MANAGING VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON A ROADWAY

• US 20140313057A1
• Filed: 04/17/2014
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hovtag LLC
• Original Assignee: Hovtag LLC
• Inventors: Kokal, James Vincent, Natinsky, Ron, Smith, Mark Alan, Chase, James Alan
• Granted Patent: US 9,547,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/928
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/593 Recognising seat occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G

Abstract

A system for managing vehicular traffic on a roadway includes a sensing unit positioned within a vehicle traveling on the roadway. The sensing unit is configured to determine occupancy data based on the number of passengers within the vehicle. An ambient light sensor is operatively associated with the sensing unit such that upon sensing an intensity of ambient light, an adjustment is made to the system to aid in the determination of occupancy data. The occupancy data is configured to be communicated to one or more receiving units positioned above or proximate the roadway.

Claims

1. A system for managing vehicular traffic on a roadway, the system comprising:

an imaging sensor to sense an image within an interior of a vehicle;

a processor in communication with the imaging sensor to determine from the image an occupancy number representing the number of persons present in the interior of the vehicle;

a communications unit in communication with the processor and configured to communicate with a receiving unit outside of the vehicle, the communications unit configured to deliver the occupancy number to the receiving unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein an output of the processor is only the occupancy number, and the processor communicates no other data to the communications unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein an output of the processor does not include the image or information about an identity or location of detected persons in the image.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein communications unit is configured to deliver only the occupancy number to the receiving unit, and the communication unit is configured to communicate no other data to the receiving unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging sensor is a CMOS sensor array.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising an ambient temperature sensor operatively associated with the processor such that upon sensing an ambient temperature, an adjustment is made to the system to aid in the determination of the occupancy number.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising an ambient light sensor operatively associated with the processor such that upon sensing an intensity of ambient light, an adjustment is made to the system to aid in the determination of the occupancy number.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising an illumination source to illuminate the interior of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a passive infrared sensor configured to determine the occupancy number by sensing a first infrared signature with a first portion of the passive infrared sensor and a second infrared signature with a second portion of the passive infrared sensor;

wherein the first infrared signature is compared to the second infrared signature to determine if movement is detected

10. A system for managing vehicular traffic on a roadway, the system comprising:

a sensing unit positioned within a vehicle traveling on the roadway, the sensing unit configured to determine occupancy data based on the number of passengers within the vehicle;

an activator unit positioned above or proximate the roadway and configured to activate the sensing unit; and

one or more receiving units positioned above or proximate the roadway to receive occupancy data from the sensing unit;

wherein upon activation by the activator unit, the sensing unit determines the occupancy data, stores the occupancy data, and then ceases further determination of occupancy data until activated by a subsequent activator unit.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein upon activation by the activator unit, the sensing unit sends stored occupancy data to the one or more receiving units.

12. A system configured to manage vehicular traffic on a roadway, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions that when executed by the at least one processor performs operations comprising;

determining data based on the number of passengers within the vehicle;

storing the data in the at least one memory;

reporting the stored data to a first receiving unit;

clearing the at least one memory to a cleared state after reporting to the first receiving unit; and

determining battery status when a second receiving unit detects the at least one memory in the cleared state.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the data is occupancy data.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising the first and second receiving units.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the receiving unit further comprises an activator unit that activates a passive portion of the system to access and return the stored occupancy data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the activator unit provides the power necessary to place the at least one memory in the cleared state.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the system further comprises an active portion that is capable of determining the occupancy data and storing the occupancy data in the at least one memory.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein upon determination of the low battery status, the operations further comprise notifying a user of the sensing unit of the low battery status.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user is notified by at least one of Short Message Service (SMS), electronic mail, telephony, common carrier, and mail.

20-58. -58. (canceled)