Procedure and system for recording parking violations

Abstract

A method for detecting parking violations associated with a vehicle (5), the method being implemented using a system (1) arranged in the vehicle (5), the vehicle (5) comprising a motor unit (51), the system (1) comprising a processor (14) and an image recording unit (11) for recording images of an environment of the vehicle (5) in at least one direction, the method being characterized by the following steps: Controlling the image recording unit (11) by the processor (14) so ​​that it continuously records images of the surroundings of the vehicle (5); Determining, by the processor (14), whether the vehicle (5) enters a stationary state; when it is determined that the vehicle (5) is in a stationary state, performing, by the processor (14), an image processing method on at least one of the images captured by the image capture unit (11); Determining, by the processor (14), whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met, wherein the violation condition indicates a parking violation of the vehicle (5); and if it is determined that the violation condition is met, generating, by the processor (14), an alarm for output, wherein the step of performing an image processing method comprises performing the image processing method on at least one image of the surroundings on a lateral side of the vehicle (5); and in the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met, the violation condition is that a vehicle is detected in a stationary state on the lateral side of the vehicle (5) in the at least one image of the surroundings on the one lateral side of the vehicle (5).

Description

[0001] The disclosure relates to a method and system for detecting parking violations.

[0002] Various traffic rules are expected to be observed by all road users, including drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Violations of traffic rules (e.g., a violation while moving) can cause inconvenience to other road users. In some cases, traffic flow on the road may be disrupted due to violations of traffic rules. Conventionally, automatic detection of certain types of traffic violations (e.g., speeding, running a red light, illegally changing lanes, etc.) is implemented on some roads, and some vehicles are equipped with automatic systems for automatically detecting such types of traffic violations.

[0003] KR 10 2011 0 090 036 A discloses a device for indicating illegal parking and a method therefor using a camera.

[0004] DE 10 2018 107 709 A1 discloses a system and a method for parking violation risk management.

[0005] DE 10 2015 225 413 A1 discloses a method for detecting illegally parked vehicles.

[0006] DE 10 2016 011 072 A1 discloses a method for operating a motor vehicle.

[0007] Parking violations are one of the most common forms of traffic violations. Common parking violations include parking in prohibited zones (marked by a red or yellow line on the side of the road) or double parking (parking parallel to another vehicle parked on the side of the road).

[0008] It is an object of the disclosure to provide a method capable of automatically detecting a parking violation of a vehicle.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the method is implemented using a system arranged in the vehicle. The vehicle includes an engine unit, the system comprising a processor and an image capture unit for capturing images of the vehicle's surroundings in directions outward from the vehicle. The method comprises the following steps: Controlling the image recording unit by the processor so that it continuously records images of the surroundings of the vehicle;

[0010] Determining, by the processor, whether the vehicle is in a stationary state; when it is determined that the vehicle is in a stationary state, performing, by the processor, an image processing method on at least one of the images captured by the image capturing unit;

[0011] Determining, by the processor, whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met, wherein the violation condition indicates a parking violation of the vehicle; and if it is determined that the violation condition is met, generating, by the processor, an alarm for output, wherein the step of performing an image processing method comprises performing the image processing method on at least one image of the surroundings on a lateral side of the vehicle; and in the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met, the violation condition is that a vehicle is detected in a stationary state on the lateral side of the vehicle in the at least one image of the environment on the one lateral side of the vehicle.

[0012] Another procedure includes the following steps: Controlling the image recording unit by the processor so that it continuously records images of the surroundings of the vehicle; Determining, by the processor, whether the vehicle is in a stationary state; when it is determined that the vehicle is in a stationary state, performing, by the processor, an image processing method on at least one of the images captured by the image capturing unit;

[0013] Determining, by the processor, whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met, wherein the violation condition indicates a parking violation of the vehicle; and if it is determined that the violation condition is met, generating, by the processor, an alarm for output, wherein the vehicle (5) comprises an engine unit (51) and a transmission, the method being further characterized by the following steps: when it is determined that the vehicle (5) is in a stationary state, determining whether the engine unit (51) of the vehicle (5) remains in an activated state and the transmission of the vehicle (5) is switched to either a parking mode or a neutral mode; Implementing the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met only when it is determined that the motor unit (51) remains in the activated state and the transmission is switched to either the park mode or the neutral mode, wherein the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met comprises: Determining whether a reference vehicle (5) moving in a direction that is the same direction in which the vehicle (5) is facing is detected in the plurality of images on a front side or a lateral side of the vehicle (5); if it is determined that a reference vehicle (5) is detected, determining whether a roadside red line on the other lateral side of the vehicle (5) is detected in the plurality of images, and if the same is detected, determining that the violation condition is met.

