WEIGH-IN-MOTION SCALE

• US 20110267200A1
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signature Research, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Signature Research, Inc.
• Inventors: Rutkowski, Keith R., REYNOLDS, William R., Hertel, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,736,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/666
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/024 using electrical weight-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3742 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/02 using treadles built into the road pads or other sensitive devices responsive to passage of vehicles E01F11/00

Abstract

A system includes a camera, a weigh-in-motion scale, and a processor. The camera is configured to capture one or more images of a vehicle as the vehicle goes over the weigh-in-motion scale. The weigh-in-motion scale is configured to generate one or more weight measurements of the vehicle as the vehicle goes over the weigh-in-motion scale. The processor is operatively coupled to the camera and the weigh-in-motion scale. The processor is configured to determine an acceleration of at least a portion of the vehicle based at least in part on the one or more images of the vehicle. The processor is also configured to adjust at least one of the one or more weight measurements based on the acceleration.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a camera configured to capture one or more images of a vehicle as the vehicle goes over a weigh-in-motion scale;

the weigh-in-motion scale configured to generate one or more weight measurements of the vehicle as the vehicle goes over the weigh-in-motion scale; and

a processor operatively coupled to the camera and the weigh-in-motion scale, wherein the processor is configured to;

determine an acceleration of at least a portion of the vehicle based at least in part on the one or more images of the vehicle; and

adjust at least one of the one or more weight measurements based on the acceleration.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the acceleration comprises a vertical acceleration of a chassis of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the acceleration comprises a vertical acceleration of a wheel of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the acceleration comprises a first vertical acceleration of a chassis of the vehicle, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a second vertical acceleration of a wheel of the vehicle, and wherein the at least one of the one or more weight measurements is adjusted based on both the first vertical acceleration and the second vertical acceleration.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the acceleration comprises a horizontal acceleration at least the portion of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the acceleration comprises an angular acceleration of the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a first vertical acceleration of a first portion of a chassis of the vehicle;

determine a second vertical acceleration of a second portion of the chassis of the vehicle; and

determine the angular acceleration based on the first vertical acceleration of the chassis and the second vertical acceleration of the chassis.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first portion of the chassis and the second portion of the chassis are at a same distance above a road upon which the weigh-in-motion scale is installed.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a plurality of accelerations of at least the portion of the vehicle based on the one or more images, wherein each of the plurality of accelerations corresponds in time to a weight measurement of the one or more weight measurements;

adjust each of the one or more weight measurements based on a corresponding acceleration; and

determine an average weight of the vehicle based on the adjusted one or more weight measurements.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera comprises a video camera, and wherein the one or more images comprise one or more video frames.

11. A method comprising:

capturing, with a camera, one or more images of a vehicle as the vehicle goes over a weigh-in-motion scale;

generating one or more weight measurements of the vehicle as the vehicle goes over the weigh-in-motion scale;

determining an acceleration of at least a portion of the vehicle based at least in part on the one or more images of the vehicle; and

adjusting at least one of the one or more weight measurements based on the acceleration.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the acceleration comprises at least one of a vertical acceleration of a chassis of the vehicle or a vertical acceleration of a wheel of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the acceleration comprises a first vertical acceleration of a chassis of the vehicle, and further comprising determining a second vertical acceleration of a wheel of the vehicle, wherein the at least one of the one or more weight measurements is adjusted based on both the first vertical acceleration and the second vertical acceleration.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a plurality of accelerations of at least the portion of the vehicle based on the one or more images, wherein each of the plurality of accelerations corresponds in time to a weight measurement of the one or more weight measurements; and

adjusting each of the one or more weight measurements based on a corresponding acceleration.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining an average weight of the vehicle based on the adjusted one or more weight measurements.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the acceleration comprises an angular acceleration of the vehicle, and further comprising:

determining a first vertical acceleration of a first portion of a chassis of the vehicle;

determining a second vertical acceleration of a second portion of the chassis of the vehicle; and

determining the angular acceleration based on the first vertical acceleration of the chassis and the second vertical acceleration of the chassis.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first portion of the chassis and the second portion of the chassis are separated from one another by at least one half of a length of the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a natural frequency of vehicle suspension of the vehicle; and

triggering an alarm if the natural frequency of vehicle suspension falls outside of a predetermined range.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions comprising:

instructions to capture one or more images of a vehicle as the vehicle goes over a weigh-in-motion scale;

instructions to generate one or more weight measurements of the vehicle as the vehicle goes over the weigh-in-motion scale;

instructions to determine an acceleration of at least a portion of the vehicle based at least in part on the one or more images of the vehicle; and

instructions to adjust at least one of the one or more weight measurements based on the acceleration.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the acceleration comprises a first vertical acceleration of a chassis of the vehicle, and further comprising instructions to determine a second vertical acceleration of a wheel of the vehicle, wherein the at least one of the one or more weight measurements is adjusted based on both the first vertical acceleration and the second vertical acceleration.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising:

instructions to determine a plurality of accelerations of at least the portion of the vehicle based on the one or more images, wherein each of the plurality of accelerations corresponds in time to a weight measurement of the one or more weight measurements;

instructions to adjust each of the one or more weight measurements based on a corresponding acceleration; and

instructions to determine an average weight of the vehicle based on the adjusted one or more weight measurements.