Speed detection and image capture system for moving vehicles

• US 5,938,717 A
• Filed: 03/04/1996
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kama-Tech (HK) Limited
• Original Assignee: Laser Technology Incorporated (Laser Technology)
• Inventors: Andrews, Samuel J., Berger, Charles, Dunne, Jeremy G., Delohery, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/608,027
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 364/436, 364/438, 364/426.044, 364/460, 364/565, 340/936, 340/937, 340/903, 340/905, 340/943, 340/435, 348/135, 348/142, 348/143, 348/148, 348/149, 348/221, 348/222, 348/227, 348/231, 348/232, 382/104, 358/909.1
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/093 for control of exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 7/16 in accordance with both the intensity of the flash source and the distance of the flash source from the object, e.g. in accordance with the "guide number" of the flash bulb and the focusing of the camera
• 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 system for automatically capturing an image of a moving vehicle and recording data parameters, such as date, time, speed operator, location, etc. on the image. A capture window that comprises a predetermined range of distances of the system from the moving vehicle can be set by the operator so that the image of the moving vehicle is automatically captured when it enters the capture window. The capture window distance can be entered manually through a keyboard or automatically using the laser speed gun. Automatic focusing is provided using distance information from the laser speed gun. A database is included to allow the user to search for specified parameters. Data records can be flagged for issuance of citations. A separate office unit is disclosed for retrieving and sorting data records so that field units are not occupied with such tasks. The office unit can be separately connected to licensing databases to retrieve information for issuance of citations.

Claims

1. A system for storing an image of a moving vehicle and associated data parameters relating to said image, said moving vehicle located at a distance from said system, comprising:

an image detector that produces an image signal of said moving vehicle;

a parameter detector that measures said distance of said moving vehicle and generates said associated data parameters relating to said image, said measured distance being one of said associated data parameters;

a controller that triggers a frame capture event by said image detector if said measured distance satisfies a predetermined distance condition stored within said system; and

a database processor coupled to said image detector and said parameter detector that stores said image signal and said associated data parameters and provides predetermined data parameter fields that can be searched by said database processor.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a removable storage device capable of storing a plurality of image signals and associated data parameters that can be processed separately from said system.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an exposure control device coupled to said image detector that monitors ambient light levels of said moving vehicle and adjusts the exposure period of said image detector based upon said ambient light levels, and provides at least one preset exposure for flash illumination of said moving vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an image generator that is capable of generating said image of said moving vehicle and said associated data parameters relating to said image.

5. A system including a field unit and a base unit for recording an image of a moving vehicle and a set of parameters associated with said image, said moving vehicle moving at a speed relative to said system, comprising:

an image detector disposed in said field unit that produces an image signal representative of said image of said moving vehicle;

a parameter detector disposed in said field unit that detects said speed of said moving vehicle and generates a parameter signal representative of said parameters associated with said image;

a first storage device disposed in said field unit having a removable storage medium that is capable of storing a plurality of said image signals and said parameters associated with said image, each set of stored parameters associated with said image including a reference indicator visible when said image is displayed identifying the alignment of said parameter detector within said image; and

a second storage device disposed in said base unit that is capable of reading said removable storage medium.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

a manual entry device in said field unit that generates an additional parameter signal that is representative of manually entered parameters.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said parameter signal is representative of the speed and range of said moving vehicle, and the time and date of said recording of said moving vehicle.

8. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

an image generator that is capable of generating said image of said moving vehicle and said parameters associated with said image.

9. A system for displaying an image of a moving vehicle and parameters associated with said image comprising:

an image detector that produces an image signal representative of said image of said moving vehicle;

an exposure control device coupled to said image detector that monitors ambient light levels over a portion of said image of said moving vehicle and adjusts the exposure period of said image detector based on said ambient light levels, said portion having adjustable dimensions and being movable within said image;

a parameter detector that generates a parameter signal representative of said parameters associated with said image; and

an image generator that generates said image of said moving vehicle together with said parameters associated with said image.

10. A method of storing and retrieving images of moving vehicles and associated data parameters relating to said images comprising the steps of:

generating image signals representative of said images of said moving vehicles;

generating parameter signals representative of parameters associated with said image signals;

generating predetermined database parameter fields corresponding to said parameter signals, at least one of said predetermined database fields being a settable flag used for selective retrieval of said image signals and said parameter signals; and

retrieving said image signals and said parameter signals in accordance with said flags.