[0014] Another object of the disclosure is to provide a system capable of implementing the methods described above.

[0015] Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating components of a system for detecting parking violations according to an embodiment of the disclosure; Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method for detecting parking violations according to an embodiment of the disclosure; Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary implementation of determining whether a violation condition is met, according to an embodiment of the disclosure; and Fig. 4 illustrates an environment comprising a number of lanes of a road.

[0016] Before describing the disclosure in more detail, it should be noted that, where considered appropriate, reference numerals or terminal portions of reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements that may optionally have similar characteristics.

[0017] Throughout the disclosure, the term "electrically connecting" may refer to a connection between two or more pieces of electronic equipment / devices / components via an electrically conductive material (which may be referred to as a direct electrical connection), a connection between two or more pieces of electronic equipment / devices / components via one or more other pieces of electronic equipment / devices / components (which may be referred to as an indirect electrical connection), or a connection between two or more pieces of electronic equipment / devices / components using wireless technology.

[0018] Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating components of a system 1 for detecting parking violations associated with a vehicle 5 according to an embodiment of the disclosure. A parking violation may, for example, be the vehicle 5 being parked in a prohibited zone or the vehicle 5 being parked in an unauthorized manner.

[0019] The vehicle 5 can be a sedan in this embodiment, but in other embodiments it can also be a different vehicle shape.

[0020] The vehicle 5 includes an engine unit 51, a transmission 52, and a parking brake 53. It should be noted that the vehicle 5 may include additional components generally found in a typical vehicle (e.g., wheels, steering wheel, etc.) and which are omitted herein for brevity.

[0021] The motor unit 51 may be embodied using a heat engine, an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, or other forms of motors. The motor unit 51 may be controlled by a user (e.g., a driver) to switch between an activated state and a deactivated state. In use, the user may operate a key or press a switch button to switch the motor unit 51 between the activated state and the deactivated state. In the activated state, the motor unit 51 is activated and is effective to generate mechanical energy to actuate the vehicle 5, which can be actuated by the user to move it (forward or backward). In the deactivated state, the motor unit 51 is deactivated and does not operate.(The motor unit 51 is deactivated and does not operate to bring the vehicle into a stationary state.).

[0022] The transmission 52 can be controlled by the user (e.g., using a selector lever or a shift stick) to operate in one of several transmission modes. In various embodiments, the transmission modes can include a park mode (indicated on the selector lever by the letter "P"), a neutral (no gear) mode (indicated on the selector lever by the letter "N"), a drive mode (indicated on the selector lever by the letter "D"), a reverse mode (indicated on the selector lever by the letter "R"), a first gear mode (indicated on the selector lever by the letter "L" or a number "1"), a second gear mode (indicated on the selector lever by a number "2"), etc.

[0023] The parking brake 53 can be actuated by the user (e.g., with a shift lever, a pedal, or a push button) to switch between a disengaged and an engaged state. In the engaged state, the wheels of the vehicle 5 are prevented from moving. In the disengaged state, the wheels of the vehicle 5 are permitted to move.

[0024] In some embodiments, the system 1 is installed in the vehicle 5 during manufacture, but may also be an external system that is installed in the vehicle 5 after the vehicle 5 is manufactured.

[0025] The system 1 comprises an image acquisition unit 11, a data storage unit 12, an output unit 13, and a processor 14 electrically connected to the image acquisition unit 11, the data storage unit 12, and the output unit 13. The processor 14 is further electrically connected to components of the vehicle 5, such as the engine unit 51, the transmission 52, and the parking brake 53.

[0026] The image capture unit 11 may be embodied using a driving video recorder (DVR) with a wide-angle lens capable of covering an angle of at least 120 degrees, and may be disposed within the vehicle 5 and facing outward from the vehicle 5 to capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle 5 in directions outward from the vehicle 5. In some embodiments, the image capture unit 11 may include multiple DVRs facing in different directions and may therefore be capable of covering all directions of the surroundings of the vehicle 5. In some embodiments, the image capture unit 11 may be embodied using other types of digital image capture devices capable of capturing images, for example, a still camera with a continuous shooting function (also known as burst mode) to quickly capture a plurality of images in succession.

