The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 29, 2008
Filed:
Jun. 10, 2005
Antonios Seas, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Christopher Field, Baltimore, MD (US);
J. Marcos Sirota, Takoma Park, MD (US);
Antonios Seas, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Christopher Field, Baltimore, MD (US);
J. Marcos Sirota, Takoma Park, MD (US);
Sigma Space Corporation, Lanham, MD (US);
Abstract
A compact system for determining the presence and speed of an object/vehicle, and its application for Red Light Camera photo-enforcement is disclosed. The disclosed system uses accurate timing, laser radiation in the form of optical pulses, and the scattering effect of optical pulses from the road or vehicle surface to determine the presence of a vehicle, and estimate its speed. The system can determine whether an object/vehicle is present at a specific location, estimate its height, and in the case that the object/vehicle is moving, the system can estimate its speed. Combining the disclosed technology with commercially available digital recording techniques and equipment, a traffic photo-enforcement system can be constructed. The system is capable of monitoring traffic in an intersection/highway, measure vehicle speed, identify potential traffic violations, and trigger a visual recording device such as a camera or video system for documenting a violation. The system can serve as a tool by law enforcement agencies and research groups for other applications, such as measurement of traffic density, monitor vehicle speed, and the study of traffic patterns. Other important information that can be generated from the disclosed system is the profile of a moving object/vehicle, the length of the moving object/vehicle, and whether the moving object/vehicle was accelerating or decelerating. Further analysis of the recorded data can yield information relevant to the make and model of the passing vehicles.