Traffic surveillance system and process

• US 7,953,546 B1
• Filed: 03/17/2010
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Henry H. Wall III
• Original Assignee: Henry H. Wall III
• Inventors: Wall, Henry H. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): KING, RODNEY P
• Application Number:
  US12/725,617
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/200, 701/301, 701/117, 340/933, 340/906
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/081 Plural intersections under common control

Abstract

A traffic control system to control passage of objects through of an intersection. The system can include a means for viewing for capturing images having a pixel with sensors for detecting at least four points in the frequency spectrum. The system can include a marker means for determining a location and field of view of the means for viewing. The system can include a computer with algorithms to process images to provide information about objects. Parameters of the objects can be used to for determine a protocol for allowing objects to pass through the intersection. The invention also relates to a process for regulating movement of bodies including: capturing images, comparing captured images to a known image to determine information about bodies, determining a protocol for allowing the bodies to pass through the intersection, and operating a control signal to allow the discrete bodies to pass through the intersection.

Claims

1. A traffic control system adjacent at least two roadways in which one or more moving objects is to be controlled for efficiency and safety in a passage through an intersection of the at least two roadways in real-time, wherein the system comprises:

a. at least one means for viewing the intersection, the at least two roadways, or combinations thereof, and for capturing a series of images thereof to provide information related to movement of one or more of the objects through the intersection, the at least two roadways, or combinations thereof, wherein the means for viewing comprises a pixel having a plurality of sensors for detecting at least four points in the frequency spectrum, and wherein each image of the series of images comprises a pixel containing the at least four points in the frequency spectrum;

b. a marker means at a predetermined location for determining a location of a field of view of the means for viewing;

c. at least one digital computer means with at least one central processing unit comprising computer instructions with at least one algorithm to process less than an entire image of each image of the series of images and to compare less than the entire image of each image of the series of images to a previously captured image of the intersection, the at least two roadways, or combinations thereof, wherein the previously captured image of the intersection, the at least two roadways, or combinations thereof comprises at least one pixel containing at least four points in the frequency spectrum, wherein the intersection, the at least two roadways, or combinations thereof is unoccupied in the previously captured image, for analyzing and evaluating the information to provide location, speed, direction of travel, size and distance of one or more of the objects from the intersection;

d. parameters for one or more of the objects in order to provide the parameters as data for computer program instructions for determining the most efficient and effective protocol for allowing each moving object to enter and safely pass through the intersection for regulation of the passage through the intersection;

e. at least one algorithm to provide an appropriate control signal, wherein the at least one algorithm is selected from the group consisting of;

(i) a first algorithm for determining atmospheric conditions for determining blindness of the means for viewing;

(ii) a second algorithm for determining the position of the means for viewing;

(iii) a third algorithm for selecting the previously captured image for comparison with less than the entire image of each image of the series of images;

(iv) a fourth algorithm for selecting atypical pixels for comparison to the previously captured image and for detecting moving objects;

(v) a fifth algorithm for identifying the atypical pixels by comparing the atypical pixels to memory files on the moving objects stored on the at least one digital computer means;

(vi) a sixth algorithm for calculating the distance of the moving objects from the intersection;

(vii) a computational algorithm for calculating the speed of the moving objects and for calculating the estimated time of arrival of the moving objects to the intersection;

(viii) a seventh algorithm for determining a distance along each roadway for the means for viewing to capture images;

(ix) an eighth algorithm for calculating an expected new location of the moving objects; and

(x) combinations thereof;

f. a plurality of inputs in communication with the each central processing unit for receiving data from the at least one algorithm and a plurality of outputs in communication with each central processing unit for sending instructions to the means for viewing; and

g. computer instructions for communicating the appropriate control signal to at least one control signal means for regulating the passage of one or more of the objects through the intersection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for viewing is a high resolution digital camera with a plurality of pixels with four optical sensors per pixel for acquiring data related to at least four points on the frequency spectrum.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the high resolution digital camera is a video camera.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the high resolution digital camera can pan 360 degrees horizontally, 180 degrees vertically and can zoom from 1 to 10 times with automatic focus.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the four points on the frequency spectrum are a member of the group consisting of:

