Apparatus and method for measuring vehicle speed and/or acceleration

• US 20020084431A1
• Filed: 11/02/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Inventors: DiDomenico, John, Kyle, Paul F., Rendahl, Craig S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,781,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/559.32
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/68 using optical means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light G01P3/80 takes precedence ; by reflection of waves G01S17/58
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P

Abstract

An apparatus and method for measuring the speed and/or acceleration of a vehicle traveling on a vehicle path includes at least one radiation emitting device and at least two radiation receiving devices. Mirrors and/or beam splitter are used to direct at least one beam across the vehicle path. A controller calculates speed and/or acceleration of the vehicle in response to interruption of the at least one beam by a passing vehicle. The system can also include a mass sensor that detects the mass of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring at least one of a speed and acceleration of a vehicle travelling on a vehicle path, the apparatus comprising:

a first radiation source arranged on a first side of the vehicle path that emits a radiation beam towards a second, opposite side of the vehicle path;

a first reflector arranged on the second side of the vehicle path from the first radiation source that receives the beam from the first radiation source and reflects the beam in a direction generally parallel to the vehicle path;

a second reflector arranged on the second side of the vehicle path that receives the reflected radiation from the first reflector, and reflects its towards the first side of the vehicle path; and

a first radiation detector arranged at the first side of the vehicle path that receives the reflected radiation from the second reflector.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first bar unit, wherein the first radiation source and the first radiation detector are each supported on said bar unit.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second bar unit, wherein the first and second reflectors are arranged on said bar unit.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a second bar unit, wherein the first and second reflectors are arranged on said bar unit.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a tilt sensor that measures a tilt relative to a horizontal component of the vehicle path.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a beam splitting element located on the second side of the roadway between the first and second reflectors, that projects a first partial beam towards the first side of the roadway and a second partial beam towards the second reflector;

and

a second radiation detector arranged on the first side of the roadway that receives the first partial beam.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a first bar unit, wherein the first radiation source and the first radiation detector are each supported on said bar unit, and further comprising a second bar unit, wherein the first and second reflectors are arranged on said bar unit, wherein the beam splitter is located on the second bar unit, and the second detector is located on the first bar unit.

8. An apparatus for measuring at least one of a speed and acceleration of a vehicle travelling on a vehicle path, the apparatus comprising:

a first radiation source means arranged on a first side of the vehicle path for emitting a radiation beam towards a second, opposite side of the vehicle path;

a first reflector means arranged on the second side of the vehicle path from the first radiation source means for receiving the beam from the first radiation source and reflecting the beam in a direction generally parallel to the vehicle path;

a second reflector means arranged on the second side of the vehicle path for receiving the reflected radiation from the first reflector, and reflecting the received beam towards the first side of the vehicle path; and

a first radiation detector means arranged at the first side of the vehicle path that receives the reflected radiation from the second reflector means.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising means for measuring the tilt relative to a horizontal component of the vehicle path.

10. An apparatus for measuring at least one of a speed and acceleration of a vehicle travelling on a vehicle path, the apparatus comprising:

a first radiation source arranged at a first side of the vehicle path that emits radiation;

a beam splitter arranged at the first side of the vehicle path that receives the radiation from the first radiation source and splits the received beam into two partial beams, with one partial beam directed across the vehicle path towards a second side of the vehicle path opposite the first side of the vehicle path, and a second partial beam; and

a first reflector mounted on the first side of the vehicle path that directs the second partial beam towards the second side of the vehicle path;

a first detector on the second side of the vehicle path that receives the first partial beam from the beam splitter; and

a second detector on the second side of the vehicle path that receives the second partial beam from the first reflector.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a first bar unit, wherein the first radiation source, beam splitter, and the first reflector are arranged on the first bar unit.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a second bar unit, wherein the first detector and the second detector are arranged on the second bar unit.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a second bar unit, wherein the first detector and the second detector are arranged on the second bar unit.

14. An apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a tilt sensor that measures a tilt relative to a horizontal component of the vehicle path.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising means for measuring the tilt relative to a horizontal component of the vehicle path.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a first bar unit, wherein the first and second radiation sources, and radiation detector are each supported on said bar unit.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a second bar unit, wherein the first and second reflectors, and beam splitter/reflector element are arranged on said bar unit.

20. An apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a second bar unit, wherein the first and second reflectors, and beam splitter/reflector element are arranged on said bar unit.

21. An apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a tilt sensor that measures a tilt relative to a horizontal component of the vehicle path.

15. An apparatus for measuring at least one of a speed and acceleration of a vehicle travelling on a vehicle path, the apparatus comprising:

a first radiation source means arranged at a first side of the vehicle path for emitting radiation;

a beam splitter means arranged at the first side of the vehicle path for receiving the radiation from the first radiation source means and splitting the received beam into two partial beams, with one partial beam directed across the vehicle path towards a second side of the vehicle path opposite the first side of the vehicle path, and a second partial beam; and

a first reflector means mounted on the first side of the vehicle path for reflecting the second partial beam towards the second side of the vehicle path;

a first detector means on the second side of the vehicle path for receiving the first partial beam from the beam splitter means; and

a second detector means on the first side of the vehicle path for receiving the second partial beam from the first reflector means.

17. An apparatus for measuring at least one of a speed in acceleration of a vehicle traveling on a vehicle path, the apparatus comprising:

a first radiation source arranged on a first side of the vehicle path that emits a radiation beam towards the second opposite side of the vehicle path;

a first reflector arranged on the second side of the vehicle path from the first radiation source that receives the first beam from the first radiation source and reflects a beam in the direction generally parallel to the vehicle path;

a second radiation source arranged on the first side of the vehicle path that emits a second radiation beam towards the second side of the vehicle path;

a beam splitter/reflector element arranged on the second side of the vehicle path that receives the first beam from the first reflector and second beam from the second radiation source and directs both beams in a direction generally parallel to the vehicle path;

a second reflector arranged on the second side of the vehicle path that directs both beams towards the first side of the vehicle path; and

a detector located on the first side of the vehicle path that receives both beams from the second reflector.

22. An apparatus for measuring at least one of a speed and acceleration of a vehicle travelling on a vehicle path, the apparatus comprising:

means for projecting two radiation beams across the vehicle path;

means for combining the two projected light beams; and

means for receiving the combined radiation beams.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising means for measuring the tilt relative to a horizontal component of the vehicle path.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising a tilt sensor that measures a tilt relative to a horizontal component of the vehicle path.

27. An apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising means for measuring the tilt relative to a horizontal component of the vehicle path.

29. A method according to claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

reflecting a portion of a beam that has been reflected in the first reflecting step towards the first side of the vehicle path as a partial beam; and

detecting the reflected partial beam at the first side of the vehicle path.

30. A method according to claim 28, further comprising the step of measuring the tilt relative to a horizontal component of the vehicle path.

24. An apparatus for measuring at least one of a speed and acceleration of a vehicle travelling on a vehicle path, comprising:

a radiation source arranged to project a radiation beam so that it crosses the vehicle path at least two times; and

a detector to detect the projected beam.

26. An apparatus for measuring at least one of a speed and acceleration of a vehicle traveling on a vehicle path, the apparatus comprising:

means for projecting a radiation beam so that it crosses the vehicle path at least two times; and

means for detecting the projected beam.

28. A method for measuring at least one of the speed and/or acceleration of the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

projecting a beam from a first side of the vehicle path towards a second, opposite side of the vehicle path;

reflecting the beam, at the second side of the vehicle path, generally in a direction along the vehicle path;

reflecting the beam from the second side of the vehicle path towards the first side of the vehicle path, and

detecting the reflected beam at the first side of the vehicle path.

31. A method for measuring at least one of the speed and/or acceleration of the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

projecting a radiation beam at a first side of the vehicle path;

splitting the radiation beam into two partial radiation beams;

reflecting one of the two partial radiation beams towards a second, opposite side of the vehicle path;

reflecting the other of the two partial radiation beams towards a second, opposite side of the vehicle path;

detecting the first reflected partial radiation beam; and

detecting the second reflected partial radiation beam.

32. A method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of measuring the tilt relative to a horizontal component of the vehicle path.

33. A method for measuring at least one of a speed and acceleration of a vehicle travelling on a vehicle path, the method comprising the steps of:

projecting two radiation beams across the vehicle path;

combining the two projected radiation beams; and

receiving the combined radiation beams.

34. A method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of measuring the tilt relative to a horizontal component of the vehicle path.

36. A method according to claim 35, further comprising the step of measuring the tilt relative to a horizontal component of the vehicle path.

35. A method for measuring at least one of a speed and acceleration of a vehicle traveling on a vehicle path, the method comprising the steps of:

projecting a radiation beam so that it crosses the vehicle path at least two times; and

detecting the projected beam.