Patent · US Expired

Vehicle detection through image processing for traffic surveillance and control

US4847772A · kind A · utility

448Cited by
6References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 17, 1987
Grant dateJul 11, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 17, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG08G1/00
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A vehicle detection system for providing data characteristic of traffic conditions includes a camera overlooking a roadway section for providing video signals representative of the field (traffic scene), and a digitizer for digitizing these signals and providing successive arrays of pixels (picture elements) characteristic of the field at successive points in space and time. A video monitor coupled to the camera provides a visual image of the field of view. Through use of a terminal and in conjunction with the monitor, an operator controls a formatter so as to select a subarray of pixels corresponding to specific sections in the field of view. A microprocessor then processes the intensity values representative of the selected portion of the field of view in accordance with spatial and/or temporal processing methods to generate data characteristic of the presence and passage of vehicles. This data can be utilized for real-time traffic surveillance and control, or stored in memory for subsequent processing and evaluation of traffic flow conditions.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.