MONOPULSE TRAFFIC SENSOR AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A method for determining a position of a vehicle within a field of view using a traffic sensor, the method comprising:
- a) mounting the traffic sensor at a fixed location relative to a road;
b) modulating a microwave signal to produce a periodic time-varying modulated signal;
c) radiating the periodic time-varying modulated microwave signal in a radiation beam at a vehicle on a road to generate a reflected modulated microwave signal, wherein the reflected periodic time-varying modulated microwave signal induces a first received signal at a first receiver antenna and a second received signal at a second receiver antenna, the second receiver being spaced from the first receiver; and
,d) determining the position of the vehicle on the road, wherein the position comprises a lateral position of the vehicle across a width of the road and a longitudinal position of the vehicle along a length of the road, within the field of view based on the periodic time-varying modulated signal, the first received signal, and the second received signal, wherein the position of the vehicle is determinable during a single period of the periodic time-varying modulated signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for determining a position of a vehicle within a field of view using a traffic sensor are provided. This involves (a) mounting the traffic sensor at a fixed location relative to a road; (b) modulating a microwave signal to produce a periodic time-varying modulated signal; (c) radiating the periodic time-varying modulated microwave signal in a radiation beam at a vehicle on a road to generate a reflected modulated microwave signal, wherein the reflected periodic time-varying modulated microwave signal induces a first received signal at a first receiver antenna and a second received signal at a second receiver antenna, the second receiver being spaced from the first receiver; and, (d) determining the position of the vehicle on the road within the field of view based on the periodic time-varying modulated signal, the first received signal, and the second received signal, wherein the position of the vehicle is determinable during a single period of the periodic time-varying modulated signal. The position comprises a lateral position of the vehicle across a width of the road and a longitudinal position of the vehicle along a length of the road.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method for determining a position of a vehicle within a field of view using a traffic sensor, the method comprising:
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a) mounting the traffic sensor at a fixed location relative to a road; b) modulating a microwave signal to produce a periodic time-varying modulated signal; c) radiating the periodic time-varying modulated microwave signal in a radiation beam at a vehicle on a road to generate a reflected modulated microwave signal, wherein the reflected periodic time-varying modulated microwave signal induces a first received signal at a first receiver antenna and a second received signal at a second receiver antenna, the second receiver being spaced from the first receiver; and
,d) determining the position of the vehicle on the road, wherein the position comprises a lateral position of the vehicle across a width of the road and a longitudinal position of the vehicle along a length of the road, within the field of view based on the periodic time-varying modulated signal, the first received signal, and the second received signal, wherein the position of the vehicle is determinable during a single period of the periodic time-varying modulated signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A traffic sensor for obtaining vehicular traffic data within a field of view, the sensor comprising:
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a transceiver unit for generating a frequency modulated microwave signal; at least one transmitter antenna for (i) receiving the modulated microwave signal from the transceiver unit, (ii) forming a radiation beam, and (iii) radiating a transmitted radiated signal, comprising the modulated microwave signal in the radiation beam, at a vehicle; a first receiver antenna for (i) receiving the modulated microwave signal reflected back from the vehicle, and (ii) generating a first received signal; and
,a second receiver antenna for (i) receiving the modulated microwave signal reflected back from the object, and (ii) generating a second received signal, wherein the first receiver antenna is spaced from the second receiver antenna, and the transceiver unit is connected to the first receiver antenna and to the second receiver antenna, to receive the first received signal from the first receiver antenna and the second received signal from the second receiver antenna; a processor unit for determining a velocity and a position of a vehicle on a road, wherein the velocity is measured relative to the road and wherein the position comprises a lateral position of the vehicle across a width of the road and a longitudinal position of the vehicle along a length of the road, by (a) determining the two-dimensional position of the vehicle on the road based on the time-varying modulated signal, the first received signal, and the second received signal during a single period of the time-varying modulated signal; and
,(b) repeating (a) at multiple times when the vehicle is within the field of view to determine a sequence of vehicle positions in two dimensions and the velocity of the vehicle from the sequence of vehicle positions in two dimensions. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification