Detecting and reporting improper activity involving a vehicle

• US 9,495,601 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mirsani, LLC
• Original Assignee: Mirsani, LLC
• Inventors: Hansen, Eric Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Harandi, Siamak
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MAI H
• Application Number:
  US14/191,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20150161464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 server device, wherein when executed the evidence processing system causes the at least one server device to at least;

obtain a plurality of image frames from a mobile phone device, wherein at least one of the image frames shows a vehicle;

detect a vehicle feature shown in at least one of the image frames, a plurality of characters of a license plate shown in at least one of the image frames, and whether at least one of the image frames shows the vehicle in violation of a traffic rule;

obtain, from a vehicle records device, vehicle data corresponding to the characters of the license plate;

determine whether the vehicle feature detected in at least one of the image frames matches a characteristic identified in the vehicle data;

generate an evidence package using at least one of the image frames;

transmit the evidence package to a computing device for review by an enforcement individual; and

adjust a credibility score of a user associated with the mobile phone device in response to receiving a notification that a citation is issued based at least in part on the evidence package.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein when executed the evidence processing system further causes the at least one server device to at least:

initiate a payment to the user 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 mobile phone device detecting that the vehicle violated the traffic rule.

4. 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.

5. The system of claim 4, 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.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the evidence package indicates whether the vehicle feature detected in at least one of the image frames matches the characteristic identified in the vehicle data.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein when executed the evidence processing system further causes the at least one server device to at least lower the credibility score in response to a failure to authenticate data corresponding to the plurality of image frames obtained from the mobile phone device.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein when executed the evidence processing system further causes the at least one server device to at least adjust the credibility score when no citation is issued in connection with the evidence package.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving, using at least one computing device, a plurality of image frames obtained by a mobile phone device, wherein at least one of the image frames shows a vehicle in violation of a traffic rule;

obtaining, using at least one computing device, vehicle data corresponding to a license plate detected in at least one of the image frames, the vehicle data being obtained from a vehicle records device;

determining, using at least one computing device, whether a vehicle feature detected in at least one of the image frames matches a characteristic identified in the vehicle data;

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

adjusting, using the at least one computing device, a credibility score associated with the mobile phone device based on the notification that the citation was issued.

7. The method of claim 6, 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.

8. The method of claim 6, 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.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising

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

10. The method of claim 6, 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.

11. A system, comprising:

a phone device; and

an application executable in the phone device, wherein when executed, the application causes the phone device to at least;

collect a plurality of image frames;

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

transmit at least a subset of the image frames to an evidence processing system that obtains vehicle data corresponding to a license plate detected in at least one of the image frames, determines whether a vehicle feature detected in at least one of the image frames matches a characteristic identified in the vehicle data, and adjusts a credibility score of a user associated with the phone device based at least in part on whether the transmitted image frames result in a citation.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the application further comprises logic that analyzes at least a portion of the image frames and automatically generates the indication.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the indication is provided by a user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the indication is a voice command.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the indication is a user gesture.

16. The system of claim 11, 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.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the evidence processing system increases the credibility score when the transmitted image frames result in a citation.