Method and apparatus for measuring the weight of a vehicle while the vehicle is in motion

Claim 1

An apparatus for measuring the weight of a vehicle in motion comprising: a. a substantially flat pad; b. said pad being substantially rectangular in shape; c. said pad containing a first ramp on one of its lengthwise sides and a second ramp on its other lengthwise side; d. an optic fiber embedded into said pad with the leading end and the trailing end of the optic fiber protruding from said pad; e. a multiplicity of microbending fixtures distributed along the length of said optic fiber at spaced locations. apart from each other; f. a light source located at the leading end of said optic fiber; g. a light receiver located at the trailing end of said optic fiber; h. said light receiver connected to an output transformer; and i. said first ramp and said second ramp containing a data trigger and velocity sensing system which turns the light source, the light receiver, and the output transformer on when a vehicle runs over the first ramp and off when a vehicle runs over the second ramp; j. whereby when said pad is placed on a roadway and when a force is exerted on said pad by a vehicle running over it, said discrete microbending fixtures are caused to pinch said optic fiber and thereby attenuate the light transmitted from said light source to said light receiver, and said output transformer can calculate the force exerted on said pad and therefore the weight of the vehicle by knowing the light input from the light source and the light ouput received by the light receiver.

Claim 2

An apparatus for measuring the weight of a vehicle in motion comprising: a. a substantially flat pad; b. said pad being substantially rectangular in shape; c. said pad containing a first ramp on one of its lengthwise sides and a second ramp on its other lengthwise side; d. an optic fiber embedded into said pad with the leading end and the trailing end of the optic fiber protruding from said pad; e. a multiplicity of microbending fixtures distributed along the length of said optic fiber at spaced locations. apart from each other; f. a light source located at the leading end of said optic fiber; g. a light receiver located at the trailing end of said optic fiber; h. said light receiver connected to an output transformer; and i. said first ramp and said second ramp containing a data trigger and velocity sensing system which turns the light source, the light receiver, and the output transformer on when a vehicle runs over the first ramp and off when a vehicle runs over the second ramp; j. whereby when said pad is placed on a roadway and when a force is exerted on said pad by a vehicle running over it, said discrete microbending fixtures are caused to pinch said optic fiber and thereby attenuate the light transmitted from said light source to said light receiver, and said output transformer can calculate the force exerted on said pad and therefore the weight of the vehicle by knowing the light input from the light source and the light ouput received by the light receiver.

Claim 6

An apparatus for measuring the weight of a vehicle in motion comprising: a. a substantially flat pad; b. said pad being substantially rectangular in shape; c. said pad containing a first ramp on one of its lengthwise sides and a second ramp on its other lengthwise side; d. an optic fiber embedded into said pad with the leading end and the trailing end of the optic fiber protruding from said pad; e. a multiplicity of internal protrusions located within said pad and located along the path of said optic fiber; f. said internal protrusions located above and below said optic fiber and spaced apart from each other along the path of the optic fiber; g. a light source located at the leading end of said optic fiber; h. a light receiver located at the trailing end of said optic fiber; i. said light receiver connected to an output transformer; and j. said first ramp and said second ramp containing a data trigger and velocity sensing system which turn the light source, the light receiver, and the output transformer on when a vehicle runs over the first ramp and off when a vehicle runs over the second ramp; k. whereby when said pad is placed on a roadway and when a force is exerted on said pad by a vehicle running over it, said internal protrusions in said pad are caused to pinch said optic fiber and thereby attenuate the light transmitted from said light source to said light receiver, and said output transformer can calculate the force exerted on said pad and therefore the weight of the vehicle by knowing the light input from the light source and the light output received by the light receiver.

Claim 7

An apparatus for measuring the weight of a vehicle in motion comprising: a. a substantially flat pad; b. said pad being substantially rectangular in shape; c. said pad containing a first ramp on one of its lengthwise sides and a second ramp on its other lengthwise side; d. an optic fiber embedded into said pad with the leading end and the trailing end of the optic fiber protruding from said pad; e. a multiplicity of internal protrusions located within said pad and located along the path of said optic fiber; f. said internal protrusions located above and below said optic fiber and spaced apart from each other along the path of the optic fiber; g. a light source located at the leading end of said optic fiber; h. a light receiver located at the trailing end of said optic fiber; i. said light receiver connected to an output transformer; and j. said first ramp and said second ramp containing a data trigger and velocity sensing system which turn the light source, the light receiver, and the output transformer on when a vehicle runs over the first ramp and off when a vehicle runs over the second ramp; k. whereby when said pad is placed on a roadway and when a force is exerted on said pad by a vehicle running over it, said internal protrusions in said pad are caused to pinch said optic fiber and thereby attenuate the light transmitted from said light source to said light receiver, and said output transformer can calculate the force exerted on said pad and therefore the weight of the vehicle by knowing the light input from the light source and the light output received by the light receiver.

