On-demand roadway stewardship system

• US 9,916,755 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2017
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jayant Ratti
• Original Assignee: Jayant Ratti
• Inventors: Ratti, Jayant
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Hoi
• Application Number:
  US15/689,350
• Time in Patent Office: 196 Days
• Field of Search: 3404255, 340 525, 340937, 340928, 701 314, 701 5, 701 324, 701 334, 701 326, 701 19, 701 1
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/045 Combinations of networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/012 from other sources than vehicle or roadside beacons, e.g. mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0175 by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An on-demand, crowdsourced, roadway stewardship system with video reporting features is disclosed. The invention described herein is comprised of a system that allows users with mobile device cameras to record and report roadway safety incidents, traffic violations, crimes and infrastructure problem. Users are encouraged to become stewards by engaging in the system'"'"'s rewards program. An on-demand style cloud infrastructure is presented which speeds up video processing and citations. Objects of the invention are to enhance safety and increase public participation in safety.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring roadway activity comprising:

a camera, said camera comprising

a video image sensor;

a GPS sensor to determine Geo Coordinates of the video image sensor;

a memory electrically connected to the video image sensor, said memory retaining a series of images or video from the video image sensor for a period of time and then overwriting the series of images or video as new images or video is received;

such memory buffer temporarily retains video and image data and recycles the memory space to conserve storage space on the camera,

a processor electrically connected to the video image sensor, the GPS and to the memory;

said processor saving a portion of the series of images to the memory when the processor detects that a user has indicated the command through a gesture sensor;

a video processing unit electrically connected to the processor and the memory, said video processing unit using an algorithm to determine from the portion of the series of images or video, if traffic violations are found on the portion of the series of images or video;

the gesture sensor for receiving a command from a user, said gesture sensor electrically connected to the processor and to the memory; and

a network interface unit electrically connected to the processor and to the memory, said network interface unit transmitting a portion of the series of images or videos to a network when the processor detects that the user has indicated the command through the gesture sensor or when such command is triggered by the processor automatically or when such command is triggered through the network interface unit;

a specialized video processing server, comprising

a server network interface connected to the network, said server network interface moving the portion of the series of images to a server memory;

the server memory electrically connected to the server network interface;

a server processor electrically connected to the server memory and the server network interface; and

a video processing unit electrically connected to the server processor and the server memory said video processing unit using an algorithm to allocate the portion of the series of images to different specialists and auditors to determine if traffic violations are found on the portion of the series of images or video;

a networked reviewing panel, comprising

a network interface unit, which retrieves the series of images or video from the server over the network;

a display unit, to display the series of images or video to the different specialists and auditors;

a data input unit to allow users to submit their review of the series of images or video;

such review data sent back to the server through the network;

a processor electrically connected to the display unit, network interface unit and data input unit.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the gesture comprises a movement of a body part or a sound.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the series of images or video are saved with at least their time, date and Geo Stamps at the time of recording.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the camera is held or mounted at least on a living being or an artificial being selected from a robot, or a vehicle, or a drone, or a satellite, or an immobile object.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the gesture sensor is at least a video image sensor or a microphone or a light sensor or an inertial motion sensor or a touch sensitive sensor or a button or a switch.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the camera is a mobile camera.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the system for monitoring roadway activity is a stewardship network comprised at a minimum of data collectors using a camera and data processors reviewing the video image data from the data collectors.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the stewardship network can be flexible wherein members can be added or removed, or switch their roles dynamically.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the stewardship network is on-demand, wherein members get to do their jobs whenever they like, at their time and location convenience.

10. A method for monitoring roadway activities, the method comprising:

recording roadway activities on a mobile video camera, said video camera retaining a series of images or video for a period of time and then overwriting the series of images or video as new images or video is received;

detecting a gesture from a user to preserve a portion of the series of images or video, said portion comprising a period before the gesture and a period after the gesture;

transmitting over a network the portion of the series of images or video to a specialized video processing server, said specialized video processing server configured with a network interface unit, a memory, a processing unit, a video display unit and a video processing unit;

interpreting the portion of the series of images or video by the video processing unit using an algorithm to allocate the portion of the series of images or video to different specialists and auditors;

reviewing the portion of the series of images or video by the different specialists and auditors with the aid of a networked reviewing panel, to determine if traffic violations are found on the portion of the series of images or video.

11. The method of claim 10 where the data collectors, specialists and auditors can be artificial intelligence algorithms, or persons.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the algorithm to determine traffic violations on the portion of the series of images or video further comprises reading a license plate on an image of a vehicle, said image in the portion of the series of images or video.

13. The method of claim 12 where in the algorithm to determine traffic violations on the portion of the series of images or video is built using artificial neural networks.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising rewarding data collectors, for a number of traffic violations identified from the portion of the series of images or video, with rewards based at least on volume of traffic violations collected.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising rewarding specialists, for a number of traffic violations identified by the specialists from the portion of the series of images or video, with rewards based at least on volume of traffic violations identified.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising rewarding auditors, for auditing the traffic violations found by the specialists, with rewards based at least on volume of traffic violations reviewed.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the rewarding of members of the stewardship network based on performance, where performance being a function of the volume of traffic violations identified.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the other members of the stewardship network are also crowdsourced and crowdfunded, wherein citizens monitor other citizens and a system is funded by violators and serviced by users acting as at least data collectors, specialists or auditors.

19. The method of claim 18 further building a database of violations from the portion of the video and such database content be provided to an agency for further prosecution or delivery to violators through the medium of email, text messages, voicemails, physical mailed citations.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the method is applied to other monitoring applications comprising at least data collectors, specialists and auditors.