Detecting targets in roadway intersections
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A traffic sensor for monitoring a roadway intersection, the traffic sensor comprising:
- an antenna array, including;
a plurality of transmit antennas for transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals into the roadway intersection; and
a plurality of receive antennas for receiving reflections of the radio frequency (RF) signals reflected off of objects in the roadway intersection, the reflections corresponding to two dimensional image data for the roadway intersection;
a radio frequency (RF) signal generator for generating radio frequency (RF) signals;
a receive channel, the receive channel for conditioning received reflections of the radio frequency (RF) signal for compatibility with a processor;
a processor for processing conditioned reflections corresponding to two dimensional image data for the roadway intersection into a two dimensional image of targets in the roadway intersection.
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Abstract
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for detecting targets in roadway intersections. Transmit antennas transmit signals into a roadway intersection. Receive antennas receive corresponding signal reflections off objects in the roadway. The reflections correspond to two dimensional image data for the roadway intersection. The reflections are conditioned for compatibility with a processor. The processor processes the condition reflections into a two dimensional image of targets in the roadway intersection.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A traffic sensor for monitoring a roadway intersection, the traffic sensor comprising:
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an antenna array, including; a plurality of transmit antennas for transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals into the roadway intersection; and a plurality of receive antennas for receiving reflections of the radio frequency (RF) signals reflected off of objects in the roadway intersection, the reflections corresponding to two dimensional image data for the roadway intersection; a radio frequency (RF) signal generator for generating radio frequency (RF) signals; a receive channel, the receive channel for conditioning received reflections of the radio frequency (RF) signal for compatibility with a processor; a processor for processing conditioned reflections corresponding to two dimensional image data for the roadway intersection into a two dimensional image of targets in the roadway intersection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. At a traffic sensor for monitoring a roadway intersection, a method for detecting targets approaching the roadway intersection, the method comprising:
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an act of generating a processor controlled radio frequency (RF) signal; an act of transmitting the radio frequency (RF) signal into the roadway intersection; an act of receiving reflections of the radio frequency (RF) signal reflected off of objects in the roadway intersection, the reflections corresponding to two dimensional image data for the roadway intersection; an act of conditioning the received reflections of the radio frequency (RF) signal for compatibility with a processor; and an act of a processor processing the conditioned reflections corresponding to two dimensional image data for the roadway intersection into a two dimensional image of targets in the roadway intersection. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A traffic sensor for monitoring a roadway intersection, the traffic sensor comprising:
one or more printed circuit boards, the one or more printed circuit boards electrically interconnected, the one or more printed circuit boards, including; an array of traveling wave series fed microstrip patch antennas manufactured into the first printed circuit board, the array of traveling wave series fed microstrip patch antennas including; transmit antennas for transmitting frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radio frequency (RF) signals into the roadway intersection; and a plurality of receive antennas for receiving reflections of the frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radio frequency (RF) signals reflected off of objects in the roadway intersection, the reflections corresponding to two dimensional image data for the roadway intersection; a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radio frequency (RF) signal generator for generating frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radio frequency (RF) signals; a multi staged arrangement of a plurality of RF switches for selecting particular traveling wave series fed microstrip patch antennas in the antenna array; a plurality of mixers, each mixer in the plurality of mixers corresponding to one of the traveling wave series fed microstrip patch antennas, each mixer configured to mix a received reflection of a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radio frequency (RF) signal with the frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radio frequency (RF) into a baseband signal; a baseband multiplexer synchronized with the multi staged arrangement of a plurality of RF switches, the baseband multiplexer configured to receive a baseband signal from a mixer when the multi staged arrangement of a plurality of RF switches have selected the particular traveling wave series fed microstrip patch antenna corresponding to the mixer; analog to digital conversion components for digitizing the baseband signal received from the mixer; and a processor for processing digitized data corresponding to two dimensional image data for the roadway intersection into a two dimensional image of targets in the roadway intersection.
Specification