Patent US6750787B2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6750787B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Optronic system for the measurement of vehicle traffic
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 2001-03-13
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Granted: 2004-06-15
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Expires: 2021-03-13
Abstract
Abstract The present invention is a vehicle traffic measurement system designed to accurately count and record the number of vehicles passing through a selected location, to more accurately determine and record the velocity at which the individual vehicles travel through that location, and to accurately determine and record in which relative direction the vehicles are traveling as they pass that location. The basic physical principle is of a moving object interrupting two parallel light beams a known reference distance apart, and information extracted from the interruptions sensed and electronically processed into count, direction, and velocity being recorded for subsequent data analysis.
Inventors
- 👤 Herbert A. Hutchinson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 10:37
CPC Classifications
G; G08; G08G; G08G1/00; G08G1/01; G08G1/04; G08B; G08B13/00; G08B13/18; G08B13/181; G08B13/183; G08G1/056
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
167 words
An apparatus for measuring the speed, direction of travel and cumulative count of one or more moving vehicles in a stream of traffic comprising: a. a beam emitter unit comprising at least two visible wavelength laser beam emitters wherein said laser beam emitters are mounted to generate two visible wavelength laser beams coplanar and parallel to each other and having a lateral separation distance between said laser beams of approximately one foot; and b. a beam sensor unit comprising: i. at least two laser beam sensors wherein said laser beam sensors are mounted to receive and distinguish the on/off status of said laser beams; and ii. a beam status discriminator and a timer means for electronically pausing said beam status discriminator and electrical processing for a one second period after said status of said laser beams is interrupted off; wherein said beam emitter unit and said beam sensor unit are each positioned to emanate said laser beams between about 4-8 inches above the surface of a roadway.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
167 words
An apparatus for measuring the speed, direction of travel and cumulative count of one or more moving vehicles in a stream of traffic comprising: a. a beam emitter unit comprising at least two visible wavelength laser beam emitters wherein said laser beam emitters are mounted to generate two visible wavelength laser beams coplanar and parallel to each other and having a lateral separation distance between said laser beams of approximately one foot; and b. a beam sensor unit comprising: i. at least two laser beam sensors wherein said laser beam sensors are mounted to receive and distinguish the on/off status of said laser beams; and ii. a beam status discriminator and a timer means for electronically pausing said beam status discriminator and electrical processing for a one second period after said status of said laser beams is interrupted off; wherein said beam emitter unit and said beam sensor unit are each positioned to emanate said laser beams between about 4-8 inches above the surface of a roadway.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said beam emitter unit comprises: a. a first visible wavelength laser beam emitter; b. a second visible wavelength laser beam emitter; and c. a third visible wavelength laser beam emitter means for aligning said visible wavelength laser beams between said beam emitter unit and said beam sensor control unit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
96 words
A method of cumulatively counting a plurality of moving vehicles in a stream of traffic comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus of claim 1 ; interrupting either of two said visible wavelength laser beams generated across a roadway and sensed by said apparatus of claim 1 and electronically recording the sensed laser beam interruption; processing the sequence and timing of the electronic events corresponding to said laser beam interruption via an electronic computer processor chip into a cumulative count of said moving vehicles; and producing an electronic data readout in chronological sequence from said apparatus.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
124 words
A method of determining the speed and direction of travel of one or more moving vehicles in a stream of traffic comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus of claim 1 ; interrupting a first visible wavelength laser beam generated by said apparatus of claim 1 and electronically recording said first laser beam interruption; interrupting a second visible wavelength laser beam generated by said apparatus of claim 1 and electronically recording said second laser beam interruption; processing the electronic events corresponding to the sequence of and the time interval between said first and second laser beam interruptions via an electronic computer processor chip into the vehicle direction of travel and vehicle speed; and producing an electronic data readout in chronological sequence from said apparatus.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-06-15 | 2007-12-15 | 2008-06-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-06-15 | 2011-12-15 | 2012-06-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-06-15 | 2015-12-15 | 2016-06-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |