Infra-red sensor system for intelligent vehicle highway systems
First Claim
1. A sensor unit comprising:
- (a) detector means including an infra-red focal plane array for capturing images of interest;
(b) an electro-optics module having means for focusing said images of interest onto said detector means, means for controlling said detector means, an array of multiple distributed processors, and means for generating a respective one set of video signals from each of at least selected images captured by said detector means and for transmitting each set of signals to at least a plurality of the distributed processors; and
(c) a remote electronics module for conditioning and transforming said video signals from said electro-optics module into a form suitable for digital signal processing, said remote electronics module is connected to said electro-optics module via an interface module contained within said electro-optics module; and
whereinthe sensor unit further includesi) an array of multiple distributed processors, andii) signal circuitry for generating a respective set of signals representing each of at least selected ones of said images, and for transmitting each set of signals to at least a plurality of the distributed processors.
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Abstract
An infra-red sensor system for all weather, day and night traffic surveillance of ground based vehicles. The infra-red sensor system comprises system comprises an infra-red, focal plane array detector, signal processors, a communications interface and a central computer. The infra-red, focal plane array detector senses the heat emitted from vehicles passing within the field of view. Information collected from the array detector is input to signal processors which are programmed with tracking algorithms and other application specific algorithms to extract and calculate meaningful traffic data from the infra-red image captured by the array detector. The meaningful data includes the location, speed and acceleration of all vehicles passing within the field of view of the array detector. The information from the signal processors is transmitted to the central computer via the communications interface for further processing and dissemination of information.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A sensor unit comprising:
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(a) detector means including an infra-red focal plane array for capturing images of interest; (b) an electro-optics module having means for focusing said images of interest onto said detector means, means for controlling said detector means, an array of multiple distributed processors, and means for generating a respective one set of video signals from each of at least selected images captured by said detector means and for transmitting each set of signals to at least a plurality of the distributed processors; and (c) a remote electronics module for conditioning and transforming said video signals from said electro-optics module into a form suitable for digital signal processing, said remote electronics module is connected to said electro-optics module via an interface module contained within said electro-optics module; and
whereinthe sensor unit further includes i) an array of multiple distributed processors, and ii) signal circuitry for generating a respective set of signals representing each of at least selected ones of said images, and for transmitting each set of signals to at least a plurality of the distributed processors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An infra-red sensor system for tracking ground based vehicles to determine traffic information, said system comprising:
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(a) a sensor unit having at least one array detector for continuously capturing images of a particular traffic corridor, a first portion of said sensor unit being mounted on an overhead support structure such that said at least one array detector has an unobstructed field of view of said traffic corridor; (b) a signal processor unit connected to said sensor unit for extracting data contained within said images captured by said at least one array detector and calculating traffic information therefrom, including the location, number, weight, axle loading, velocity, acceleration, lateral acceleration, and emission content of said ground based vehicles passing within the field of view of said at least one array detector; and (c) a local controller unit connected to said signal processor unit for providing and controlling a communications link between said infra-red sensor system and a central control system, said central control system comprising a central computer operable to process information from a multiplicity of infra-red sensor systems;
whereinat least one said array detector includes an infra-red focal plane array; and the sensor unit further includes i) an array of multiple distributed processors, and ii) signal circuitry for generating a respective set of signals representing each of at least selected ones of said images, and for transmitting each set of signals to at least a plurality of the distributed processors. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A passive, all weather, day/night infra-red sensor system for tracking ground based vehicles to determine traffic information, said system comprising:
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(a) a sensor unit having two array detectors for continuously capturing images of a particular traffic corridor, a first portion of said sensor unit being mounted on an overhead support structure such that said two array detectors have an unobstructed field of view of said traffic corridor, a first of said two array detectors being a passive infra-red focal plane array and a second of said two array detectors being a visual band charge-coupled device imager, wherein the sensor unit further includes an array of multiple distributed processors, and signal circuitry for generating a respective set of signals representing each of at least selected ones of said images and for transmitting each set of signals to at least a plurality of the distributed processors; (b) a signal processor unit connected to said sensor unit for extracting data contained within said images captured by said two array detectors and calculating traffic information therefrom, including the location, number, weight, axle loading, velocity, acceleration, lateral acceleration, and emission content of said ground based vehicles passing within the field of view of said two array detectors; and (c) a local controller unit connected to said signal processor unit for providing and controlling a communications link between said infra-red sensor system and a central control system, said central control system comprising a multiplicity of infra-red sensor systems. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A passive infra-red sensor unit comprising:
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(a) an electro-optics module having at least one passive infra-red focal plane array detector for continuously capturing images of scenes of interest, means for focusing images of said scenes of interest onto said at least one array detector, means for controlling said at least one array detector, an array of multiple distributed processors, and means for generating a respective one set of video signals from each of at least selected images captured by said at least one array detector and for transmitting each set of signals to at least a plurality of the distributed processors; and (b) a remote electronics module for conditioning and transforming said video signals from said electro-optics module into a form suitable for digital signal processing, said remote electronics module is connected to said electro-optics module via an interface module contained within said electro-optics module. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A sensor system comprising:
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(a) a sensor unit having at least one detector means for continuously capturing images of interest; (b) a signal processor unit linked to said sensor unit for extracting data contained within said images; and (c) a local controller unit linked to said signal processor unit for providing and controlling a communications link between said sensor system and a central controller system, said central control system comprising a central computer operable to process, utilize, and disseminate the data from said signal processor;
whereinat least one said array detector includes an infra-red focal plane array; and the sensor unit further includes i) an array of multiple distributed processors, and ii) signal circuitry for generating a respective set of signals representing each of at least selected ones of said images, and for transmitting each set of signals to at least a plurality of the distributed processors. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification