; and

logic that transmits the evidence package to a computing device for review by an enforcement individual.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the evidence processing system further comprises:

logic that obtains a notification that a citation was issued in connection with the evidence package; and

logic that initiates a payment to an individual associated with the client device responsive to the notification.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the image frames are obtained by the evidence processing system responsive to an application executed in the client device detecting that the vehicle violated the traffic rule.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the evidence processing system further comprises:

logic that detects a plurality of characters of a license plate shown in at least one of the image frames;

logic that detects a vehicle feature that is shown in at least one of the image frames;

logic that obtains from at least one vehicle records device vehicle data corresponding to the characters;

logic that determines whether the vehicle feature matches a characteristic identified in the vehicle data; and

logic that generates the evidence package in response to the vehicle feature detected in at least one of the image frames matching the characteristic identified in the vehicle data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a first temporal portion of the image frames is associated with a first frame rate; and

a second temporal portion of the image frames is associated with a second frame rate that is higher than the first frame rate, the second temporal portion of the images frames being subsequent to the first temporal portion of the image frames.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

a third temporal portion of the image frames is associated with a third frame rate that is lower than the second frame rate, the third temporal portion of the image frames being subsequent to the second temporal portion of the image frames.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the client device is embodied in the form of a mobile computing device.

8. A method, comprising:

obtaining, using at least one computing device, a plurality of image frames from a client device, wherein at least one of the image frames shows a vehicle in violation of a traffic rule;

generating, using the at least one computing device, an evidence package based on at least one of the image frames;

transmitting, using the at least one computing device, the evidence package to an evidence review device for review of the evidence package by an enforcement individual;

obtaining, using the at least one computing device, a notification that a citation was issued in connection with the evidence package; and

initiating, using the at least one computing device, a transfer of a promotional benefit to a user associated with the client device responsive to the notification.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising detecting, using the at least one computing device, whether at least one of the image frames shows the vehicle making an improper turn.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the evidence package is transmitted to the evidence review device in response to the at least one computing device detecting that at least one of the image frames shows the vehicle in violation of the traffic rule.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising adjusting, using the at least one computing device, a credibility score of the user based on the notification that the citation was issued.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting, using the at least one computing device, a plurality of characters of a license plate shown in at least one of the image frames;

obtaining, using the at least one computing device, a vehicle record corresponding to the characters; and

providing, using the at least one computing device, the evidence package with information based on the vehicle record.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein:

a first temporal portion of the image frames is associated with a first frame rate; and

a second temporal portion of the image frames is associated with a second frame rate that is higher than the first frame rate, the second temporal portion of the image frames being subsequent to the first temporal portion of the image frames.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the client device is embodied in the form of a mobile computing device.

15. A system, comprising:

a computing device; and

an application executable in the computing device, the application comprising;

logic that continuously collects a plurality of image frames;

logic that obtains an indication that a vehicle shown in at least one of the image frames is involved with an improper activity; and

logic that transmits at least a subset of the image frames to an evidence processing system in response to the indication.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the application further comprises logic that analyzes at least a portion of the image frames and automatically generates the indication.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the indication is provided by a user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the indication is a voice command.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the indication is a user gesture.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the application further comprises logic that obtains data indicating that a promotional benefit has been received as a result of the at least the subset of the image frames being transmitted to the evidence processing system.