System for simultaneously imaging vehicles and their license plates
US6650765B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 11, 2000 |
| Grant date | Nov 18, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 11, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG08G1/0175
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A vehicle video imaging system comprises a white-light LED array for illuminating retro-reflective painted parts of a vehicle's license plate, a powerful flash with a visual spectrum cutout filter and a polarizing filter for illuminating any non-retro-reflective license plate paint and the vehicle itself. A video camera with a polarizing filter turned 90° relative to the one in front of the flash receives the illuminated image of the vehicle and its license plate. The retro-reflective paint of a license plate will return polarized light as it is received, so the white-light LED array will provide all the illumination needed by the camera to get a good high-contrast picture of the license plate. The polarizing filters will combine to block out most of the light from the flash that was returned still-polarized by the retro-reflective-paint license plate. All other surfaces that do not have retro-reflective paint will bounce-back and scatter the light from both the polarized flash and non-polarized light.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.