Patents Assigned to Inductive Signature
-
Patent number: 6999886Abstract: A method and apparatus for communicating estimated vehicular speed and length using data obtained from a single wire-loop. The detector card connected to a single wire-loop produces a first bivalent output based on the actual measurement of a vehicle at the wire-loop sensor and synthesizes a second bivalent output to mimic the output of a two wire-loop speed trap. By simulating a second bivalent output at the detector card level, a conventional field controller is capable of estimating the vehicular speed from a single wire-loop sensor.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2003Date of Patent: February 14, 2006Assignee: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Steven R. Hilliard
-
Publication number: 20060017588Abstract: Methods and apparatus for presenting time-based and location-based traffic condition information to motorists. Traffic condition information is collected to create historical time-based and location-based traffic data, which is displayed, in one embodiment, on a congestion clock. The traffic condition data includes, in various embodiments, speed data, volume data, occupancy data, and travel time for a specific section of roadway.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2004Publication date: January 26, 2006Applicant: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Steven Hilliard
-
Publication number: 20060020468Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a telephone based traveler information dissemination system that traffic and roadway condition information upon demand. A traveler communicates with a server over a telephone. The server receives a first and second geographic location and generates travel data, which is delivered to the traveler via facsimile or e-mail.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2004Publication date: January 26, 2006Applicant: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Steven Hilliard
-
Patent number: 6988052Abstract: Methods for a determining a normalized lane occupancy and for monitoring signal quality for a vehicle detection system. Such methods include, in one embodiment, measuring a speed of a vehicle with an inductive vehicle detector, measuring an on-time for the vehicle crossing a wire loop sensor of the inductive vehicle detector, determining an inductive length of the vehicle from the measured speed, and computing a normalized on-time by subtracting a longitudinal length of the wire loop sensor from the inductive length and dividing the difference by the measured speed.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2005Date of Patent: January 17, 2006Assignee: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey C. Yerem
-
Publication number: 20050182597Abstract: Methods for a determining a normalized lane occupancy and for monitoring signal quality for a vehicle detection system. Such methods include, in one embodiment, measuring a speed of a vehicle with an inductive vehicle detector, measuring an on-time for the vehicle crossing a wire loop sensor of the inductive vehicle detector, determining an inductive length of the vehicle from the measured speed, and computing a normalized on-time by subtracting a longitudinal length of the wire loop sensor from the inductive length and dividing the difference by the measured speed.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2005Publication date: August 18, 2005Applicant: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven Hilliard, Geoffrey Yerem
-
Patent number: 6917308Abstract: Surface-mounted traffic monitoring sensors that do not require substantial disruption to traffic flow to install or maintain, and that do not substantially degrade the physical integrity of the road. Pneumatic road-tube wedges and surface-mount inductive blades detect wheel-spikes and/or inductive signatures in both fixed and portable installations, single or multi-lane roadways, and provides accurate vehicle speed, volume, occupancy, turning movement counts, weaving sections, classification, re-identification, travel-time, origin and destination, lane-keeping variation, speed-variation, angle-of-attack, and vehicle weight and load distribution. This data is useful to infrastructure planners, traffic-flow modelers, to enhance the safety of work-zone crews, law enforcement, and for real-time traffic operations, etc.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2003Date of Patent: July 12, 2005Assignee: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Steven R. Hilliard
-
Patent number: 6911829Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the inductance of a wire-loop with noise-cancellation, auto-calibration and wireless communication features, or detector circuit. The apparatus measures the effective change in inductance induced in a wire-loop as a vehicle passes over the wire-loop to produce an inductive signature corresponding to a vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2003Date of Patent: June 28, 2005Assignee: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Michael J. Roberts, Geoffrey C. Yerem
-
Patent number: 6876949Abstract: Methods and apparatus for such that a measurement made for a given vehicle by a given detector is substantially repeatable using either the same detector from one time to another, or using a different detector. In one embodiment, normalization coefficients are determined by measuring one or more common probe vehicles and standardizing the outputs of the detector(s) to give a consistent output. In another embodiment, normalization coefficients are determined by measuring one or more operating or circuit parameters of the detector circuit(s), and compensating the outputs of the detector(s) for variations in these measured parameters.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2003Date of Patent: April 5, 2005Assignee: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey C. Yerem
-
Patent number: 6838886Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring changes induced in an inductive field on a wire-loop of an oscillator circuit based upon variations in a current function without the need to measure frequency changes. Induced noise has independent effects upon the current function and voltage function of an inductance measurement circuit. By inductively coupling one input and directly coupling the second input of a comparator circuit to the inductance measurement circuit, the phase of the current function can be adjusted to coincide with the phase of the voltage function. By combining the voltage function with the current function, an output isolating the induced noise from the measured inductance is obtained.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2001Date of Patent: January 4, 2005Assignee: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
-
Patent number: 6803859Abstract: An oscillator circuit for use with a wire-loop inductive sensor and method for use. The oscillator circuit highly attenuates common-mode noise detected by the wire-loop and differential noise from both ambient and crosstalk sources are filtered by active isolation.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2002Date of Patent: October 12, 2004Assignee: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Stephen R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
-
