Vehicle monitor apparatus
First Claim
1. In a vehicle monitor apparatus for monitoring vehicles in a monitoring location, a monitoring unit comprising a photoelectric infrared receiver and an infrared receiver circuit driven thereby, said receiver circuit comprising a high gain preamplifier with a first input driven by said photoelectric receiver and an ambient light compensation feedback path connected from the output of said preamplifier to said photoelectric receiver and preamplifier first input for holding low the voltage across the photoelectric receiver by closed loop feedback during high light levels.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle monitor (10) apparatus for monitoring vehicles (14) in a monitoring location (17). A vehicle unit (12) mountable in a vehicle includes circuitry (21) for transmitting, on a continuous repetitive basis, information characterizing the vehicle and unique thereto. In addition, a monitoring unit (16) mountable at the monitoring location includes circuitry (33) for receiving information transmitted by the vehicle unit. Such monitoring circuitry includes an infrared light receiver (29) and a preamplifier with ambient light compensation circuitry (100) connected thereacross.
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Citations
23 Claims
- 1. In a vehicle monitor apparatus for monitoring vehicles in a monitoring location, a monitoring unit comprising a photoelectric infrared receiver and an infrared receiver circuit driven thereby, said receiver circuit comprising a high gain preamplifier with a first input driven by said photoelectric receiver and an ambient light compensation feedback path connected from the output of said preamplifier to said photoelectric receiver and preamplifier first input for holding low the voltage across the photoelectric receiver by closed loop feedback during high light levels.
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7. In a vehicle monitor apparatus for monitoring vehicles in a monitoring location, the combination comprising:
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a vehicle unit mountable in a vehicle and including means for transmitting, on a continuous repetitive basis, information characterizing the vehicle; and a monitoring unit mountable at said monitoring location and including means for receiving information transmitted by said vehicle unit, said transmitting means including means for producing a data pulse train digitally encoding said information characterizing the vehicle, a timer means for producing a carrier frequency signal of frequency greater than that of said data pulse train, means modulating said carrier by turning same on and off in accord with pulses from said data pulse train, and means applying the data modulated carrier to an infrared emitting member located on said vehicle to be seen from said ground station, said vehicle unit including odometer means for generating pulses in number proportional to miles traveled by the vehicle, fuel level means for generating a time interval proportional to fuel remaining in the vehicle fuel tank, and vehicle identification means establishing a vehicle identification code, said means for producing a data pulse train including means for encoding data indicating miles traveled, fuel level and vehicle identification number.
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8. In a vehicle monitor apparatus for monitoring vehicles in a monitoring location, the combination comprising:
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a vehicle unit mountable in a vehicle and including means for transmitting, on a continuous repetitive basis, information characterizing the vehicle; and a monitoring unit mountable at said monitoring location and including means for receiving information transmitted by said vehicle unit, said vehicle unit including means for producing a data pulse train digitally encoding said information characterizing the vehicle, and means for producing signals related to vehicle mileage and fuel tank level, said pulse train producing means including a microprocessor unit storing a vehicle identification number and including mileage register means and fuel register means sequentially updated from said signal producing means for serially outputting vehicle identification number, mileage and fuel on a continuous loop basis. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In a vehicle monitor apparatus for monitoring vehicles in a monitoring location, the combination comprising:
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a vehicle unit mountable in a vehicle and including means for transmitting, on a continuous repetitive basis, information characterizing the vehicle; and a monitoring unit mountable at said monitoring location and including means for receiving information transmitted by said vehicle unit, said moitoring unit including a photoelectric infrared receiver and an infrared receiver circuit driven thereby and comprising a high gain preamplifier with a first input driven by said photoelectric receiver and an ambient light compensation feedback path connected from the output of said preamplifier to said photoelectric receiver and preamplifier first input for holding low the voltage across the photoelectric receiver by closed loop feedback during high light levels. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 19, 20)
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16. In a vehicle monitor apparatus for monitoring vehicles in a monitoring location, the combination comprising:
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a vehicle unit mountable in a vehicle and including means for transmitting, on a continuous repetitive basis, information characterizing the vehicle; and a monitoring unit mountable at said monitoring location and including means for receiving information transmitted by said vehicle unit, said monitoring unit including receiver circuit means for reproducing a data pulsed train digitally encoding said information characterizing the vehicle and transmitted by said means for transmitting in said vehicle unit, said receiving means further including a ground station processor circuit comprising microprocessor means, a member to be controlled in response to identification of a vehicle, a control circuit including a first path for applying said data pulse train to an input of said microprocessor, said control circuit including a second path incorporating a latch means responsive to lack of a data pulse train for maintaining said controlled member in a rest state, said latch having input connected to said microprocessor means and responsive to approval by said microprocessor means of said data pulse train for setting the latch and thereby switching said controlled member to a nonrest state indicating passage of a properly identified vehicle, said microprocessor means having a further input responsive to the set condition of said latch means for preventing further reading of data from the same vehicle, said control circuit including time delay means responsive to discontinuance of data pulse trains at the input of said control circuit for a minimum delay time sufficient to permit a vehicle to leave the monitoring location, to thereafter reset said latch and thereby return said controlled member to its rest condition to ready said receiving means for arrival of a further vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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21. In a vehicle monitor apparatus for monitoring vehicles in a monitoring location, the combination comprising:
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a vehicle unit mountable in a vehicle and including means for transmitting, on a continuous repetitive basis, information characterizing the vehicle, said transmitting means including an infrared light emitting diode mounted at the front end of a tubular housing having clamping means thereon for clamping between members of a vehicle grill; and a monitoring unit mountable at said monitoring location and including means for receiving information transmitted by said vehicle unit.
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22. In a vehicle monitor apparatus for monitoring vehicles in a monitoring location, the combination comprising:
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a vehicle unit mountable in a vehicle and including means for transmitting, on a continuous repetitive basis, information characterizing the vehicle, and a monitoring unit mountable at said monitoring location and including means for receiving information transmitted by said vehicle unit, said receiving means including a horizontally extended concave array of photovoltaic elements behind a lens means for focusing infrared light thereon from an approaching vehicle.
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23. In a vehicle monitor apparatus for monitoring vehicles in a monitoring location, the combination comprising:
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a vehicle unit mountable in a vehicle and including means for transmitting, on a continuous repetitive basis, information characterizing the vehicle, and a monitoring unit mountable at said monitoring location and including means for receiving information transmitted by said vehicle unit, said transmitting means including means for producing a data pulse train digitally encoding said information characterizing the vehicle, a timer means for producing a carrier frequency signal of frequency greater than that of said data pulse train, means modulating said carrier by turning same on and off in accord with pulses from said data pulse train, and means applying the data modulated carrier to an infrared emitting member located on said vehicle to be seen from said monitoring location.
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Specification