Method and system for detecting with radar the passage by a vehicle of a point for monitoring on a road

• US 20060066472A1
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gatsometer B.V. (Sensys Gatso Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Gatsometer B.V. (Sensys Gatso Group AB)
• Inventors: Janssen, Theodorus Maria
• Granted Patent: US 7,190,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/104
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/32 using transmission of continuous waves, whether amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated, or unmodulated
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/92 for velocity measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for detecting the passage by a vehicle of a determined point for monitoring on a road, wherein from a remotely situated location a radar beam is transmitted continuously to the point for monitoring, reflections from the transmitted radar beam are received at the remotely situated location, and it is determined from the received reflections that the vehicle is passing the point for monitoring. The radar beam can herein be transmitted at an acute angle to the travel direction of the passing vehicle. The detection can be used to activate a red-light camera, to measure the speed of the vehicle or measure the traffic intensity, without sensors, for instance induction loops, having to be arranged in the road for this purpose. The invention further relates to a system for performing this method.

Claims

1. A method for detecting the passage of a determined point by a vehicle for monitoring a road, comprising transmitting substantially continuously from a remotely situated location to at least one radar beam to the point for monitoring, receiving reflections from at least one transmitted radar beam at the remotely situated location, and determining from the received reflections that the vehicle is passing the point for monitoring.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one radar beam is transmitted at an acute angle to the travel direction of the passing vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the passing of the point for monitoring is determined by calculating from the received reflections the distance of the vehicle from the transmitting and receiving location and comparing the thus calculated distance to the known distance between the transmitting and receiving location and the point for monitoring.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a series of values for the distance of the vehicle is calculated from a number of successively received reflections, wherein the detection that the vehicle is passing the point for monitoring is valid only if this series of distance values corresponds precisely.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein an activating signal is generated when a vehicle passes the point for monitoring in a determined direction.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the identification of the transmitting and receiving location is linked to the activating signal.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one picture record of the passing vehicle is made on the basis of the activating signal.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the speed and the travel direction of the passing vehicle is calculated from the received reflections.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a series of values for the speed of the vehicle is calculated from a number of successively received reflections, and a wherein the speed calculation is valid only when the series of speed values corresponds precisely.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the calculated speed is linked to the activating signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the distance between the transmitting and receiving location and the point for monitoring and the characteristic of the at least one transmitted radar beam are matched such that the dimension of the radar beam at the point for monitoring is of the same order of magnitude as the width of a vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the distance amounts to several tens of metres and the radar beam has a beam width of several degrees.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the road comprises a number of lanes, on each of which a specific point is to be monitored, and for each lane a radar beam is transmitted at a related angle from the transmitting and receiving location.

14. A detection system for detecting the passage of a determined point by a vehicle for monitoring on a road, comprising a transmitting and receiving device disposed at a remote location for:

(1) transmitting at least one radar beam substantially continuously to the point for monitoring, (2) receiving reflections from the at least one transmitted radar beam, and (3) determining from the received reflections that a vehicle is passing the point for monitoring.

15. The detection system of claim 14, wherein the transmitting and receiving device is adapted to transmit the at least one radar beam at an acute angle to the travel direction of the passing vehicle.

16. The detection system of claim 14, wherein the transmitting and receiving device is adapted to calculate from the received reflections the distance of the vehicle from the transmitting and receiving device and to compare the thus calculated distance to the known distance between the transmitting and receiving device and the point for monitoring.

17. The detection system of claim 16, wherein the transmitting and receiving device is adapted to calculate a series of values for the distance of the vehicle from a number of successively received reflections, and to assume a detection that the vehicle is passing the point for monitoring to be valid only if the series of distance values corresponds precisely.

18. The detection system of claim 14, wherein the transmitting and receiving device is adapted to generate an activating signal when a vehicle passes the point for monitoring in a determined direction.

19. The detection system of claim 18, wherein the transmitting and receiving device is adapted to link its identification to the activating signal.

20. The detection system of claim 18 wherein a device is connected controllably to the transmitting and receiving device for making at least one picture record of the passing vehicle.

21. The detection system of claim 14, wherein the transmitting and receiving device is adapted to calculate from the received reflections the speed and the travel direction of the passing vehicle.

22. The detection system of claim 21, wherein the transmitting and receiving device is adapted to calculate a series of values for the speed of the vehicle from a number of successively received reflections, and to determine that the calculated speed is valid only when the series of speed values corresponds precisely.

23. The detection system of claim 18, wherein the transmitting and receiving device is adapted to link the calculated speed to the activating signal.

24. The detection system of claim 14, wherein the transmitting and receiving device is disposed at a distance from the point for monitoring and adapted to transmit a radar beam such that the dimension of the radar beam at the point for monitoring is of the same order of magnitude as the width of a vehicle.

25. The detection system of claim 24, wherein the transmitting and receiving device is disposed at several tens of metres from the point for monitoring and is adapted to transmit a radar beam with a beam width of several degrees.

26. The detection system of claim 14, wherein the road comprises a number of lanes, on each of which a specific point is to be monitored, and the transmitting and receiving device is adapted to transmit for each lane a radar beam at a related angle.