Moving object detection system

Claim 1

A detection system for detecting the presence of moving objects and the like through utilization of ultrasonic energy which comprises a predetermined location provided in a memory unit and having stored therein time from transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto from a standard surface, means for computing the difference a between the immediately preceding time from transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto stored in said predetermined location and current time from transmission of ultrasonic energy and reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto, means for storing in said predetermined location said current time from transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto when the difference a is smaller than a predetermined time α and means for outputing a moving object detection signal when said difference a is larger than a preset time β which is larger than said time α.

Claim 10

A method of automatically setting a standard plane in a traffic detection system employing a microprocessor, said method comprising the steps of providing in a memory a predetermined location in which a time after transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of a reflected energy corresponding to said energy from a road surface is stored, determining a time after transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding to said energy by means of said micro-processor, loading the micro-processor with data from said predetermined location to compute a difference a from a time after a current transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto, storing said current time in said predetermined location when said difference a is smaller than a preset time α, storing data representing said current time till reception of reflected energy in said predetermined location when said difference a is smaller than β which is a preset time larger than said time α and only in an initial state, and outputting a vehicle detection signal when said difference a is larger than said time β.

Claim 11

A method of automatically setting a standard plane in a traffic detection system employing a microprocessor, said method comprising the steps of providing in a memory a predetermined location in which a time after transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of a reflected energy corresponding to said energy from a road surface is stored, determining a time after transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding to said energy by means of said micro-processor, loading the micro-processor with data from said predetermined location to compute a difference a from a time after a current transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto, storing said current time in said predetermined location when said difference a is smaller than a preset time α, storing data representing said current time till reception of reflected energy in said predetermined location when said difference a is smaller than β which is a preset time larger than said time α and only in an initial state, and outputting a vehicle detection signal when said difference a is larger than said time β.

Claim 12

A method of automatically setting a standard plane in a traffic detection system employing a microprocessor, said method comprising the steps of providing in a memory a predetermined location in which a time after transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding to said energy from a road surface is stored, a first wave-reception counter location in said memory in which a time after transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding to said energy is stored and a second wave-reception counter location in said memory in which a time after an immediately preceding transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto is stored, determining a time after transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto, storing this said time in said first wave-reception counter location, computing a difference a between data in said first reception counter area and data in said second reception counter location, storing said data of said first reception counter location in said second reception counter location and predetermined location when said difference a is smaller than a preset time α, storing said data of said first reception counter location in said second reception counter location when said difference a is larger than said time α and smaller than β which is a preset time larger than said time α and only in an initial state, and storing said data of said predetermined location in said second wave-reception counter location, and producing a vehicle detection signal when said difference a is larger than said time β.

Claim 13

A method of automatically setting a standard plane in a traffic detection system employing a microprocessor, said method comprising the steps of providing in a memory a predetermined location in which a time after transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding to said energy from a road surface is stored, a first wave-reception counter location in said memory in which a time after transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding to said energy is stored and a second wave-reception counter location in said memory in which a time after an immediately preceding transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto is stored, determining a time after transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto, storing this said time in said first wave-reception counter location, computing a difference a between data in said first reception counter area and data in said second reception counter location, storing said data of said first reception counter location in said second reception counter location and predetermined location when said difference a is smaller than a preset time α, storing said data of said first reception counter location in said second reception counter location when said difference a is larger than said time α and smaller than β which is a preset time larger than said time α and only in an initial state, and storing said data of said predetermined location in said second wave-reception counter location, and producing a vehicle detection signal when said difference a is larger than said time β.

Claim 14

A method of detecting the presence of objects such as vehicles and the like through utilization of ultrasonic energy with employment of a micro-processor, said method comprising the steps of arranging a detection gate to be opened through discrimination of the time period for receiving reflected energy by the micro-processor and to be closed after judging by the micro-processor the time from transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto, computing a difference a between the time from transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto from a road surface and the current time from transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto by loading the microprocessor from a memory location in which the time from transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto from the road surface is stored, storing data representing time from said current transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of the reflected energy corresponding thereto in said memory location when said difference a is smaller than a predetermined time α, and outputting a vehicle detection signal when said difference a is larger than a time β which is larger than said time α.

Claim 15

A method of detecting the presence of objects such as vehicles and the like through utilization of ultrasonic energy with employment of a micro-processor, said method comprising the steps of arranging a detection gate to be opened through discrimination of the time period for receiving reflected energy by the micro-processor and to be closed after judging by the micro-processor the time from transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto, computing a difference a between the time from transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto from a road surface and the current time from transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto by loading the microprocessor from a memory location in which the time from transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto from the road surface is stored, storing data representing time from said current transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of the reflected energy corresponding thereto in said memory location when said difference a is smaller than a predetermined time α, and outputting a vehicle detection signal when said difference a is larger than a time β which is larger than said time α.