Traffic recording system

• US 6,300,883 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Traffic Monitoring Services Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Traffic Monitoring Services Incorporated
• Inventors: Tyburski, David A., Curio, Mark A., Tyburski, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US09/653,955
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 340/933, 340/934, 340/935, 340/936, 340/940, 340/941
• US Class Current: 340/933
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/02 using treadles built into the road pads or other sensitive devices responsive to passage of vehicles E01F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/042 using inductive or magnetic detectors

Abstract

A traffic recording system for recording vehicular traffic events on a roadway having one or more lanes of traffic has a power control unit and a timer counter. Multilane roadway sensors sense roadway traffic and generates analog signals for vehicles traversing the traffic lanes. Each lane has a lane circuit having a sensor amplifier for processing incoming analog signals and converting the analog signals to digital square wave signal with fast rise time, a latch circuit connected to the sensor amplifier for latching sensor amplifier data. A data storage unit has removable data storage media, such as flashcards. A second latch circuit is connected to the timer counter, and a timing and power control logic circuit connected to receive signals from the sensor amplifier. The system incorporates a microprocessor and an EPROM program storage circuit,

Claims

1. A traffic recording system for recording vehicular traffic events on a roadway having one or more lanes of traffic comprising:

a main control board unit having a timer counter,

a roadway sensor for sensing roadway traffic on said one or more lanes or traffic and generating analog signals for vehicles traversing said one or more lanes, each lane having a lane circuit having;

a sensor amplifier for each respective roadway sensor for processing incoming analog signals and converting said analog signals to digital square wave signal with fast rise time, a latch circuit connected to said sensor amplifier for latching sensor amplifier data,

a data storage unit having removable data storage media,

a latch circuit connected to said sensor amplifier, a timing and power control logic circuit connected to receive signals from said sensor amplifier,

a microprocessor and an EPROM program storage circuit,

whereby the input signals from said sensor amplifier are supplied to said timing and power control logic circuit such that when an input signal is detected by any sensor amplifier, the current value of the time counter on said control board is latched in a second latch circuit, said timing and power control logic circuit enabling power to said EPROM program storage circuit, said EPROM program storage circuit waking up said microprocessor and said microprocessor then reads the latched data, saves the data to said removable storage media and shuts down the data storage unit to wait for the next event.

2. The traffic recording system defined in claim 1 including one or more magnetic sensors mounted in alignment with said one or more lanes and in advance of each said roadway sensor, respectively, each said magnetic sensor generating a blanking signal for length of metal mass of each vehicle, said blanking signal coupled to said timing and control logic to enable said system to separate two vehicles in tailgating and/or slow moving traffic.

3. The traffic recording system defined in claim 1 wherein said removable storage media is a flashcard.

4. The traffic recorder defined in claim 1, there being a plurality of lane circuits and including a control board containing said power control unit and said time counter for supplying power and timing signals to said plurality of said lane circuits.