Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A traffic monitoring system comprising: means for establishing a pair of precisely spaced radiation beams in association with a thoroughfare, whereby passage of a vehicle along the thoroughfare interrupts the radiation beams; means for sensing interruption of the radiation beams and providing output indications of vehicle speed and separation between adjacent vehicles; and means for photographing vehicles fulfilling predetermined criteria including photography trigger apparatus which is responsive to the sensed vehicle speed of the vehicle being photographed for providing a consistently positioned photographic record of the vehicle, irrespective of vehicle speed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
91 words
A traffic monitoring system comprising: means for establishing a pair of precisely spaced radiation beams in association with a thoroughfare, whereby passage of a vehicle along the thoroughfare interrupts the radiation beams; means for sensing interruption of the radiation beams and providing output indications of vehicle speed and separation between adjacent vehicles; and means for photographing vehicles fulfilling predetermined criteria including photography trigger apparatus which is responsive to the sensed vehicle speed of the vehicle being photographed for providing a consistently positioned photographic record of the vehicle, irrespective of vehicle speed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
68 words
A traffic monitoring system comprising: means for establishing a pair of precisely spaced radiation beams in association with a thoroughfare, whereby passage of a vehicle along the thoroughfare interrupts the radiation beams: and means for sensing interruption of the radiation beams and providing output indications of vehicle speed and separation between adjacent vehicles, wherein the means for sensing includes means for distinguishing between separate cars and joined vehicles.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
68 words
A traffic monitoring system comprising: means for establishing a pair of precisely spaced radiation beams in association with a thoroughfare, whereby passage of a vehicle along the thoroughfare interrupts the radiation beams: and means for sensing interruption of the radiation beams and providing output indications of vehicle speed and separation between adjacent vehicles, wherein the means for sensing includes means for distinguishing between separate cars and joined vehicles.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
A traffic monitoring system comprising: means for establishing a pair of precisely spaced radiation beams in association with a thoroughfare, whereby passage of a vehicle along the thoroughfare interrupts the radiation beams; means for sensing interruption of the radiation beams and providing output indications of vehicle speed and separation between adjacent vehicles; and means for photographing not only a tailgating vehicle but also a vehicle being tailgated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
67 words
A traffic monitoring system comprising: means for establishing a pair of precisely spaced radiation beams in association with a thoroughfare, whereby passage of a vehicle along the thoroughfare interrupts the radiation beams; means for sensing interruption of the radiation beams and providing output indications of vehicle speed and separation between adjacent vehicles; and means for photographing not only a tailgating vehicle but also a vehicle being tailgated.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
71 words
A traffic monitoring system comprising: means for establishing a pair of precisely spaced radiation beams in association with a thoroughfare, whereby passage of a vehicle along the thoroughfare interrupts the radiation beams; means for sensing interruption of the radiation beams and providing output indications of vehicle speed and separation between adjacent vehicles; and means for checking the output indications for consistency against stored data so as to eliminate spurious output indications.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
71 words
A traffic monitoring system comprising: means for establishing a pair of precisely spaced radiation beams in association with a thoroughfare, whereby passage of a vehicle along the thoroughfare interrupts the radiation beams; means for sensing interruption of the radiation beams and providing output indications of vehicle speed and separation between adjacent vehicles; and means for checking the output indications for consistency against stored data so as to eliminate spurious output indications.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system according to claim 4 and wherein said stored data includes at least one of upper and lower speed, headway and vehicle length limits.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
32 words
A system according to any of the preceding claims and also comprising means for providing a system calibration check and means for recording confirmation of calibration together with a record of violations.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
51 words
A system according to any of claims 2 - 5 and also comprising means for photographing vehicles fulfilling predetermined criteria including photography trigger apparatus which is responsive to the sensed vehicle speed of the vehicle being photographed for providing a consistently positioned photographic record of the vehicle, irrespective of vehicle speed.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
24 words
A system according to any of claims 1 and 3 - 5 and also comprising means for distinguishing between separate cars and joined vehicles.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
61 words
A system according to any of claims 1, 2, 4 and 5 and also comprising means for photographing not only a tailgating vehicle but also a vehicle being tailgated. 10. A system according to any of claims 1 - 3 and also comprising means for checking the output indications for consistency against stored data so as to eliminate spurious output indications.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system according to claim 10 and wherein said stored data includes at least one of upper and lower speed, headway and vehicle length limits.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
29 words
A system according to any of the preceding claims and also comprising means for providing an output indication of traffic law violation in near real time to a monitor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system according to claim 4 and wherein said stored data includes at least one of signal level, noise level and power level limits.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system according to claim 1 and also comprising flash means and dynamic trigger means operative to operate said flash means a predetermined time prior to operation of said photography trigger apparatus.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system according to claim 1 and wherein said means for photographing also comprises for incorporating violation data in said photographic record.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
A system according to claim 2 and wherein said means for sensing includes means for joining data received within a predetermined time span and relating it to a single vehicle.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system according to claim 6 and wherein said means for providing a system calibration check comprise means for simulating the passage of a vehicle through the system.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
20 words
A system according to any of the preceding claims and also comprising means for determining the acceleration of a vehicle.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
A system according to claim 18 and also comprising means for rejecting violation indication corresponding to accelerating or decelerating vehicles beyond predetermined limits.