Direction processing based on multi-state inputs

• US 8,775,116 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Port Authority of NY and NJ)
• Original Assignee: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Port Authority of NY and NJ)
• Inventors: Sesti, Julio
• Primary Examiner(s): TSAI, CAROL S W
• Application Number:
  US13/213,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20120046905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 702/150, 324/435, 324/207.18, 324/207.24, 701/93, 701/301, 701/51, 701/96, 701/117, 701/118, 701/119, 701/469, 348/169, 348/355, 705/1.1, 340/943, 340/932.2, 340/917
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/04 Indicating positive or negative direction of a linear movement or clockwise or anti-clockwise direction of a rotational movement

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for determining the direction of a moving object across a sensor having a plurality of inputs is disclosed. The invention determines the direction of a moving object, such as a vehicle on a roadway, based on inputs provided by sensors along the object'"'"'s path. The methods involve monitoring state changes of the inputs as the object passes the sensor and comparing the magnitude of state changes in the order in which a forward-moving object would cause inputs to switch to a particular state. For each state change comparison, a direction variable is adjusted to indicate forward or reverse movement. After passage of the object, a direction of movement is assigned to the moving object on the basis of the final value of the direction variable. The invention provides a high degree of accuracy, is simple to reconfigure, and more economical than other methods.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining the direction of a moving object across a sensor having a plurality of inputs, the method comprising the steps of:

a. assigning an initial value to a direction variable;

b. monitoring state changes of the inputs as the moving object passes across the sensor;

c. upon detection of a state change of a particular input from a lowest state to a higher state, comparing the magnitude of the state changes in the order in which a forward-moving object would cause inputs to switch to a particular state;

d. for each comparison, incrementing the value of the direction variable by a fixed amount to indicate a forward-moving object, and decrementing the value of the direction variable by the fixed amount to indicate a reverse-moving object;

e. monitoring the order of state changes for all inputs until all inputs return to their lowest state and thereby indicating passage of the moving object; and

f. assigning a direction of movement to the moving object on the basis of the final value of the direction variable after the object has moved past the sensor.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the moving object is a vehicle or a part thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a treadle pad, or a set of electromechanical or optical inputs.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is affixed to, suspended over, or mounted along the side of a road, street, wall, or ceiling surface.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of comparing the magnitude of the state changes comprises evaluating a plurality of arrays, each array representing a particular state and having a plurality of elements, each element representing a particular input, and the value stored in each element representing the order in which the particular input transitioned to that particular state in comparison to the other inputs.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising recording only the most recent state change if a particular input undergoes a plurality of state changes.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inputs are discrete or continuous.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising ceasing to monitor a particular input if the input remains in a state other than a lowest possible state for a predefined period of time and reestablishing monitoring of the particular input if the input subsequently switch to another state.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising detecting the presence of the moving object using a secondary sensor, wherein the secondary sensor functions on the same or different operating principle as a primary sensor.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising comparing the final value of the direction variable to a pre-assigned confidence level threshold, and assigning the direction of movement to the moving object if the direction variable is outside the confidence level threshold.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of the method are performed by a microcontroller located on a printed circuit board, and the microcontroller is programmed with computer instructions for carrying out the method.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of the method are performed by the computer.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising outputting the direction of the moving object to an external device selected from the group consisting of a printer, database, spreadsheet, computer monitor, and data storage unit.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising outputting the direction of the moving object to a subsequent separate computer process.

15. A computer-readable storage medium containing computer-readable code for programming a computer to perform the method according to claim 1.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for performing the method according to claim 1.

17. A programmable printed circuit board comprising computer readable code embodied therein for performing the method according to claim 1.