Compact single lens laser system for object/vehicle presence and speed determination
First Claim
1. A single lens laser detector, comprising:
- at least one laser emitter focused through a single lens onto a surface;
a controller to control radiation emission from said at least one laser emitter;
at least one detector that receives at least a portion of radiation emitted from said at least one laser emitter and reflected or scattered back from said surface through said single lens to said at least one detector; and
a beam splitter between said at least one laser emitter and said single lens, wherein the laser energy emitted from said at least one laser emitter is substantially co-axial in the opposite direction with the laser energy reflected or scattered back from said surface through said single lens.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A compact system for determining the presence and speed of an object/vehicle, and its application for Red Light Camera photo-enforcement is disclosed. The disclosed system uses accurate timing, laser radiation in the form of optical pulses, and the scattering effect of optical pulses from the road or vehicle surface to determine the presence of a vehicle, and estimate its speed. The system can determine whether an object/vehicle is present at a specific location, estimate its height, and in the case that the object/vehicle is moving, the system can estimate its speed. Combining the disclosed technology with commercially available digital recording techniques and equipment, a traffic photo-enforcement system can be constructed. The system is capable of monitoring traffic in an intersection/highway, measure vehicle speed, identify potential traffic violations, and trigger a visual recording device such as a camera or video system for documenting a violation. The system can serve as a tool by law enforcement agencies and research groups for other applications, such as measurement of traffic density, monitor vehicle speed, and the study of traffic patterns. Other important information that can be generated from the disclosed system is the profile of a moving object/vehicle, the length of the moving object/vehicle, and whether the moving object/vehicle was accelerating or decelerating. Further analysis of the recorded data can yield information relevant to the make and model of the passing vehicles.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A single lens laser detector, comprising:
- at least one laser emitter focused through a single lens onto a surface;
a controller to control radiation emission from said at least one laser emitter;
at least one detector that receives at least a portion of radiation emitted from said at least one laser emitter and reflected or scattered back from said surface through said single lens to said at least one detector; and
a beam splitter between said at least one laser emitter and said single lens, wherein the laser energy emitted from said at least one laser emitter is substantially co-axial in the opposite direction with the laser energy reflected or scattered back from said surface through said single lens. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- at least one laser emitter focused through a single lens onto a surface;
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15. A method of determining the presence and speed of an object along a path, comprising:
- providing at least one laser emitter focused through a single lens onto a surface;
a controller to control radiation emission from said at least one laser emitter;
at least one detector that receives at least a portion of radiation emitted from said at least one laser emitter and reflected or scattered back from said surface through said single lens to said at least one detector; and
a beam splitter between said at least one laser emitter and said single lens, wherein the laser energy emitted from said at least one laser emitter is substantially co-axial in the opposite direction with the laser energy reflected or scattered back from said surface through said single lens. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
- providing at least one laser emitter focused through a single lens onto a surface;
Specification