11. A method of automatically acquiring image information and data parameters of a moving vehicle in a speed detection and imaging system comprising the steps of:

measuring the distance and speed of said moving vehicle relative to said system;

setting a predetermined capture distance condition in said speed detection and imaging system;

comparing said measured distance with said predetermined capture distance condition;

generating a trigger signal, responsive to said comparing step, if said measured distance satisfies said predetermined capture distance condition;

capturing an image of said moving vehicle and data parameters relating to the speed of said moving vehicle, responsive to said trigger signal;

storing said image and said data parameters in a searchable database.

12. The method of claim 11 further including the step of triggering an illumination event of said moving vehicle when said speed of said moving vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed.

13. In a system for viewing and recording an image of a moving vehicle, said system including a field unit having a laser speed gun and a viewer for producing and viewing said image including said moving vehicle, a method of aligning a laser beam position reference indicator on said image with a laser beam produced by said laser speed gun so that said reference indicator on said image corresponds to a position of said laser beam on said moving vehicle in said image comprising the steps of:

aiming said speed gun at a target at a distance;

generating an image in the viewer which includes said target;

generating a visible reference indicator on said image in said viewer; and

moving said visible reference indicator on said image in the viewer so as to align said reference indicator with said target in said image while said speed gun is aimed at said target.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein said visible reference indicator is a pair of computer generated cross hairs.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein said step of aiming the laser speed gun at a target at a distance comprises the steps of

selecting a target at a target distance in a field of view having a distance greater than said target distance;

panning said laser speed gun across said field of view until said speed gun indicates said distance to said target; and

stopping said pan of said laser speed gun when said speed gun indicates said target distance.

16. A system for storing and retrieving images and associated data parameters of a moving vehicle in the form of an information record comprising:

an image detector that produces an image signal representative of said image of said moving vehicle;

a parameter detector that generates said data parameters associated with said image of said moving vehicle;

a digital storage system that stores said data parameters and associated images to form said information records; and

a database processor that provides database fields associated with data parameters, at least one of the database fields being representative of a manually settable flag for retrieving selected information records.

17. A system for generating an information record that includes an image of a moving vehicle and parameters associated with said image, said moving vehicle being located at a measured distance from said system, comprising:

a distance measuring device that continuously determines said measured distance between said distance measuring device and said moving vehicle;

an electronic camera that generates an image signal representative of said image of said moving vehicle;

a frame grabber for capturing said image signal in response to a frame trigger signal;

a flash illuminator that generates a flash illumination at a predetermined time in response to a flash trigger, said flash illuminator being sufficiently bright to illuminate said moving vehicle at night and in low level light conditions; and

an exposure controller that generates said frame trigger and said flash trigger at predetermined times to ensure that said frame grabber captures said image during said flash illumination, said frame trigger being generated when said measured distance of said moving vehicle enters a range of predetermined distance values set and stored in said system.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said exposure controller further comprises:

an exposure generator that generates an exposure control signal that can be one of a number of preset exposure values that control the exposure period of said electronic camera.

19. A system for storing an image of a moving vehicle and associated data parameters relating to said image comprising:

an image detector having an electronic shuttering capability that produces an image signal of said moving vehicle,

a parameter detector that generates said associated data parameters relating to said image; and

a database processor coupled to said image detector and said parameter detector that stores said image signal and said associated data parameters and provides predetermined data parameter fields that can be searched by said database processor.

20. A system for storing an image of a moving vehicle and associated data parameters relating to said image comprising:

an image detector that produces an image signal of said moving vehicle;

a parameter detector employing a laser that generates said associated data parameters relating to said image; and

a database processor coupled to said image detector and said parameter detector that stores said image signal and said associated data parameters and provides predetermined data parameter fields that can be searched by said database processor.

21. A system for storing an image of a moving vehicle and associated data parameters relating to said image, said moving vehicle moving at a speed relative to said system and being located at a distance from said system, comprising:

a video camera that produces an image signal of said moving vehicle;

a parameter detector that measures said speed and distance of said moving vehicle and generates said associated data parameters relating to said image, said measured distance being one of said associated data parameters;

a signal line that asserts a trigger signal causing a frame capture event by said video camera when said measured distance satisfies a predetermined distance condition set and stored within said system; and

a database processor coupled to said video camera and said parameter detector that stores said captured frame of said image signal and said associated data parameters, if said speed of said moving vehicle exceeds a threshold speed value, and provides predetermined data parameter fields that can be searched by said database processor.

