Device for estimating the behavior of road-users

• US 5,250,946 A
• Filed: 02/10/1992
• Issued: 10/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Centre D'Etudes Techniques De L'Equipement De 1'Est Service Exterieur De L'Etat
• Original Assignee: Centre D'Etudes Techniques De L'Equipement De 1'Est Service Exterieur De L'Etat
• Inventors: Stanzcyk, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TONG, NINA C
• Application Number:
  US07/778,187
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 340/936, 340/937, 340/933, 340/928, 377/9, 364/437, 364/438, 342/115
• US Class Current: 340/936
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 11/02 Measuring average speed of number of bodies, e.g. of vehicles for traffic control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions

Abstract

A device for estimating the general behavior of a group of persons, each son being the driver of a moving body. The invention relates to a device estimating comparatively the behaviors by measuring the average speeds of a same group or more generally of different groups in one location or at different locations. The device is comprised of a casing concealable inside an envelope including a display unit programmable by the threshold of the selected speed, and alternatively, two counters, one indicating the number of moving bodies exceeding the threshold value and the other counter indicating the total number of moving bodies. The components are a Doppler sensor, an amplification stage, a logic stage for the control of the counters, and a power source (i.e. batteries). The invention relates to a device and method for the measurement of average speeds of road users in relation to traffic security, to the measurement of average speeds of athletes with or without mechanical equipment, and to the measurement of instantaneous speeds, of lengths of the bodies and to their classification in relation to rolling bodies on roads.

Claims

1. Device for determining the proportion of traffic of moving bodies exceeding a speed threshold, the device comprising a case, the case comprising sensing means for providing a signal representative of the speed of a moving body and having a converting means to convert the sensed signal into a train of pulses which converting means adjusts the frequency of the pulses according to the speed of the sensed body and further having counting means for counting the number of pulses in a time period;

and

the case further comprising, mounted externally thereof, a means to indicate the number of moving bodies exceeding the threshold and a means to indicate the total number of moving bodies sensed, wherein the case contains;

a power source and

a Doppler effect sensor, arranged to convey a sensed signal to an amplifier stage and thence to a counter control logic state, and then via an impedance adjustment circuit and derivative filter means, to a variable gain amplifier and a pass band filter;

the signal then being conveyed to a trigger stage having a variable input arranged to supply a signal to a first monostable circuit which conveys a signal to a photocoupler controlling a counter to count the total number of bodies sensed, and a signal to a second monostable circuit to invert and to count the voltage peaks, the second circuit being connected to a logic circuit to convey the signal with inverted peaks to a program counter to count a value representing a predetermined speed threshold, and a signal to a third monostable circuit which controls a photocoupler arranged to activate a programmable counter to count those signals having a frequency equal to or greater than the programmed number in the counter therefor, thereby to count the number of moving bodies exceeding the speed threshold.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the case is concealed within a transportable envelope which is a natural object.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the envelope has a handle-like carrying means.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the envelope is selected from the group consisting of resembling a stone and part of a tree.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the display means to display the total number of moving bodies sensed is mounted below the display means to display the number of bodies exceeding the threshold.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing means comprises a sensor arranged to operate by the Doppler effect and to produce a signal which is conveyed to an amplifier and filter to provide a higher or lower voltage signal the frequency of the pulses of which is proportional to the speed of the body, and wherein counter means are present to count the number of pulses in a time interval;

and wherein counting means are present to count the number of bodies exceeding a predetermined threshold; and

wherein counting means are present to count the total number of bodies sensed.

7. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a microcomputer determining from the sensed signal the body speed and body length and the time period for which a moving body was sensed;

and the interval between sensed bodies.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the case is concealed within a transportable envelope which is of a shape selected to resemble a natural object.