DIRECTIONAL SPEED AND DISTANCE SENSOR
First Claim
1. A method of using a directional sensor for the purposes of detecting the presence of a vehicle or an object within a zone of interest on a roadway or in a parking space, comprising:
- a. transmitting a microwave transmit pulse such that a total distance occupied by the pulse in air is less than 5 feet;
b. radiating the transmitted pulse by a directional antenna system to enable the transmit pulse to be radiated preferentially towards a detection area;
c. receiving received pulses by an adjustable receive window, said receive window being precisely timed in relation to the transmit pulse with the receive window being similar or different in duration than the transmit pulse;
d. integrating or combining signals from multiple received pulses to increase a signal to noise ratio;
e. amplifying and filtering the integrated receive signal to further increase the signal to noise ratio;
f. digitizing the combined signal using an analog to digital conversion process;
g. comparing the digitized signal to at least one preset or dynamically computed threshold values to determine the presence or absence of an object in the field of view of the sensor; and
h. providing at least one pulse generator with rise and fall times of less than 3 ns each and capable of generating pulses less than 10 ns in duration for controlling the transmit pulses and receive windows.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of using a directional sensor for the purposes of detecting the presence of a vehicle or an object within a zone of interest on a roadway or in a parking space. The method comprises the following steps: transmitting a microwave transmit pulse of less than 5 feet; radiating the transmitted pulse by a directional antenna system; receiving received pulses by an adjustable receive window; integrating or combining signals from multiple received pulses; amplifying and filtering the integrated receive signal; digitizing the combined signal; comparing the digitized signal to at least one preset or dynamically computed threshold values to determine the presence or absence of an object in the field of view of the sensor; and providing at least one pulse generator with rise and fall times of less than 3 ns each and capable of generating pulses less than 10 ns in duration.
127 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of using a directional sensor for the purposes of detecting the presence of a vehicle or an object within a zone of interest on a roadway or in a parking space, comprising:
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a. transmitting a microwave transmit pulse such that a total distance occupied by the pulse in air is less than 5 feet; b. radiating the transmitted pulse by a directional antenna system to enable the transmit pulse to be radiated preferentially towards a detection area; c. receiving received pulses by an adjustable receive window, said receive window being precisely timed in relation to the transmit pulse with the receive window being similar or different in duration than the transmit pulse; d. integrating or combining signals from multiple received pulses to increase a signal to noise ratio; e. amplifying and filtering the integrated receive signal to further increase the signal to noise ratio; f. digitizing the combined signal using an analog to digital conversion process; g. comparing the digitized signal to at least one preset or dynamically computed threshold values to determine the presence or absence of an object in the field of view of the sensor; and h. providing at least one pulse generator with rise and fall times of less than 3 ns each and capable of generating pulses less than 10 ns in duration for controlling the transmit pulses and receive windows. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25)
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19. The system of claim 19, wherein a plurality of sensors are communicating to at least one external host using wired or wireless means forming a network of sensors that communicate with the host for the purposes of data transmission from the sensors, and configuration, monitoring and control of the sensors.
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22. The method of claim 22, wherein the profile obtained is transmitted to an external host using wired or wireless means for storage.
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27. A directional sensor for the purposes of detecting the presence of a vehicle or an object within a zone of interest on a roadway or in a parking space, comprising:
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a. means for transmitting a microwave transmit pulse such that a total distance occupied by the pulse in air is less than 5 feet; b. a directional antenna system to enable the transmit pulse to be radiated preferentially towards a detection area; c. an adjustable receive window to receive received pulses, said receive window being precisely timed in relation to the transmit pulse with the receive window being similar or different in duration than the transmit pulse; d. means for integrating or combining signals from multiple received pulses to increase a signal to noise ratio; e. an amplifier and filter for amplifying and filtering the integrated receive signal to further increase the signal to noise ratio; f. means for digitizing the combined signal using an analog to digital conversion process; g. means for comparing the digitized signal to preset or dynamically computed threshold values to determine the presence or absence of an object in the field of view of the sensor; and h. at least one pulse generator with rise and fall times of less than 3 ns each and capable of generating pulses less than 10 ns in duration for controlling the transmit pulses and receive windows. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification