Traffic violation detection, recording and evidence processing system

Abstract

A traffic violation or event detection, recording and processing system and method is disclosed which includes at least one camera ( 20 and 30 ) for monitoring a region under surveillance (31 and 33); means for supplying independently sourced and verifiable time, date and location of a violation; a storing means ( 54 ) for storing continuous images taken by the camera; a non-intrusive violation detection means for detecting vehicle presence and movement and for providing an indication of a violation; and processing means for identifying images stored in the storage means and which relate to a violation detected by the violation detection means so that images associated with a violation are identifiable and can be processed to provide evidence of the violation and also identify the vehicle associated with the violation.

1 . A traffic violation or event detection, recording and processing system, comprising: 
 at least one camera for monitoring a region under surveillance;    means for supplying independently sourced and verifiable time, date and location data to provide an indication of the time, date and location of a violation;    a storing means for continuously storing images taken by the at least one camera;    a non-intrusive violation detection means for detecting vehicle presence and movement through the region and for providing an indication of a violation; and    processing means for identifying images stored in the storage means and which relate to a violation detected by the violation detection means so that images associated with a violation are identifiable and can be processed to provide evidence of the violation and also identify the vehicle associated with the violation.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the non-intrusive violation detection means is also comprised by the processing means which is also for processing images captured by at least one camera so that by comparing images a change in image can identify vehicle presence and movement in the region and therefore the occurrence of a violation.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the processing means determines a violation by processing images captured by at least one camera to identify changes in the colour of the traffic signals to thereby make a determination of the commencement and end of a red light traffic phase and therefore define a violation period, and by processing the images to determine whether a vehicle is in the region during the violation.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the storing means included a temporary storage means for temporarily continuously storing images taken by the wide angle camera and at least one narrow angle camera and a secondary storage means for storing images associated with a violation so that the images stored in the secondary storage means can be communicated for subsequent processing to provide the evidence of the violation and also the vehicle associated with the violation.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the at least one camera comprises a single wide angle camera for capturing an image of the traffic signal so that the red traffic signal can be identified to make the determination of the commencement and end of the red light traffic phase, and also for capturing images of the region under surveillance.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one camera includes a plurality of narrow angled cameras for monitoring respective parts of the region.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein each narrow angled camera monitors a defined section of a lane of the roadway.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the narrow angled cameras are for providing a multiple-image set of the vehicle so that the number plate of the vehicle can be identified to thereby identify the vehicle associated with the violation.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the violation detection means comprises a non-intrusive vehicle speed determining means for determining the speed of a vehicle in the region under surveillance.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the non-intrusive speed determination means comprises a Doppler radar system or a laser device.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the non-intrusive violation detection means comprises: 
 a further camera arranged to have a field of view substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of vehicles through the region for capturing an image of a vehicle passing a predetermined reference location to enable determination of a violation should a violation period be current; and    means for determining a red light phase of a traffic signal by processing images of the traffic signal to determine when a predetermined phase of the traffic signal commences and finishes to thereby define the violation period so that the processing means can identify images stored in the storage means and which relate to the violation.    
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the non-intrusive violation detection means comprises: 
 apparatus for determining when a red light phase of a traffic signal is present; and    a device for determining when a vehicle has violated the red light phase of the traffic signal whilst the red light phase of the traffic signal is active.    
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the apparatus comprises the said processing means for processing an image of the traffic signal to identify when the red light phase of the traffic signal is present.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the apparatus comprises an inductive sensor for determining when current is supplied to the traffic signal to thereby provide an indication that the red light phase is active.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the device for determining when the vehicle has violated the red light signal comprises a camera mounted perpendicular to the direction of traffic flow for determining when a vehicle crosses a predetermined line whilst the red light phase is active, thereby indicating that the vehicle has committed a violation of the red light phase of the traffic signal.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the device may comprise at least one ranging laser for detecting a vehicle.  
   
   
       17 . The system according to  claim 1  further including: 
 sound monitoring means for monitoring ambient sound of the region; and    processing means for receiving signals indicative of the ambient sound and comparing those signals with stored signals indicative of the sound of a traffic accident, and for identifying images stored in the storage means when an ambient sound is detected indicative of a traffic accident so the images that are associated with the accident are identified and processed to provide evidence of the accident.    
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the monitoring means comprises a microphone.  
   