[0027] Data storage 12 may be embodied using flash memory, a hard disk, a solid-state disk (SSD), or other types of non-volatile storage media. Data storage 12 stores a software application and a neural network model for dynamic image identification. The software application includes instructions that, when executed by processor 14, cause processor 14 to perform a number of functions, as described in the following paragraphs. In this embodiment, data storage 12 further stores a digital mapping system.

[0028] The neural network model for dynamic image identification can be trained using Mask R-CNN (region-based convolutional neural networks) and a number of images containing vehicles and road lines. In other embodiments, the neural network model for dynamic image identification can be trained using R-CNN, Fast R-CNN, Faster R-CNN, You Only Look Once (YOLO), etc.

[0029] The output unit 13 may be embodied using a touchscreen with a speaker. In some embodiments, the touchscreen and speaker may be integrated as a single device, for example, in the DVR.

[0030] The processor 14 may include, but is not limited to, a single-core processor, a multi-core processor, a mobile dual-core processor, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), etc.

[0031] In this embodiment, the system 1 may further comprise a positioning device 15, which may be embodied using a Global Positioning System (GPS) device for obtaining a geographical position of the vehicle 5.

[0032] In this embodiment, the system 1 may further include a communication component 16, which may include a short-range wireless communication module supporting a short-range wireless communication network using Bluetooth® and / or Wi-Fi wireless technology, etc., and a mobile communication module supporting telecommunications using Long-Term Evolution (LTE), third generation (3G) and / or fourth generation (4G) wireless mobile telecommunications technology and / or the like.

[0033] Fig. Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method for detecting parking violations associated with a vehicle according to an embodiment of the disclosure. In this embodiment, the method is implemented by the system 1, which is configured as shown in Fig. 1 is arranged on the vehicle 5. In use, the processor 14 may be configured to execute the software application stored in the data store 12, causing the processor 14 to perform the following operations.

[0034] More specifically, after the engine unit 51 of the vehicle 5 is switched to the activated state, the processor 14 controls the image capture unit 11 to continuously capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle 5. It is noted that in some embodiments, the image capture unit 11 can be controlled to continuously capture images regardless of the state of the vehicle.

[0035] Next, at step S1, the processor 14 determines whether the vehicle 5 enters the stationary state. In particular, the processor 14 may be electrically connected to a speedometer of the vehicle 5 (not shown in the drawings) to obtain information about the speed of the vehicle 5 (e.g., a speed value). If the speed value is zero, the processor 14 determines that the vehicle 5 is in the stationary state. In some embodiments, the processor may further detect whether the motor unit 51 is switched to the activated state to determine whether the vehicle 5 is in the stationary state.

[0036] If the determination of step S1 is positive, the process proceeds to step S2. Otherwise, the processor 14 may repeat step S1 after a preset period of time has elapsed. In some embodiments, the preset period of time may be set to the range of milliseconds or microseconds, depending on the capabilities of the processor 14.

[0037] It is noted that in some embodiments, the processor 14 is configured to determine whether the vehicle 5 switches from the moving to the stationary state (e.g., by determining whether the speed of the vehicle 5 changes from non-zero to zero).

[0038] At step S2, processor 14 detects or determines actions of vehicle 5 performed by the driver and determines whether a first action or a second action is performed within a preset period of time. In this embodiment, the preset period is two minutes.

[0039] Specifically, the first operation involves switching the engine unit 51 of the vehicle 5 from the activated state to the deactivated state (which may indicate that the vehicle 5 is parked and the driver may exit the vehicle 5). The second operation involves switching the engine unit 51 of the vehicle 5 in the activated state and shifting the transmission 52 of the vehicle 5 into the parking "P" mode or the neutral "N" mode (which may indicate that the vehicle 5 is "stationary," meaning that the engine unit 51 is still running at idle speed and the vehicle 5 may soon be set in motion).

[0040] If it is determined at step S2 that the first operation is being performed, the flow proceeds to step S3. If it is determined at step S2 that the second operation is being performed, the flow proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, if neither the first nor the second operation is performed during the preset period, the flow returns to step S1.

[0041] At step S3, the processor 14 performs an image processing process on at least one of the images captured by the image capture unit 11. Specifically, the processor 14 may obtain the images captured by the image capture unit 11 after step S2 is performed (the images may be extracted from a video recorded by the DVR and stored in the data storage 12) and proceed to perform dynamic object identification to identify objects in the images using the dynamic image identification neural network model. In this embodiment, the image capture unit 11 may capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle 5 in different directions, thereby covering a left front side of the vehicle 5, a front side of the vehicle 5, and a right front side of the vehicle 5.In embodiments, dynamic object identification may be performed with respect to different portions of the captured images. For example, in this embodiment, dynamic object identification may be performed with respect to images of the environment on a lateral side of the vehicle, i.e., on the side of a passenger seat (hereinafter referred to as the "passenger side"). It is noted that due to the location of the driver's seat and the passenger seat on different lateral sides of the vehicle in different geological regions of the world, dynamic object identification may be performed with respect to different portions of the images, depending on the geological region in which this method is performed.

[0042] At step S4, the processor 14 determines in a first mode of operation whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a first violation condition is met.

[0043] Specifically, the first violation condition indicates a parking violation by vehicle 5. The first violation condition is that a curbside yellow line or a curbside red line is detected in the image of the passenger side of vehicle 5. This may indicate that the driver intends to park the vehicle in an area where parking is prohibited.

[0044] If the determination at step S4 is affirmative, the flow proceeds to step S5. Otherwise, the flow proceeds to step S10.

[0045] At step S5, the processor 14 generates an alarm and controls the output unit 13 to issue an alarm. More specifically, the alarm may include a text message, which may be displayed by the output unit 13, or a voice message, which may be audibly output by the output unit 13, to alert the driver of a parking violation. The text message or voice message may, for example, state, "A current parking location does not comply with traffic regulations; please drive the vehicle to a legal parking space." Additionally, the processor 14 may generate a violation record associated with the alarm and store the violation record in the data storage unit 12. The violation record may include a time associated with the alarm, a code indicating the type of violation, etc. The process then proceeds to step S9.

[0046] In step S6, the processor 14 performs an image processing method on at least one of the images captured by the image capture unit 11. More specifically, the processor 14 may obtain the images captured by the image capture unit 11 after performing step S2 and proceed to perform dynamic object identification to identify objects in the images using the neural network model for dynamic image identification. In embodiments, the dynamic object identification may be performed with respect to different portions of the captured images. In this embodiment, the dynamic object identification is performed with respect to images of the surroundings on the passenger side of the vehicle 5 and the driver side of the vehicle 5 in a manner similar to step S3.

[0047] At step S7, the processor 14 determines in a second mode whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a second violation condition or a third violation condition is met. If the determination at step S7 is affirmative, the flow proceeds to step S8. Otherwise, the flow proceeds to step S10.

[0048] In particular, the second and third violation conditions each indicate a stopping violation of the vehicle 5. The second violation condition is as follows: in the plurality of images, a reference vehicle moving in a direction parallel to a direction in which the vehicle 5 is facing (hereinafter referred to as the "forward direction") is detected on a front or lateral side of the vehicle 5, and in the images, a roadside red line is detected on the other side of the vehicle 5. Fig. For example, Figure 4 illustrates an environment in which vehicle 5 may be located on a one-way lane of a road, the reference vehicle may be a vehicle moving on a one-way lane that is the same as vehicle 5 (denoted by 54) or on an adjacent one-way lane in the same direction (denoted by 55). In the case of Taiwan, the adjacent one-way lane may be on the left side of vehicle 5, and the roadside red line may be on the right side of vehicle 5. A vehicle 56 moving in a direction opposite to vehicle 5 is not considered when determining a violation.

[0049] The third violation condition is that in the majority of the images, a reference vehicle moving in the forward direction is detected on one side of the vehicle 5 and in the images, a vehicle in a stationary state is detected on the other side of the vehicle 5.

[0050] Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary implementation of step S7, including substeps S71 to S73, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0051] In sub-step S71, the processor 14 determines from the images of the surroundings on the driver's side of the vehicle 5 whether a reference vehicle moving in the forward direction is detected in the plurality of images of the surroundings on the driver's side of the vehicle 5. It is noted that in other embodiments, the processor 14 may determine from the images of the surroundings on the other sides of the vehicle 5 whether a reference vehicle moving in the forward direction is detected in the plurality of images of the surroundings on the other sides of the vehicle 5.

[0052] If such a reference vehicle is not detected, it can be concluded that the vehicle 5 is in the stationary state for other reasons (e.g., due to a traffic light or traffic congestion, and as a result, other vehicles are also in the stationary state), and the flow proceeds to step S10. Otherwise (i.e., a reference vehicle moving in the forward direction is detected), it can be determined that the vehicle 5 is stationary, and the flow proceeds to sub-step S72.

