초록 ▼

Embodiments of the invention include a wireless vehicle detection systems and associated methods with extended range and battery life. The wireless vehicle detection system can include a plurality of sensor pods in communication with an access point without repeaters. Embodiments of the sensor pod c

Embodiments of the invention include a wireless vehicle detection systems and associated methods with extended range and battery life. The wireless vehicle detection system can include a plurality of sensor pods in communication with an access point without repeaters. Embodiments of the sensor pod can include a vehicle detector controller adapted to determine the presence of vehicles and a communication controller connected to the vehicle detector and adapted to transmit data 300 feet or more to an access point, which in turns communicates with the base station. To extend the battery life of the sensor pod, the sensor pod can be adapted to detect received communication signal strength and adjust transmitting power based upon said strength to thereby conserve power. Embodiments of the sensor pod can also include a battery connected in parallel to an HLC capacitor to further extend the life of the battery.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A wireless vehicle detection system comprising: one or more spaced-apart sensor pods positioned in or below, and yet in close proximity to, a plane of a surface of a road, adapted to detect received communication signal strength, and operationally adapted to adjust transmitting power based upon t

1. A wireless vehicle detection system comprising: one or more spaced-apart sensor pods positioned in or below, and yet in close proximity to, a plane of a surface of a road, adapted to detect received communication signal strength, and operationally adapted to adjust transmitting power based upon the communication signal strength to thereby conserve power usage, each sensor pod including: (1) one or more vehicle detector controllers adapted to determine presence of one or more vehicles, (2) one or more communication controllers in communication with the vehicle detector and adapted to communicate data relating to the presence of one or more vehicles, the one or more vehicle detector controllers and the one or more communication controllers each collectively having separate clock cycles and separately controlled sleep cycles for drawing power, (3) one or more batteries, (4) one or more capacitors connected in parallel electrically to the one or more batteries to enhance protection of the one or more batteries from degradation at transmit power levels and enhance the life extension of the one or more batteries; and (5) one or more low profile antennas positioned within an enclosure of the sensor pod and adjacent an upper end portion of the enclosure when the sensor pod is positioned in or below the surface of the road, the one or more antennas being adapted to allow for and support one or more communication frequencies within a preselected radio frequency band, the one or more low profile antenna also having an antenna housing having a substantially hollow interior portion to allow communication circuitry components to be mounted at least partially within the antenna housing; anda base station adapted to provide data processing and storage for the wireless vehicle detection system. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle detector controllers is adapted to communicate with the communication controller, the one or more vehicle detector controllers further comprising: a plurality of magnetic sensors adapted to sense the presence of one or more vehicles, and to output sensed data corresponding to the presence of one or more vehicles;a calibration module adapted to adjust for sensor offset, or to set or reset the plurality of magnetic sensors; anda sensor controller adapted to determining the presence of the one or more vehicles responsive to one or more of the plurality of magnetic sensors outputting the sensed data. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more communication controllers is adapted to communicate with the one or more vehicle detector controller via a serial link, the one or more communication controllers further comprising: a radio transceiver adapted to communicate in the 902-928 Mhz ISM band; anda communication controller adapted to generate a packet suitable to be wirelessly transmitted via the antenna to the access point. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle detector controllers is adapted to communicate with the communication controller, the one or more vehicle detector controllers further comprising: a plurality of magnetic sensors adapted to sense the presence of one or more vehicles, and to output sensed data corresponding to the presence of one or more vehicles;a calibration module adapted to adjust for sensor offset, or to set or reset the plurality of magnetic sensors; anda sensor controller adapted to determining the presence of the one or more vehicles responsive to one or more of the plurality of magnetic sensors outputting the sensed data; and wherein the one or more communication controllers further comprises: a radio transceiver adapted to communicate in the 902-928 Mhz ISM band; anda communication controller adapted to generate a packet suitable to be wirelessly transmitted via the antenna to the access point. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the access point further comprises a plurality of antennas, one or more first antennas of the plurality of antennas being adapted to communicate with the base station at a communication frequency of approximately 2.4 GHz and one or more second antennas of the plurality of antennas being adapted to communicate with the one or more sensor pods at a communication frequency in the range of approximately 902-928 Mhz. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the access point comprises an access point housing and an omnidirectional antenna adapted to be positioned remote from the access point housing, the omnidirectional antenna adapted to wireless communicate with the one or more sensor pods and to communicate with an antenna associated with the access point housing. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more vehicle detector controllers comprises a plurality of magnetic sensors adapted to sense the presence of one or more vehicles, and to output sensed data corresponding to the presence of one or more vehicles. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of magnetic sensors include at least one of an x-axis sensor, a y-axis sensor, and a z-axis sensor; and the system further comprising an access point adapted to communicate with the base station wirelessly at a communication frequency of approximately 2.4 GHz or via one or more wires, and further adapted to communicate with the one or more sensor pods at one or more communication frequencies in the range of 902-928 Mhz. 9. A wireless sensor pod adapted to be positioned in or below and yet in close proximity to a plane of a surface of a road, the sensor pod comprising: (1) a vehicle detector controller adapted to determine presence of one or more vehicles;(2) a communication controller adapted to detect received communication signal strength and operationally adapted to adjust transmitting power based upon the communication signal strength to thereby conserve power;(3) a battery;(4) a hybrid layer capacitor connected in parallel electrically to the battery to enhance protection of the battery from degradation at transmit power levels and extend the life of the battery; and(5) an antenna positioned in a substantially horizontal orientation when positioned within the sensor pod and when the sensor pod is positioned in or below the surface of the road, the antenna adapted to allow for and support a preselected radio frequency band, the antenna also having an antenna housing having a hollow interior to allow communication circuitry components to be mounted at least partially inside the antenna housing thereby decreasing vertical space requirements. 10. The sensor pod of claim 9, the communication controller further comprising a radio transceiver adapted to communicate in the 902-928 Mhz ISM band; the antenna;the preselected radio frequency band including a 902-928 MHz ISM radio frequency band; andthe communication controller being further adapted to generate a packet suitable to be wirelessly transmitted via the antenna to an access point. 11. The sensor pod of claim 9, wherein the vehicle detector controller further comprises: a plurality of magnetic sensors adapted to sense the presence of one or more vehicles, and to output sensed data corresponding to the presence of one or more vehicles; a calibration module adapted to adjust for sensor offset, or to set or reset the plurality of magnetic sensors; and a sensor controller adapted to determining the presence of the one or more vehicles responsive to one or more of the plurality of magnetic sensors outputting the sensed data; and wherein the communication controller further comprises a radio transceiver adapted to communicate in the 902-928 Mhz ISM band, and wherein the communication controller being further adapted to generate a packet suitable to be wirelessly transmitted via the antenna to the access point. 12. A sensor pod of claim 9, further comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having an executable program stored thereon, and one of the vehicle detection controller or the communication controller being adapted to execute the executable program to wake up the sensor pod from sleep mode to execute a function and to queue a next function to be subsequently executed. 13. A method for detecting one or more vehicles, the method comprising the steps of: installing a sensor pod in or below and in close proximity to a plane of a surface of a road, the sensor pod adapted to detect and receive communication signal strength and operably adapted to adjust transmitting power based upon said communication signal strength to thereby conserve power, the sensor pod including (1) a vehicle detection controller adapted to determine presence of one or more vehicles, (2) a communication controller adapted to communicate data relating to the presence of one or more vehicles, (3) a battery, (4) a capacitor circuit connected in parallel electrically to the battery to enhance protection of the battery from degradation at transmit power levels, and (5) an antenna positioned in the sensor pod and when the sensor pod is positioned in or below the surface of the road, the antenna being adapted to allow for and support one or more communication radio frequencies, the antenna also having an antenna housing having a hollow interior to allow communication circuitry components to be mounted at least partially within the antenna housing;transmitting data relating to the presence of one or more vehicles from the sensor pod to an access point positioned remote the sensor pod; andproviding data processing to a traffic controller by a base station positioned remote from the access point and the sensor pod, the data processing being responsive to the base station receiving data from the access point. 14. A method of claim 13, wherein the access control comprises: one or more first antennas adapted to communicate with the sensor pod at a communication frequency in the range of approximately 902-928 MHz; andone or more second antennas adapted to communicate with the base station of the wireless vehicle detection system at a frequency of approximately 2.4 GHz. 15. A method of claim 14, wherein the vehicle detector controller comprises a plurality of magnetic sensors adapted to sense the presence of one or more vehicles, and to output sensed data corresponding to the presence of one or more vehicles. 16. A method of claim 13, wherein the vehicle detector controller further comprises: a plurality of magnetic sensors adapted to sense the presence of one or more vehicles, and to output sensed data corresponding to the presence of one or more vehicles;a calibration module adapted to adjust for sensor offset, or to set or reset the plurality of magnetic sensors; anda sensor controller adapted to determining the presence of the one or more vehicles responsive to one or more of the plurality of magnetic sensors outputting the sensed data. 17. A method of claim 13, wherein the communication controller further comprises: a radio transceiver adapted to communicate in the 902-928 Mhz ISM band; and wherein the communication controller further being adapted to generate a packet suitable to be wirelessly transmitted via the antenna to the access point. 18. A method of claim 17, wherein the vehicle detector controller and the communication controller each have one or more separate clock cycles and one or more separately controlled sleep cycles for drawing power.