   
       19 . A traffic violation detection, recording and evidence processing system, including: 
 at least one camera for monitoring a region under surveillance and for viewing a traffic signal which includes traffic lights which change, to control flow of traffic through the region;    temporary storage means for continuously storing images taken by the at least one camera;    processing means for processing images taken by the at least one camera to determine changes in traffic lights of the traffic signal to determine the commencement and end of a traffic phase of the traffic signal to define a violation period; and    processing means for determining that a violation has occurred from the images captured by the at least one camera and for identifying those images in the temporary storage means which are associated with the violation so that those images associated with the violation can be processed to provide evidence of the violation and to identify the vehicle associated with the violation.    
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the processing means includes secondary storage means for storing the images originally stored in the temporary storage means and which are associated with the violation.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the system includes a communication link for communicating images stored in the secondary storage device to a central facility for processing to provide evidence of the violation or event and to identify the vehicle associated with the violation.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the at least one camera comprises a single wide angle camera for capturing images of both the region under surveillance and the traffic signal.  
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the at least one camera includes a wide angle camera for monitoring a region under surveillance, and at least one further camera arranged to have a field of view substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of vehicles through the region for capturing an image of a vehicle passing a predetermined reference location to enable determination of a violation should the violation period be current.  
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the at least one camera further comprises a plurality of narrow angle cameras for monitoring different parts of the region under surveillance to enable a vehicle involved in a violation to be identified by the registration plate of the vehicle.  
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 20  wherein the secondary storage device comprises a hard disc of the processing means.  
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the communication link is a wireless or Internet enabled communication link for secured transmission of data including the images relating to a violation from the processing means to the central facility.  
   
   
       27 . The system according to  claim 19  further including: 
 sound monitoring means for monitoring ambient sound of the region; and    processing means for receiving signals indicative of the ambient sound and comparing those signals with stored signals indicative of the sound of a traffic accident, and for identifying images stored in the storage means when an ambient sound is detected indicative of a traffic accident so the images that are associated with the accident are identified and processed to provide evidence of the accident.    
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 19  wherein the monitoring means comprises a microphone.  
   
   
       29 . A method of detecting a traffic violation, including the steps of: 
 monitoring a region of a roadway with at least one camera;    monitoring vehicle presence and movement through the region using a non-intrusive vehicle detection means    storing images taken by the at least one camera continuously in a storage means;    detecting a traffic violation in the region under surveillance;    determining images stored by the storage means and which relate to the traffic violation so that images can be used as evidence of the violation and also to identify the vehicle associated with the violation; and    stamping the images with time, date and location data which is independently sourced to provide the time, date and location of the violation.    
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the traffic violation being detected is a red light violation.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29  including processing images captured by at least one camera to identify changes in the colour of the traffic signals to thereby make a determination of the commencement and end of a red light traffic phase and therefore define a violation period.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31  wherein a vehicle in the region under surveillance during the red light phase period is determined by processing images captured by at least one camera, which is arranged to have a field of view substantially perpendicular to the movement of traffic through the region, so that by comparing images a change in image can identify a vehicle.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the presence of a vehicle in the region is detected by a radar or laser.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 29  including temporarily storing images taken by the wide angle camera and at least one narrow angle camera and storing images associated with a violation so that the images can be communicated for subsequent processing to provide the evidence of the violation and also the vehicle.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the wide angle camera captures an. image of the traffic signal so that the red traffic signal can be identified to make the determination of the commencement and end of the red light traffic phase.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 29  wherein a plurality of narrow angled cameras are utilised for monitoring respective parts of the region so that all parts of the region are monitored by the plurality of narrow angled cameras.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36  wherein each narrow angled camera monitors a section of the lane of the roadway.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the narrow angled cameras are used to provide a series of images of the vehicle so that the number plate of the vehicle can be identified to thereby identify the vehicle.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the traffic violation being detected is a speed violation.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein the speed violation is determined by a Doppler radar system or a laser device.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising identifying images relating to the violation and processing the images to provide evidence of the violation and also to identify the vehicle.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 38  further comprising: 
 monitoring ambient sound in the region;    comparing the ambient sound with pre-determined sound data relating to sound caused by a traffic accident; and    when the monitored sound matches the pre-determined sound, determining images stored by the storage means which relate to the accident so the images provide evidence of the accident.    
   