22. A system for recording an image of a moving vehicle and a set of parameters associated with said image, said moving vehicle moving at a speed relative to said system, comprising:

an image detector that produces an image signal representative of said image of said moving vehicle;

a parameter detector that generates a parameter signal representative of said parameters associated with said image, said parameter detector being capable of detecting said speed of said vehicle, said parameter detector being alignable with said image detector; and

a local storage device having a removable storage medium that is capable of storing a plurality of said image signals and said parameters associated with said image, each set of parameters associated with an image including a visible reference indicator for identifying the alignment of said parameter detector within said image.

23. A system for storing an image of a moving vehicle and associated data parameters relating to said comprising:

an image detector that produces an image signal of said image;

a parameter detector that generates said associated data parameters relating to said image, said parameter detector being alignable to a location viewable within said image;

an image generator that displays live video of said image, and

a reference indicator on said image corresponding to said location where said parameter detector is aligned.

24. A method of storing and retrieving images of moving vehicles and associated data parameters relating to said images comprising the steps of:

generating image signals representative of said images of said moving vehicles;

generating parameter signals representative of parameters associated with said image signals;

generating predetermined database parameter fields corresponding to said parameter signals, one of said predetermined database fields being a user-settable flag used for selective retrieval of said image signals and said parameter signals;

storing said image signals and said parameter signals;

setting said flag in one or more of said predetermined database fields; and

retrieving in a single operation a plurality of said image signals and said parameter signals that correspond to said set flags.

25. A system for storing an image, a speed, and a distance of a moving vehicle, comprising:

a laser speed gun that emits a laser beam to measure said speed and said distance of said moving vehicle, said speed being measured relative to said laser speed gun, said distance being measured from said laser speed gun to said moving vehicle along the linear path of said laser beam;

a video camera that detects a video image of said moving vehicle;

a controller that triggers a capture of a frame of said video image when said measured distance satisfies a predetermined distance condition set and stored within said system; and

a storage medium that associatively records said captured frame, said measured speed, and said measured distance.

26. The system of claim 25 further comprising a reference indicator representing the alignment of said laser beam on said moving vehicle in said image, said reference indicator being recorded in association with said image, said measured speed, and said measured distance on said storage medium.

27. A system having a field unit and a base unit for displaying an image of a moving vehicle, comprising:

a video camera disposed in said field unit that captures said image;

a laser speed gun disposed in said field unit that emits a laser beam and detects said speed and said distance of said moving vehicle;

said speed being measured relative to said laser speed gun, said distance being measured between said laser speed gun to said moving vehicle along the linear path of said laser beam;

a first processing unit disposed in said field unit that produces an image signal representative of said image, a speed value representative of said speed, a distance value representative of said distance, and a reference indicator representing the alignment of said laser beam in said image; and

a first image generator disposed in said field unit that displays said speed value, said distance value, and said reference indicator overlaying said image.

28. The system of claim 27 further comprising:

a first storage drive disposed in said field unit that receives a removable storage medium capable of associatively storing said image signal, said speed value, said distance value, and said reference indicator value;

a second storage device disposed in said base unit capable of receiving said removable storage medium;

a base controller disposed in said base unit that reads said image signal, said speed value, said distance value, and said reference indicator from said removable storage medium received therein; and

a second image generator disposed in said base unit that displays said speed value, said distance value, and said reference indicator overlaying said image.

29. A method of automatically acquiring image information and measuring the speed of a moving vehicle in a speed detection and imaging system comprising the steps of:

setting a predetermined capture distance and a speed setting in said speed detection and imaging system;

calculating a capture window relative to said predetermined capture distance in accordance with a preset capture window value stored in a field unit of said speed detection and imaging system;

detecting the distance and speed of said moving vehicle relative to said system;

comparing said detected distance with said calculated capture window;

generating a trigger signal, responsive to the step of comparing said detected distance, if said detected distance is within said calculated capture window, regardless of the detected speed of the moving vehicle;

capturing an image of said moving vehicle, responsive to said trigger signal;

comparing said detected speed with a speed setting; and

storing said captured image and said data parameters in a searchable database, responsive to the step of comparing said detected speed, only if said detected speed exceeds said speed setting.