Claim 11

An apparatus for measuring the weight of a vehicle in motion comprising: a. substantially flat pad; b. said pad being substantially rectangular in shape; c. said pad containing a first ramp on one of its lengthwise sides and a second ramp on its other lengthwise side; d. an optic fiber embedded into said pad with the leading end and the trailing end of the optic fiber protruding from said pad; e. said optic fiber being bent into a series of loops so that the optic fiber extends along the entire length and width of the pad and also is caused to be looped both over and under itself so that there are numerous intersection points along the length of the optic fiber; f. a light source located at the leading end of said optic fiber; g. a light receiver located at the trailing end of said optic fiber; h. said light receiver connnected to an output transformer; and i. said firt ramp and said second ramp containing a data trigger and velocity sensing system which turn the light source, the light receiver, and the output transformer on when a vehicle runs over the first ramp and off when a vehicle runs over the second ramp; j. whereby when said pad is placed on a roadway and when a force is exerted on said pad by a vehicle running over it, said optic fiber is pinched at the location of the intersections where the optic fiber is caused to run over or under itself and thereby attenuate the light transmitted from said light source to said light receiver, and said output transformer can calculate the force exerted on said pad and therefore the weight of the vehicle by knowing the light input from the light source and the light output received by the light receiver.

Claim 12

An apparatus for measuring the weight of a vehicle in motion comprising: a. substantially flat pad; b. said pad being substantially rectangular in shape; c. said pad containing a first ramp on one of its lengthwise sides and a second ramp on its other lengthwise side; d. an optic fiber embedded into said pad with the leading end and the trailing end of the optic fiber protruding from said pad; e. said optic fiber being bent into a series of loops so that the optic fiber extends along the entire length and width of the pad and also is caused to be looped both over and under itself so that there are numerous intersection points along the length of the optic fiber; f. a light source located at the leading end of said optic fiber; g. a light receiver located at the trailing end of said optic fiber; h. said light receiver connnected to an output transformer; and i. said firt ramp and said second ramp containing a data trigger and velocity sensing system which turn the light source, the light receiver, and the output transformer on when a vehicle runs over the first ramp and off when a vehicle runs over the second ramp; j. whereby when said pad is placed on a roadway and when a force is exerted on said pad by a vehicle running over it, said optic fiber is pinched at the location of the intersections where the optic fiber is caused to run over or under itself and thereby attenuate the light transmitted from said light source to said light receiver, and said output transformer can calculate the force exerted on said pad and therefore the weight of the vehicle by knowing the light input from the light source and the light output received by the light receiver.

Claim 15

An apparatus for measuring the force exerted on a shoe comprising: a. an optic fiber embedded in the sole of a shoe with the leading end and the trailing end of the optic fiber protruding from the sole of the shoe; b. said optic fiber being bent into a series of loops so that the optic fiber extends along the entire length and width of the sole of the shoe; c. a light source located at the leading end of said optic fiber; d. a light receiver located at the trailing end of said optic fiber; e. said light receiver connected to an output transformer; f. the sole of the shoe further comprising a data trigger and velocity sensing system which turns the light source, the light receiver, and the output transformer on when a force is exerted on the shoe when the individual wearing the shoe walks or runs and which turns the light source, the light receiver, and the output transformer off when this force is removed; and g. said output transformer located in a pack which can be worn by the individual wearing the shoe; h. whereby forces exerted on said shoe when the individual wearing the shoe walks or runs can be measured by the pinching on the optic fiber due to the force, which causes attenuation of the light transmitted from said light source to said light receiver, and said output transformer can calculate the force exerted on the shoe by knowing the light input from the light source and the light output received by the light receiver.

Claim 16

An apparatus for measuring the force exerted on a shoe comprising: a. an optic fiber embedded in the sole of a shoe with the leading end and the trailing end of the optic fiber protruding from the sole of the shoe; b. said optic fiber being bent into a series of loops so that the optic fiber extends along the entire length and width of the sole of the shoe; c. a light source located at the leading end of said optic fiber; d. a light receiver located at the trailing end of said optic fiber; e. said light receiver connected to an output transformer; f. the sole of the shoe further comprising a data trigger and velocity sensing system which turns the light source, the light receiver, and the output transformer on when a force is exerted on the shoe when the individual wearing the shoe walks or runs and which turns the light source, the light receiver, and the output transformer off when this force is removed; and g. said output transformer located in a pack which can be worn by the individual wearing the shoe; h. whereby forces exerted on said shoe when the individual wearing the shoe walks or runs can be measured by the pinching on the optic fiber due to the force, which causes attenuation of the light transmitted from said light source to said light receiver, and said output transformer can calculate the force exerted on the shoe by knowing the light input from the light source and the light output received by the light receiver.