Patent ID: 7107144

Claim:
A traffic monitoring system comprising a non-intrusive lane monitor, said lane monitor comprising first and second laser channels, a user interface, and a programmable controller in communication with said first and second laser channels and said user interface, wherein: said first laser channel comprises a first laser source and a first laser receiver; said first laser source is configured to generate a first pulsed laser signal along a first laser axis; said first laser receiver is configured to detect individual reflected laser pulses from said first pulsed laser signal; said second laser channel comprises a second laser source and a second laser receiver; said second laser source is configured to generate a second pulsed laser signal along a second laser axis; said second laser receiver is configured to detect individual reflected laser pulses from said second pulsed laser signal; said first laser axis is substantially parallel to said second laser axis; said first and second laser axes lie substantially in a common horizontal plane; said first laser axis is offset from said second laser axis in said common horizontal plane by a laser channel offset distance x; and said programmable controller is configured to: generate reflected laser pulse count corresponding to reflection of a pulsed laser signal from a target positioned along one of said laser axes, and identify said reflected signal as a valid or invalid target by comparing said pulse count to a predetermined valid target count.