ultra violate, infrared, red, blue, green, panchromatic, cyan, purple, yellow, and orange, as well as arbitrary frequencies chosen in the place of standard colors.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the marker means is a flat, geometrically shaped marker of a fixed and precise geometry for recognition by the computer instructions with the at least one algorithm, has a highly reflective surface, is sized to be readily recognized by the means for viewing, and is capable of being viewed at night.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each pixel contains sensors to individually detect various points on the frequency spectrum of UV, IR, and visible colors.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for viewing comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel comprises at a first point on the frequency spectrum, a second point on the frequency spectrum, a third point on the frequency spectrum, and a fourth frequency spectrum, and wherein each pixel comprises a first plurality of sensors for detecting the first point on the frequency spectrum, a second plurality of sensors for detecting the second point on the frequency spectrum, a third plurality of sensors for detecting the third point on the frequency spectrum, and a fourth plurality of sensors for detecting the fourth point on the frequency spectrum.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one digital computer means employs a simplified digital image processing algorithm to process less than the entire image of each of the images captured in the series of images in order to provide data to a logical algorithm for regulation of passage of one or more of the objects through the intersection.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control signal means is a tri-color traffic control signal.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a library of defective pixels maintained on the digital computer means for excluding defective pixels from use by the computer instructions with the at least one algorithm, wherein the defective pixels are pixels that have become non-responsive to light.

12. A process for regulating movement of one or more discrete bodies in motion in specific intersecting lanes and intersecting motion in real-time so that collision of such bodies in the intersection is avoided and the bodies proceed through the intersection in a safe and efficient manner, the process comprising the steps of:

a. capturing at least a portion of each image of a series of images of the discrete bodies approaching an intersectional area over a discrete period of time using a camera means having pixels with a plurality of sensors for detecting at least four points on a frequency spectrum, wherein a known marker means at a predetermined location is included in at least a portion of each image of the series of images for determining a location of a field of view of the camera means, and wherein the camera means is in communication with at least one central processing unit of at least one digital computer means to provide information related to movement of one or more of the discrete bodies;

b. using computer instructions on each central processing unit, wherein the computer instructions comprise at least one algorithm to compare each captured image of the series of images using less than the entire image to a known image of an unoccupied lane in order to determine the size, location, speed of approach to, distance from the intersection and direction of travel of at least one such discrete body in the captured image, if any, wherein the known image comprises pixels with at least four points on the frequency spectrum, and wherein the at least one algorithm is selected from the group consisting of;

(i) a first algorithm for determining atmospheric conditions for determining blindness of the camera means;

(ii) a second algorithm for determining a position of the camera means;

(iii) a third algorithm for selecting the known image for comparison with less than the entire image of each captured image;

(iv) a fourth algorithm for selecting atypical pixels for comparison to the known image and for detecting discrete bodies;

(v) a fifth algorithm for identifying atypical pixels by comparing the atypical pixels to memory files on the discrete bodies stored on the at least one digital computer means;

(vi) a sixth algorithm for calculating the distance of the discrete bodies from the intersection;

(vii) a computational algorithm for calculating the speed of the discrete bodies and for estimating the time of arrival of the discrete bodies to the intersection;

(viii) a seventh algorithm for determining a distance along each intersecting lane for the camera means to capture images;

(ix) an eighth algorithm for calculating an expected new location of the discrete bodies; and

(x) combinations thereof;

c. using a plurality of inputs in communication with each of the at least one central processing units to receive data from the plurality of algorithms and using a plurality of outputs in communication with each central processing unit to send signals to the camera means;

d. based on the calculated size, location, speed, distance from the intersection and direction of travel, using computer instructions on at least one central processing unit for determining the most efficient and effective protocol for allowing at least one such discrete bodies to enter and safely pass through the intersection; and

e. using computer instructions on at least one central processing unit to signal a control means to operate at such a safe and efficient method for allowing one or more of the discrete bodies to pass through the intersection.

13. The process of claim 12, further comprising using a fail safe intersectional area protocol in the event that a useable image or series of images cannot be captured.

14. The process of claim 12, further comprising the step of intervening in the process at any step by an operator to manually control the intersectional control means.

15. The process of claim 12, further comprising in the step using separate computational devices for each algorithm or subroutine so that simultaneous parallel processing of all simplified digital image processing and computations is carried out allowing traffic control in real time.

16. The process of claim 12, further comprising in step maintaining a library of defective pixels on the digital computer means for excluding defective pixels from use by the computer instructions with the at least one algorithm, wherein the defective pixels are pixels that have become non-responsive to light.