   
       43 . A method of detecting a traffic violation including the steps of: 
 detecting a region of a roadway and a traffic signal by at least one camera;    continuously capturing images of the region and signal and temporarily storing those images;    detecting from the images changes in the traffic signal so that the commencement and end of a particular light traffic phase can be determined to define a violation period; and    detecting a traffic violation in the violation period and identifying the stored images associated with the violation so that the stored images can be processed to provide evidence of the violation and identify the vehicle associated with the violation.    
   
   
       44 . A method of storing and managing evidence of traffic violations and events which are detected by a plurality of violation detection and recording systems comprising the steps of: 
 continuously communicating evidence of traffic violations and events to at least one server;    providing real-time communications between all violation detection and recording systems and the server(s);    providing a database containing information relating to violations detected by the violation detection and recording systems;    dividing the database according to the different access requirements of different categories of authorised users with each user's level of access and functionality being automatically defined by their unique password and log-in process;    allowing browser-based access to information held in the database or databases at a pre-defined level of authority for any authorised user using a computer with Internet connectivity;    allowing interactive access to and operation of the violation processing system for individual users to perform evidence management tasks required by the authorities operating the system.    
   
   
       45 . A system of detecting and recording an event comprising: 
 a sound monitor for continuously capturing ambient sound of a region under surveillance to detect a defined event;    processing means for processing the ambient sound and comparing the captured ambient sound with a pre-determined sound profile indicative of the event;    at least one camera for continuously capturing images of the region;    storage means for temporarily storing the images; and    identifying means for identifying the stored images which are associated with the event so that the stored images can be processed to provide evidence of the event.    
   
   
       46 . The system of  claim 45  wherein the sound monitoring means comprises a microphone.  
   
   
       47 . The system of  claim 45  wherein the event is a traffic accident.  
   
   
       48 . The system of  claim 45  wherein the system further includes secondary storage means for receiving from the temporary storing means those images relating to the event so that images prior to the event, of the event and after the event are stored in the secondary storage means for processing to provide evidence of the event.  
   
   
       49 . A method of detecting an event including the steps of; 
 continuously capturing and analysing ambient sound of a region under surveillance to detect a defined event    monitoring a region by at least one camera;    continuously capturing images of the region and temporarily storing those images; and    detecting the event from the captured sound and identifying the stored images associated with the event so that the stored images can be processed to provide evidence of the event.    
   
   
       50 . A traffic violation detecting system, comprising: 
 a fixed camera for monitoring a plurality of lanes of a road and providing images of vehicles travelling in the lanes;    a violation detecting system for detecting a traffic violation in any one of said plurality of lanes; and    a reflecting system for selectively directing illumination from said any one of said plurality of lanes to said camera so that when a violation occurs in any one of said lanes, the reflecting system directs illumination from that lane to the camera so the camera can capture images of the violation occurring in that lane.    
   
   
       51 . The system of  claim 50  wherein the reflecting system comprises a mirror and an adjusting mechanism for moving the mirror so the mirror reflects illumination from the said any one of the lanes to the camera.  
   
   
       52 . The system of  claim 50  wherein the violation detecting system provides information relating to the lane in which a traffic violation is occurring, and the system further comprises a processor for receiving that information and for outputting control signals to control the mirror to thereby adjust the position of the mirror so as to reflect illumination from the lane in which the violation is occurring so the camera captures images of the violation in that lane.  
   
   
       53 . The system of  claim 50  wherein the reflecting system comprises a plurality of fixed mirrors, each for reflecting illumination from one of the plurality of lanes to a portion of an image capture component of the camera.  
   
   
       54 . The system of  claim 50  wherein the violation detecting system comprises: 
 an inductive sensor for sensing when a red light phase of a traffic signal is present; and    a vehicle detector for detecting when a vehicle is present in a specified portion of the road.    
   
   
       55 . The system of  claim 54  wherein the inductive sensor is mounted in proximity to an electric wire for supplying electricity to activate the red light phase of the camera.  
   
   
       56 . The system of  claim 54  wherein the vehicle detector comprises at least one ranging laser per lane for detecting the presence of the vehicle.  
   
   
       57 . The system of  claim 55  wherein the vehicle detector comprises at least two ranging lasers per lane so that the lasers cannot only determine the presence of the vehicle, but also the speed at which the vehicle is travelling.  
   
   
       58 . The system of  claim 54  wherein the vehicle detector comprises a camera mounted perpendicular to vehicle flow along the road.  
   
   
       59 . The system of  claim 50  wherein the camera has a source of illumination for illuminating the said any one of the lanes so that the illumination is reflected back from the said any one of the lanes by the reflecting system.  
   
   
       60 . The system of  claim 50  wherein the camera has a fixed lens mounted between the camera and the reflecting system.  
   
   
       61 . The system of  claim 59  wherein the source of illumination comprises an infrared laser mounted on the camera and directed at the reflecting system for providing infrared illumination to illuminate the said one of the lanes.  
   
   
       62 . The system of  claim 50  wherein the system includes a storage for storing images captured by the camera and for identifying images which relate to a violation detected by the violation detection means so that the images associated with the violation are identifying and can be processed to provide evidence of the violation and also identify the vehicle associated with the violation.  
   
   
       63 . The system of  claim 62  wherein the system further comprises a wide angle camera, and the system includes a storage for storing images captured by the wide angled camera and for identifying images stored in the storage and which relate to the violation detected by the violation detection means so that the images associated with the violation are identifiable and can be processed to provide a wide angle view of the violation.  
   
   
       64 . The system of  claim 50  wherein the system further comprises at least one camera for capturing images of a driver of the vehicle, and a storage for storing the images, the processor also being for identifying images captured by the at least one camera and for identifying images captured by the at least one camera and which relate to the violation detected by the violation detection means so that images of the driver of the vehicle associated with a violation are identifiable and can be processed to provide evidence of the identity of the driver of the vehicle associated with the violation.  
   
   
       65 . The system of  claim 50  wherein the system further comprises: 
 a temporary storage for continuously storing images taken by the fixed camera; and    a processor for identifying those images in the temporary storage which are associated with the violation so that those images associated with the violation can be processed to provide evidence of the violation.    
   
   
       66 . The system of  claim 65  wherein the system still further comprises a secondary storage for receiving the images associated with the violation from the temporary storage, and for storing the images which are associated with the violation.  
   
   
       67 . The system of  claim 66  wherein the system still further comprises a communication link for communicating images stored in the secondary storage to a central facility for processing to provide evidence of the violation.  
   
   
       68 . A dome camera assembly for a traffic violation system comprising: 
 a housing having a dome;    a fixed camera mounted in the housing for monitoring a plurality of lanes of a road through the dome; and    a reflecting system in the housing for selectively reflecting illumination from any one of the plurality of lanes to said fixed camera.    
   
   
       69 . The assembly of  claim 68  wherein the housing has a cool chamber in which the camera is mounted and a warm chamber defined by at least part of the dome, the reflecting system being located in the warm chamber, and a heat transferring medium arranged for transferring heat generated by the camera from the cool chamber into the warm chamber.  
   
   
       70 . The assembly of  claim 69  wherein the heat transferring medium is a Peltier heat transfer layer which separates the cool chamber from the warm chamber.  
   
   
       71 . The assembly of  claim 70  wherein the camera has a lens which is arranged in the warm chamber and in optical communication with the camera through an opening in the Peltier layer.  
   
   
       72 . The assembly of  claim 68  wherein the reflecting system comprises a mirror and an adjusting mechanism for moving the mirror so that the mirror reflects illumination from the said any one of the lanes to the camera, in response to detection of a traffic violation in any one of the lanes so the camera can capture images of the violation occurring in that lane.  
   
   
       73 . The assembly of  claim 68  wherein the reflecting system comprises a plurality of fixed mirrors, each for reflecting light from one of the plurality of lanes to a portion of an image capture component of the camera.