Picostrain engineering data acquisition system

An engineering data acquisition device for use in an un-referenced orthogonal axis system in space and time, represented by vectors X′, Y′, Z′, and time T′, which has a known relationship to a referenced orthogonal axis system defined by the axes X, Y, and Z, time T, and in which a known relationship is developed between said time T′ and said time T, comprising:

• one or more passive transducers which are conductive coils, laid substantially along said Y axis of said referenced orthogonal axis system, which have uni-axial sensitivity to a dynamic force applied parallel to said Z axis and normal to said Y axis, and which produce time referenced electric signals in response to rotational movement caused by said applied dynamic force, wherein said rotational movement is caused by differential pressure gradients or a wave of surface deformation, and wherein said time referenced electric signals are generated by said one or more passive transducers which are conductive coils passing through planetary lines of magnetic force;
• an amplifier, for amplifying said time referenced electric signals;
• a filter, for discriminating against unwanted signal components from said time referenced electric signals;
• a computer for sensing said time referenced electric signals;
• and
• computing means to develop a proportional kinetic energy signature for said applied dynamic force, which is unique for any particular vehicle or force event, and which yields any or all of several types of data, including identification, a velocity, acceleration, deceleration, and/or roadway structural integrity for said vehicle or force event.

In a system for determining a classification of a force in motion, with an array comprised of two or more transducers which respond to at least one force event set, said at least one force event set comprised of one or more force events, said system having a microprocessor including a storage means, a method comprising the steps of:

• installing in said storage means a table containing information about classification of said at least one force event set, including information about force event number and force event spacing;
• determining a distance between each of said two or more transducers;
• generating a first time referenced signal from a first transducer coil rotating in a magnetic field, said first time referenced signal corresponding to kinetic energy of said at least one force event set;
• storing said first time referenced signal in said storage means as a first variable;
• generating a second time referenced signal from a second transducer coil rotating in said magnetic field, said second time referenced signal corresponding to kinetic energy of said at least one force event set;
• storing said second time referenced signal in said storage means as a second variable;
• calculating by said microprocessor a third variable which is the velocity of said at least one force event set between said first transducer coil and said second transducer coil;
• calculating by said microprocessor, a fourth variable from said first and second time referenced signals stored within said storage means, a value which corresponds to force event spacing and force event number;
• and
• assigning a category to said force event by comparing said fourth variable which corresponds to said force event spacing and said force event number with said table containing information relating force event classification with force event spacing and force event number.

In a system for identifying and tracking a force in motion, said system having two or more transducers which respond to a force event and a microprocessor with permanent storage means having a plurality of stored force signatures, a method comprising the steps of:

• generating a first signal from said two or more transducers non-tortionally rotating in the Earth's magnetosphere, said first signal corresponding to kinetic energy of said force in motion;
• storing said first signal as a first variable in a memory device;
• generating a second signal from said two or more transducers non-tortionally rotating in said Earth's magnetosphere, said second signal corresponding to velocity of said force in motion;
• storing said second signal in said memory device as a second variable;
• using said first and second signals to generate an identifying force signature;
• comparing said generated identifying force signature and said plurality of stored force signatures to find a matching force signature;
• and
• reading out of said memory device data which corresponds to said matching force signature, if said matching force signature is found.

An engineering data acquisition device for acquiring data on applied dynamic force generating objects comprising:

• one or more passive transducers comprised of coils of conductive elements, mounted at or below grade in one or more channels made in a roadway structure and encased in a material with a similar modulus of elasticity as said roadway structure, and oriented generally horizontally along an X-Y plane and at an angle transecting a velocity vector along said roadway structure, in which each of said one or more passive transducers generates an electric signal by moving through planetary lines of magnetic force when physically displaced by an applied dynamic force from passage of said applied dynamic force generating objects over said one or more passive transducers;
• a signal amplifier for amplifying said electric signal and for sending an amplified signal to a means of interpreting said amplified signal;
• and
• a means of interpreting said amplified signal and converting said amplified signal into engineering data.

An engineering data acquisition device for acquiring data from applied dynamic force generating objects acting on a roadway structure, comprising:

• one or more passive transducers comprised of one or more loops of conductive elements, mounted below grade in one or more loops about a force transmitting element, and encased in a material with a similar modulus of elasticity as said roadway structure, and oriented generally horizontally along an X-Y plane, for generating an electric signal;
• a signal amplifier for amplifying said electric signal and for sending an amplified electric signal to a means of interpreting said amplified signal;
• converting said amplified electric signal into engineering data through use of said means of interpreting said amplified electric signal;
• a filter, for discriminating against unwanted signals;
• and
• a computer with computing means for developing a directly proportional kinetic energy signature for an applied dynamic force from said applied dynamic force generating objects;
• wherein each of the one or more passive transducers generates a signal by a change of dimension and resultant differential movement through planetary lines of magnetic force when an applied dynamic force from a passing applied dynamic force generating object causes an expansion of said roadway structure beneath said force transmitting element.

A data acquisition method, comprising the steps of:

• making a channel into a roadway structure generally normal to a direction of vehicular traffic on said roadway structure, for placement of electrically conductive loops;
• placing one or more passive transducers comprised of electrically conductive loops in said channel in said roadway structure, from which position said electrically conductive loops will cut across lines of magnetic force when said electrically conductive loops encounter an applied dynamic force from a moving force generating object and generate a signal;
• filling said channel which contains said electrically conductive loops with a material having the same approximate modulus of elasticity as said roadway structure;
• connecting each of said electrically conductive loops to an amplifier, for amplifying said signal to create an amplified signal;
• sending said amplified signal to a means of interpreting said amplified signal;
• and
• using said amplified signal to generate data from said applied dynamic force from said moving force generating object.

An engineering data acquisition device for use in an un-referenced orthogonal axis system in space and time, represented by vectors X′, Y′, Z′, and time T′, which has a known relationship to a referenced orthogonal axis system defined by the axes X, Y, and Z, time T, and in which a known relationship is developed between said time T′ and said time T, comprising:

• one or more transducers laid substantially along said Y axis of said referenced orthogonal axis system, which have uni-axial sensitivity to an applied dynamic force applied parallel to said Z axis and normal to said Y axis, and which produce time referenced electric signals in response to said applied dynamic force when applied at right angles to a physical displacement of structural material developed within a structural mass;
• an amplifier, for amplifying said time referenced electric signals from said one or more transducers;
• a filter, for discriminating against unwanted signal components from said time referenced electrical signals;
• and
• a computer for sensing said time referenced electric signals and for developing a proportional kinetic energy signature for said applied dynamic force, for identifying said applied dynamic force, and for yielding a mass and a velocity of travel along a path of travel of said applied dynamic force, and to identify said applied dynamic force by a unique kinetic energy signature, acceleration and/or deceleration data, and roadway structural condition data.