Infra-red sensor system for intelligent vehicle highway systems

An infra-red sensor system for tracking ground based vehicles to determine traffic information, said system comprising:

• (a) a sensor unit having at least one array detector for continuously capturing images of a particular traffic corridor, a first portion of said sensor unit being mounted on an overhead support structure such that said at least one array detector has an unobstructed field of view of said traffic corridor;
• (b) a signal processor unit connected to said sensor unit for extracting data contained within said images captured by said at least one array detector and calculating traffic information therefrom, including the location, number, weight, axle loading, velocity, acceleration, lateral acceleration, and emission content of said ground based vehicles passing within the field of view of said at least one array detector;
• and
• (c) a local controller unit connected to said signal processor unit for providing and controlling a communications link between said infra-red sensor system and a central control system, said central control system comprising a central computer operable to process information from a multiplicity of infra-red sensor systems;
• wherein
• at least one said array detector includes an infra-red focal plane array;
• and
• the sensor unit further includes
• i) an array of multiple distributed processors, and
• ii) signal circuitry for generating a respective set of signals representing each of at least selected ones of said images, and for transmitting each set of signals to at least a plurality of the distributed processors.

A passive, all weather, day/night infra-red sensor system for tracking ground based vehicles to determine traffic information, said system comprising:

• (a) a sensor unit having two array detectors for continuously capturing images of a particular traffic corridor, a first portion of said sensor unit being mounted on an overhead support structure such that said two array detectors have an unobstructed field of view of said traffic corridor, a first of said two array detectors being a passive infra-red focal plane array and a second of said two array detectors being a visual band charge-coupled device imager, wherein the sensor unit further includes an array of multiple distributed processors, and signal circuitry for generating a respective set of signals representing each of at least selected ones of said images and for transmitting each set of signals to at least a plurality of the distributed processors;
• (b) a signal processor unit connected to said sensor unit for extracting data contained within said images captured by said two array detectors and calculating traffic information therefrom, including the location, number, weight, axle loading, velocity, acceleration, lateral acceleration, and emission content of said ground based vehicles passing within the field of view of said two array detectors;
• and
• (c) a local controller unit connected to said signal processor unit for providing and controlling a communications link between said infra-red sensor system and a central control system, said central control system comprising a multiplicity of infra-red sensor systems.

A sensor system comprising:

• (a) a sensor unit having at least one detector means for continuously capturing images of interest;
• (b) a signal processor unit linked to said sensor unit for extracting data contained within said images;
• and
• (c) a local controller unit linked to said signal processor unit for providing and controlling a communications link between said sensor system and a central controller system, said central control system comprising a central computer operable to process, utilize, and disseminate the data from said signal processor;
• wherein
• at least one said array detector includes an infra-red focal plane array;
• and
• the sensor unit further includes
• i) an array of multiple distributed processors, and
• ii) signal circuitry for generating a respective set of signals representing each of at least selected ones of said images, and for transmitting each set of signals to at least a plurality of the distributed processors.