Infringement detection method, device and system

A process for detecting an infringement by a vehicle operator actively operating a vehicle, the process comprising the steps of:

• detecting an actively-operated vehicle with one or more sensors and triggering at least one camera to capture at least one first image of at least a part of the vehicle operator when the actively-operated vehicle is at an image capture point;
• illuminating the detected vehicle with at least one flash with light at a narrow band when the actively-operated vehicle is at the image capture point, wherein at least one of the one or more cameras comprises a narrow band filter that lets through only or substantially only the wavelengths of light produced by the at least one flash and eliminates the majority of ambient light and/or light produced by the sun, and wherein the light produced by the at least one flash is able to penetrate a windshield of the actively-operated vehicle;
• automatically analyzing, using at least one processor, the first image to detect an infringing act by:
• determining the location of the vehicle operator in the first image;
• creating a cropped image, based on the first image, showing only the vehicle operator and the vehicle operator's immediate surrounds;
• processing the cropped image to generate a confidence score representing a confidence that the cropped image shows an infringement;
• and
• classifying the cropped image as one of:
• containing an infringement, or not containing an infringement, based on the confidence score;
• wherein the infringement comprises at least one of:
• illegal mobile device use, failure to wear a seatbelt, and incorrect restraint use;
• wherein the image classification is performed substantially in real-time, and the process further comprises a step of transmitting an image of the infringement to a nearby police operation so that the vehicle can be intercepted and the vehicle operator issued with an on-the-spot infringement notice or fine.

A non-transitory computer usable medium having stored thereon computer readable code that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the computer to execute a process for detecting an infringement by a vehicle operator actively operating a vehicle, the process comprising the steps of:

• detecting an actively-operated vehicle with one or more sensors and triggering at least one camera to capture at least one first image of at least a part of the vehicle operator when the actively-operated vehicle is at an image capture point;
• illuminating the detected vehicle with at least one flash with light at a narrow band when the actively-operated vehicle is at the image capture point, wherein at least one of the one or more cameras comprises a narrow band filter that lets through only or substantially only the wavelengths of light produced by the at least one flash and eliminates the majority of ambient light and/or light produced by the sun, and wherein the light produced by the at least one flash is able to penetrate a windshield of the actively-operated vehicle;
• automatically analyzing, using at least one processor, the first image to detect an infringing act by:
• determining the location of the vehicle operator in the first image;
• creating a cropped image, based on the first image, showing only the vehicle operator and the vehicle operator's immediate surrounds;
• processing the cropped image to generate a confidence score representing a confidence that the cropped image shows an infringement;
• and
• classifying the cropped image as one of:
• containing an infringement, or not containing an infringement, based on the confidence score;
• wherein the infringement comprises at least one of:
• illegal mobile device use, failure to wear a seatbelt, and incorrect restraint use;
• wherein the image classification is performed substantially in real-time, and the process further comprises a step of transmitting an image of the infringement to a nearby police operation so that the vehicle can be intercepted and the vehicle operator issued with an on-the-spot infringement notice or fine.