System and method for generating context-rich parking events

Abstract

A method of generating a context-rich parking event of a target vehicle taken by a patrol vehicle; including obtaining a plate read event identifying an identifier of the target vehicle; initiating a collection of a first context image of a first view of the target vehicle; obtaining of geolocation information; obtaining temporal information; verifying if at least one condition is met by calculating if at least one of: a temporal constraint threshold is reached by using the temporal information; and a position constraint threshold is reached by using the geolocation information; initiating a collection by the patrol vehicle of a second context image of a second view of the target vehicle; and causing an association between the second context image and the plate read event to generate the context-rich parking event.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method of generating a parking event of a target vehicle taken by a patrol vehicle comprising:
 generating a plate read event of a license plate of the target vehicle;   initiating a collection of a first context image of a first view of the target vehicle;   determining a change in a relative position of the patrol vehicle with respect to the target vehicle;   initiating a collection of a second context image of a second view of the target vehicle different from the first view; and   generating a parking event with multiple views of the target vehicle by associating at least the first context image, the second context image and the plate read event.   
     
     
         17 . The method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the first context image is generated by a first colour camera of the patrol vehicle, and the second context image is generated by a second colour camera of the patrol vehicle, wherein the first colour camera has a different orientation from the second colour camera. 
     
     
         18 . The method as defined in  claim 17 , wherein the first colour camera is positioned at a front of a roof of the patrol vehicle, and the second colour camera is positioned at a rear of a roof of the patrol vehicle, wherein the first colour camera and the second colour camera are positioned on a same side of the patrol vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . The method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the first view comprises a back of the target vehicle, and the second view comprises a front of the target vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the first view comprises a back of the target vehicle, and the second view comprises a side of the target vehicle. 
     
     
         21 . The method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the first context image and the second context image are generated from a same camera. 
     
     
         22 . The method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the collection of the second context image is initiated before the generating of the plate read event. 
     
     
         23 . The method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the collection of the second context image is initiated after the generating of the plate read event. 
     
     
         24 . The method as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the parking event is generated by associating at least the first context image, the second context image, the plate read event and geolocation data related to the target vehicle. 
     
     
         25 . A computing device for generating a parking event of a target vehicle taken by a patrol vehicle comprising:
 a data interface for communicating with parking data acquisition hardware for receiving therefrom parking data pertaining to a target vehicle;   a processing device in communication with the data interface, the processing device being configurable under computer readable storage instructions;   computer-readable memory in communication with and accessible by the processing device storing computer-readable program code, the computer-readable program code causing the processing device to:
 generate a plate read event of a license plate of the target vehicle; 
 initiate a collection of a first context image of a first view of the target vehicle; 
 determine a change in a relative position of the patrol vehicle with respect to the target vehicle; 
 initiate a collection of a second context image of a second view of the target vehicle different from the first view; and 
 generate a parking event with multiple views of the target vehicle by associating at least the first context image, the second context image and the plate read event. 
   
     
     
         26 . The computing device as defined in  claim 25 , further comprising a first colour camera and a second colour camera, wherein the parking data acquisition hardware comprises the first colour camera and the second colour camera, wherein the first colour camera has a different orientation from the second colour camera. 
     
     
         27 . The computing device as defined in  claim 25 , wherein the first view comprises a back of the target vehicle, and the second view comprises a front of the target vehicle. 
     
     
         28 . The computing device as defined in  claim 25 , wherein the first view comprises a back of the target vehicle, and the second view comprises a side of the target vehicle. 
     
     
         29 . The computing device as defined in  claim 25 , wherein the processing device instructs the parking data acquisition hardware to employ a same camera to collect the first context image and the second context image. 
     
     
         30 . The computing device as defined in  claim 25 , wherein the computer-readable program code further causes the processor to initiate the collection of the second context image before the generating of the plate read event. 
     
     
         31 . The computing device as defined in  claim 25 , wherein the computer-readable program code further causes the processor to initiate the collection of the second context image after the generating of the plate read event. 
     
     
         32 . The computing device as defined in  claim 25 , wherein the computer-readable program code causes the processor to generate the parking event by associating at least the first context image, the second context image, the plate read event and geolocation data related to the target vehicle. 
     
     
         33 . A patrol vehicle comprising the device as defined in  claim 25 . 
     
     
         34 . The patrol device as defined in  claim 25 , wherein a first colour camera is positioned at a front of a roof of the patrol vehicle, and a second colour camera is positioned at a rear of a roof of the patrol vehicle, wherein the first colour camera and the second colour camera are positioned on a same side of the patrol vehicle. 
     
     
         35 . Non-transitory storage media comprising program code that, when executed by a processing device, causes the processing device to:
 generate a plate read event of a license plate of the target vehicle;   initiate a collection of a first context image of a first view of the target vehicle;   determine a change in a relative position of the patrol vehicle with respect to the target vehicle;   initiate a collection of a second context image of a second view of the target vehicle different from the first view; and   generate a parking event with multiple views of the target vehicle by associating at least the first context image, the second context image and the plate read event.   
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory storage media as defined in  claim 35 , wherein the program code further causes the processing device to initiate the collection of the second context image before the generating of the plate read event. 
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory storage media as defined in  claim 35 , wherein the program code further causes the processing device to initiate the collection of the second context image after the generating of the plate read event. 
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory storage media as defined in  claim 35  wherein the first view comprises a back of the target vehicle, and the second view comprises a front of the target vehicle. 
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory storage media as defined in  claim 35 , wherein the first view comprises a back of the target vehicle, and the second view comprises a side of the target vehicle. 
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory storage media as defined in  claim 35 , wherein the program code causes the processor to generate the parking event by associating at least the first context image, the second context image, the plate read event and geolocation data related to the target vehicle.