EP1513125A2

EP1513125A2 - System for detecting the speed of motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: EP1513125A2
Application number: EP04016972A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marcello Pellegrini
Original assignee: Autostrade per LItalia SpA
Current assignee: Autostrade per LItalia SpA
Priority date: 2003-08-05
Filing date: 2004-07-19
Publication date: 2005-03-09
Also published as: EP1513125A3

Abstract

A system (1) for detecting the speed of vehicles, particularly for sections of roads and highways, comprising a plurality of peripheral units, each of which comprises a unit (2) for detecting the class and speed of a vehicle, and at least one video camera (3) for acquiring the image of the license plate of the vehicle, the peripheral units being connected to a central processing unit (5), the peripheral units being further provided with a peripheral processing unit (11) that is adapted to identify the license plate acquired by the video camera, the central processing unit (5) determining the average speed of the vehicle on the basis of two distinct detections performed by two successive peripheral units.

Description

The present invention relates to a system for detecting the speed of motor vehicles and the like, particularly for sections of roads and highways. More particularly, the invention relates to a system capable of detecting the average speed of motor vehicles and the like between two points of a section of, for example, a highway, in order to notify any infringement of the highway code.

As is known, the highway code sets a maximum speed for each type of vehicle on certain sections of roads, for example highways and the like.

Statutory provisions in fact prescribe that vehicles cannot exceed such maximum speed, and if they do, they incur monetary sanctions that are proportional to the difference between the actual speed of the vehicle and the maximum speed allowed on that section of road.

Speed checking is currently performed by means of specifically provided devices known as "Autovelox", which can be of the fixed or mobile type, i.e., installable by highway police patrols at the roadside in sections of particular interest.

Localized speed detection devices, however, do not allow adequate monitoring of the speed that the vehicles maintain in traveling along the section of road.

If the driver of a vehicle realizes that there is a localized speed detection device, he in fact usually has the time to suddenly reduce his speed so as to conform to the maximum speed prescribed for that section of road, thus avoiding incurring sanctions, and then resumes the previous cruising speed as soon as he has passed the speed detection device.

Accordingly, localized speed detection offers no assurance that road users maintain an average speed that is always within the limits set for a given section of road.

It is therefore evident that localized speed detection systems do not meet the need to increase the safety level of the road system while improving its utilization.

An increase in safety would entail a reduction in accidents and would automatically entail a better flow of traffic and therefore also an increase in the useful capacity of the section of road.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a system for detecting the speed of motor vehicles and the like that allows to overcome the drawbacks of known localized speed detection systems, accordingly increasing the degree of safety of the section of road involved.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a system for detecting the speed of motor vehicles and the like that allows to send the detected data directly to authorities in charge of controlling highway code infringements.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for detecting the speed of motor vehicles and the like in which the detected data can be accessed by the authorities in charge of controlling highway code infringements.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for detecting the speed of motor vehicles and the like that allows authorities in charge of controlling highway code infringements to send directly reports to notify such infringements.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a speed detection system that is highly reliable, relatively simple to provide, and at competitive costs.

This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a system for detecting the speed of vehicles, particularly for sections of roads and highways, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of peripheral units, each of which comprises a unit for detecting the class and speed of a vehicle, and at least one video camera for acquiring the image of the license plate of the vehicle, said peripheral units being connected to a central processing unit, said peripheral .units being further provided with a peripheral processing unit that is adapted to identify the license plate acquired by said video camera, said central processing unit being adapted to determine the average speed of said vehicle on the basis of two distinct acquisitions performed by two successive peripheral units.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the system according to the present invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of the architecture of the system according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a block diagram of the architecture of a portion of the overall architecture of the system according to the present invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the detection unit of the system according to the present invention; and

Figure 4 is a flowchart of the method for verifying the license plate acquired from a vehicle by means of the system according to the present invention.

With reference to the figures, the system according to the present invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a plurality of peripheral units, comprising at least one vehicle detection unit 2, which is adapted to detect the class and speed of the vehicles, in combination with at least one video camera 3, which is adapted to read the license plates of the vehicles. The peripheral units are arranged so as to be spaced along the section of highway along which one wishes to perform vehicle speed monitoring.

The peripheral units are conveniently arranged in locations whose relative distances are perfectly known to the system, so as to be able to determine, following two successive detections of a same vehicle on the part of two distinct peripheral units, the average speed that said vehicle held on the section of road or highway that separates the two detection points.

The peripheral units are conveniently connected to a communication unit 4, which is in turn connected to a central processing unit 5. The communication unit 4 is further connected to a printing unit 6.

The central processing unit 5 is in turn interfaced, by means of a communication unit 7, with a plurality of so-called client systems 8, which can be constituted for example by authorities such as the Traffic Control Authority, the Italian Automobile Club, the highway police and the like, which use specifically provided data banks 10.

Conveniently, each peripheral unit is provided with a time synchronization module 9, so as to provide mutual time synchronization of all the various peripheral units, so as to allow to determine the average speed very accurately.

For example, the time synchronization module 9 can be replaced with a GPS receiver, which by connecting to the satellite network detects the time accurately and, most importantly, in the same manner for all the detection systems, wherever they are installed.

The vehicle detection unit 2 is conveniently interfaced with a peripheral data processing unit 11, to which the time synchronization module 9 is connected.

The vehicle detection unit 2 is conveniently constituted for example by an electronic detector, which is connected to a sensor that is installed so as to monitor one of the traffic lanes. The sensor is constituted for example by two coils installed in the paving of the lane to be monitored. Said unit therefore performs continuous monitoring of the motion of vehicles and transmits information thereof to the local or peripheral processing units 11.

The video camera 3 allows to capture the images of the vehicle in transit and send them to the image analysis unit in order to detect the license plate of the vehicle; this operation is performed in the peripheral processing unit 11.

Conveniently, an infrared light source is associated with the video camera 3 in order to be able to detect the license plate even in low-visibility conditions or at night.

Advantageously, the video camera 3 can be installed for example on one of the portals 15 normally installed on highways, which are currently designed to display, on a suitable display 16, information that is useful for travelers.

Figure 3 illustrates the arrangement of the detection sensor, which is constituted by a pair of coils 17 installed in the paving of the lane to be monitored.

Figure 3 illustrates in broken lines, at the first sensor 17, the beginning of image acquisition by means of the video camera 3, designated by the reference letter A, and the letter B designates the end of said image acquisition, which is performed substantially at the end of the region covered by the second sensor 17.

The local processing unit 11 has software installed which must provide safe management of the acquired data, which must then be sent to the central processing unit 5 by using suitable encryption algorithms. To ensure the origin and originality of the data, the sent data is required to also receive an electronic signature.

Advantageously, the detection unit is arranged, with respect to the travel direction, after the portal on which the video camera or cameras is or are arranged, so that they are fitted in a manner that it is possible to acquire the image of the rear license plate of the vehicle.

Substantially, the video cameras acquire images of all the vehicles in transit in the monitored lanes, regardless of their speed. The acquired data related to the transit of the vehicles identified by the license plate decoded on the peripheral unit are then sent to the central processing unit, which stores them in its database. Every time a transit is received, the system must perform all the checks that are necessary in order to verify whether that license plate has already passed another peripheral unit and determine the transit time on the section in order to be able to compare it with the reference time and then record the data of the vehicle being considered.

The system must therefore store the data of the images related to the two transits, which will be deleted after processing of the transit messages has found that no infringement has occurred.

The detection sensors must identify at least the following fundamental vehicle types:

light vehicles

heavy vehicles

light vehicles with trailer

heavy vehicles with trailer

buses

other vehicles

Each peripheral unit is configured so that when detection occurs, only the license plate of the vehicle, together with the minimal detection data, is sent to the central processing unit, while the image is retained on the local processing unit. This solution minimizes traffic over the communications network of only the minimal indispensable data. The detailed data are then requested when the infringement is verified.

In order to ensure user privacy, data that are not requested must be subsequently deleted after a retention time that can be configured selectively by the operator.

The functions that the software of the central processing unit must have are:

detection of infringements by processing the data received from the peripheral units

verification of infringements

validation of infringements by means of electronic signature

printing of the report

off-line analysis

system administration.

The application software for detecting infringements must process the data that arrive from the peripheral detection units. The system must be able to operate in two operating modes, i.e., by detecting the average speed or also by detecting the instantaneous or "localized" speed.

The first step that the software performs is a search in the data bank of the Traffic Control Authority for the owners of the infringing vehicles. This verification is performed automatically and includes validation of the class of vehicle detected by the peripheral units.

A step for final visual verification and validation by means of an electronic signature is then performed. Each verified infringement must be accompanied by the data that identify the event (section of highway, date, time, et cetera) and the identification data of the infringing vehicle (license plate, photographic images). These elements are an integral part of the detection of infringement for final report printing. The steps described above must be performed by a public officer, and therefore the system implements security mechanisms that allow its execution only to users who have a specific authorization. All the operations performed by the operator are logged in a data base.

