Remote identification and speed determination system

• US 5,082,365 A
• Filed: 12/28/1989
• Issued: 01/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kenneth F. Kuzmick, Robert A. Kuzmick, William J. Davis
• Original Assignee: Kenneth F. Kuzmick, Robert A. Kuzmick, William J. Davis
• Inventors: Davis, William J., Kuzmick, Kenneth F., Kuzmick, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buczinski, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US07/458,417
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 356/1, 356/4, 356/28, 356/390, 356/394
• US Class Current: 356/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/68 using optical means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light G01P3/80 takes precedence ; by reflection of waves G01S17/58
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00

Abstract

A remote object/vehicle identification and speed determination system including a bar code label on each object/vehicle and a device for continuously scanning an area to determine when the object/vehicle is present at a predetermined distance from the scanning device. The scanning device may be responsive to ambient visible or invisible radiation from the label. Each label includes unique identification data for the object/vehicle as well as spaced framing signals used for making distance determinations. Each label may be invisible and may be on or in the windshield of a vehicle.

The signals from the scanning device are sampled continuously and the sampled signals are stepped along a shift register. Parallel outputs from the shift register are continuously analyzed so that signals from a single scan across a label are sufficient to determine if an object/vehicle is at a predetermined distance from the scanning device and to read the unique identification data.

Speed determinations are made by using the change in apparent size of the label to determine when an object/vehicle passes two predetermined distances from the scanning device and measuring the time lapse between the two passing events. The speed and the unique identification of the object/vehicle are both obtained.

Claims

1. Apparatus for measuring the speed of an object which includes a known pattern of known size and shape, said apparatus comprising:

means to view a field of view through which said object passes;

means to determine a first point in time when the view of said known pattern, as viewed by said viewing means, appears to be of a first predetermined size;

means to determine a second point in time when the view of said known pattern, as viewed by said viewing means, appears to be of a second predetermined size;

means to determine the amount of time between said first point in time and said second point in time; and

means to calculate the speed of said object which is proportional to said determined amount of time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said viewing means includes a scanning means to scan said field of view to produce a train of analog signals which is converted into a train of binary signals which are fed into a serial input of a shift register having plural parallel outputs.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said viewing means is a scanning means including a two-dimensional array of detecting elements and the object can be detected anywhere in said field of view.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said viewing means detects said pattern in a radiation frequency range chosen from the spectrum of ultraviolet light to far infra-red.

5. Apparatus for measuring the speed of an object, which object includes a pattern of known size and shape, said apparatus comprising:

means for repeatedly, linearly scanning across a volume in which said object moves and producing a series of output signals representing the results of said scanning;

conversion means for converting said series of output signals into a series of binary signals representing the results of said scanning;

an array of binary storage elements connected in series for receiving said series of binary signals at one element of said array and sequentially storing said series of binary signals;

stepping means for stepping said stored binary signals across said array of elements in a timed relationship with said received binary signals;

a first plurality of sampling means connected to a first predetermined set of storage elements in said array for continuously sampling said first predetermined set of storage elements in order to recognize the stored binary signals when they represent a scan across said pattern of known size and shape at a first predetermined distance from the scanning means for determining a first point in time when this first recognition occurs;

a second plurality of sampling means connected to a second predetermined set of storage elements in said array for continuously sampling said second predetermined set of storage elements in order to recognize the stored binary signals when they represent a scan across said pattern of known size and shape at a second predetermined distance from the scanning means for determining a second point in time when to this second recognition occurs;

means to determine the amount of time between said first point in time and said second point in time; and

means to use said determined amount of time to determine the speed of said object.

6. The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 5, wherein said object is a vehicle, said pattern which that vehicle includes is a bar code which is unique to and identifies that particular vehicle, and at least one of said first and second recognitions includes the recognition of the identity of that particular vehicle.

7. The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 5 wherein the array of binary storage elements forms a shift register.

8. The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 7 wherein said first plurality of sampling means are connected to preselected parallel outputs from said shift register and said second plurality of sampling means are also connected to preselected parallel outputs from said shift register.

9. The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 5 wherein the shape of the known pattern is substantially rectangular.

10. A method of measuring the speed of an object, which object includes a pattern of known size, said method comprising the steps of:

scanning a field of view through which said object passes to produce a series of images of said pattern;

determining a first point in time when one of said images of said pattern is of a first predetermined size;

determining a second point in time when another of said images of said pattern is of a second predetermined size;

determining the amount of time between said first time point and second time point; and

determining from said amount of time the speed of said object.

11. The method of measuring the speed of an object of claim 10 wherein said known pattern is substantially rectangular.

12. The method of measuring the speed of an object of claim 10 wherein said known pattern is a bar code.

13. The method of measuring the speed of an object of claim 10 wherein the height and width of the pattern are known.

14. The method of measuring the speed of an object of claim 10 wherein the determined speed is inversely proportional to said determined amount of time.

15. The method of measuring the speed of an object of claim 10 wherein said images of said object are formed from radiation having a frequency range chosen from the spectrum of ultraviolet light to far infra-red.

16. Apparatus for measuring the speed of an object, said object including a pattern of known size, said apparatus comprising:

scanning means to scan said object to produce a first image of said pattern at a first point in time as the object moves in view of said scanning means, said scanning means continuing to scan said object to produce a series of images of said pattern as the object continues to move;

means to monitor said series of images to select a second image of said object for determining a second point in time corresponding to when said second image has a size which is a predetermined percentage different from the size of said first image; and

means to determine the speed of said object depending upon the time difference between said two points in time.

17. The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 16 wherein said known pattern is substantially rectangular.

18. The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 16 wherein the height and width of the pattern are known.

19. The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 16 wherein said images of said pattern are formed from radiation having a frequency range chosen from the spectrum of ultraviolet light to far infra-red.

20. The apparatus for measuring the speed of an object of claim 19 wherein said known pattern comprises a bar code.