GB2474515A - Message display system using number plate recognition - Google Patents

Abstract

An information system that displays message to vehicle drivers. The system comprises a display unit 20 and a camera 13 where the camera takes a plurality of images of the number plate. These images are transferred to an automatic number plate recognition engine, and matched to a stored number plate in a data store in order to identify the vehicle and driver. A message for the driver is then displayed on the display unit, with means for slowing down the vehicle as it approaches, which may be a raised surface or a set of cobbles 14 in the road. The slowing means may be situated such that it is easier for the camera to capture the image of the number plate. A control signal may be provided to a raisable entry/exit barrier 17. The display and camera may be housed within a sign 12. One intended use for the system is outside a vehicle workshop or garage.

Description

Motor vehicle servicing The invention relates to motor vehicle servicing and in particular customer information display systems for use by motor vehicle workshops and dealerships.

Since the development of mass vehicle manufacture, motor vehicle manufacturers and their authorised dealers have serviced vehicles to ensure that the vehicles remain operational and function efficiently. The service offered to vehicle owners has remained largely unchanged in this time, although different levels of service are offered. For a basic service, the vehicle owner will simply drive to the dealer or garage and then either wait for his vehicle to be serviced or leave it to be collected later depending on the length of time the service may require. Premium manufacturers will typically offer courtesy cars to their customers, which is generally reflected in higher servicing costs for their vehicles. It is also known for some garages or dealers to collect a car from the owner and to return it when the service is complete.

It is also generally known that for the first three years of a vehicle's life, owners will tend to have the vehicle services at the dealer from whom it was purchased but after this time, when typically the new vehicle warranty expires, customers start to use independent garages to service their vehicles.

As vehicles have become more sophisticated and reliable and competitive pressures increase on dealers, the income from servicing has decreased both due to reducing servicing costs due to vehicle design as well as the effect of competition on pricing.

Although the business of servicing vehicles has changed little over the years, there are practical problems in changing the service offered to customers as many dealerships are primarily configured as showrooms with the servicing workshop hidden behind the showroom. In addition to the importance of maintaining the appearance of the showroom, any changes to the premises would require planning consent, which can be time consuming and expensive.

There therefore exists a need to enhance the service offered to customers, in particular at the point at which the customer interacts with the workshop.

The present invention seeks to provide a workshop management system According to the invention there is provided a vehicle workshop information system comprising a display unit, a camera and a data processor, wherein the camera is adapted to recognise a numberplate on an approaching vehicle by taking a plurality of images of the numberplate and transferring these images to an automatic number plate recognition engine, wherein when said engine has recognised the numberplate, a datastore containing details of numberplates is interrogated to identify the approaching vehicle, wherein when the vehicle has been identified, a message for the driver of the vehicle is displayed on the display unit, the system further comprising means for slowing down the vehicle as it approaches the display unit.

Preferably, when a vehicle has been identified a control signal is provided to an entry or exit barrier so that the vehicle can enter or exit an appropriate area of the workshop site.

Preferably, the means for slowing down the vehicle comprising a raised surface in a road.

Preferably, at least part of said means for slowing down the vehicle is located outside the field of view of the camera on a path taken by the vehicle prior to entering the field of view of the camera. Preferably, the means for slowing the vehicle comprises at least one set of cobbles set into the road surface.

The system of the invention provides a workshop information system that automatically recognises an approaching vehicle so that information specific to the owner of vehicle can be displayed to the driver as he or she approaches the workshop such as where to drive to pick up a courtesy car or where the vehicle should be parked. The system provides for means to slow down an approaching driver so that the system has sufficient time to recognise the vehicle, select and display an approach message for the driver using visually unobtrusive means.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows schematically a layout for a dealership site Fig. 2 shows an entrance sign arrangement for a dealership site Figure 1 shows schematically a layout for a dealership site 10 situated off a public road 11.

The entrance to the dealership is marked by a sign 12 provided with a camera 13. The road from the public road 11 is provided with a cobbled surface 14 on at least the entrance side of the road. On the left hand side of the road 15, a number of visitor parking spaces 16 are provided. On the right hand side of the road 15, a raisable barrier 17 is provided to control access to further parking spaces, numbered 1 to 5, each of which further parking spaces 18 is provided with a detection coil 19.

Figure 2 shows a side view of the entrance sign 12 and camera 13 with the cobbled surface 14 visible on the road surface. The entrance sign is provided with a display 20 adapted to display messages to a passing driver. The camera is located at a height of about im to 1.3m above ground level and points at an angle of around 22° to the road surface. The camera 13 is part of an automated number plate recognition (ANPR) system and is adapted to read the number plate of a vehicle approaching the sign. The OCR part comprising a data processor with OCR software of the ANPR system is hidden within the body of the sign 12.

The positioning of the camera is not trivial: To function reliably, an ANPR system needs to have a minimum number of images to translate. As the camera cannot be placed at a height for aesthetic and planning reasons and has to be placed at the side of the road at an angle to the approaching number plate, the approaching vehicle will have a maximum speed in dependence on the angle of view of the camera and the shutter speed of the camera. If the vehicle passes through the angle of view covered by the camera too quickly, the ANPR software will not be able to reliably recognise the number plate. The camera will typically have a shutter speed of 1 ms and will typically require at least 15 images to be able to reliably recognise the number plate.

The cobbled surface 14 is provided to slow the driver down to a speed below the pre-determined speed so that there is sufficient time for the numberplate to be recognised and a message displayed. The cobbled surface also has the advantage that it is visually unobtrusive and does not detract from the surroundings and can enhance them.

When a driver approaches the entrance sign, the camera 13 reads the number plate and determines what it is. The data processor of the ANPR is able to communicate with the dealership databases and can match the numberplate with that of customers registered with the dealership. If the numberplate matches the numberplate of a customer who registered with the dealership, then a message will be displayed on the entrance sign display. This message may include a greeting with the customer's name such as "Good Morning, Mr Smith". The sign can then display a message advising the driver where he should proceed to. If the driver has selected a courtesy car or to wait in the lounge they will be directed towards one of the spaces 18 and the barrier will be raised by the dealer computer so that the driver can access the allocated space of the spaces 18. The allocated space will preferably be located next to the courtesy car for that driver. When the data processor of the ANPR communicates with the dealer database, it will alert a service team manager to be ready to receive the driver, so that when the driver parks in the allocated space, the team manager can sign the car in and perform any appropriate wireless checks of the vehicle diagnostic system and if a courtesy car has been requested it will then be handed over to the customer.

The process of reading and recognising the numberplate and interrogating the dealer database to select the appropriate message and then displaying the message requires a pre-determinable time. The cobbles are provided so that the approaching vehicle is slowed down sufficiently that the system of the invention has sufficient time for the vehicle number plate to be recognised and the appropriate message displayed whilst giving the driver of the vehicle sufficient time to react to the message.

Each of the allocated spaces 18 is provided with a detection coil 19, which detects if there is a vehicle parked in that space. In the event that when a driver approaches the entrance sign and there are no free spaces among the parking spaces 18, then the entrance sign can direct the driver to the visitor parking spaces and alert a service technician to be there to receive the customer.

The system of the invention has the advantage that the processing of the service is faster and more reliable than in the standard service systems.

Claims (7)

1. Claims 1. A vehicle workshop information system comprising a display unit, a camera and a data processor, wherein the camera is adapted to recognise a numberplate on an approaching vehicle by taking a plurality of images of the numberplate and transferring these images to an automatic number plate recognition engine, wherein when said engine has recognised the numberplate, a datastore containing details of numberplates is interrogated to identify the approaching vehicle, wherein when the vehicle has been identified, a message for the driver of the vehicle is displayed on the display unit, the system further comprising means for slowing down the vehicle as it approaches the display unit.
2. 2. A vehicle workshop information system according to Claim 1, wherein when a vehicle has been identified a control signal is provided to an entry or exit barrier.
3. 3. A vehicle workshop information system according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the means for slowing down the vehicle comprising a raised surface in a road.
4. 4. A vehicle workshop information system according to Claim 3, wherein at least part of said means for slowing down the vehicle is located outside the field of view of the camera on a path taken by the vehicle prior to entering the field of view of the camera.
5. 5. A vehicle workshop information system according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the means for slowing the vehicle comprises at least one set of cobbles set into the road surface.
6. 6. A vehicle workshop information system according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the display unit is housed within a vehicle dealership sign.
7. 7. A vehicle workshop information system according to Claim 6, wherein the camera is housed within the vehicle dealership sign.