[0053] At sub-step S72, processor 14 determines whether a roadside red line on the passenger side of vehicle 5 is detected in the images. If the determination in sub-step S72 is affirmative, it can be determined that the second violation condition is met (ie, vehicle 5 is in a prohibition zone), and the flow proceeds to step S8. Otherwise, the flow proceeds to sub-step S73.

[0054] At sub-step S73, the processor 14 determines whether the images detect a vehicle in a stationary state on the passenger side of the vehicle 5. In the case of Taiwan, the passenger side may be on the right side of the vehicle 5.

[0055] If the determination made in sub-step S73 is affirmative, it can be determined that the third violation condition is met (ie, the vehicle 5 is in a state of double-parking parallel to another vehicle, which is an unauthorized parking type), and the flow proceeds to step S8. Otherwise, the flow proceeds to step S10.

[0056] At step S8, the processor 14 generates an alarm and controls the output unit 13 to output the alarm. Specifically, the alarm may include a text message, which may be displayed by the output unit 13, or a voice message, which may be audibly output by the output unit 13, to alert the driver of the parking violation. The text message or voice message may, for example, state, "A current parking location does not comply with traffic regulations; please drive the vehicle to a legal parking space." Furthermore, the processor 14 may generate a violation record associated with the alarm and store the violation record in the data storage unit 12. The violation record may include a time associated with the alarm, a code indicating the type of violation, etc. The flow then proceeds to step S9.

[0057] At step S9, the processor 14 obtains map information from the digital map system, generates a suggested route from a current geographical position of the vehicle 5 to a legal parking space according to the map information, and controls the output unit 13 to output the suggested route.

[0058] Specifically, in this embodiment, the digital map system is stored in the data storage 12 or, in other embodiments, can be downloaded from the Internet using the communication component 16. The map information can include a list of legal parking spaces and road sections, and the processor 14 can determine one of the legal parking spaces or road sections that is closest to the current geographical position of the vehicle 5 and generate the suggested route accordingly. The processor 14 can then control the output unit 13 to display a map with the suggested route.

[0059] At step S10, the processor 14 stores the images captured by the image capture unit 11 in the data storage 12. In this embodiment, the processor 14 stores the video recorded by the DVR in the data storage 12. Based on a capacity of the data storage 12, the stored images may be stored in the data storage 12 for a preset period of time (e.g., 60 days) before being deleted. In this way, the recorded images / videos may be useful for providing evidence in cases where the owner of the vehicle 5 has been erroneously issued a traffic ticket. It is noted that in some embodiments, the images captured by the image capture unit 11 may be uploaded to a cloud server for storage using the communication component 16.

[0060] In some embodiments, the one or more injury records stored in data store 12 may be uploaded periodically (e.g., every 10 days or once per month) to an insurance server associated with a usage-based insurance (UBI) entity. A vehicle insurance premium for vehicle 5 may be determined or dynamically adjusted based on the one or more injury records.In some embodiments, the processor 14 may further process the one or more violation records to calculate a set of violation statistics including one or more occurrences of times the vehicle 5 was parked during a 10-day or one-month period, a number of times the vehicle 5 was stationary during the period, a number of parking violations during the period, a number of stopping violations during the period, a rate of parking violations during the period (the number of parking violations divided by the number of times the vehicle 5 was parked), and a rate of stopping violations during the period (the number of stopping violations divided by the number of times the vehicle 5 was stationary).

[0061] In some embodiments, the determination of whether the vehicle 5 is parked or stopped in a prohibited zone or in an unauthorized manner may be made by the processor 14, which receives the current geographical location of the vehicle 5 from the positioning device 15, obtains the list of legal parking spaces and road sections from the map information, and determines whether the vehicle 5 is parked or stopped in one of the legal parking spaces or road sections.

[0062] According to one embodiment of the disclosure, in the method for detecting parking violations, the processor 14 may be further configured to perform the following steps.

[0063] If the determination of step S1 is affirmative, the processor 14 records an operation log relating to a plurality of manual operations performed on the transmission 52 and the parking brake 53.

[0064] Thereafter, the processor 14 determines a sequence of operations based on the operation log (hereinafter referred to as “driver operation sequence”).

[0065] Subsequently, the processor 14 compares the driver operation sequence and a preset sequence. It is determined that the preset sequence may be a sequence recommended by the manufacturer of the vehicle 5 while the vehicle 5 is parked to ensure that the service life and performance of the vehicle 5 are not adversely affected by inappropriate user operation.

[0066] As an example, the default sequence includes the following operations in the specified order: i. Shifting the transmission 52 into neutral “N” mode; ii. Switching the parking brake 53 to the disengaged state; and iii. Shifting the transmission 52 from the neutral mode “N” to the parking mode “P”.

[0067] In this embodiment, when it is determined that the driver operation sequence does not match the preset sequence (e.g., shifting the transmission 52 directly into Park mode), the processor 14 may generate a notification (which may include a text message and / or an audible notification) and control the output unit 13 to output the notification. In some examples, the processor 14 may control the output unit 13 to further output the preset sequence in the form of a text message and / or a voice message.

[0068] In some examples, the processor 14 may further control the communication component 16 to upload the transaction log to the insurance server.

[0069] According to one embodiment of the disclosure, processor 14 may send the images captured by image capture unit 11 to an image identification server (not shown in the drawings) via communication component 16. The image identification server may store the software application and neural network model for dynamic image identification as described above.

[0070] In this case, the operations of steps S3 and S6 may be performed by the image identification server, and a result thereof may be sent back to the system 1 for further processing.

[0071] In embodiments, the determination of whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met may include additional conditions to comply with the regulations of different countries.

[0072] In one embodiment, the image processing method further determines whether a parking sign is detected at step S3. If the parking sign is detected, processor 14 may further detect text characters on the parking sign to identify a text message on the parking sign (or traffic sign).

[0073] In one embodiment, the image processing method further determines whether a curb painted with a particular color is detected in the at least one image of the environment.

[0074] At step S4, the processor 14 in the first mode of operation determines whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a first violation condition is met.

[0075] Specifically, the first violation condition indicates a parking violation by vehicle 5. The first violation condition is that the text message indicates a no-parking zone that currently prohibits parking.

[0076] More specifically, when words such as "no parking" or "towing" are detected, processor 14 may determine that the first violation condition is met. In some cases, words may be detected indicating that parking is permitted during certain times up to a certain duration (e.g., 2-hour parking, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mon-Fri) or prohibited during certain times (e.g., no parking, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mon-Wed Fri-Sat), and processor 14 may further determine whether the first violation condition is met according to a current time obtained from a clock component (which may be embodied by a real-time clock (RTC) module).

[0077] In some examples, the specific colors of the curb indicate different parking regulations. In one example, red indicates that parking is prohibited; white indicates that the driver must remain in the vehicle to pick up a passenger; yellow indicates that the zone is used for loading cargo during certain periods (e.g., daytime) and parking is permitted during others (e.g., nighttime); green indicates that parking is permitted for a limited period (e.g., 2 hours); and blue indicates that the area is reserved for vehicles with special permits or licenses.

[0078] It is noted that different regulations may apply in different countries, and the corresponding regulations may be stored in advance in the data storage 12.

[0079] Consequently, the processor 14 may further utilize the color of the curb, the current time, and the current geographic location of the vehicle 5 in determining whether the first violation condition is met.

[0080] At step S7, the processor 14 in the second mode determines whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a second violation condition is met.

[0081] More specifically, the second violation condition indicates a stopping violation by vehicle 5. The second violation condition is that the text message indicates a no-stopping zone that currently prohibits stopping.

[0082] More specifically, when words such as "no parking" or "towing" are detected, processor 14 may determine that the second violation condition is met. In some cases, words may be detected indicating that parking is permitted during certain times up to a certain duration (e.g., 2-hour parking, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mon-Fri) or prohibited during certain times (e.g., no parking, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mon-Wed Fri-Sat), and processor 14 may further determine whether the second violation condition is met based on the current time.

[0083] Additionally, in determining whether the first violation condition is met, the processor 14 may further utilize the color of the curb, the current time, and the current geographic location of the vehicle 5 as described above.

[0084] In summary, embodiments of the disclosure provide a method and system 1 for detecting parking violations associated with a vehicle. In the method, the processor 14 determines whether the vehicle 5 is in the stationary state and, if the determination is affirmative, performs an image processing procedure on at least one of the images captured by the image capture unit and determines whether a result of the image processing procedure indicates that a violation condition is met, indicating that the vehicle has been stopped in a prohibited zone or unauthorized. If the violation condition is met, the processor 14 generates an alarm and controls the output unit 13 to output the alarm to notify the driver of a parking violation, i.e., that the vehicle 5 is parked or stopped in a prohibited zone or unauthorized.

[0085] In the embodiments, the processor 14 determines whether the vehicle 5 is in the parked state or stopped, and assumes different conditions to determine whether the vehicle is stopped in a prohibited zone or in an unauthorized manner.

