Defining destination locations and restricted locations within an image stream

• US 9,390,319 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloudparc, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cloudparc, Inc.
• Inventors: Nerayoff, Steven David, Wong, Thompson S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, II, James M
• Application Number:
  US14/251,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20140218533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Defining destination locations and restricted locations within an image stream is disclosed. Initially, a first image stream is received from a first camera having a first field of view, where the first field of view includes at least one destination location and at least one restricted location. Next, first boundaries of the at least one destination location and a first description of one or more rules associated with the at least one destination location are received. A first identifier is then assigned to the at least one destination location. Next, second boundaries of the at least one restricted location and a second description of one or more rules associated with the at least one restricted location are received. Finally, the first boundaries, the first description of one or more rules, the first identifier, the second boundaries, and the second description of one or more rules are saved.

Claims

1. A method of defining destination locations and restricted locations within an image stream, the method comprising:

receiving a first image stream from a first camera having a first field of view, the first field of view including at least one destination location and at least one restricted location;

receiving preexisting municipal information from a third-party server, the municipal information comprising first parking restrictions for the at least one destination location, first geographic boundaries of the at least one destination location, second parking restrictions for the at least one restricted location, and second geographic boundaries of the at least one restricted location, the first parking restrictions being different from the second parking restrictions, and the first geographic boundaries being different from the second geographic boundaries;

determining the location and orientation of the first camera;

automatically determining, based on the received preexisting municipal information received from the third party server and the determined location and orientation of the first camera, first boundaries of the at least one destination location within the first image stream without human interaction;

associating the at least one destination location with the first parking restrictions of the preexisting municipal information;

automatically determining, based on the received preexisting municipal information received from the third party server and the determined location and orientation of the first camera, second boundaries of the at least one restricted location within the first image stream without human interaction;

associating the at least one restricted location with the second parking restrictions of the preexisting municipal information;

assigning a first identifier to the at least one destination location;

assigning a second identifier to the at least one restricted location;

storing the first boundaries of the at least one destination location, the first parking restrictions associated with the at least one destination location, and the first identifier assigned to the at least one destination location; and

storing the second boundaries of the at least one restricted location, the second parking restrictions associated with the at least one restricted location, and the second identifier assigned to the at least one restricted location,

wherein the steps of receiving, determining, associating, assigning and storing are performed by one or more processors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the first identifier to the at least one destination location comprises receiving the first identifier of the at least one destination location from a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one destination location is a multi-vehicle destination location that comprises a plurality of single-vehicle destination locations, and

the first identifier of the at least one destination location is a common identifier of the multi-vehicle destination location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one restricted location is located entirely within the multi-vehicle destination location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one restricted location is adjacent to the at least one destination location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first parking restrictions associated with the at least one destination location comprise a first grace period that defines a first amount of time that a vehicle can occupy the at least one destination location without violating a restriction associated with the at least one destination location,

the second parking restrictions associated with the at least one restricted location comprise a second grace period that defines a second amount of time that a vehicle can occupy the at least one restricted location without violating a restriction associated with the at least one restricted location, and

the second amount of time is different from the first amount of time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second amount of time is zero.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first field of view includes a vehicle within the at least one destination location, the method further comprising:

determining that the vehicle is violating at least one of the first parking restrictions associated with the at least one destination location or is violating at least one of the second parking restrictions associated with the at least one restricted location based on the first image stream; and

receiving, in response to the determination that the vehicle is violating the at least one of the first parking restrictions or the at least one of the second parking restrictions, a consequence of the violation of the at least one of the first parking restrictions or of the at least one of the second parking restrictions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the consequence of the violation of the at least one of the first parking restrictions or of the at least one of the second parking restrictions comprises:

indicating a unique identifier of the vehicle,

determining a name and mailing address associated with the vehicle,

mailing a citation to a registrant of the vehicle,

dispatching a law enforcement officer to the at least one destination location or to the at least one restricted location,

dispatching an operator to the at least one destination location or to the at least one restricted location to install a wheel clamp on the vehicle,

dispatching a tow truck to the at least one destination location or to the at least one restricted location to tow the vehicle,

illuminating the vehicle within the at least one destination location or to the at least one restricted location, or

charging a fine for the violation of the at least one of the first parking restrictions or of the at least one of the second parking restrictions to an account associated with the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein charging the fine for the violation of the at least one of the first parking restrictions or of the at least one of the second parking restrictions to an account associated with the vehicle comprises charging the fine to a stored credit card.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising enabling display, in response to the determination that the vehicle is violating the at least one of the first parking restrictions or of the at least one of the second parking restrictions, of a graphical user interface to a user for selecting the consequence of the violation of the at least one of the first parking restrictions or of the at least one of the second parking restrictions.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving third geographic boundaries of another destination location within the first image stream, wherein the third geographic boundaries of the other destination location are different from the first geographic boundaries of the at least one destination location and from the second geographic boundaries of the at least one restricted location; and

receiving fourth geographic boundaries of another restricted location within the first image stream, wherein the fourth geographic boundaries of the other restricted location are different from the first geographic boundaries of the at least one destination location, the second geographic boundaries of the at least one restricted location, and from the third geographic boundaries of the other destination location.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a first description of one or more parking rules associated with the other destination location, the first description of the one or more parking rules comprising a first parking rate for the other destination location for a first predetermined time period, and a second, different parking rate for the other destination location for a second, different predetermined time period; and

receiving a second description of one or more restriction rules associated with the other restricted location, the second description of the one or more restriction rules comprising a time period during which parking is restricted in the other restricted location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more parking rules associated with the other destination location further comprise:

a grace period that defines an amount of time that a vehicle can occupy the other destination location without violating a restriction associated with the other destination location,

an amount of overlap between the vehicle and the other destination location before the vehicle is considered to be within the other destination location,

a permit parking rule that defines characteristics and features of a required permit or decal required for use of the other destination location without violation, or

an expired license plate tag rule that defines whether the license plate of the vehicle occupying the other destination location is expired.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the amount of overlap is an area of the vehicle that is within the other destination location or a percentage of an area defined by the first boundaries of the other destination location that overlaps with the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the characteristics and features of the required permit or decal comprise one or more of a color of the required permit or decal, an image within the required permit or decal, and a location of an identifier within the required permit or decal.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the expired license plate tag rule comprises a date that the first image stream is received.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the first description of the one or more parking rules associated with the other destination location comprises enabling presentation of a graphical user interface to a user that enables the user to define one or more of the first parking rate, the second parking rate, the grace period, the amount of overlap, the permit parking rule, and the expired license plate tag rule.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the first description of the one or more parking rules associated with the other destination location comprises receiving the first description of the one or more parking rules associated with the other destination location from the third-party server without human interaction.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the second parking rate is zero.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the second description of one or more restriction rules associated with the other restricted location comprises receiving a description of vehicles that are exempt from violations resulting from occupying the other restricted location.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the description of vehicles that are exempt from violations resulting from occupying the other restricted location comprises one or more of unique identifiers of the vehicles that are exempt from violations resulting from occupying the other restricted location or a common identifier visible on a type of vehicle that is exempt from violations resulting from occupying the other restricted location.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the common identifier visible on the type of vehicle is an image of a decal visible on the type of vehicle.

24. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the third geographic boundaries of the other destination location within the first image stream comprises:

enabling presentation of the first image stream to a user; and

enabling the user to define the third geographic boundaries of the other destination location shown within the first image stream.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein enabling the user to define the third geographic boundaries of the other destination location shown within the first image stream comprises enabling the user to manipulate a polygon superimposed on the first image stream to define the third geographic boundaries of the other destination location within the first image stream.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein enabling the user to define the third geographic boundaries of the other destination location shown within the first image stream comprises defining a collection of pixels that make up the other destination location shown within the first image stream.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein enabling the user to define the third geographic boundaries of the other destination location shown within the first image stream comprises enabling the user to adjust a pan, tilt, or zoom of the first camera.

28. A system for defining destination locations and restricted locations within an image stream, the system comprising one or more processors connected to at least one storage device, the system being configured to:

receive a first image stream from a first camera having a first field of view, the first field of view including at least one destination location and at least one restricted location;

receive preexisting municipal information from a third party server, the municipal information comprising first parking restrictions for the at least one destination location, first geographic boundaries of the at least one destination location, second parking restrictions for the at least one restricted location, and second geographic boundaries of the at least one restricted location, the first parking restrictions being different from the second parking restrictions, and the first geographic boundaries being different from the second geographic boundaries;

determine the location and orientation of the first camera;

automatically determine, based on the received preexisting municipal information received from the third party server and the determined location and orientation of the first camera, first boundaries of the at least one destination location within the first image stream without human interaction;

associate the at least one destination location with the first parking restrictions of the preexisting municipal information;

automatically determine, based on the received preexisting municipal information received from the third party server and the determined location and orientation of the first camera, second boundaries of the at least one restricted location within the first image stream without human interaction;

associate the at least one restricted location with the second parking restrictions of the preexisting municipal information;

assign a first identifier to the at least one destination location;

assign a second identifier to the at least one restricted location;

store the first boundaries of the at least one destination location, the first parking restrictions associated with the at least one destination location, and the first identifier assigned to the at least one destination location; and

store the second boundaries of the at least one restricted location, the second parking restrictions associated with the at least one restricted location, and the second identifier assigned to the at least one restricted location.

29. A storage device storing a computer program for defining destination locations and restricted locations within an image stream, the computer program comprising one or more code segments that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

receive a first image stream from a first camera having a first field of view, the first field of view including at least one destination location and at least one restricted location;

receive preexisting municipal information from a third party server, the municipal information comprising first parking restrictions for the at least one destination location, first geographic boundaries of the at least one destination location, second parking restrictions for the at least one restricted location, and second geographic boundaries of the at least one restricted location, the first parking restrictions being different from the second parking restrictions, and the first geographic boundaries being different from the second geographic boundaries;

determine the location and orientation of the first camera;

automatically determine, based on the received preexisting municipal information received from the third party server and the determined location and orientation of the first camera, first boundaries of the at least one destination location within the first image stream without human interaction;

associate the at least one destination location with the first parking restrictions of the preexisting municipal information;

automatically determine, based on the received preexisting municipal information received from the third party server and the determined location and orientation of the first camera, second boundaries of the at least one restricted location within the first image stream without human interaction;

associate the at least one restricted location with the second parking restrictions of the preexisting municipal information;

assign a first identifier to the at least one destination location;

assign a second identifier to the at least one restricted location;

store the first boundaries of the at least one destination location, the first parking restrictions associated with the at least one destination location, and the first identifier assigned to the at least one destination location; and

store the second boundaries of the at least one restricted location, the second parking restrictions associated with the at least one restricted location, and the second identifier assigned to the at least one restricted location.