VEHICLE SPACING DETECTOR AND NOTIFICATION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting tailgating between vehicles traveling in the same direction comprising:
- (a) at least one transmitter adapted to transmit a signal into a path of a vehicle, (b) at least one receiver adapted to receive the signal as reflected by a vehicle, (c) a processor connected to the at least one receiver and adapted to receive information from the receiver and determine the presence or absence of a vehicle, (d) a memory connected to the processor containing a predetermined tailgating limit, and, (e) notification means for notifying a law enforcement officer if the vehicles are closer than a predetermined time interval.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for the detection of tailgating between vehicles on a roadway. The device may emit ultrasonic signals on to a roadway and receive said reflected signals. The device has a processor adapted to use the received signals to determine the presence or absence of a vehicle. The processor also determines whether a vehicle is tailgating another vehicle by detecting if the time spacing between two sequential vehicles traveling in the same direction in the same lane is two second or less. The processor alerts a remote receiver when tailgating is detected. The device may also include a camera to take pictures of any vehicle determined to be tailgating. The device is preferably compact and easily portable.
40 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting tailgating between vehicles traveling in the same direction comprising:
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(a) at least one transmitter adapted to transmit a signal into a path of a vehicle, (b) at least one receiver adapted to receive the signal as reflected by a vehicle, (c) a processor connected to the at least one receiver and adapted to receive information from the receiver and determine the presence or absence of a vehicle, (d) a memory connected to the processor containing a predetermined tailgating limit, and, (e) notification means for notifying a law enforcement officer if the vehicles are closer than a predetermined time interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for detecting tailgating between vehicles traveling in the same direction comprising:
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arranging a transmitter adjacent to a roadway, arranging a receiver adjacent to the roadway, sending signals from the transmitter into the roadway, receiving the signals from the roadway as reflected by vehicles, processing the signals to determine the time spacing of vehicles with respect to each other; and
,if the time spacing between two vehicles is smaller than a predetermined time limit, sending a message to notify a law enforcement officer. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification