Sensor arrangement to determine vehicle height
First Claim
1. A system to determine a vehicle height comprising:
- a first vertical column of a plurality of light sources arranged vertically at incremental heights along said first column;
a second vertical column of a plurality of light sensors arranged vertically at incremental heights along said second column;
each of said plurality of light sensors having a corresponding said light source at a same height;
said first and second columns placed on opposite sides of a vehicle path with said sensors facing said light sources;
an electronic display showing height measurement;
an overheight alarm; and
and a computing device;
wherein said vehicle pulls through said first and second columns, and said computing device operates consecutively to determine said height of said vehicle, by successively checking which of said plurality of light sensors are blocked by said vehicle, accumulating a corresponding height of said blocked sensors to provide a display of said vehicle height on said electronic display, and comparing a value of said vehicle height with a maximum value to activate said overheight alarm.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system where the height of road vehicles can be determined using two vertical columns, one column having a vertical linear array of sensors, facing and aligned with an opposite column having a vertical linear array of sources. The columns are spaced apart enough for the road vehicle to pull in between. The sensors and sources are mounted at increasing height levels until they reach the top of the columns, or a height that is well above any possible maximum height that a road vehicle may have, or height that is needed to be measured. As the vehicle pulls in between the two columns, a computer consecutively tests the sensors starting from the bottom to see which, if any, of the sensors has its light source blocked. The accumulated number of blocked light sensors is counted to reveal the height of that portion of the vehicle between the columns.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system to determine a vehicle height comprising:
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a first vertical column of a plurality of light sources arranged vertically at incremental heights along said first column;
a second vertical column of a plurality of light sensors arranged vertically at incremental heights along said second column;
each of said plurality of light sensors having a corresponding said light source at a same height;
said first and second columns placed on opposite sides of a vehicle path with said sensors facing said light sources;
an electronic display showing height measurement;
an overheight alarm; and
and a computing device;
wherein said vehicle pulls through said first and second columns, and said computing device operates consecutively to determine said height of said vehicle, by successively checking which of said plurality of light sensors are blocked by said vehicle, accumulating a corresponding height of said blocked sensors to provide a display of said vehicle height on said electronic display, and comparing a value of said vehicle height with a maximum value to activate said overheight alarm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of using a plurality of sensors arranged vertically at consecutive heights along a first column and a plurality of light sources arranged at corresponding heights vertically along a second column placed on an opposite side of a road from the first column for determining a height of a vehicle comprising the steps of;
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driving a vehicle through the first and the second columns at sections having a highest and lowest point of the vehicle;
computer checking the plurality of sensors one at time starting from a lowest height sensor to determine if the sensor is blocked;
and if the sensor is blocked, the height is set equal to a distance between each sensor and a previously determined height;
and if a last of the sensors has been checked, generating an alarm and displaying the height and continuing the step checking the plurality of sensors and if the sensor is not blocked, checking if the height is a maximum height and if so generating an alarm;
otherwise displaying the height and continuing said step of checking the plurality of sensors. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method of using a remote computer to determine and log a highest possible height of a vehicle while said remote computer is connected to a computing device that determines a vehicle height from a plurality of sensors on a vertical column as said vehicle finishes passing by said vertical column comprising the steps of:
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setting an initial logged height to zero;
setting an initial number of height readings from the computing device to zero;
said remote computer receiving from the computing device the height of the vehicle;
checking to see if the height is equal to zero;
if the height is equal to zero and the number of height readings is equal to zero, then continuing with said step of receiving said height of the vehicle from the computing device, if the number of height readings is not equal to zero, storing said logged height for the vehicle permanently;
if the height is not equal to zero, then checking if the height is greater than the logged height;
if the height is greater than the logged height, then the logged height becomes the value of the height, and the number of height readings is incremented by 1 and continuing with the step of receiving; and
if the height is not greater than the logged height then continuing with said step of receiving.
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Specification