Counting system for a plurality of locations

Claim 2

An improved system for indicating the direction of passage of an object past a location having first and second presence sensors arranged so that a passing object causes said sensors to produce respective signals in an overlapping sequence, said system comprising: a. first and second input terminals for receiving signals from first and second sensors respectively; b. first and second gates having inputs connected to said first and second input terminals respectively and having outputs; c. means interconnecting said first and second gates so that each gate, when passing sensor signals, prevents the other gate from passing sensor signals; d. third and fourth gates having first inputs connected to said outputs of said first and second gates respectively, having second inputs connected to said first and second input terminals respectively, and having outputs at which signals are produced in response to the respective one of said first and second gates being closed and in response to the presence of a sensor signal at the respective second inputs; e. and fifth and sixth gates having inputs connected to said outputs of said third and fourth gates respectively, having further inputs for receiving trigger signals, and having outputs at which count signals are produced in response to signals from said third and fourth gate outputs respectively and during a trigger signal.

Claim 3

The improved system of claim 1 , and further comprising lock-out means connected between said third gate output and an input to said fifth gate and between said fourth gate output and an input to said sixth gate respectively for preventing production of further count signals in response to a respective signal from said outputs of said third and fourth gates and until termination of the first sensor signal of a sequence.

Claim 4

The improved system of claim 1, and further comprising an up-down counter connected to said fifth and sixth gate outputs.

Claim 5

The improved system of claim 1, and further comprising lock-out means connected between said third gate output and an input to said fifth gate and between said fourth gate output and an input to said sixth gate respectively for preventing production of further count signals in response to a respective signal from said outputs of said third and fourth gates and until termination of the first sensor signal of a sequence; and an up-down counter connected to said fifth and sixth gate outputs.

Claim 6

An improved arrangement for counting people getting on and off buses and the like at a plurality of locations, said arrangement comprising: a. a source of repetitive pulses; b. means connected to said source for supplying an individual pulse from said source in a repetitive sequence at each of a plurality of outputs; And, at each of said locations at which people get on and off, said arrangement further comprising: c. first and second spaced scanners, each of which produces a signal in response to the presence of a person at the scanner; d. first and second gates, each having first and second inputs and an output; e. means connecting said first inputs of said first and second gates to said first and second scanners respectively; f. means connecting said outpuT of said first gate to said second input of said second gate and said output of said second gate to said second input of said first gate so that when one of said gates is open, it causes the other of said gates to be closed; g. third and fourth gates each having first and second inputs and an output; h. means connecting said first inputs of said third and fourth gates to said outputs of said first and second gates respectively so that when either of said first and second gates is closed, it causes said third and fourth gates respectively to be open; i. means connecting said second inputs of said third and fourth gates to said first and second sensors respectively for producing count signals at their respective outputs in response to both the gate being open and a scanner signal; j. fifth and sixth gates, each having first, second, and third inputs and an output; k. means connecting said first inputs of said fifth and sixth gates to said outputs of said third and fourth gates respectively; l. means connecting said second inputs of said fifth and sixth gates to one of said pulse source outputs; m. and first and second lockout means connected between said third and fourth gate outputs and said third inputs of said fifth and sixth gates respectively, said lockout means being connected to said one pulse source for closing said fifth and sixth gates in response to a pulse from said one pulse source output and a count signal at the respective third and fourth gates, and for opening said fifth and sixth gates in response to the termination of the earlier of said scanner signals in a sequence followed by the presence of a subsequent pulse from said one pulse source output.

Claim 7

An improved arrangement for counting people getting on and off buses and the like at a plurality of locations, said arrangement comprising: a. a source of repetitive pulses; b. means connected to said source for supplying an individual pulse from said source in a repetitive sequence at each of a plurality of outputs; And, at each of said locations at which people get on and off, said arrangement further comprising: c. first and second spaced scanners, each of which produces a signal in response to the presence of a person at the scanner; d. first and second gates, each having first and second inputs and an output; e. means connecting said first inputs of said first and second gates to said first and second scanners respectively; f. means connecting said outpuT of said first gate to said second input of said second gate and said output of said second gate to said second input of said first gate so that when one of said gates is open, it causes the other of said gates to be closed; g. third and fourth gates each having first and second inputs and an output; h. means connecting said first inputs of said third and fourth gates to said outputs of said first and second gates respectively so that when either of said first and second gates is closed, it causes said third and fourth gates respectively to be open; i. means connecting said second inputs of said third and fourth gates to said first and second sensors respectively for producing count signals at their respective outputs in response to both the gate being open and a scanner signal; j. fifth and sixth gates, each having first, second, and third inputs and an output; k. means connecting said first inputs of said fifth and sixth gates to said outputs of said third and fourth gates respectively; l. means connecting said second inputs of said fifth and sixth gates to one of said pulse source outputs; m. and first and second lockout means connected between said third and fourth gate outputs and said third inputs of said fifth and sixth gates respectively, said lockout means being connected to said one pulse source for closing said fifth and sixth gates in response to a pulse from said one pulse source output and a count signal at the respective third and fourth gates, and for opening said fifth and sixth gates in response to the termination of the earlier of said scanner signals in a sequence followed by the presence of a subsequent pulse from said one pulse source output.

Claim 8

The improved arrangement of claim 5 wherein, at each of said locations, said first and second scanners are spaced so that said scanner signals are produced simultaneously for at least a part of their respective durations in response to a person passing by said scanners.