Weigh-in-motion system with auto-calibration
First Claim
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1. An auto-calibrating WIM system, comprising:
- a WIM scale for weighing vehicles of interest while said vehicles are in motion, said WIM scale adapted to automatically transmit weight data for at least some of said vehicles of interest to a database;
a static scale for weighing vehicles of interest while said vehicles are at rest, said static scale adapted to automatically transmit weight data for at least some of said vehicles of interest to a database;
vehicle identification data associated with said vehicles of interest;
a database for receiving weight data from said at least one WIM scale and said at least one static scale, WIM scale weight data and static scale weight data for the same vehicles automatically associated in said database using said identification data;
a microprocessor-based device in communication with said database and said WIM scale, said microprocessor-based device for analyzing a collection of associated WIM scale weight data and static scale weight data and operative to periodically calculate a new WIM scale correction factor and to apply said correction factor to WIM scale weight readings.
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Abstract
Weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems for weighing moving vehicles, the systems having the ability to automatically determine and periodically apply calibration factors to WIM scale readings. Auto-calibration may include transferring both WIM and static weight readings for the same vehicle to a database, associating the weight readings, collecting a number of such weight readings, and analyzing the differences between the WIM and static weight readings to calculate WIM scale calibration factors. The calibration factors may be based on vehicle characteristics such as vehicle weight, vehicle class and/or vehicle speed at the WIM scale.
10 Citations
25 Claims
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1. An auto-calibrating WIM system, comprising:
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a WIM scale for weighing vehicles of interest while said vehicles are in motion, said WIM scale adapted to automatically transmit weight data for at least some of said vehicles of interest to a database; a static scale for weighing vehicles of interest while said vehicles are at rest, said static scale adapted to automatically transmit weight data for at least some of said vehicles of interest to a database; vehicle identification data associated with said vehicles of interest; a database for receiving weight data from said at least one WIM scale and said at least one static scale, WIM scale weight data and static scale weight data for the same vehicles automatically associated in said database using said identification data; a microprocessor-based device in communication with said database and said WIM scale, said microprocessor-based device for analyzing a collection of associated WIM scale weight data and static scale weight data and operative to periodically calculate a new WIM scale correction factor and to apply said correction factor to WIM scale weight readings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of auto-calibrating a WIM scale, comprising:
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automatically transmitting weight data for at least some of a number of vehicles weighed by said WIM scale to a database; weighing some number of vehicles weighed by said WIM scale on a static scale; automatically transmitting weight data for at least some of said vehicles weighed by said static scale to a database; providing vehicle identification data for vehicles weighed by both said WIM scale and said static scale; using said vehicle identification data to associate WIM scale weight data and static scale weight data for the same vehicles; placing a microprocessor-based device in communication with said WIM scale and said database(s), said microprocessor-based device for analyzing a collection of associated WIM scale weight data and static scale weight data, said microprocessor-based device operative to periodically calculate a new WIM scale correction factor based on differences between said WIM scale weight data and said static scale weight data and to transmit said correction factor to said WIM scale. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of auto-calibrating a WIM scale, comprising:
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automatically transmitting weight data for at least some of a number of vehicles weighed by said WIM scale to a database; weighing some number of vehicles weighed by said WIM scale on a static scale; automatically transmitting weight data for at least some of said vehicles weighed by said static scale to a database; providing vehicle identification data for vehicles weighed by both said WIM scale and said static scale; providing vehicle class data for vehicles weighed by both said WIM scale and said static scale; providing vehicle speed data for vehicles weighed by both said WIM scale and said static scale; using said vehicle identification data to associate WIM scale weight data, vehicle class data and vehicle speed data with static scale weight data for the same vehicles; placing a microprocessor-based device in communication with said WIM scale and said database(s), said microprocessor-based device for analyzing a collection of associated WIM scale weight data, static scale weight data, vehicle class data and vehicle speed data, said microprocessor-based device operative to periodically calculate a new class-based and/or speed-based WIM scale correction factor and to transmit said correction factor to said WIM scale. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification