Motor vehicle detector

• US 6,417,783 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1999
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Gabler, Manfred, Büchel, Erik, Kuster, Walter, Reisinger, Elmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US09/367,064
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 340/933-937, 340/941-943
• US Class Current: 340/933
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/285 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/015 with provision for distinguishing between two or more types of vehicles, e.g. between motor-cars and cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors

Abstract

Vehicle detector arrangement comprising at least one detector unit (8) comprising at least one sensor (47, 48, 49, 50), a transmission/reception unit (54), an energy supply unit and a control unit (51, 52, 53), whereby the energy supply unit comprises a solar cell module (3). The transmission/reception unit (54), the energy supply unit and the control unit (51, 52, 53) are accommodated in a housing (27, 28) and connected to the at least one detector unit (8), whereby the solar cell module (3) is secured to the outside of the housing (27, 28). As a result of what is thus autonomous functioning of the vehicle detector arrangement, it can be simply secured, for example, to a bridge (6), and complicated installation jobs for power supply and data transmission, for example to a traffic routing center, are avoided.

Claims

1. A vehicle detector arrangement, comprising:

a detector unit including passive infrared sensors directed to provide a plurality of spatially separate sensing zones, said detector unit including sensors utilizing post-pulse oscillation and sensors without post-pulse oscillation to determine vehicle speed and length;

an energy supply unit including a solar cell module and a control unit;

a reception unit and a transmission unit as a transmission/reception unit; and

a housing allocated to the energy supply unit and the control unit and the transmission/reception unit to form a compact central unit that is connected to the at least one sensor.

2. A vehicle detector arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detector unit and energy supply unit are enclosed within a single housing.

3. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the detector unit has three sensors having post-pulse oscillation and one sensor without post-pulse oscillation.

4. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the detector unit includes a radar transmitter.

5. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the detector unit includes a microwave transmitter.

6. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said control unit includes means for at least partially switching between an idle mode and an active mode.

7. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of detector units that are respectively aligned or, respectively, arranged for different lanes, said plurality of detector units being connected to said central unit.

8. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said energy supply unit includes a solar cell module, a battery, a charge regulator and a voltage converter.

9. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the transmission/reception unit includes a radio modem as a communication interface.

10. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit, using predetermined parameters, determines a time for the transmission of information via the transmission/reception unit.

11. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising:

additional detectors for identifying ambient data.

12. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising:

a video camera.

13. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for shutting off individual components of the arrangement in an idle mode.

14. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said at least one detector unit includes a control that determines sequence and intensity of radiation contrasts and employs these for control of said at least one detector.

15. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for self-monitoring and given the presence of malfunctions outputting messages to the control unit.

16. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cylindrical metal container in which is located said central unit; and

a plastic dome closing one side of said cylindrical metal container.

17. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the plastic dome is formed of one of polyamide and polyester.

18. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 16, further comprising:

an antenna in the plastic dome.

19. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising:

a frame supporting at least one of said detector unit and said central unit and attached to a side rail of a bridge structure.

20. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 19, wherein said frame includes a pivotable section that can be pivoted from a position arranged outside of the side rail into a position arranged above the bridge structure.

21. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 19, wherein said frame includes two horizontal fastening arms projecting outside of the side rail that each have one end firmly connected to the side rail.

22. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 21, wherein said frame includes a vertical carrying rail that is secured to ends of the two horizontal fastening arms remote from the side rail.

23. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 22, wherein said frame includes a carriage that is displaceable in a vertical direction at the carrying rail.

24. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 23, wherein said carriage includes a pivotable section fashioned as a swivel arm that has one end pivotable and fixedly seated at the carriage and that carries at least one of said at least one detector and the central unit at its other end.

25. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 24, wherein said frame includes a vertical carrying rail, and further comprising:

a lifting mechanism on the vertical carrying rail, said lifting mechanism including a cable winch whose cable is connected to the carriage and with which the carriage can be vertically moved until the swivel arm of the frame is arranged above an upper string piece of the side rail.

26. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said energy supply unit has a capacity sufficient to operate the control unit over thirty days without a recharging of the energy supply unit.

27. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said detector unit is arranged such that its measuring direction comprises an angle between 0°

and 90°

relative to a lane of a roadway.

28. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said control unit includes means for determining a temporally stable measured value sequence and for transmitting speeds after said temporally stable measured value sequence has been determined.

29. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the detector unit includes a radar receiver.

30. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the detector unit includes a microwave receiver.

31. A vehicle detector arrangement according to claim 11, wherein said additional detectors identify ambient data selected from the group consisting of temperature, humidity and gas concentration.