Method and system for automatically locating vacant parking places

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for monitoring the status of image sensors in imaging devices. The image sensors in the imaging devices are used, for example, in vehicles traveling along roads, streets and the like.

1 . A method for monitoring the calibration status of image sensors, comprising:
 maintaining a database of objects and their sizes;   obtaining at least one image of an object with an imaging device including imaging sensors; and,   by a processor,
 identifying the object and determining the size of the object from the at least one image; 
 locating the object corresponding to the identified object in the database, and comparing the size of the identified object to the size of the corresponding object in the database; and, 
 if the difference in size of the identified object and the corresponding object from the database is beyond a threshold, initiating a process in the processor for the imaging sensors of the imaging device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the obtaining the at least one image of the object with the imaging device is performed by the imaging device operating in association with a moving vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the imaging device is part of a mobile device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the imaging device includes a camera. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one image includes a photograph. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one image includes a plurality of images. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the image includes a photograph. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , where the process includes a recalibration according to the difference in size. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one image includes one image. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one image includes a plurality of images. 
     
     
         11 . A method for documenting motor vehicle accidents comprising:
 receiving, by a processor: 1) one or more camera images of a location from at least one wireless mobile device of at least one first user associated with a vehicle passing the location, each of the images including a timestamp, and, 2) location data from corresponding location analyzers of the at least one mobile device;   detecting, by the processor, an accident and a time associated with the accident, by processing the received images, and detecting the location of the detected accident by processing the location data; and,   producing documentation of the detected accident by obtaining the images including timestamps taken proximate to the time associated with the detected accident.