ULTRASONIC PASSENGER DETECTION
First Claim
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1. A method of recognizing the presence of a passenger in front of a door of a transit vehicle comprising the steps of:
- directing an ultrasound transmitter/receiver at a volume of space adjacent the door and generally directed at the floor in front of the door;
emitting an ultrasound pulse via the transmitter/receiver into said volume of space while the space is not occupied by a passenger;
recording the ultrasound echoes from objects in the volume of space for at least one response period;
integrating intensity of said echoes during at least a fixed portion of the at least one response period and storing the integrated value as a standard value;
repeatedly emitting an ultrasound pulse via the transmitter/receiver into said volume of space, recording the ultrasound echoes, and integrating the intensity of said echoes during said fixed period; and
repeatedly comparing the integrated values to a standard value such that when the integrated value differs from the standard value by a given amount, a passenger is deemed to have entered the volume of space adjacent the door.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus of recognizing the presence of a passenger in front of a door of a transit vehicle comprises directing an ultrasound transmitter/receiver at a volume of space adjacent the door, emitting an ultrasound pulse into the empty volume, recording and integrating intensity of the echoes and storing the integrated value as a standard value, repeatedly emitting an ultrasound pulse into the volume, and comparing the integrated values to the standard value.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of recognizing the presence of a passenger in front of a door of a transit vehicle comprising the steps of:
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directing an ultrasound transmitter/receiver at a volume of space adjacent the door and generally directed at the floor in front of the door; emitting an ultrasound pulse via the transmitter/receiver into said volume of space while the space is not occupied by a passenger; recording the ultrasound echoes from objects in the volume of space for at least one response period; integrating intensity of said echoes during at least a fixed portion of the at least one response period and storing the integrated value as a standard value; repeatedly emitting an ultrasound pulse via the transmitter/receiver into said volume of space, recording the ultrasound echoes, and integrating the intensity of said echoes during said fixed period; and repeatedly comparing the integrated values to a standard value such that when the integrated value differs from the standard value by a given amount, a passenger is deemed to have entered the volume of space adjacent the door. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for recognizing the presence of a passenger adjacent a door of a transit vehicle comprising:
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an ultrasound transmitter/receiver directed at a volume of space adjacent said door and generally directed at the floor near the door; a controller for triggering an ultrasound pulse via the transmitter/receiver into said volume of space while the space is not occupied by a passenger and recording the ultrasound echoes from objects in the volume of space for at least one response period and integrating the intensity of the echoes during at least a fixed portion of the at least one response period and storing the integrated values; said controller programmed to repeatedly emit an ultrasound pulse via the transmitter/receiver into said volume of space adjacent the door, to record the ultrasound echoes, and to integrate the intensity of said echoes during said fixed period; and said controller further programmed to repeatedly compare the integrated values to a standard. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of recognizing the presence of a passenger or obstruction in front of a door of a transit vehicle comprising the steps of:
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at preset multiple positions of the door as it is opening and/or closing directing an ultrasound transmitter/receiver at a volume of space adjacent the door and generally directed at the floor in front of the door; emitting an ultrasound pulse via the transmitter/receiver into said volume of space while the space is not occupied or obstructed; recording the ultrasound echoes from objects in the volume of space for a short fixed response period; integrating the intensity of said echoes during at least a portion of the short fixed response periods and storing the integrated values as standard values; repeatedly at said preset multiple positions of the door as it is opening and/or closing, emitting an ultrasound pulse via the transmitter/receiver into said volume of space, recording the ultrasound echoes, and integrating the intensity of said echoes during said short fixed response periods; and repeatedly comparing the integrated values to a standard value for each door position such that when the integrated value differs from the standard value by a given amount, a passenger or obstruction is deemed to have entered the volume of space adjacent the door.
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Specification