# US 2022/0036733 A1 · Vehicle Flow Monitoring System > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0036733 A1 - Document ID: US20220036733A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/502,895 - Filed: 2021-10-15 - Published: 2022-02-03 - Earliest claimed: 2020-01-23 - Assignees: Frogparking Limited - Applicants: Frogparking Limited - Inventors: Donald H. Sandbrook - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220036733A1 ## CPC - G08G 1/0116: {from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons} - G08G 1/141: {with means giving the indication of available parking spaces} - G01S 7/52004: {Means for monitoring or calibrating (short-range imaging G01S7/5205)} - G01S 7/526: Receivers - G01S 15/04: Systems determining presence of a target - G01S 15/08: Systems for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S15/46) - G01S 15/62: Sense-of-movement determination {(G01S15/588 takes precedence)} - G01S 15/87: Combinations of sonar systems - G01S 15/88: Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications (seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00) - G01S 17/58: Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems - G01S 17/87: Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves - G01S 17/88: Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications - G08G 1/04: using optical or ultrasonic detectors - G08G 1/065: by counting the vehicles in a section of the road or in a parking area, i.e. comparing incoming count with outgoing count - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract A vehicle flow monitoring system for detecting both a car count and direction of movement of vehicles passing a point of interest. The vehicle flow monitoring system generally includes a car counter which may include a microcontroller and a pair of distance sensors. Each of the distance sensors is oriented toward a unique point of interest. Each of the distance sensors includes a threshold distance reading which is used to detect whether a vehicle has passed underneath the car counter. The system may determine direction of travel of the vehicle based on which of the distance sensors is passed by the vehicle first. The microcontroller may assign an Event ID to each time a vehicle passes each of the sensors, with the Event ID being used to identify when and if the vehicle should be counted, or whether a non-vehicle object has passed the car counter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle monitoring system for detecting a vehicle, comprising: a first distance sensor oriented towards a first point of interest, wherein the first distance sensor is configured to detect the vehicle passing the first distance sensor; a second distance sensor oriented towards a second point of interest, wherein the second distance sensor is configured to detect the vehicle passing the second distance sensor, wherein the first point of interest is distally-spaced with respect to the second point of interest; and a microcontroller in communication with the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor, wherein the microcontroller is configured to compare a first distance reading detected by the first distance sensor to a first threshold value for the first distance sensor, and wherein the microcontroller is configured to compare a second distance reading detected by the second distance sensor to a second threshold value for the second distance sensor; wherein the microcontroller is configured to increase a vehicle count when the first distance reading is less than the first threshold value and the second distance reading is less than the second threshold value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is configured to detect direction of movement of the vehicle based on which of the first distance sensor or the second distance sensor is passed by the vehicle first. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor are each comprised of a LIDAR sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first threshold value is configured to be beyond a noise level of an unobstructed distance reading of the first distance sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 4, wherein the second threshold value is configured to be beyond a noise level of an unobstructed distance reading of the second distance sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor are positioned above the first point of interest and the second point of interest respectively. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first distance sensor is distally-spaced with respect to the second distance sensor, wherein both the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor are vertically-oriented. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first distance sensor is adjacent with respect to the second distance sensor, wherein both the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor are diagonally-oriented. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a third distance sensor and a fourth distance sensor, wherein the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor monitor a first lane of traffic, and wherein the third distance sensor and the fourth distance sensor monitor a second lane of traffic. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1, wherein a distance between the first point of interest and the second point of interest is shorter than a length of the vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor are configured to take distance measurements simultaneously. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first threshold value of the first distance sensor is calibrated based on noise readings from the first distance sensor and the second threshold value of the second distance sensor is calibrated based on noise readings from the second distance sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is configured to classify transitions from unobstructed measurements to obstructed measurements by each of the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor as an event. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the microcontroller is configured to assign an Event ID to the event detected by the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the microcontroller is configured to recognize when a non-vehicle object has passed the first distance sensor or the second distance sensor such that the non-vehicle object is not counted. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 14, wherein the microcontroller is configured to identify when the vehicle has a trailer based on a sequence of Event ID's. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is configured to reset the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor after a period of time has passed. ### Claim 18 A vehicle monitoring system for detecting a vehicle entering or leaving a parking area, comprising: a first distance sensor oriented towards a first point of interest, wherein the first distance sensor is configured to detect the vehicle passing the first distance sensor; a second distance sensor oriented towards a second point of interest, wherein the second distance sensor is configured to detect the vehicle passing the second distance sensor, wherein the first point of interest is distally-spaced with respect to the second point of interest; a dynamic signage positioned within the parking area; a microcontroller in communication with the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor, wherein the microcontroller is configured to compare a first distance reading detected by the first distance sensor to a first threshold value for the first distance sensor, and wherein the microcontroller is configured to compare a second distance reading detected by the second distance sensor to a second threshold value for the second distance sensor; wherein the microcontroller is configured to increase a vehicle count when the first distance reading is less than the first threshold value and the second distance reading is less than the second threshold value; wherein the dynamic signage is configured to display the vehicle count. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The vehicle monitoring system of claim 18, wherein the dynamic signage is configured to display a number of parking spaces of the parking area which are available. ### Claim 20 A vehicle monitoring system, comprising: a first distance sensor oriented towards a first point of interest, wherein the first distance sensor is configured to detect the vehicle passing the first distance sensor; a second distance sensor oriented towards a second point of interest, wherein the second distance sensor is configured to detect the vehicle passing the second distance sensor, wherein the first point of interest is distally-spaced with respect to the second point of interest; and a microcontroller in communication with the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor, wherein the microcontroller is configured to detect when a first distance reading detected by the first distance sensor is less than a first threshold value for the first distance sensor, and wherein the microcontroller is configured to detect when a second distance reading detected by the second distance sensor is less than a second threshold value for the second distance sensor; wherein the microcontroller is configured to increase a vehicle count when the first distance reading is less than the first threshold value and the second distance reading is less than the second threshold value.