Traffic safety monitoring apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A traffic monitoring system comprising:
- means for establishing a pair of precisely spaced radiation beams in association with a thoroughfare, whereby passage of a vehicle along the thoroughfare interrupts the radiation beams;
means for sensing interruption of the radiation beams and providing output indications of vehicle speed and separation between adjacent vehicles; and
means for photographing vehicles fulfilling predetermined criteria including photography trigger apparatus which is responsive to the sensed vehicle speed of the vehicle being photographed for timing the acquisition of a photographic record of the vehicle, thereby providing a consistently positioned photographic record of the vehicle, irrespective of vehicle speed.
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Abstract
A traffic monitoring system comprising apparatus for establishing a pair of precisely spaced radiation beams in association with a thoroughfare, whereby passage of a vehicle along the thoroughfare interrupts the radiation beams, apparatus for sending interruption of the radiation beams and providing output indications of vehicle speed and separation between adjacent vehicles (headway) and apparatus for photographing vehicles fulfilling predetermined criteria including photography trigger apparatus which is responsive to the sensed vehicle speed of the vehicle being photographed for providing a consistently positioned photographic record of the vehicle, irrespective of vehicle speed.
76 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A traffic monitoring system comprising:
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means for establishing a pair of precisely spaced radiation beams in association with a thoroughfare, whereby passage of a vehicle along the thoroughfare interrupts the radiation beams; means for sensing interruption of the radiation beams and providing output indications of vehicle speed and separation between adjacent vehicles; and means for photographing vehicles fulfilling predetermined criteria including photography trigger apparatus which is responsive to the sensed vehicle speed of the vehicle being photographed for timing the acquisition of a photographic record of the vehicle, thereby providing a consistently positioned photographic record of the vehicle, irrespective of vehicle speed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A traffic monitoring system comprising:
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means for establishing a pair of precisely spaced radiation beams in association with a thoroughfare, whereby passage of a vehicle along the thoroughfare interrupts the radiation beams; and means for sensing interruption of the radiation beams and providing output indications of violations in respect of excessive vehicle speed and insufficient separation between adjacent vehicles, wherein the means for sensing includes means for distinguishing between separate cars and joined vehicles, and automatically preventing the provision of an output indication of violation in respect of insufficient separation in the sensed presence of joined vehicles. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A traffic monitoring system comprising:
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means for establishing a pair of precisely spaced radiation beams in association with a thoroughfare, whereby passage of a vehicle along the thoroughfare interrupts the radiation beams; means for sensing interruption of the radiation beams and providing output indications of vehicle speed, separation between adjacent vehicles and tailgating; and means responsive to sensed tailgating for photographing not only a tailgating vehicle but also a vehicles being tailgated.
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17. A traffic monitoring system comprising:
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means for establishing a pair of precisely spaced radiation beams in association with a thoroughfare, whereby passage of a vehicle along the thoroughfare interrupts the radiation beams; means for sensing interruption of the radiation beams and providing output indications of vehicle speed and separation between adjacent vehicles; and means for checking the output indications for consistency against stored data so as to eliminate spurious output indications. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification