US 5,809,161 A · Vehicle monitoring system

Abstract

An object monitoring system includes a camera node (2) for monitoring movement of an object (18) to determine an acquisition time when an image of the object (18) is to be acquired and acquiring the image at the predetermined time. The system includes a camera (6) which is able to monitor moving objects (18), and image processing circuitry (10), responsive to the camera (6), which is able to detect a predetermined moving object (18) from other moving and static objects. From the image acquired, information identifying the object (18) can be automatically extracted. The system is particularly suited to monitoring and discriminating large vehicles (18) from other vehicles over a multi-lane roadway, and acquiring high resolution images of the large vehicles (18) at a predetermined acquisition point (22). Image data acquired by a plurality of camera nodes (2) can be sent over a digital telecommunications network (45) to a central image processing system (42) which can extract vehicle identifying data, such as licence plate details, and obtain information on vehicle travel between nodes(2).

Claims91

Dependent claims

An object monitoring system comprising

camera means for generating images of an area and for acquiring an image of a predetermined object, and
image processing means including:
means for subtracting a background image of said area from said images of said area to generate difference images representative of moving objects in said area;
segmentation means for processing said difference images to generate region images representative of regions corresponding to parts of said moving objects in said area;
classification means for processing and classifying said region images, said classification means including
means for analyzing the shape of said regions and, on the basis of the analysis, determining valid regions and invalid regions,
clustering means for rejecting said invalid regions and generating, on the basis of the geometry of said valid regions, clusters corresponding to respective ones of said moving objects, and
means for classifying said clusters by comparing at least one characteristic of said clusters to classification data of said system to determine if one of said clusters corresponds to said predetermined object;
and
tracking means for tracking said one of said clusters corresponding to said predetermined object to determine an image acquisition time for acquiring said image of said predetermined object.

7 more elements

An object monitoring system comprising:

camera means for generating images of an area and for acquiring an image of a predetermined object;
image processing means including:
means for subtracting a background image of said area from said images of said area to generate difference images representative of moving objects in said area,
segmentation means for processing said difference images to generate region images representative of regions corresponding to parts of said moving objects in said area,
classification means for processing said region images, said classification means including
means for analyzing the shape of said regions and, on the basis of the analysis, determining valid regions and invalid regions,
clustering means for rejecting said invalid regions and generating, on the basis of the geometry of said valid regions, clusters corresponding to respective ones of said moving objects, and
means for classifying said clusters by comparing at least one characteristic of said clusters to classification data of said system to determine if one of said clusters corresponds to said predetermined object, and
tracking means for tracking said one of said clusters corresponding to said predetermined object to determine an image acquisition time for acquiring said image of said predetermined object;
and
extraction means for processing said image of said predetermined object to extract information identifying said predetermined object.

8 more elements

A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

camera means for generating images of a carriageway and for acquiring images of predetermined vehicles, and image processing means including:
means for subtracting a background image of said carriageway from said images of said carriageway to generate difference images representative of moving vehicles on said carriageway;
segmentation means for processing said difference images to generate region images representative of regions corresponding to parts of said moving vehicles on said carriageway;
classification means for processing said region images, said classification means including
means for analyzing the shape of said regions and, on the basis of the analysis, determining valid regions and invalid regions,
clustering means for rejecting said invalid regions and generating, on the basis of the geometry of said valid regions, clusters corresponding to respective ones of said moving vehicles, and
means for classifying said clusters by comparing at least one characteristic of said clusters to classification data of said system to determine if said clusters correspond to said predetermined vehicles;
and
tracking means for tracking said clusters corresponding to said predetermined vehicles to determine image acquisition times for acquiring said images of said predetermined vehicles.

6 more elements

A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of camera means for generating images of respective areas and for acquiring images of predetermined vehicles, said areas being remote with respect to one another;
and
a plurality of image processing means including:
means for subtracting background images of said areas from said images of said areas to generate difference images representative of moving vehicles in said areas;
segmentation means for processing said difference images to generate region images representative of regions corresponding to parts of said moving vehicles in said area;
classification means for processing said region images, said classification means including means for analyzing the shape of said regions and, on the basis of the analysis, determining valid regions and invalid regions, clustering means for rejecting said invalid regions and generating, on the basis of the geometry of said valid regions, clusters corresponding to respective ones of said moving vehicles, and means for classifying said clusters by comparing at least one characteristic of said clusters to classification data of said system to determine if said clusters corresponds to said predetermined vehicles;
tracking means for tracking said clusters corresponding to said predetermined vehicles to determine image acquisition times for acquiring said images of said predetermined vehicles;
and
recognition means for processing said images of said predetermined vehicles to obtain information identifying said predetermined vehicles.

