VEHICLE DETECTION APPARATUS
First Claim
1. An apparatus for monitoring use of a carriageway, the carriageway having two or more lanes for use by vehicles travelling in a single direction, the apparatus including:
- a first pair of inductive loops on or in the surface of one of the two or more lanes, and a second pair of inductive loops on or in the surface of another of the two or more lanes, the loops in each of the first pair and the second pair being positioned substantially side-by-side across the lane and the first pair and the second pair of loops being positioned substantially side-by-side across the carriageway, a width of each loop in the first pair being such that the loops of the first pair together span substantially the full width of the lane, and each loop of the first pair and the second pair having a length in the single direction of vehicle travel which is substantially shorter than the width of the loop across the lane;
a loop controller associated with each loop, each loop controller energizing an associated one of the loops and carrying out measurements of the change in inductance of the associated one of the loops as one of the vehicles passes over that loop; and
processing means adapted to receive the measurements from the loop controllers, and adapted to use the measurements to calculate the estimated position of at least one of the vehicles on the carriageway relative to a center of the first pair of inductive loops, based on the magnitude of inductance change for one of the loops within the first pair as a proportion of the summed magnitudes of inductance change for both of the loops in the first pair.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus is disclosed for monitoring use of a carriageway, the carriageway having two or more lanes (12, 14, 16) for use by vehicles travelling in a single direction A, the apparatus including: a pair of inductive loops (20abc, 22abc) on or in the surface of each lane (12, 14, 16), the loops in the pair being positioned substantially side-by-side across the lane (12, 14, 16) and the pairs of loops (18a, 18b, 18c) being positioned substantially side-by-side across the carriageway, each pair of loops (18abc) substantially extending across the full width of the lane (12, 14, 16), and each loop having a length in the direction of vehicle travel which is substantially shorter than the width of the loop across the lane; a loop controller associated with each loop, each loop controller energising its associated loop and carrying out measurements of the inductance of its associated loop; and processing means for receiving the measurements from the loop controllers, and for using the measurements for calculating the estimated position of vehicle(s) on the carriageway.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An apparatus for monitoring use of a carriageway, the carriageway having two or more lanes for use by vehicles travelling in a single direction, the apparatus including:
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a first pair of inductive loops on or in the surface of one of the two or more lanes, and a second pair of inductive loops on or in the surface of another of the two or more lanes, the loops in each of the first pair and the second pair being positioned substantially side-by-side across the lane and the first pair and the second pair of loops being positioned substantially side-by-side across the carriageway, a width of each loop in the first pair being such that the loops of the first pair together span substantially the full width of the lane, and each loop of the first pair and the second pair having a length in the single direction of vehicle travel which is substantially shorter than the width of the loop across the lane; a loop controller associated with each loop, each loop controller energizing an associated one of the loops and carrying out measurements of the change in inductance of the associated one of the loops as one of the vehicles passes over that loop; and processing means adapted to receive the measurements from the loop controllers, and adapted to use the measurements to calculate the estimated position of at least one of the vehicles on the carriageway relative to a center of the first pair of inductive loops, based on the magnitude of inductance change for one of the loops within the first pair as a proportion of the summed magnitudes of inductance change for both of the loops in the first pair. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. (canceled)
Specification