Substantially, the operating flow that must be followed is as follows:

displaying, in a list, the set of infringements detected. The operator must then be able to select from the list a particular infringement in order to visualize its data in detail (date, time, section of highway involved, photographic evidence, et cetera). It is also necessary to be able to conduct a match verification on these details. In this step, the personal data of the infringer must not be displayed.

After the match verification, the operator must confirm the displayed data. Only after this confirmation, the program must enable the visualization of the data related to the owner and allow notification of the report. The notification step must be performed by placing the electronic signature tied to the officer on the data of the report.

Automatic printing of the report according to the reference templates on devices that also allow their placement in envelopes.

Transmission of the data related to the infringement over data communication systems to the information system, for example of the highway police.

If it has not been possible to acquire the license plate, the system according to the invention must allow to visualize the details in order to allow to enter the license plate manually. Once the number has been confirmed, the system must search automatically for the owner at the server of the Traffic Control Authority in order to continue with the subsequent items cited above. If it is not possible to read the license plate visually, the software must delete permanently all the data acquired at all the systems involved. The flowchart of Figure 4 illustrates the method just described. Substantially, there is a first infringement acquisition step 20, without a step that determines whether the license plate is legible, 21. If it is, a step 22 for searching at the Traffic Control Authority is performed, followed by the step 23 for investigating whether the owner of the vehicle exists or not. If the owner does not exist, a step 24 for searching at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles is performed and then a step 25 is performed to investigate again whether an owner exists and if so, and also if the owner exists directly after the step 23, a step 26 is performed in order to visually verify the infringement, followed by a step 27 which checks whether said visual verification yields a positive result. If the result is affirmative, a step 28 is performed for printing and mailing the report; if the result is negative, and if it is negative from step 25, the system returns to a step 30 for manually entering the license plate of the vehicle, said step being also accessed directly from the step 21 if the license plate is not legible.

Access by the client units to the central processing unit must occur according to security protocols, and the operators are enabled to access the information that is present in the central processing unit depending on their rank and are therefore provided for example with a chip-card.

The system according to the present invention, moreover, must be able to provide statistical analyses and reports that are updated in real time: processing must be allowed on a chronological and/or geographical basis by any client unit connected to the network of the operator of the section of road or highway.

In practice it has been found that the system according to the present invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects, since it allows to determine the average speed of vehicles that transit over a given section of road or highway and also to detect the instantaneous speed.

If an infringement is ascertained, the system is capable of directly sending, by connection to the assigned authorities, the report of the infringement to the owner of the vehicle.

The system thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application no. MI2003A001612, from which this application claims priority, are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A system for detecting the speed of vehicles, particularly for sections of roads and highways, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of peripheral units, each of which comprises a unit for detecting the class and speed of a vehicle, and at least one video camera for acquiring the image of the license plate of the vehicle, said peripheral units being connected to a central processing unit, said peripheral units being further provided with a peripheral processing unit that is adapted to identify the license plate acquired by said video camera, said central processing unit being adapted to determine the average speed of said vehicle on the basis of two distinct acquisitions performed by two successive peripheral units.
The system according to claim 1, characterized in that said unit for sensing the class and speed of the vehicle comprises detection sensors arranged within the road paving.
The system according to claim 1, characterized in that said detection sensors comprise a pair of spaced coils arranged within the road paving.
The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that an infrared light source is associated with said video camera.
The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a video camera and a unit for detecting the class and speed of the vehicle for each traffic lane.
The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each one of said peripheral units further comprises a time synchronization module.
The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a communication unit that is adapted to connect said peripheral units to said central processing unit.
The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one client unit, which is adapted to connect to said central processing unit by means of a communication unit.
The system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises data banks that contain vehicle identification data that are adapted to be used by said central processing unit.
A method for detecting the speed of vehicles on sections of roads and highways, characterized in that it comprises the steps of:

detecting the class and speed of vehicles in transit on a section of road or highway;

reading the license plates of said vehicles;

performing the preceding steps at a second detection station;

determining whether there are license plates that have already been read during the first detection and, if so, determining the average speed of the vehicle involved.
The method according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises the step of ascertaining, if an infringement is detected, the details of the owner of the vehicle and sending, by way of the assigned authorities, a report to notify said ascertained infringement.
The method according to one or more of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that it comprises a step of verifying the license plate of said motor vehicle and, if said license plate is not legible automatically, entering said license plate manually on the basis of the visual observation of the acquired photographic image of said license plate.