Vehicle occupancy identification system

• US 7,375,648 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2005
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Efkon USA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Efkon USA, Inc.
• Inventors: Kollar, Thomas N., Mulka, Edward A, Sauerschnig, Martin, Bozarth, Carol A., Rieder, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/257,195
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905, 340/906, 340/917, 340/919, 340/928, 340/933, 340/936, 340/937, 340/539.1, 701/200, 701/201, 701/207, 701/209
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/042 using inductive or magnetic detectors

Abstract

An in-vehicle transponder communicates with roadside readers to transmit a data stream of information that has been previously presented to the transponder. The transponder accepts multiple data cards and the identification numbers of the vehicle occupants for transmission to roadside transceivers.

Claims

1. A system for analysis and management of managed lane vehicle traffic along a roadway comprising:

a plurality of roadway transceivers positioned adjacent to the roadway, each of said roadway transceivers in communication with vehicles traveling on the roadway;

a plurality of transponders, each of said transponders located in separate ones of the vehicles traveling on the roadway, each of said transponders including a data processor, memory and a vehicle transceiver, intercoupled such that communication from said roadway transceivers can be received, and processed in said data processor, and said vehicle transceivers can communicate vehicle information to said roadway transceivers; and

said memory operable for receiving passenger identification information received from each passenger traveling in vehicles traveling on the roadway and for storing data representing the number of passengers traveling in said separate ones of the vehicles traveling on the roadway for transmission to said plurality of roadway transceivers upon interrogation of a vehicle transponder.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said memory receives said passenger identification information from a data card reader located in said separate ones of the vehicles traveling on the roadway and wherein passenger data cards uniquely identify passengers traveling in said separate ones of the vehicles traveling on the roadway.