Nestor, Inc.

Nestor Traffic Systems, Inc.

Michael T Tinnemeier

Mark D Laird

Steven I Small

Michael T Glier

Randall T Sybel

Douglas L Reilly

Steven S Hsieh

Lalitha R Coimbatore

Greg D Johnson

A system and method for detecting and filtering non-violation events in a traffic light violation prediction and recording system, including at least one violation prediction image capturing device, such as a video camera, and a violation prediction unit. The prediction unit generates a prediction reflecting a probability that the vehicle will violate a red light phase of the traffic signal. A non-violation event filter determines whether the vehicle approaching the traffic signal is actually performing a non-violation action. Non-violation events may include a variety of actions performed by the vehicle, and are fully configurable to meet the needs and policies of various specific intersections and jurisdictions. When the non-violation event filter determines that the vehicle is performing a non-violation action, it causes some number of resources that may have been allocated to recording the non-violating vehicle, and/or prevents further resources from being allocated to such recording.

Traffic violation detection at an intersection employing a virtual violation line

A traffic sensor system for detecting and tracking vehicles is describede. A video camera is employed to obtain a video image of a section of a roadway. Motion is detected through changes in luminance and edges in frames of the video image. Predetermined sets of pixels (&ldquo;tiles&rdquo;) in the frames are designated to be in either an &ldquo;active&rdquo; state or an &ldquo;inactive&rdquo; state. A tile becomes active when the luminance or edge values of the pixels of the tile differ from the respective luminance or edge values of a corresponding tile in a reference frame in accordance with predetermined criteria. The tile becomes inactive when the luminance or edge values of the pixels of the tile do not differ from the corresponding reference frame tile in accordance with the is predetermined criteria. Shape and motion of groups of active tiles (&ldquo;quanta&rdquo;) are analyzed with software and a neural network to detect and track vehicles.

Traffic sensor

A system and method for detecting and filtering non-violation events in a traffic light violation prediction and recording system, including at least one violation prediction image capturing device, such as a video camera, and a violation prediction unit. The prediction unit generates a prediction reflecting a probability that the vehicle will violate a red light phase of the traffic signal. A non-violation event filter determines whether the vehicle approaching the traffic signal is actually performing a non-violation action. Non-violation events may include a variety of actions performed by the vehicle, and are fully configurable to meet the needs and policies of various specific intersections and jurisdictions. When the non-violation event filter determines that the vehicle is performing a non-violation action, resources that may have been allocated to recording the non-violating vehicle may be released, and a determination may be made that additional resources need not be allocated to such recording.

Non-violation event filtering for a traffic light violation detection system

A traffic light violation prediction and recording system, including at least one violation prediction video camera and a violation prediction unit. The violation prediction unit generates violation probability scores for vehicles approaching a traffic intersection based on attributes of those vehicles, such as position, current speed and acceleration. The violation probability scores are passed to a violation recording unit, which allocates violation recording resources, such as a violation video camera, to capture activities of one or more vehicles associated with relatively high violation probabilities. The violation recording unit determines a violation recording resource allocation schedule. If sufficient resources cannot be allocated to record all possible violations within a given time period, the violation recording unit may ignore a potential violation having a relatively low priority. In one embodiment, the violation recording resources include a number of video cameras, as well as one or more violation recorders capable of producing digital data files for storing video recordings of the violation as it occurred.

Traffic light violation prediction and recording system

A collision avoidance system and method for a traffic intersection having a traffic light, which selectively extends the duration of a red light cycle to prevent traffic from entering the intersection during a red light violation. Output from one or more violation prediction image capturing devices is used to provide images showing one or more vehicles approaching the intersection. A violation prediction unit, which is also coupled to a signal reflecting a current light phase of the first traffic signal, receives and processes vehicle location information derived from the images to generate violation predictions for the vehicles approaching the intersection. The violation prediction indicates a likelihood that an associated vehicle will violate an upcoming red light phase of the traffic signal. In response to the violation prediction, a violation predicted signal is provided to a traffic signal controlling traffic intersecting with the predicted violator. That traffic signal then preempts a transition to a green light phase, thus extending a current red traffic light phase and thereby preventing traffic from entering the intersection during the predicted red light violation.

Traffic light collision avoidance system

A system and method for integrating traffic light violation related vehicle information with court date scheduling information, which employs one or more digitized video recordings of alleged violations. The system provides end-to-end violation processing using the digitized video recordings of the event, and using vehicle database information, as may for example be provided from a department of motor vehicles (DMV) database. The system potentially also interfaces to a court date scheduling database, which includes indications of various available times at which hearings regarding traffic violations may be scheduled. A user interface may provide a display of one or more perspectives on the violation event, as well as access to the vehicle and court date scheduling database. An evaluator, for example a police officer, uses the interface to 1) view the recorded views of the event, 2) determine whether a citationable violation has occurred, 3) extract any necessary vehicle identification information from the recording, 4) obtain owner information regarding the vehicle from the vehicle database, based on the extracted vehicle identification, 5) generate a citation with regard to the violation, and 6) schedule a hearing date with regard to the violation in response to the available court dates in the court date database.

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Providence, RI, United States of America

Michael T Tinnemeier