JPH0322099A - Automatic recognizing device for number plate - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obviate a need of a special sensor for vehicle detection by picking up the image of a road by a television camera to perform the picture processing and providing a processing device which recognizes characters of the number plate of a vehicle at the time of detecting the vehicle in the signal subjected to the picture processing. CONSTITUTION:The picture of the vehicle detecting television camera in an image pickup device 1 is always taken into a frame memory of a processor 2 and is processed. When a vehicle enters, the processor 2 detects the vehicle and sends a shutter command and a strobe lighting command to the image pickup device 1. A number plate recognizing television camera has a high resolution and a high-speed shutter function and operates the shutter synchronously with the shutter command and lights the strobe simultaneously. The video signal for number plate recognition picked up in this manner is stored in the frame memory of the processor 2 and is processed to recognize all characters on the number plate. Thus, a special sensor for vehicle detection is unnecessary because the vehicle is detected by the television camera device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic license plate recognition device that images a traveling vehicle with a television camera and recognizes the license plate of the vehicle when the vehicle is detected.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIG. 2 shows the structure of a conventional automatic vehicle number recognition device. In FIG. 2, 11 is a position sensor that detects a vehicle, 12 is an imaging device composed of a television camera and a strobe device, and 13 is a recognition device that processes the image taken by the imaging device and recognizes the license plate. device, 1
Reference numeral 4 denotes a verification device that compares the results of the recognition device 13 with the wanted vehicle list, and 15 represents an alarm display device that notifies the police officer of the results of the verification device 14.

Next, the above conventional operation will be explained. In FIG. 2, when a vehicle enters the vehicle, the position sensor 11 generates a sensing signal and transmits it to the recognition device 13 via the sensor signal processing section 16. When the recognition device 13 receives the sensing signal, it transmits a shutter command and a strobe light emission command to the imaging device 12, and stores an image during shutter operation and strobe light emission in a frame memory as a still image. It processes this data and recognizes all the characters on the license plate. The results are sent to the collation device 4, and if the vehicle exists in the wanted vehicle list, the vehicle information is sent to the warning display device 16 and notified to the police officer.

In this way, even with the above-mentioned conventional automatic vehicle number recognition system, the number can be recognized by the above-described system structure.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the conventional automatic vehicle number recognition system described above, vehicle detection sensors and television cameras must be installed on the road, making the system large-scale and requiring a large installation space. There was also the problem that it was difficult to apply it to a portable system that could be moved indefinitely. The present invention is intended to solve such conventional problems, and aims to provide an automatic vehicle number recognition device that does not require a special sensor for vehicle detection.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a television camera for vehicle detection, detects a vehicle through image processing, and captures a still image.

Therefore, according to the present invention, since a vehicle can be detected by a television camera device, if it is integrated with an imaging device, it is possible to detect a vehicle without using a special sensor for detecting a vehicle, and the system can be improved. This has the effect of simplifying the process.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows the structure of an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, 1 is an imaging device composed of a television camera and a strobe device for vehicle detection, 2 is a processing device that performs vehicle detection processing and license plate recognition processing, 3 is an arranged vehicle verification device, and 4 is an arrangement vehicle verification device. It is an alarm display device. Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained. In the embodiment described above, images from a vehicle detection television camera in the imaging device 1 are constantly captured in the frame memory of the processing device 2 and subjected to image processing.

When a vehicle approaches, the processing device 2 detects the vehicle and sends a shutter command and a strobe light emission command to the imaging device 1. A television camera for license plate recognition has a high-resolution and high-speed shutter function, performs a shutter operation in synchronization with a shutter command, and emits strobe light at the same time.

The image signal for license plate recognition thus captured is stored in a frame memory within the processing device 2. To handle this, all characters within the number plate are recognized. The result is checked against the wanted vehicle list in the matching device 3, and when the recognized vehicle is present in the list, the wanted vehicle information is transmitted to the alarm display device 4 and notified to the police officer.

As described above, the above embodiment has the advantage that the license plate of a car can be recognized by using the imaging device and the processing device without installing a vehicle detection sensor in the system. have This has the effect of simplifying the system and further downsizing it so that it can be applied to a portable system.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the embodiments described above, the present invention has the advantage that a special sensor for vehicle detection is not required. Furthermore, by reducing the size of the entire system, it has the effect of being applicable to a portable system.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an automatic vehicle number recognition device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional vehicle number automatic recognition device. 1... Imaging device, 2... Processing device, 3
...Verification device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An automated license plate system comprising an image processing means for capturing an image of the road with a television camera, and a processing device that recognizes the characters on the license plate of the vehicle when a vehicle is detected from the image-processed signal. recognition device.