Automated passenger counter systems and methods
AssigneeRegents of the University of Minnesota
InventorsWilliam Northrop, David Kittelson, Andrew Kotz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
APC systems and methods using vehicle mass to assess boardings and alightings of passengers on transit vehicles (e.g., buses). Vehicle mass is determined based on signaled information indicative of a pressure in one or more air bag circuits of an air ride suspension system of the vehicle. In some embodiments, pressure information from three air bag circuits of the vehicle are monitored and reviewed to determine vehicle mass. The passenger count can be estimated based on determined vehicle mass by an Additional Mass Method or an Event-Based Method for example.
Claims14
A computer-implemented method for estimating vehicle passenger count of a vehicle including an air ride suspension system having a first air bag circuit, the method comprising:
- identifying occurrence of a first ridership change episode;
- and
- estimating a first passenger count of the vehicle at a conclusion of the first ridership change episode based upon at least one sensed parameter indicative of vehicle mass;
- wherein the step of estimating includes:
- reviewing a signal from a sensor associated with the first air bag circuit, the signal being indicative of a current pressure in the first air bag circuit,
- determining the vehicle mass at a conclusion of the first ridership change episode as a function of the current air pressure of the first air bag circuit at a time of the conclusion of the first ridership change episode,
- reviewing a mass trace indicative of a continuously-determined vehicle mass during the first ridership change episode as a function of the current air pressure of the first air bag circuit,
- identifying individual passenger loading events implicated by the mass trace.
An automated vehicle passenger counter system comprising:
- a pressure sensor configured for sensing and signaling information indicative of pressure in an air bag circuit of a vehicle;
- and
- a computing device configured to process the signaled pressure information, the computing device comprising a processor and a memory that stores instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to:
- identify occurrence of a ridership change episode based upon a speed of the vehicle,
- prompt performance of a passenger count estimation routine in response to the identified occurrence of a ridership change episode,
- estimate a passenger count of the vehicle at a conclusion of the ridership change episode based upon the signaled pressure information, including:
- estimate a vehicle mass at a conclusion of the ridership change episode as a function of a current air pressure of the air bag circuit at a time of the conclusion of the ridership change episode,
- review a mass trace indicative of a continuously-determined vehicle mass during the ridership change episode as a function of the current air pressure of the air bag circuit, and
- identify individual passenger loading events implicated by the mass trace.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.