Patent number: 6771064Abstract: An apparatus for sensing variations in an inductive field, or inductive sensor. The inductive sensor is adapted for detecting the lateral offset of a vehicle within a roadway, especially those with multiple traffic lanes, without regard to lane boundaries, which may vary. Lateral offset information is necessary for determining lane usage statistics and is useful in detecting unsafe driving behaviors evidenced by erratic variations in lane position. Such unsafe driving behaviors are indicative of, for example, intoxicated or drowsy drivers, obstacles in the roadway requiring drastic avoidance measures, aggressive driving and other generally unsafe roadway conditions. In addition, lane position information can be passed back to the vehicle to allow for automated lane-keeping or passed to other detectors for self-calibration of the system.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2002Date of Patent: August 3, 2004Assignee: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Lawrence P. Leibowitz, Steven R. Hilliard
-
Publication number: 20040095148Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the inductance of a wire-loop with noise-cancellation, auto-calibration and wireless communication features, or detector circuit. The apparatus measures the effective change in inductance induced in a wire-loop as a vehicle passes over the wire-loop to produce an inductive signature corresponding to a vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2003Publication date: May 20, 2004Applicant: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Michael J. Roberts, Geoffrey C. Yerem
-
Publication number: 20040056778Abstract: A method and apparatus for communicating estimated vehicular speed and length using data obtained from a single wire-loop. The detector card connected to a single wire-loop produces a first bivalent output based on the actual measurement of a vehicle at the wire-loop sensor and synthesizes a second bivalent output to mimic the output of a two wire-loop speed trap. By simulating a second bivalent output at the detector card level, a conventional field controller is capable of estimating the vehicular speed from a single wire-loop sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2003Publication date: March 25, 2004Applicant: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Steven R. Hilliard
-
Publication number: 20030201909Abstract: Surface-mounted traffic monitoring sensors that do not require substantial disruption to traffic flow to install or maintain, and that do not substantially degrade the physical integrity of the road. Pneumatic road-tube wedges and surface-mount inductive blades detect wheel-spikes and/or inductive signatures in both fixed and portable installations, single or multi-lane roadways, and provides accurate vehicle speed, volume, occupancy, turning movement counts, weaving sections, classification, re-identification, travel-time, origin and destination, lane-keeping variation, speed-variation, angle-of-attack, and vehicle weight and load distribution. This data is useful to infrastructure planners, traffic-flow modelers, to enhance the safety of work-zone crews, law enforcement, and for real-time traffic operations, etc.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2003Publication date: October 30, 2003Applicant: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Steven R. Hilliard
-
Patent number: 6639521Abstract: An apparatus for detecting inductance, which is generally disposed outside of the roadway surface. The apparatus includes at least one large aperture wire-loop deployed beside the roadway, on either or both sides, to detect vehicular traffic passing nearby. Alternatively, the apparatus includes at least one large aperture wire-loop deployed such that vehicular traffic passes through the opening defined by the wire-loop(s).Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2001Date of Patent: October 28, 2003Assignee: Inductive Signature TechnologiesInventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
-
Publication number: 20030174071Abstract: Methods and apparatus for such that a measurement made for a given vehicle by a given detector is substantially repeatable using either the same detector from one time to another, or using a different detector. In one embodiment, normalization coefficients are determined by measuring one or more common probe vehicles and standardizing the outputs of the detector(s) to give a consistent output. In another embodiment, normalization coefficients are determined by measuring one or more operating or circuit parameters of the detector circuit(s), and compensating the outputs of the detector(s) for variations in these measured parameters.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2003Publication date: September 18, 2003Applicant: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey C. Yerem
-
Patent number: 6611210Abstract: A wire-loop vehicle detector is configured with a vertically oriented blade aligned at an angle to the direction of traffic-flow with each end of the blade extending laterally beyond the normal limits of vehicle presence over the blade. The extended blade configuration of the wire-loop constrains over-passing vehicles to present repeatable inductive signatures while electromagnetic noise and thermal-drift are selectively canceled using a secondary coil to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of inductance measurements. Inductive signatures of vehicles are recorded using a high-speed and high-precision method of making multiple successive measurements of the inductance of a wire-loop as vehicles pass over. Inductive signatures of automotive vehicles are useful for parking-lot revenue control, car-bomb detection, passive security of isolated communities, and other traffic-flow monitoring and control applications.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2002Date of Patent: August 26, 2003Assignee: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard
-
Patent number: 6590400Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the inductance of a wire-loop with noise-cancellation, auto-calibration and wireless communication features, or detector circuit. The apparatus measures the effective change in inductance induced in a wire-loop as a vehicle passes over the wire-loop to produce an inductive signature corresponding to a vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2002Date of Patent: July 8, 2003Assignee: Inductive Signature TechnologiesInventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Michael J. Roberts, Geoffrey C. Yerem
-
Publication number: 20030038624Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the inductance of a wire-loop with noise-cancellation, auto-calibration and wireless communication features, or detector circuit. The apparatus measures the effective change in inductance induced in a wire-loop as a vehicle passes over the wire-loop to produce an inductive signature corresponding to a vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2002Publication date: February 27, 2003Applicant: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Michael J. Roberts, Geoffrey C. Yerem
-
Publication number: 20030020635Abstract: An oscillator circuit for use with a wire-loop inductive sensor and method for use. The oscillator circuit highly attenuates common-mode noise detected by the wire-loop and differential noise from both ambient and crosstalk sources are filtered by active isolation.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2002Publication date: January 30, 2003Applicant: Inductive Signature Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Steven R. Hilliard, Geoffrey W. Hilliard