Device and process for detecting the presence of a vehicle by means of an ultrasonic device
First Claim
1. A device for detecting the presence of a vehicle that is situated on a traffic lane has an ultrasonic device that (a) is mounted to the side of the traffic lane, (b) has a housing in which at least three ultrasonic transducers are arranged and (c) includes an electronic transmitting and receiving circuit that is associated with the said at least three ultrasonic transducers wherein one of the said at least three ultrasonic transducers is mounted centrally in the housing and the other ultrasonic transducers of the said at least three ultrasonic transducers are arranged equidistant and in a distance from the centrally mounted ultrasonic transducer and are electrically interconnected in a configuration which is one of a serial and a parallel connection, with the centrally mounted ultrasonic transducer being operated as a transmitter and emitting periodical ultrasonic pulses whose reflections are received by the said other ultrasonic transducers, which are operated as receivers, and the electronic transmitting and receiving circuit issues a positive presence signal if reflections occur within an area whose extent is determined by the width of the traffic lane and if at least one of the said other ultrasonic transducers picks up these reflections.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for detecting the presence of a vehicle by means of an ultrasonic device has an ultrasonic sensor (22) associated with an electronic transmitting and receiving circuit (28, 30). The sensor (22) emits periodic pulses whose reflections are received and evaluated by the circuit (28, 30). A positive presence signal is emitted if reflections are present. To ensure that a positive presence signal is always obtained irrespective of the shape of the vehicle and of the part of vehicle which has just been identified, the ultrasonic device has a central sensor (22) and two external sensors (26, 28) situated equidistant from the latter and at the maximum possible distance apart. The external sensors (25, 26) are connected identically and operated on a par with each other. Either the central sensor (22) is connected as the receiving sensor and the external sensors (24, 26) as the emitting or vice versa.
35 Citations
18 Claims
- 1. A device for detecting the presence of a vehicle that is situated on a traffic lane has an ultrasonic device that (a) is mounted to the side of the traffic lane, (b) has a housing in which at least three ultrasonic transducers are arranged and (c) includes an electronic transmitting and receiving circuit that is associated with the said at least three ultrasonic transducers wherein one of the said at least three ultrasonic transducers is mounted centrally in the housing and the other ultrasonic transducers of the said at least three ultrasonic transducers are arranged equidistant and in a distance from the centrally mounted ultrasonic transducer and are electrically interconnected in a configuration which is one of a serial and a parallel connection, with the centrally mounted ultrasonic transducer being operated as a transmitter and emitting periodical ultrasonic pulses whose reflections are received by the said other ultrasonic transducers, which are operated as receivers, and the electronic transmitting and receiving circuit issues a positive presence signal if reflections occur within an area whose extent is determined by the width of the traffic lane and if at least one of the said other ultrasonic transducers picks up these reflections.
- 2. A device for detecting the presence of a vehicle that is situated on a traffic lane has an ultrasonic device that (a) is mounted to the side of the traffic lane, (b) has a housing in which at least three ultrasonic transducers are arranged and (c) includes an electronic transmitting and receiving circuit that is associated with the said at least three ultrasonic transducers, wherein one of the said at least three ultrasonic transducers is mounted centrally in the housing and the other ultrasonic transducers of the said at least three ultrasonic transducers are arranged equidistant and in a distance from the centrally mounted ultrasonic transducer and are electrically interconnected in a configuration which is one of a serial and a parallel connection, with the centrally mounted ultrasonic transducer being operated as a receiver and the said other ultrasonic transducers being operated as transmitters and emitting periodical ultrasonic pulses whose reflections are received by the said centrally mounted ultrasonic transducer, and the electronic transmitting and receiving circuit issues a positive presence signal if reflections occur within an area whose extent is determined by the width of the traffic lane and if the said centrally mounted ultrasonic transducer picks up these reflections.
Specification