[0086] In some embodiments, the processor 14 further generates a suggested route to suggest to the driver of the vehicle 5 that the vehicle 5 drive to a legal parking space or road section.

[0087] In the above description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details were set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be understood that throughout this application, reference to "one embodiment," an embodiment by designation, and so forth, means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is incorporated into the practice of the disclosure.It should also be noted that in the description, various features are occasionally grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of simplifying the disclosure and promoting understanding of various aspects of the invention, and that one or more features or specific details of one embodiment may be practiced together with one or more features or specific details of another embodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure.

Claims

[1] A method for detecting parking violations associated with a vehicle (5), the method being implemented using a system (1) arranged in the vehicle (5), the vehicle (5) comprising a motor unit (51), the system (1) comprising a processor (14) and an image recording unit (11) for recording images of an environment of the vehicle (5) in at least one direction, the method being characterized by the following steps: Controlling the image recording unit (11) by the processor (14) so ​​that it continuously records images of the surroundings of the vehicle (5); Determining, by the processor (14), whether the vehicle (5) enters a stationary state; when it is determined that the vehicle (5) is in a stationary state, performing, by the processor (14), an image processing method on at least one of the images captured by the image capture unit (11); Determining, by the processor (14), whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met, wherein the violation condition indicates a parking violation of the vehicle (5); and if it is determined that the violation condition is met, generating, by the processor (14), an alarm for output, wherein the step of performing an image processing method comprises performing the image processing method on at least one image of the surroundings on a lateral side of the vehicle (5); and in the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met, the violation condition is that a vehicle is detected in a stationary state on the lateral side of the vehicle (5) in the at least one image of the surroundings on the one lateral side of the vehicle (5). [2] A method for detecting parking violations associated with a vehicle (5), the method being implemented using a system (1) arranged in the vehicle (5), the vehicle (5) comprising a motor unit (51), the system (1) comprising a processor (14) and an image recording unit (11) for recording images of an environment of the vehicle (5) in at least one direction, the method being characterized by the following steps: Controlling the image recording unit (11) by the processor (14) so ​​that it continuously records images of the surroundings of the vehicle (5); Determining, by the processor (14), whether the vehicle (5) enters a stationary state; when it is determined that the vehicle (5) is in a stationary state, performing, by the processor (14), an image processing method on at least one of the images captured by the image capture unit (11); Determining, by the processor (14), whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met, wherein the violation condition indicates a parking violation of the vehicle (5); and if it is determined that the violation condition is met, generating, by the processor (14), an alarm for output, wherein the vehicle (5) comprises an engine unit (51) and a transmission, the method being further characterized by the following steps: when it is determined that the vehicle (5) is in a stationary state, determining whether the engine unit (51) of the vehicle (5) remains in an activated state and the transmission of the vehicle (5) is switched to either a parking mode or a neutral mode; Implementing the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met only when it is determined that the motor unit (51) remains in the activated state and the transmission is switched to either the park mode or the neutral mode, wherein the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met comprises: Determining whether a reference vehicle (5) moving in a direction that is the same direction in which the vehicle (5) is facing is detected in the plurality of images on a front side or a lateral side of the vehicle (5); if it is determined that a reference vehicle (5) is detected, determining whether a roadside red line on the other lateral side of the vehicle (5) is detected in the plurality of images, and if the same is detected, determining that the violation condition is met. [3] The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that: the step of performing an image processing method comprises performing the image processing method on at least one image of the surroundings on a lateral side of the vehicle (5); and in the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met, the violation condition is that either a roadside yellow line or a roadside red line is detected in the at least one image of the surroundings on a lateral side of the vehicle (5). [4] The method according to claim 2, characterized by , that: the step of performing an image processing method comprises performing the image processing method on at least one image of the surroundings on a lateral side of the vehicle (5); and in the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met, the violation condition is that either a roadside red line or a vehicle in a stationary state on the lateral side of the vehicle (5) is detected in the at least one image of the surroundings on the one lateral side of the vehicle (5). [5] The method according to claim 1 or 4, characterized by , that: the step of performing an image processing method further comprises performing the image processing method on a plurality of images of the surroundings on a front side of the vehicle (5) and a plurality of images of the surroundings on the other lateral side of the vehicle (5); and in the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is satisfied, the violation condition further comprises that a reference vehicle moving in a direction parallel to a direction in which the vehicle (5) is pointed is detected in the plurality of images of the surroundings on the front or the other lateral side of the vehicle (5). [6] The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle (5) comprises an engine unit (51) and a transmission, the method being further characterized by the following steps: when it is determined that the vehicle (5) is in a stationary state, determining whether the engine unit (51) of the vehicle (5) is switched from an activated state to a deactivated state; and Implementing the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is satisfied only when it is determined that the motor unit (51) is switched from the activated state to the deactivated state, the violation condition being that either a roadside yellow line or a roadside red line is detected in the at least one of the images. [7] The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle (5) comprises an engine unit (51) and a transmission, the method being further characterized by the following steps: when it is determined that the vehicle (5) is in a stationary state, determining whether the engine unit (51) of the vehicle (5) remains in an activated state and the transmission of the vehicle (5) is switched to either a parking mode or a neutral mode; Implementing the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met only when it is determined that the motor unit (51) remains in the activated state and the transmission is shifted into either the park mode or the neutral mode. [8] The method according to claim 7, characterized by that the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met comprises: Determining whether a reference vehicle (5) moving in a direction that is the same direction in which the vehicle (5) is facing is detected in the plurality of images on a front side or a lateral side of the vehicle (5); if it is determined that a reference vehicle (5) is detected, determining whether a roadside red line on the other lateral side of the vehicle (5) is detected in the plurality of images, and if the same is detected, determining that the violation condition is met. [9] The method according to claim 2 or 8, characterized by that the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met comprises: when it is determined that a roadside line is not detected, determining whether a vehicle (5) in the stationary state on the other lateral side of the vehicle (5) is detected in the plurality of images, and when the same is detected, determining that the violation condition is satisfied. [10] The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the system (1) further comprises an output unit (13), characterized bythat the step of generating an alarm comprises: Generating a message associated with the alarm; and Controlling the output unit (13) so that it outputs the message acoustically. [11] The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the system (1) further comprises a data store (12), the method being further characterized by the following steps: Creating an injury record associated with the alarm; and Storing the injury data record in the data storage (12). [12] The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle (5) has a switch housing (52) and a parking brake (53), the method being further characterized by the following steps: Recording, by the processor (14), an operation log relating to a plurality of manual operations performed by a driver of the vehicle (5) on the transmission (52) and the parking brake; Determining, by the processor (14), a driver operation sequence based on the operation log; Comparing, by the processor (14), the driver operation sequence and a preset sequence; and when it is determined that the driver operation sequence does not match the preset sequence, generating a notification and controlling the output unit to output the notification. [13] The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the system (1) further comprises an output unit (13) and a positioning device (15) for obtaining a geographical position of the vehicle (5), the method being further characterized by the following steps: if it is determined that the result of the image processing method indicates that the violation condition is met, obtaining map information from a digital map system (1) by the processor (14); Generating a suggested route from the geographical position of the vehicle (5) to a legal parking space based on the map information; and Controlling the output unit (13) so that it outputs the suggested route. [14] The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the system (1) further comprises a data memory (12), the method being further characterized by the following step: if it is determined that the result of the image processing method indicates that the violation condition is not met, storing the images captured by the image capturing unit (11) in the data memory (12). [15] The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the system (1) further comprises a data memory (12), the method being further characterized by the following step: if it is determined that the result of the image processing method indicates that the violation condition is met, generating a violation record associated with the alarm by the processor (14); periodically processing the injury data set to calculate a set of injury statistics; and Uploading the set of injury statistics to an insurance server belonging to a usage-based insurance (UBI) institution. [16] The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by in that the step of performing an image processing method comprises performing the image processing method on at least one image of the surroundings on either a front side or a lateral side of the vehicle (5); in the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met, the violation condition comprises that a parking sign is detected in the at least one image of the surroundings and the parking sign indicates either a no-parking zone or a no-stopping zone. [17] The method according to claim 16, characterized by that the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met comprises detecting a text message on the parking sign and determining whether the text message indicates either a no-parking zone or a no-stopping zone. [18] The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by in that the step of performing an image processing method comprises performing the image processing method on at least one image of the surroundings on either a front side or a lateral side of the vehicle (5); in the step of determining whether a result of the image processing method indicates that a violation condition is met, the violation condition is that a curb painted with a specific color is detected in the at least one image of the surroundings and the specific color indicates either a no-parking zone or a no-stopping zone. [19] A system (1) for detecting parking violations associated with a vehicle (5) comprising a motor unit (51), the system (1) being arranged in the vehicle (5) and comprising a processor (14) and an image recording unit (11) for recording images of an environment of the vehicle (5) in at least one direction, characterized bythat the system (1) is configured to implement the method for detecting parking violations according to claim 1 or 2.

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