Remote identification and speed determination system

Claim 2

Apparatus for measuring the speed of an object which includes a known pattern of known size and shape, said apparatus comprising: means to view a field of view through which said object passes; means to determine a first point in time when the view of said known pattern, as viewed by said viewing means, appears to be of a first predetermined size; means to determine a second point in time when the view of said known pattern, as viewed by said viewing means, appears to be of a second predetermined size; means to determine the amount of time between said first point in time and said second point in time; and means to calculate the speed of said object which is proportional to said determined amount of time.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said viewing means includes a scanning means to scan said field of view to produce a train of analog signals which is converted into a train of binary signals which are fed into a serial input of a shift register having plural parallel outputs.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said viewing means is a scanning means including a two-dimensional array of detecting elements and the object can be detected anywhere in said field of view.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said viewing means detects said pattern in a radiation frequency range chosen from the spectrum of ultraviolet light to far infra-red.

Claim 6

Apparatus for measuring the speed of an object, which object includes a pattern of known size and shape, said apparatus comprising: means for repeatedly, linearly scanning across a volume in which said object moves and producing a series of output signals representing the results of said scanning; conversion means for converting said series of output signals into a series of binary signals representing the results of said scanning; an array of binary storage elements connected in series for receiving said series of binary signals at one element of said array and sequentially storing said series of binary signals; stepping means for stepping said stored binary signals across said array of elements in a timed relationship with said received binary signals; a first plurality of sampling means connected to a first predetermined set of storage elements in said array for continuously sampling said first predetermined set of storage elements in order to recognize the stored binary signals when they represent a scan across said pattern of known size and shape at a first predetermined distance from the scanning means for determining a first point in time when this first recognition occurs; a second plurality of sampling means connected to a second predetermined set of storage elements in said array for continuously sampling said second predetermined set of storage elements in order to recognize the stored binary signals when they represent a scan across said pattern of known size and shape at a second predetermined distance from the scanning means for determining a second point in time when to this second recognition occurs; means to determine the amount of time between said first point in time and said second point in time; and means to use said determined amount of time to determine the speed of said object.

Claim 7

Apparatus for measuring the speed of an object, which object includes a pattern of known size and shape, said apparatus comprising: means for repeatedly, linearly scanning across a volume in which said object moves and producing a series of output signals representing the results of said scanning; conversion means for converting said series of output signals into a series of binary signals representing the results of said scanning; an array of binary storage elements connected in series for receiving said series of binary signals at one element of said array and sequentially storing said series of binary signals; stepping means for stepping said stored binary signals across said array of elements in a timed relationship with said received binary signals; a first plurality of sampling means connected to a first predetermined set of storage elements in said array for continuously sampling said first predetermined set of storage elements in order to recognize the stored binary signals when they represent a scan across said pattern of known size and shape at a first predetermined distance from the scanning means for determining a first point in time when this first recognition occurs; a second plurality of sampling means connected to a second predetermined set of storage elements in said array for continuously sampling said second predetermined set of storage elements in order to recognize the stored binary signals when they represent a scan across said pattern of known size and shape at a second predetermined distance from the scanning means for determining a second point in time when to this second recognition occurs; means to determine the amount of time between said first point in time and said second point in time; and means to use said determined amount of time to determine the speed of said object.

Claim 8

The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 5, wherein said object is a vehicle, said pattern which that vehicle includes is a bar code which is unique to and identifies that particular vehicle, and at least one of said first and second recognitions includes the recognition of the identity of that particular vehicle.

Claim 9

The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 5 wherein the array of binary storage elements forms a shift register.

Claim 10

The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 7 wherein said first plurality of sampling means are connected to preselected parallel outputs from said shift register and said second plurality of sampling means are also connected to preselected parallel outputs from said shift register.

Claim 11

The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 5 wherein the shape of the known pattern is substantially rectangular.

Claim 14

The method of measuring the speed of an object of claim 10 wherein said known pattern is substantially rectangular.

Claim 15

The method of measuring the speed of an object of claim 10 wherein said known pattern is a bar code.

Claim 16

The method of measuring the speed of an object of claim 10 wherein the height and width of the pattern are known.

Claim 17

The method of measuring the speed of an object of claim 10 wherein the determined speed is inversely proportional to said determined amount of time.

Claim 18

The method of measuring the speed of an object of claim 10 wherein said images of said object are formed from radiation having a frequency range chosen from the spectrum of ultraviolet light to far infra-red.

Claim 19

Apparatus for measuring the speed of an object, said object including a pattern of known size, said apparatus comprising: scanning means to scan said object to produce a first image of said pattern at a first point in time as the object moves in view of said scanning means, said scanning means continuing to scan said object to produce a series of images of said pattern as the object continues to move; means to monitor said series of images to select a second image of said object for determining a second point in time corresponding to when said second image has a size which is a predetermined percentage different from the size of said first image; and means to determine the speed of said object depending upon the time difference between said two points in time.

Claim 20

Apparatus for measuring the speed of an object, said object including a pattern of known size, said apparatus comprising: scanning means to scan said object to produce a first image of said pattern at a first point in time as the object moves in view of said scanning means, said scanning means continuing to scan said object to produce a series of images of said pattern as the object continues to move; means to monitor said series of images to select a second image of said object for determining a second point in time corresponding to when said second image has a size which is a predetermined percentage different from the size of said first image; and means to determine the speed of said object depending upon the time difference between said two points in time.

Claim 21

The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 16 wherein said known pattern is substantially rectangular.

Claim 22

The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 16 wherein the height and width of the pattern are known.

Claim 23

The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 16 wherein said images of said pattern are formed from radiation having a frequency range chosen from the spectrum of ultraviolet light to far infra-red.

Claim 24

The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 19 wherein said known pattern comprises a bar code.