Laser ranging over-height vehicle detector system (LARA-OHVD)
AssigneeResearch Foundation of the City University of New York
InventorsAbhishek Singhal, Anil K. Agrawal, Camille Kamga
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Abstract
A device for producing a triangular laser sheet. The device has an optical transmitter with a pair of plano-convex cylindrical lenses for circularizing infrared laser light and a plano-concave cylindrical lens for shaping the circularized light to produce a triangular laser sheet. A tilt sensor measures departure of the triangular laser sheet from a horizontal reference. The device projects a triangular sheet of infrared light that is useful for detecting over-height vehicles that are approaching a structure, such as a bridge.
Claims13
A device for producing a triangular laser sheet, the device comprising:
- an infrared laser source for emitting an infrared laser;
- an optical transmitter comprising:
- collimating optics comprising a first plano-convex cylindrical lens and a second plano-convex cylindrical lens that is disposed orthogonal to the first plano-convex cylindrical lens;
- beam shaping optics comprising a plano-concave cylindrical lens;
- wherein the collimating optics and the beam shaping optics are arranged such that the infrared laser sequentially passes through the first plano-convex cylindrical lens, the second plano-convex cylindrical lens and the plano-concave cylindrical lens, thereby producing a triangular laser sheet of infrared laser light;
- an optical receiver for receiving reflected infrared laser light;
- a processor for processing the reflected infrared laser light.
A laser ranging over-height vehicle detector system, the system comprising:
- an overhead structure with a road traversing under the overhead structure;
- a device disposed proximate the overhead structure, the device comprising:
- an infrared laser source for emitting an infrared laser;
- an optical transmitter comprising:
- collimating optics comprising a first plano-convex cylindrical lens and a second plano-convex cylindrical lens that is disposed orthogonal to the first plano-convex cylindrical lens;
- wherein the collimating optics is arranged such that the infrared laser sequentially passes through the first plano-convex cylindrical lens and the second plano-convex cylindrical lens;
- a tilt sensor for providing a tilt angle;
- an optical receiver for receiving reflected infrared laser light;
- a processor for processing the tilt angle and the reflected infrared laser light.
A method for identifying an over-height vehicle, the method comprising steps of:
- projecting, onto a road, a triangular laser sheet of infrared laser light with a device, wherein the device comprises
- an infrared laser source for emitting an infrared laser;
- an optical transmitter comprising:
- collimating optics comprising a first plano-convex cylindrical lens and a second plano-convex cylindrical lens that is disposed orthogonal to the first plano-convex lens;
- beam shaping optics comprising a plano-concave cylindrical lens;
- wherein the collimating optics and the beam shaping optics are arranged such that the infrared laser sequentially passes through the first plano-convex cylindrical lens, the second plano-convex cylindrical lens and the plano-concave cylindrical lens, thereby producing a triangular laser sheet of infrared laser light;
- a tilt sensor for providing a tilt angle between the triangular laser sheet and the road;
- an optical receiver for receiving reflected infrared laser light;
- wherein the device is disposed on an overhead structure with the road traversing under the overhead structure;
- calculating a height for a vehicle that is approaching the overhead structure on the road, the calculating using installed height of the device, a measured distance to the vehicle and the tilt angle, thereby producing a calculated height of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.