Night detection of parked vehicles
View Patent ↗To detect parked vehicles at night, the present invention discloses night-detection device and method. The night-detection device comprises a moving-vehicle sensor and a parked-vehicle sensor. It uses the light beam from a passing-by vehicle to detect parked vehicles.
1. A night-detection method for parked vehicles, comprising the steps of:
A) sensing a moving vehicle within a pre-determined range of a parking area by a moving-vehicle sensor;
B) capturing at least an image of said parking area by a parked-vehicle sensor when said moving-vehicle sensor detects said moving vehicle;
C) processing said image of said parking area by said parked-vehicle sensor to determine whether a parking space in said parking area is occupied by a parked vehicle.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of processing said image is performed when said moving vehicle is within said pre-determined range.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of processing said image is performed after said moving vehicle is out of said pre-determined range.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of processing said image includes the step of processing at least a region of interest (ROI) for each parking space.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said step of processing said ROI includes the step of extracting at least a signature feature of a vehicle.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said feature includes at least a reflection from said vehicle.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said reflection includes at least a wheel reflection for an inline parked vehicle.
8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said reflection includes at least a body reflection for an inline parked vehicle.
9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said reflection includes at least a tail-light reflection for an inline parked vehicle.
10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said reflection includes at least a tail-light reflection for a side-by-side parked vehicle.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said parked-vehicle sensor captures said image of said parking area more frequently at night than during the day.
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
said moving-vehicle sensor is located in a different location from said parked-vehicle sensor; and
said moving-vehicle sensor communicates information about said moving vehicle to said parked-vehicle sensor using a wireless means.