Optical sight system for the detection and recording of infringements of the road traffic regulations, using a laser

• US 4,902,889 A
• Filed: 08/11/1988
• Issued: 02/20/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fiorello Sodi
• Original Assignee: Fiorello Sodi
• Inventors: Sodi, Fiorello
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Messinger, Michael
• Application Number:
  US07/231,182
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 250/560, 250/222.1, 356/28, 324/175, 364/409, 364/562, 364/565, 340/936, 340/937, 340/942
• US Class Current: 250/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/054 photographing overspeeding vehicles

Abstract

Three sights are formed by a laser emitter system (10) and receiver system (5). The systems are disposed so as to be coaxial, the receiver system includes a photodiode receiver (5) which is associated with means for the amplification and electronic processing (7) of a signal, the signal consisting of sudden variations of the reflection of the emitter beam. A circuit arrangement (20) is provided for supplying the laser emitters for the emission of laser signals of a duration which is relatively short in comparison with the interval between two successive emissions.

Claims

1. The traffic violation detection and recordation arrangement, comprising:

a plurality of optical sights, each optical sight including a laser emitter having a central axis and a photodiode receiver having a central axis, said laser emitter and photodiode receiver being arranged co-axially, said photodiode receiver including a photodiode sensing changes in light reflected from objects passing in front of a path of each associated laser emitter, and emitting a photodiode signal representative of the change in light sensed;

power supply means including a power supply circuit associated with each laser emitter for generating a high frequency pulse laser emission, each emission having an emission duration which is much smaller than the duration between emissions;

a tubular optical screen, connected to said laser, an optical concentrating and focusing assembly being connected to said tubular optical screen;

photodiode optical concentrating means, arranged coaxial with said tubular optical screen, for concentrating and uniformly distributing incoming light on the photodiode;

metallic screening means encompassing said photodiode, said screening means including an opening for receiving concentrated, distributed incoming light which has passed through said photodiode optical concentrating means, said screening means for shielding said photodiode receiver from external disturbances and disturbances generated by said power supply means and said laser emitter;

photodiode signal amplification and processing means for amplifying said photodiode signal from an associated photodiode and processing said photodiode signal, including a preamplifier connected to said photodiode, a signal detector connected to said preamplifier, a differential amplifier for comparing the signal and a signal representative of background noise, gain control circuit means for controlling the gain on an average signal and trigger means for generating a signal by comparison with a reference and a timing value.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of sights includes three sights arranged successively;

means for processing the signals of the three sights for obtaining a transit time value representative of the time it takes an object passing before the site to reach another sight, signal duration values representative of the duration of the change in reflected light and speed values, means for comparing one of time values, signal duration values and speed values detected on at least two different pairs of sights and means for eliminating values which are substantially not in agreement and means for comparison of one of said time values, signal duration values, and speed values with a predetermined stored value.

3. A system according to claim 2, further comprising comparison means for inputting one of two different predetermined values and comparing said one of two different predetermined values with said signal duration value and switching means for providing one of said two different values to said means for inputting two different predetermined values.

4. A system according to claim 3, including means for monitoring the differences between result obtained by said means for inputting two different predetermined values based on different sights.

5. A system according to claim 3, further comprising photographic camera means for photographing a vehicle which has passed beyond said sights;

means for authorizing a photographic exposure by said photographic camera means, said means for authorizing a photographic exposure being connected to said means for inputting two different predetermined values and control means for delayed actuation of the photographic camera means, said control means receiving and processing said transit time values, signal duration values and speed values for obtaining a photographic exposure at a predetermined and desired position of the rear end of a vehicle with respect to the photographic camera means.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said photographic camera means is connected to a motor vehicle carrying the sights.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said three sights are connected to a motor vehicle via a longitudinally extending structure, each of the sights being spaced an equal distance along said structure.

8. A system according to claim 5, further comprising a supplementary photographic camera disposed at a location spaced from said sights, said supplementary camera being connected to processing means for controlling the actuation of said supplementary photographic camera such that the actuation coincides with a motor vehicle being situated at a predetermined distance from said camera, and for controlling the actuation of said supplementary photographic camera based on the comparison of transit time values, signal duration values and speed values with predetermined values.

9. A system according to claim 5, further comprising polarization filters for attenuation of extraneous light, said polarization filters being associated with said photographic camera means, said polarization filters excluding or attenuating extraneous light and/or infrared filters for the selection of emissions of light from a flash, said flash being disposed at an angle with respect to said photographic camera means.

10. A system according to claim 5, further comprising a monitor for receiving data, said monitor being positioned at a location remote from said sights.

11. A system according to claim 8, further comprising radio transmission means for remotely supplying data to one of a monitor and a photographic camera spaced from said sights, and central processing means for comparing first transmitted data with second transmitted data to determine a coincidence in said first and second data.

12. A system according to claim 2, wherein safety means is provided for restricting operation of said laser emissions to protect humans passing close to said sights.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein said safety device includes radar means for sensing the approach of a vehicle to activate the emission of said laser emitter.

14. A system according to claim 12, wherein said safety device includes an ultrasonic emitter for interrupting laser emissions in the presence of humans in the zone in front of the emitter.

15. A system according to claim 12, wherein said safety device includes threshold power means for interrupting the emission of said laser emitter in the presence of reception of signals by said photodiode which are above a specified threshold value.

16. The traffic violation detection and recordation arrangement, comprising:

a plurality of optical sights, each optical sight including a laser emitter having a central axis and a photodiode receiver having a central axis, said laser emitter and photodiode receiver being arranged co-axially, said photodiode receiver including a photodiode sensing changes in light reflected from objects passing in front of a path of each associated laser emitter, and emitting a photodiode signal representative of the change in light sensed;

power supply means including a power supply circuit associated with each laser emitter for generating a high frequency pulse laser emission, each emission having an emission duration which is much smaller than the duration between emission;

tubular optical screen means for screening each laser emitter, connected to said laser,

an optical concentrating and focusing means for focusing and concentrating light reflected from objects passing in front of the path of each associated laser emitter assembly being connected to said tubular optical screen;

photodiode optical concentrating means, arranged coaxial with said tubular optical screen, for concentrating and uniformly distributing incoming light on the photodiode; and

a ferrous, metallic screening means encompassing said photodiode, said screening means including an opening for receiving concentrated, distributed incoming light which has passed through said photodiode optical concentrating means, said screening means for shielding said photodiode receiver from external disturbances and disturbances generated by said power supply means and said laser emitter.