Highly accurate system for wrong-way driving detection and deterrence

• US 9,251,707 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2014
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian Scharles, Jason Kugel
• Original Assignee: Brian Scharles, Jason Kugel
• Inventors: Kugel, Jason, Scharles, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US14/329,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20150356871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 1/16 Means for correcting for obliquity of mounting
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/82 with means for adjusting phase or compensating for time-lag errors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/056 with provision for distinguishing direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles

Abstract

The present invention is a highly accurate detector system for detecting and responding to wrong-way driving incidents. An optimum configuration and combination of sensors gather data corresponding to predetermined vehicle movement test parameters; a set number of parameter deviations from pre-determined thresholds will initiate various sensor signals. The sensor signals may be transmitted to the computer processor, which may in turn produce a range of system outputs. In various embodiments, system outputs may include but are not limited to outputs activating other system components, outputs initiating data storage and analysis, and outputs interfacing and communicating with other systems.

Claims

1. A detector system for detecting and deterring wrong-way driving events, comprised of:

at least one first vehicle motion sensor configured to measure at least one first predetermined vehicle movement test parameter and to transmit a first sensor signal to said at least one computer processor when said at least one vehicle movement test parameter corresponds to a first threshold;

at least one additional vehicle motion sensor configured to measure at least one additional predetermined vehicle movement test parameter and to transmit at least one additional sensor signal to said at least one computer processor when said at least one additional predetermined vehicle movement test parameter corresponds to an additional threshold; and

at least one visual sensor device which is configured to collect visual data and transmit a visual data output to said at least one computer processor,

wherein said at least one computer processor is configured to receive and process said first sensor signal and said additional sensor signal to invoke functions to produce system outputs to activate at least one traffic control device and to interface with at least one external communications system,

wherein said system is configured with a combination of said vehicle motion sensors and said at least one visual sensor device to achieve a target rate of error E_s that approaches 0 as the number of sensors increases wherein E_s is a function of a rate of error of each individual sensor within said system, expressed by the following formula;

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said combination of said vehicle motion sensors and said at least one visual sensor device is configured to test a quasi-unique set of data parameters.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is configured with a combination of vehicle motion sensors and at least one visual sensor device to achieve a target rate of reliability R for a given number of vehicle motion sensors and visual sensor devices n based on an incremental accuracy of each of said given vehicle motion sensors and visual sensor devices and adjusted for overlap between predetermined vehicle movement test parameters using the following equation:

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said at least one first vehicle motion sensor and said at least one additional vehicle motion sensor have quasi-unique directional orientations to increase testing accuracy.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said at least one first vehicle motion sensor and said at least one additional vehicle motion sensor have quasi-unique geographical locations to increase testing accuracy.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said visual sensor device is configured to transmit said visual data output to said at least one external communications system for verification of a wrong-way driving incident.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said first vehicle motion sensor has a first rate of error and each of said at least one additional vehicle motion sensor has an independently determined additional rate of error.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said first vehicle motion sensor is configured with said at least one first predetermined vehicle movement test parameter which is different from said at least one additional predetermined vehicle movement test parameter of said at least one additional vehicle motion sensor to increase testing accuracy and avoid system error propagation.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said visual sensor device is configured to sense at least one predetermined visual vehicle movement test parameter, which is different from, said at least one first predetermined vehicle movement test parameter and said at least one additional predetermined vehicle movement test parameter to increase testing accuracy and avoid system error propagation.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one visual sensor device continuously monitors a predetermined field of view, and is further configured to identify at least one predetermined visual vehicle movement test parameter which is inconsistent with a visual threshold and provide an image annotation.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said image annotation is a time stamp.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said visual sensor device is configured to analyze said visual data to obtain vehicle motion data.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one computer processor includes at least one storage component configured to receive and store data.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one computer processor is configured to display a graphic user interface selected from a group consisting of an interactive map and a dashboard display.

15. The system of claim 1, which further includes at least one mounting component.

16. The system of claim 15, which includes a plurality of geographically dispersed mounting components, vehicle motion sensors and at least one visual data sensor in interoperable communication with at least one computer processor.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one traffic control device is a traffic control device including a plurality of lights that flash in a predetermined cueing pattern when said at least one traffic control device receives said first sensor signal, said at least one additional sensor signal or said system output.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said first sensor signal, said at least one additional sensor signal and said visual data output is selected from the group consisting of:

a component activation signal which activates or changes the state of a system component, a communication output signal which interfaces with a communication system, and an archival output signal which initiates a process for saving, storing or archiving data.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said system output is selected from the group consisting of:

a component activation signal which activates or changes the state of a system component, a communication output signal which interfaces with a communication system, and an archival output signal which initiates a process for saving, storing or archiving data.