Unmanned integrated optical remote emissions sensor (RES) for motor vehicles

Abstract

An unmanned integrated RES 12 integrates all of its components except the reflector 22 into a single console 30 that is positioned at the side of a road and has a CPU 36 that controls calibration, verification and data gathering. The RES's source 32 and receiver 34 are preferably stacked one on top of the other such that the IR beam 24 traverses a low and high path as it crosses the road 14. This allows the RES to detect both low and high ground clearance vehicles. To maintain the vehicle processing and identification throughput, the speed sensor 54 and ALPR 48,50 detect the passing vehicles at steep angles, approximately 20 to 35 degrees. In a preferred system, a manned control center 16 communicates with a large number of the unmanned integrated RES to download emissions data, perform remote diagnostics, and, if necessary, dispatch a technician to perform maintenance on a particular RES.

We claim: 
     
       1. An unmanned optical emissions sensor for sensing a gas mixture composition of an exhaust plume of a motor vehicle travelling along a road, comprising:
 a source for radiating a beam of light along a path across a road such that the beam passes through the exhaust plume of a passing vehicle and otherwise passes through ambient air;   a receiver for sampling radiation levels at a plurality of predetermined wavelengths from the beam;   a canister for emitting a puff of calibration gas in the path of the beam between the source and the receiver, said calibration gas having a known reference composition at the predetermined wavelengths;   a data processing computer for computing a gas mixture composition from the sensed radiation levels in accordance with stored calibration curves;   a trigger device that produces a trigger signal when a vehicle passes through the beam causing the data processing computer to record the gas mixture composition of the vehicle's exhaust plume for a period of time;   an automated control computer that
 a) calibrates the data processing computer by directing the canister to emit a puff of calibration gas, whereby the data processing computer recomputes the calibration curves in accordance with the known reference composition; 
 b) verifies the calibration by directing the canister to emit a puff of calibration gas, whereby the data processing computer computes a test composition from the radiation levels and accepts the calibration when the test composition is close enough to the known reference composition and otherwise rejects the calibration and initiates recalibration; and 
 c) monitors the gas mixture composition of the ambient air to control recalibration of the data processing computer; and 
   a vehicle identification device that responds to the trigger signal by recording a vehicle identification for the passing vehicle.   
     
     
       2. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a multi-position lens cover on the receiver, said automated control computer indexing the position of the lens cover when the gas mixture composition of the ambient air deviates from an ambient reference level by more than a specified threshold and initiates recalibration if the deviation remains greater than the specified threshold.   
     
     
       3. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the automated control computer monitors the gas mixture composition of the vehicle's exhaust plume to control reverification of the calibration. 
     
     
       4. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the automated control computer monitors a time from the last calibration and when the time exceeds a mandatory recalibration period it initiates another calibration. 
     
     
       5. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 1 , wherein the automated control computer monitors the data processing computer and power cycles the emissions sensor when the data processing computer fails to produce gas mixture compositions. 
     
     
       6. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a manned control center; and   a communications channel for communication between the automated control computer and the manned control center, said automated control computer responding to repeated calibration rejections by transmitting a help message to the manned control center, which in turn responds by performing diagnostics to determine a cause for the calibration rejection and then either remedy the cause remotely or dispatch a technician to remedy the cause on site.   
     
     
       7. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a vehicle detector for sensing an oncoming vehicle and computing its acceleration, said data processing computer disabling the recordation of the composition of the vehicle's exhaust plume when the acceleration exceeds a threshold.   
     
     
       8. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 7 , wherein the vehicle detector compute's the vehicle's speed and computes a time-to-trigger range from the vehicle's measured speed and acceleration, said data processing computer disabling the recordation of the composition of the vehicle's exhaust plume when triggering occurs outside the time-to-trigger range. 
     
     
       9. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 7 , wherein said source and said receiver are placed on the same side of the road, further comprising:
 a reflector that is positioned on the other side of the road such that the beam emitted by the source reflects off of the reflector and back to the receiver.   
     
     
       10. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a single console that contains the source, the receiver, the canister, the data processing computer, the automated control computer, the vehicle identification device, and the vehicle detector.   
     
     
       11. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 10 , wherein the vehicle identification device comprises an automated license plate reader (ALPR) that reads the vehicle's license at an angle of at least 20 degrees and said vehicle detector senses the oncoming vehicle at an angle of at least 20 degrees to maintain a vehicle throughput. 
     
     
       12. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 10 , wherein one of said source and said receiver is positioned above the other so that the beam traverses the road in a low path in one direction and in a high path in the other direction so that the trigger device will trigger on both high and low ground clearance vehicles. 
     
     
       13. An integrated optical emissions sensor for sensing a gas mixture composition of an exhaust plume of a motor vehicle travelling along a road, comprising:
 a single console that is positioned at one side of the road;   a vehicle detector in said console for sensing an oncoming vehicle and computing its acceleration;   a source in said console for radiating a beam of light along a path across the road such that the beam passes through the exhaust plume of a passing vehicle and otherwise passes through ambient air;   a reflector that is positioned on the other side of the road such that the beam reflects off of the reflector and back to the console;   a receiver in said console sampling radiation levels at a plurality of predetermined wavelengths from the beam;   a data processing computer in said console for computing a gas mixture composition from the sensed radiation levels in accordance with stored calibration curves;   a canister in said console for emitting a puff of calibration gas in the path of the beam between the source and the receiver to recompute the calibration curves;   a trigger device in said console that produces a trigger signal when a vehicle passes through the beam causing the data processing computer to record the gas mixture composition of the vehicle's exhaust plume for a period of time, said data processing computer disabling the recordation of the composition of the vehicle's exhaust plume when the acceleration exceeds a threshold; and   a vehicle identification device in said console that responds to the trigger signal by recording a vehicle identification for the passing vehicle.   
     
     
       14. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 13 , wherein the vehicle identification device comprises an automated license plate reader (ALPR) that reads the vehicle's license at an angle of at least 20 degrees and said vehicle detector senses the oncoming vehicle at an angle of at least 20 degrees to maintain a vehicle throughput. 
     
     
       15. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 13 , wherein one of said source and said receiver is positioned above the other so that the beam traverses the road in a low path in one direction and in a high path in the other direction so that the trigger device will trigger on both high and low ground clearance vehicles. 
     
     
       16. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 13 , wherein the vehicle detector compute's the vehicle's speed and computes a time-to-trigger range from the vehicle's measured speed and acceleration, said data processing computer disabling the recordation of the composition of the vehicle's exhaust plume when triggering occurs outside the time-to-trigger range. 
     
     
       17. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 13 , wherein said calibration gas has a known reference composition at the predetermined wavelengths, further comprising an automated control computer that
 a) calibrates the data processing computer by directing the canister to emit a puff of calibration gas, whereby the data processing computer recomputes the calibration curves in accordance with the known reference composition;   b) verifies the calibration by directing the canister to emit a puff of calibration gas, whereby the data processing computer computes a test composition from the radiation levels and accepts the calibration when the test composition is close enough to the known reference composition and otherwise rejects the calibration and initiates recalibration; and   c) monitors the gas mixture composition of the ambient air to control recalibration of the data processing computer.   
     
     
       18. A remote emissions sensing system sensing gas mixture compositions of exhaust plumes for motor vehicles traveling along a network of roads, comprising:
 a plurality of unmanned integrated optical emissions sensors positioned at different places in the network on a side of the road, each emissions sensor comprising:
 a console; 
 a vehicle detector in said console for sensing an oncoming vehicle and computing its acceleration; 
 a source in said console for radiating a beam of light along a path across the road such that the beam passes through the exhaust plume of a passing vehicle and otherwise passes through ambient air; 
 a reflector that is positioned on the other side of the road such that the beam reflects off of the reflector and back to the console; 
 a receiver in said console that samples radiation levels at a plurality of predetermined wavelengths from the beam; 
 a data processing computer in said console for computing a gas mixture composition from the sensed radiation levels in accordance with stored calibration curves; 
 a canister in said console for emitting a puff of calibration gas in the path of the beam between the source and the receiver, said calibration gas having a known reference composition at the predetermined wavelengths; 
 a trigger device in said console that produces a trigger signal when a vehicle passes through the beam causing the data processing computer to record the gas mixture composition of the vehicle's exhaust plume for a period of time, said data processing computer invalidating the recordation of the composition of the vehicle's exhaust plume when the acceleration exceeds a threshold; 
 an automated control computer that
 a) calibrates the data processing computer by directing the canister to emit a puff of calibration gas, whereby the data processing computer recomputes the calibration curves in accordance with the known reference composition; 
 b) verifies the calibration by directing the canister to emit a puff of calibration gas, whereby the data processing computer computes a test composition from the radiation levels and accepts the calibration when the test composition is close enough to the known reference composition and otherwise rejects the calibration and initiates recalibration; and 
 c) monitors the gas mixture composition of the ambient air to control recalibration of the data processing computer; and 
 
 a vehicle identification device in said console that responds to the trigger signal by recording a vehicle identification for the passing vehicle; 
   a manned control center; and   a communications channel for communication between the emissions sensors and the manned control center, said emissions sensors responding to repeated calibration rejections by transmitting a help message to the manned control center, which in turn responds by performing diagnostics to determine a cause for the calibration rejection and then either remedy the cause remotely or dispatch a technician to remedy the cause on site.   
     
     
       19. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 18 , wherein the vehicle detector compute's the vehicle's speed and computes a time-to-trigger range from the vehicle's measured speed and acceleration, said data processing computer disabling the recordation of the composition of the vehicle's exhaust plume when triggering occurs outside the time-to-trigger range. 
     
     
       20. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 18 , wherein the vehicle identification device comprises an automated license plate reader (ALPR) that reads the vehicle's license at an angle of at least 20 degrees and said vehicle detector senses the oncoming vehicle at an angle of at least 20 degrees to maintain a vehicle throughput. 
     
     
       21. The unmanned optical emissions sensor of  claim 18 , wherein one of said source and said receiver is positioned above the other so that the beam traverses the road in a low path in one direction and in a high path in the other direction so that the trigger device will trigger on both high and low ground clearance vehicles. 
     
     
       22. A system for monitoring emissions of moving motor vehicles comprising:
 a plurality of remote emissions sensing devices deployed at a plurality of testing locations, said sensing devices automatically gathering emissions data on a plurality of moving vehicles; and   a central control, said central control connected to each of said plurality of remote emissions sensing devices via a communications channel, said central control receiving emissions data on the plurality of moving vehicles and performing remote diagnostics on said plurality of remote emissions sensing devices.   
     
     
       23. A method of monitoring vehicle emissions comprising:
 gathering emissions data on moving motor vehicles at a plurality of testing locations using a plurality of remote emissions sensing devices;   downloading emissions data gathered by the remote emissions sensing devices to a central control; and   performing remote diagnostic checks of the remote emissions sensing devices from the central control.   
     
     
       24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of performing remote diagnostic checks comprises remotely initiating repeated calibration attempts and analyzing returned data. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of performing remote diagnostic checks comprises remote actuation of a mechanical part of at least one of the remote emission sensing devices. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 25, wherein the mechanical part is a receiver lens cover. 
     
     
       27. A system for monitoring emissions of moving motor vehicles, comprising:
 a first remote emissions sensing device deployed at a first testing location, the first remote emissions sensing device configured to gather emissions data from one or more moving motor vehicles driving past the first testing location;   a second remote emissions sensing device deployed at a second testing location that is located remotely from the first testing location, the second remote emissions sensing device configured to gather emissions data from one or more moving motor vehicles driving past the second testing location; and   a control center, located remotely from the first testing location and the second testing location, the control center in operative communication with the first remote emissions sensing device and the second remote emissions sensing device, and configured to:
 (1) receive gathered emissions data from the first remote emissions sensing device and the second remote emissions sensing device; and 
 (2) perform remote diagnostics on the first remote emissions sensing device and the second remote emissions sensing device. 
   
     
     
       28. A method of monitoring emissions of moving motor vehicles, comprising:
 receiving, at a control center, from a first remote emissions sensing device in operative communication with the control center and located remotely from the control center, emissions data gathered by the first remote emissions sensing device corresponding to one or more moving motor vehicles that drive past the first remote emissions sensing device;   receiving, at the control center, from a second remote emissions sensing device in operative communication with the control center and located remotely from the control center, emissions data gathered by the second remote emissions sensing device corresponding to one or more moving motor vehicles that drive past the second remote emissions sensing device, wherein the second remote emissions sensing device is located remotely from the first remote emissions sensing device; and   performing remote diagnostic checks of the first remote emissions sensing device and the second remote emissions sensing device from the control center.