6 more elements

An object monitoring system comprising:

video camera means for generating images of an area to monitor moving objects in said area;
image capture camera means for acquiring a high resolution image of a predetermined object;
and
image processing means including
means for subtracting a background image of said area from said images of said area to generate difference images representative of said moving objects in said area;
segmentation means for processing said difference images to generate region images representative of regions corresponding to parts of said moving objects in said area;
classification means for processing said region images, said classification means including
means for analyzing the shape of said regions and, on the basis of the analysis, determining valid regions and invalid regions,
clustering means for rejecting said invalid regions and generating, on the basis of the geometry of said valid regions, clusters corresponding to respective ones of said moving objects, and
means for classifying said clusters by comparing at least one characteristic of said clusters to classification data of said system to determine if one of said clusters corresponds to said predetermined object;
and
tracking means for tracking said one of said clusters corresponding to said predetermined object to determine an image acquisition time for said image capture means to acquire said high resolution image of said predetermined object.

9 more elements

An object monitoring system comprising:

video camera means for generating images of an area to monitor moving objects in said area;
image capture camera means for acquiring a high resolution image of a predetermined object;
and
image processing means including
means for subtracting a background image of said area from said images of said area to generate difference images representative of said moving objects in said area;
segmentation means for processing said difference images to generate region images representative of regions corresponding to parts of said moving objects in said area;
classification means for processing said region images, said classification means including
means for analyzing the shape of said regions and, on the basis of the analysis, determining valid regions and invalid regions,
clustering means for rejecting said invalid regions and generating, on the basis of the geometry of said valid regions, clusters corresponding to respective ones of said moving objects, and
means for classifying said clusters by comparing at least one characteristic of said clusters to classification data of said system to determine if one of said clusters corresponds to said predetermined object;
tracking means for tracking said one of said clusters corresponding to said predetermined object to determine an image acquisition time for said image capture camera means to acquire said high resolution image of said predetermined object;
and
extraction means for processing said image of said predetermined object to extract information identifying said predetermined object.

10 more elements

A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

video camera means for generating images of a carriageway to monitor moving vehicles in said carriageway;
image capture camera means for acquiring a high resolution image of a predetermined vehicle;
and
image processing means including
means for subtracting a background image of said carriageway from said images of said carriageway to generate difference images representative of said moving vehicles on said carriageway;
segmentation means for processing said difference images to generate region images representative of regions corresponding to parts of said moving vehicles on said carriageway;
classification means for processing said region images, said classification means including
means for analyzing the shape of said regions and, on the basis of the analysis, determining valid regions and invalid regions,
clustering means for rejecting said invalid regions and generating, on the basis of the geometry of said valid regions, clusters corresponding to respective ones of said moving vehicles, and
means for classifying said clusters by comparing at least one characteristic of said clusters to classification data of said system to determine if said clusters correspond to said predetermined vehicle;
and
tracking means for tracking said clusters corresponding to said predetermined vehicle to determine an image acquisition time for said image capture camera means to acquire said high resolution image of said predetermined vehicle.

9 more elements

A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

video camera means for generating images of an area to monitor moving vehicles in said area;
image capture camera means for acquiring a high resolution image of a vehicle associated with a law infringement;
and
image processing means including
means for subtracting a background image of said area from said images of said area to generate difference images representative of said moving vehicles in said area;
segmentation means for processing said difference images to generate region images representative of regions corresponding to parts of said moving vehicles in said area;
classification means for processing said region images, said classification means including
means for analyzing the shape of said regions and, on the basis of the analysis, determining valid regions and invalid regions,
clustering means for rejecting said invalid regions and generating, on the basis of the geometry of said valid regions, clusters corresponding to respective ones of said moving vehicles, and
means for detecting said law infringement by comparing at least one characteristic of said clusters to classification data of said system to determine if one of said clusters corresponds to said vehicle;
and
tracking means for tracking said one of said clusters corresponding to said vehicle to determine an image acquisition time for said image capture camera means to acquire said high resolution image of said vehicle.

9 more elements

A vehicle monitoring system comprising:

video camera means for generating images of a carriageway to monitor moving vehicles in said area;
image capture camera means for acquiring a high resolution image of a large vehicle, such as a truck and a bus;
and
image processing means including
means for subtracting a background image of said carriageway from said images of said carriageway to generate difference images representative of said moving vehicles on said carriageway;
segmentation means for processing said difference images to generate region images representative of regions corresponding to parts of said moving vehicles on said carriageway;
classification means for processing said region images, said classification means including
means for analyzing the shape of said regions and, on the basis of the analysis, determining valid regions and invalid regions,
clustering means for rejecting said invalid regions and generating, on the basis of the geometry of said valid regions, clusters corresponding to respective ones of said moving vehicles, and
means for classifying said clusters by comparing at least one characteristic of said clusters to classification data of said system to determine if said clusters correspond to said large vehicle;
and
tracking means for tracking said clusters corresponding to said large vehicle to determine an image acquisition time for said image capture camera means to acquire said high resolution image of said large vehicle.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Vehicle monitoring system

Life of this patent

Vehicle monitoring system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims91