US5757286A — Method and a device for the registration of the m…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 176 words

A method of registering the displacement of a vehicle (4) on a ground plane (2) for registration of successive displacement positions thereof, said vehicle defining a plan view contour, said method comprising the steps of: (a) disposing above said ground plane and vertically spaced therefrom, a video camera device comprising cameras (9) spaced in a direction substantially parallel to said ground plane (2); (b) directing said cameras (9) to record on their respective image planes (22) images of an area of said ground plane (2) which at least partially overlap to produce in the camera pairs of stereo records; (c) detecting from images of pairs of stereo records contrast fields within the contour of said vehicle; (d) processing the mutual location of said contrast fields within said contour of said vehicle in said images to identify by substantial displacement therebetween a contrast field at a substantial distance above said ground plane; and (e) using said contrast field identified as being at a substantial distance above the ground as an indicator to track displacement of said vehicle.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 176 words

A method of registering the displacement of a vehicle (4) on a ground plane (2) for registration of successive displacement positions thereof, said vehicle defining a plan view contour, said method comprising the steps of: (a) disposing above said ground plane and vertically spaced therefrom, a video camera device comprising cameras (9) spaced in a direction substantially parallel to said ground plane (2); (b) directing said cameras (9) to record on their respective image planes (22) images of an area of said ground plane (2) which at least partially overlap to produce in the camera pairs of stereo records; (c) detecting from images of pairs of stereo records contrast fields within the contour of said vehicle; (d) processing the mutual location of said contrast fields within said contour of said vehicle in said images to identify by substantial displacement therebetween a contrast field at a substantial distance above said ground plane; and (e) using said contrast field identified as being at a substantial distance above the ground as an indicator to track displacement of said vehicle.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 77 words

A method according to claim 1 including the steps of: establishing with respect to said video camera device and said ground plane an indicia recording site (28); in said processing, establishing with respect to one of said contrast fields (25) and the contour (24) of the vehicle (4) with which said contrast field (25) is associated, an indicia marker position (26); and reading said indicia when said indicia marker position (26) reaches said indicia recording site (28).

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 67 words

A method according to claim 1 including the steps of: establishing for a vehicle (4) whose displacement is being registered a height contour graph based on relative vertical displacement of detected contrast fields (24, 25) of said vehicle (4); comparing said contour graph with predetermined contour graphs of various types of vehicles; and determining from said comparison the type of vehicle (4) whose displacement is being registered.

Claim 5

Independent Claim 173 words

An apparatus for registering the displacement of a vehicle (4) moving on a ground plane (2) for registration of successive displacement positions thereof, said vehicle defining a plan view contour, said apparatus comprising a video camera device mounted above said ground plane and spaced vertically therefrom; said camera device including cameras (9) spaced in a direction substantially parallel to said ground plane (2) and being directed in such directions as to record on their respective image planes (22) images of an area of said ground plane (2) which at least partially overlap to produce in the cameras pairs of stereo records; an image processor detecting from processed images of pairs of said stereo records contrast fields within the contour of said vehicle and processing the mutual location of said contrast fields in said images to select by the vertical displacement thereof a contrast field at a substantial distance above said ground plane, and using said selected contrast field as an indicator to track displacement of said vehicle relative to said video camera device.

Claim 6

Independent Claim 173 words

An apparatus for registering the displacement of a vehicle (4) moving on a ground plane (2) for registration of successive displacement positions thereof, said vehicle defining a plan view contour, said apparatus comprising a video camera device mounted above said ground plane and spaced vertically therefrom; said camera device including cameras (9) spaced in a direction substantially parallel to said ground plane (2) and being directed in such directions as to record on their respective image planes (22) images of an area of said ground plane (2) which at least partially overlap to produce in the cameras pairs of stereo records; an image processor detecting from processed images of pairs of said stereo records contrast fields within the contour of said vehicle and processing the mutual location of said contrast fields in said images to select by the vertical displacement thereof a contrast field at a substantial distance above said ground plane, and using said selected contrast field as an indicator to track displacement of said vehicle relative to said video camera device.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 97 words

An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said apparatus is associated with a road toll facility for effecting automatic fee registration of passing vehicles, said video camera device being arranged to register the successive positions of displacement of the respective vehicle when passing the operational area of the toll facility; means for recording an identification indicia of the vehicle including a video camera (10) arranged to record said indicia; said image processor responsive to information from said video camera device activating said video camera (10) for recording said indicia when said indicia reaches a pre-established recording site.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 90 words

An apparatus according to claim 5 including wireless transponder equipment associated with said road toll facility and with at least certain vehicles for effecting toll debiting and account status checking with respect to vehicles with which said wireless transponder equipment is associated, said wireless transponder equipment being connected to said apparatus for registering the displacement of a vehicle so that a selection is made in the registering of a vehicle between debiting by means of said wireless transponder equipment or by means of said video camera device and associated processing.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-05-25	2001-11-24	2002-05-26	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-05-25	2005-11-24	2006-05-26	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-05-25	2009-11-24	2010-05-26	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and a device for the registration of the movement of a vehicle

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag