Patents by Inventor Robert Walter Tiernay

Robert Walter Tiernay has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6661352
    Abstract: An RF roadway toll collection system uses an upstream reader to communicate with a vehicle borne transponder carrying a Smart Card to calculate the toll and debit the Smart Card balance in the amount of the toll payment required. A transaction manager is notified of the toll payment from the upstream reader and notifies a downstream reader of the vehicle identification and payment status. The downstream reader confirms the vehicle identification and payment status and signals if the toll has been paid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Mark IV Industries Limited
    Inventors: Robert Walter Tiernay, Thua Van Ho, Weimin He, James Kenneth Cook, Mohammed Benvidi
  • Publication number: 20030001755
    Abstract: An RF roadway toll collection system uses an upstream reader to communicate with a vehicle borne transponder carrying a Smart Card to calculate the toll and debit the Smart Card balance in the amount of the toll payment required. A transaction manager is notified of the toll payment from the upstream reader and notifies a downstream reader of the vehicle identification and payment status. The downstream reader confirms the vehicle identification and payment status and signals if the toll has been paid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventors: Robert Walter Tiernay, Thua Van Ho, Weimin He, James Kenneth Cook, Mohammed Benvidi
  • Patent number: 6219613
    Abstract: A vehicle position determination system for determining the position of a moving vehicle having a transponder includes a first and second antennas operable to receive periodic radio frequency data signals from the transponder when the transponder is moving through a first or second predetermined coverage zone, respectively. The first and second coverage zones partially overlap and each have a width that is orthogonal to the travel path of the moving vehicle and a length that is parallel to the travel path of the moving vehicle. A processor counts the number of periodic data signals received by each of the antennas from the transponder during a time period and determines based on the count a probable location of the vehicle. The vehicle location information can be provided to an imaging system to discriminate between transponder and non-transponder equipped vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Mark IV Industries Limited
    Inventors: Daniel L. Terrier, Robert Walter Tiernay
  • Patent number: 6025799
    Abstract: In order to locate a transponder in a roadway there are first and second antenna arrays at spaced locations. Each array is associated with a switching control which causes the array beam to step through a series of beams. The signal developed in each beam is converted to a digital result. The strongest beam from each array may be determined and the location of the transponder at the intersection of the two strongest beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Mark IV Industries Limited
    Inventors: Thua Van Ho, Robert Walter Tiernay