Device and method for passively activating inductive loop sensor

• US 5,652,577 A
• Filed: 10/27/1994
• Issued: 07/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Frasier Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Frasier Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Frasier, Lyman Harwood
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US08/330,357
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 340/561, 340/562, 340/941, 340/551, 340/553, 340/565, 340/567, 340/573, 340/933, 340/515, 340/939, 340/568, 324/233, 324/236
• US Class Current: 340/933
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/042 using inductive or magnetic detectors

Abstract

A device and method for passively activating an inductive loop vehicle sensor. The sensor has an inductive loop in a roadway that produces an electro-magnetic field and utilizes the changes caused by the interaction of a detectable vehicle with the field to activate it. The device includes at least one metallic foil having sufficient area and thickness to cause changes sufficiently similar to changes caused by a detectable vehicle to activate the sensor when said foil is placed within the electro-magnetic field. The method includes providing such a device and deploying the device in a plane substantially parallel to the roadway and within the field of the loop.

Claims

1. A passive activator for use by a user in combination with a vehicle sensing arrangement in a roadway, said vehicle sensing arrangement including an inductive loop for creating an electro-magnetic field and means for utilizing changes in said electro-magnetic field caused by the presence of a detectable vehicle in said electro-magnetic field to activate said sensing arrangement, said passive activator comprising:

at least one lightweight, thin metallic foil, said at least one metallic foil stored in a compacted state when carried by said user, said at least one metallic foil having a predetermined area to produce changes in said electro-magnetic field similar to said changes caused by said detectable vehicle to thereby activate said sensing arrangement when said passive activator is deployed by said user from said compacted state to a substantially planar orientation within said electro-magnetic field substantially parallel to and above said roadway.

2. The passive activator of claim 1 further including means for encasing said foil.

3. A passive activator for activating an inductive loop vehicle sensor in a roadway, said inductive loop vehicle sensor having an inductive loop producing an electro-magnetic field and means for utilizing changes in the inductance of the loop to activate the vehicle sensor, said changes in inductance occurring when the electro-magnetic field of the loop interacts with a detectable vehicle, said passive activator comprising:

a plurality of lightweight, thin metallic foils in a superposed relationship, said plurality of metallic foils stored in a compacted state when carried, said plurality of metallic foils having a predetermined area to produce changes in the inductance of the loop similar to said changes caused by the detectable vehicle, said metallic foils activating the inductive loop vehicle sensor when said plurality of metallic foils is deployed from said compacted state to a substantially planar orientation within the electro-magnetic field substantially parallel to and above said roadway.

4. The passive activator of claim 3 wherein the foils are arranged in a superposed relation.

5. The passive activator of claim 4 further including means for encasing the plurality of foils.

6. The passive activator of claim 5 wherein the encasing means is of a nonmetallic composition.

7. The passive activator of claim 6 wherein the encasing means is made of nylon.

8. A passive activator for use in combination with a vehicle sensing arrangement in a roadway, said sensing arrangement including an inductive loop for creating an electro-magnetic field and means for utilizing changes in said electro-magnetic field caused by the presence of a detectable vehicle in said electro-magnetic field to activate said vehicle sensing arrangement, said passive activator being deployed within said electro-magnetic field to simulate the presence of said detectable vehicle to activate said sensing arrangement, said passive activator including:

a plurality of lightweight, metallic foils of predetermined area and thickness positioned in a superposed relation, the plurality of metallic foils having sufficient area and thickness to cause changes in the electro-magnetic field similar to said changes caused by the presence of said detectable vehicle to activate the sensing arrangement when said metallic foils are placed in a substantially planar orientation within said electro-magnetic field substantially parallel to and above said roadway, and

means for encasing the plurality of metallic foils, said encasing means being of a nonmetallic composition.

9. A passive activation system for use on an undetectable vehicle and in combination with a vehicle sensing arrangement in a roadway, said vehicle sensing arrangement including an inductive loop for creating an electro-magnetic field and means for utilizing changes in said electro-magnetic field caused by the presence of a detectable vehicle in said electro-magnetic field to activate said sensing arrangement, said passive activation system comprising:

at least one lightweight, metallic foil having a predetermined area and thickness to produce changes in said electro-magnetic field similar to said changes caused by said detectable vehicle to thereby activate said sensing arrangement,

a mount,

said at least one lightweight, metallic foil connected to said mount on the underside of said undetectable vehicle, said undetectable vehicle moving said at least one metallic foil into said field of the loop so that said undetectable vehicle is detected when said undetectable vehicle is moved over said loop by said user.

11. The passive activation system of claim 9 wherein said mount comprises at least one electric motor to move said lightweight, metallic foil from an undeployed position to a deployed position over said loop when said undetectable vehicle is over said loop.

10. The passive activation system of clam 9 wherein said mount comprises at least one fluidic actuator to move said lightweight, metallic foil from an undeployed position to a deployed position over said loop when said undetectable vehicle is over said loop.

12. A passive activation system for use on an undetectable vehicle and in combination with a vehicle sensing arrangement in a roadway, said vehicle sensing arrangement including an inductive loop for creating an electro-magnetic field and means for utilizing changes in said electro-magnetic field caused by the presence of a detectable vehicle in said electro-magnetic field to activate said sensing arrangement, said passive activation system comprising:

at least one lightweight, metallic foil having a predetermined area and thickness to produce changes in said electro-magnetic field similar to said changes caused by said detectable vehicle to thereby activate said sensing arrangement,

means mounted on said undetectable vehicle for selectively moving said at least one metallic foil between an undeployed state in proximity to said undetectable vehicle and a deployed state in proximity to the roadway and within said field of the loop,

wherein the moving means further includes at least one rod member having a first end and a second end with the first end being attached to said foil, and said moving means further includes at least one fluidic actuator means for causing linear movement of said rod, said fluidic actuator means including a fluid under pressure.

13. A method for activating an inductive loop vehicle sensor in a roadway by a user operating an undetectable vehicle, the vehicle sensor having an inductive loop producing an electro-magnetic field and means for utilizing changes in the inductance of the loop occurring when the electro-magnetic field of the loop interacts with a detectable vehicle to activate the vehicle sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing at least one lightweight, metallic foil in a substantially planar state, said at least one metallic foil having a predetermined area and thickness to produce changes in the inductance of the loop similar to the changes caused by the presence of said detectable vehicle in said field to activate the vehicle sensor, and

(b) said user moving said undetectable vehicle over said loop, thereby positioning said foil in a plane substantially parallel to and above the roadway and within the electro-magnetic field of the loop to activate said vehicle sensor.

14. A method for activating an inductive loop vehicle sensor in a roadway by a user operating an undetectable vehicle, the vehicle sensor having an inductive loop producing a electro-magnetic field and means for utilizing changes in the inductance of the loop occurring when the electro-magnetic field of the loop interacts with a detectable vehicle to activate the vehicle sensor, the method including the steps of:

(a) providing at least one lightweight, metallic foil of predetermined area and thickness,

(b) orienting said foil in a substantially planar orientation, on the underside of the undetectable vehicle and

(c) said user moving said undetectable vehicle over said loop to position said oriented foil substantially parallel to and above the roadway and within the field of the loop to activate said vehicle sensor.

15. A method for activating an inductive loop vehicle sensor in a roadway, the vehicle sensor having an inductive loop producing a electro-magnetic field and means for utilizing changes in the inductance of the loop occurring when the electro-magnetic field of the loop interacts with a detectable vehicle to activate the vehicle sensor, the method including the steps of:

(a) providing at least one lightweight, metallic foil of predetermined area and thickness,

(b) deploying said foil in a substantially planar orientation, and

(c) placing the deployed foil substantially parallel to and above the roadway and within the field of the loop to activate said vehicle sensor wherein step (c) further includes first placing said foil parallel to and about nine to twelve inches above the roadway and then rapidly relocating said foil to superposed contact with the roadway.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of rapidly relocating said foil to superposed contact with the roadway is accomplished by dropping the foil from said position of about nine to twelve inches above the roadway.

17. A method primarily intended for activating an inductive loop vehicle sensor in a roadway, the vehicle sensor having an inductive loop producing an electro-magnetic field and utilizing changes in the inductance of the loop occurring when the electro-magnetic field of the loop interacts with a detectable vehicle to activate said vehicle sensor, the method including the steps of:

(a) providing at least one metallic foil of predetermined area and thickness in a compact state,

(b) deploying said foil from the compact state to a substantially planar state, and

(c) placing the deployed foil in superposed contact with the roadway and within the field of the loop to activate said vehicle sensor.

18. The method of claim 17 further including retrieving the deployed foil from said superposed contact with the roadway after step (c).

19. The method of claim 17 wherein step (b) further includes positioning said foil about nine to twelve inches above the roadway and step (c) further includes rapidly relocating said foil as deployed in step (b) to superposed contact with the roadway and within the field of the loop.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the rapidly relocating of said foil includes dropping said foil.