System and method for detecting traffic violations on restricted roadways

• US 9,280,895 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Traffic Solutions Incorporated (Verra Mobility Corp.)
• Original Assignee: American Traffic Solutions Incorporated (Verra Mobility Corp.)
• Inventors: Wang, Jigang, Young, Kenneth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ustaris, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ren, Zhubing
• Application Number:
  US13/214,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20120212617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors

Abstract

A system and method automatically detect traffic violations on roadways or portions thereof that are restricted for use only by permitted vehicles. The system comprises a controller, a vehicle sensor, and a camera. The vehicle sensor detects vehicle movement on a restricted roadway. Data from the camera and the vehicle sensor are analyzed by the controller to detect a vehicle traveling on the restricted roadway, to gather static vehicle information to determine whether the detected vehicle is permitted to use the restricted roadway, and to determine whether movements of the detected vehicle on the restricted roadway constitute a violation of traffic rules in effect on the roadway. The method captures at least one image of a vehicle on a region of the roadway, detects a vehicle in the region, collects vehicle movement information, and detects a violation of traffic rules in effect using at least the collected vehicle movement information.

Claims

1. An automated system for detecting traffic violations on a restricted roadway by determining whether vehicles'"'"' static information provides permission for unrestricted use of the restricted roadway, and, for a vehicle lacking permission for unrestricted use of the restricted roadway, determining whether a type of movement of the vehicle on the restricted roadway otherwise permits the vehicle to make temporary use of the restricted roadway and thereby absolves an operator of the vehicle from a traffic violation, the system comprising:

a camera system configured to monitor traffic in and around a restricted roadway;

a vehicle sensor configured to detect vehicle movement on the restricted roadway; and

a controller configured to;

receive data from the camera system and the vehicle sensor,

detect from the data a vehicle traveling in the restricted roadway,

in response to detecting a vehicle traveling in the restricted roadway, gather static vehicle information that represents a non-moving physical attribute of the vehicle to identify, based on the non-moving physical attribute of the vehicle and irrespective of its movement on the restricted roadway, whether the vehicle is a member of a non-permitted class of vehicles that, under a traffic rule, are allowed specified limited usage of the restricted roadway, the specified limited usage including passenger exchange and temporary travel through the restricted roadway, and

analyze the data to determine for an identified member of the non-permitted class whether the member'"'"'s use of the restricted roadway constitutes a violation of the traffic rule by tracking movement of the identified member and determining whether the movement is a permissible exercise of the specified limited usage.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to identify the vehicle based on at least one of a vehicle type, occupancy of a vehicle, or operating requirements of a vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to identify whether a detected vehicle has permission to make unlimited use of the restricted roadway by identification of the detected vehicle as being at least one of a bus, a taxi, a high occupancy vehicle, a vehicle having a weight under a permitted limit, or a vehicle having a height under a permitted limit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the restricted roadway comprises at least one of a bus lane, a taxi lane, a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane, a roadway with a weight limit, or a roadway with a clearance limit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle sensor comprises at least one of an automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) system, a vehicle class identification system, a vehicle occupancy identification system, a vehicle weight determination system, or a vertical height determination system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera system comprises a still camera and the controller is adapted to control the camera system to capture a photograph of a detected vehicle in violation of the traffic rule.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera system comprises a video camera and the controller is adapted to control the camera system to capture a video of a detected vehicle in violation of the traffic rule.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication module adapted to enable remote access to the system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the communication module is further adapted for automated transmission of captured data from the system to a remote storage device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is adapted to be mounted, at least in part, on a pole adjacent to the restricted roadway.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is adapted to be mounted, at least in part, on an overhead mast arm.

12. The system of claim 1, adapted for continuous operation under all-weather conditions.

13. The system of claim 1, adapted for detecting and recording traffic violations for extended periods of the day, during specific hours on specific days, or on a variable basis.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera system comprises a first camera and the vehicle sensor comprises a first vehicle sensor, the system further comprising:

first and a second vehicle sensor to detect vehicle movement; and

a second camera;

wherein the first vehicle sensor and the first camera are located in a first detection zone, and the second vehicle sensor and the second camera are located in a second detection zone.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the distance between the first detection zone and the second detection zone corresponds to a maximum distance that members of the non-permitted class are allowed to travel in the restricted roadway, according to the traffic rule.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the second detection zone is placed near an exit from the restricted roadway, and wherein the controller is adapted to determine whether the vehicle exits the restricted roadway.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising an automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) system adapted to detect and read a license plate of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the ALPR system is further adapted to produce an image of the vehicle and an image of the license plate of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the ALPR system comprises a video camera and a video analyzer adapted to detect and track the vehicle in the video camera'"'"'s field of view.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the ALPR system is further adapted to produce videos of the vehicle.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the ALPR system comprises a camera and a 3D radar sensor that is adapted to detect and track multiple vehicles.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising a weigh-in-motion sensor and a 3D radar sensor for detecting and tracking multiple vehicles.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising an intelligent loop sensor that is adapted to classify and identify vehicles and a 3D radar sensor that is capable of detecting and tracking multiple vehicles.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising an intelligent loop sensor that is adapted to classify and identify vehicles and a video-based vehicle sensor that is adapted to detect and track multiple vehicles.

25. A method for detecting traffic violations on a restricted roadway by determining whether vehicles'"'"' static information provides permission for unrestricted use of the restricted roadway, and, for a vehicle lacking permission for unrestricted use of the restricted roadway, determining whether a type of movement of the vehicle on the restricted roadway otherwise permits the vehicle to make temporary use of the restricted roadway and thereby absolves an operator of the vehicle from a traffic violation, the method comprising:

monitoring traffic in and around a restricted roadway;

detecting a vehicle traveling in the restricted roadway;

in response to detecting a vehicle traveling on the restricted roadway, gather static vehicle information that represents a non-moving physical attribute of the vehicle;

identifying, based on the non-moving physical attribute of the vehicle and irrespective of its movement on the restricted roadway, whether the vehicle is a member of a non-permitted class of vehicles that, under a traffic rule, are allowed specified limited usage of the restricted roadway, the specified limited usage including passenger exchange and temporary travel through the restricted roadway; and

determining for an identified member of the non-permitted class whether the member'"'"'s use of the restricted roadway constitutes a violation of the traffic rule by tracking movement of the identified member and determining whether the movement is a permissible exercise of the specified limited usage.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

capturing an image evidencing the violation.

27. The method claim 26, further comprising:

capturing date, time, and location information associated with the violation.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

transferring data regarding the violation to a remote system.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining for the vehicle at least one of whether a weight of the vehicle is under a permitted weight limit, whether a height of the vehicle is under a permitted height limit, whether the occupancy of the vehicle exceeds an occupancy requirement, or whether a class of the vehicle satisfies a vehicle class requirement.

30. An automated system for detecting traffic violations on a restricted roadway by determining whether vehicles'"'"' static information provides permission for unrestricted use of the restricted roadway, and, for a vehicle lacking permission for unrestricted use of the restricted roadway, determining whether a type of movement of the vehicle on the restricted roadway otherwise permits the vehicle to make temporary use of the restricted roadway and thereby absolves an operator of the vehicle from a traffic violation, the system comprising:

means for monitoring traffic in and around a restricted roadway;

means for detecting a vehicle traveling in the restricted roadway;

means for gathering static vehicle information in response to detecting a vehicle traveling on the restricted roadway, the static vehicle information representing a non-moving physical attribute of the vehicle;

means for identifying, based on the non-moving physical attribute of the detected vehicle and irrespective of its movement on the restricted roadway, whether the vehicle is a member of a non-permitted class of vehicles that, under a traffic rule, are allowed specified limited usage of the restricted roadway, the specified limited usage including passenger exchange and temporary travel through the restricted roadway; and

means for determining, for an identified member of the non-permitted class, whether the member'"'"'s use of the restricted roadway constitutes a violation of the traffic rule by tracking movement of the identified member and determining whether the movement is a permissible exercise of the specified limited usage.