Traffic sensing and monitoring apparatus

1. Traffic sensing and monitoring apparatus comprising a length l of optical fibre, a light source arranged to introduce a series of pulse pairs into an input end of the length, each of the pulse pairs comprising first and second pulses of radiation having a frequency difference Ω and the second pulse being delayed with respect to the first by a delay τ, and the apparatus further comprising a photodetector arranged to detect radiation which is Rayleigh-backscattered within the length of fibre towards the input end and to generate an output signal in response thereto said apparatus further comprising an interrogation system arranged to obtain a set of signal samples by sampling the photodetector's output signal and to process the signal samples to generate an output signal corresponding to the frequency or phase of a signal composed of said samples, wherein sets of signal samples are obtained by sampling the photodetector output signal at times t 0 −Δt, t 0 and t 0 +Δt after the first pulse of each pulse pair enters the length l of optical fibre and to process the set having samples corresponding to the largest signal with a frequency of approximately Ω.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the light source arranged to introduce a series of pulse pairs into the length of optical fibre is arranged to operate at a rate less than or equal to v/2l, preferably substantially v/2l, where v is the speed of the pulses in the length of optical fibre.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein vτ/2 substantially corresponds to the length of a unit of traffic to be sensed and monitored.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the interrogation system is arranged to change the set which is processed from a first set to a second set when the samples of the second set correspond to a signal exceeding a signal to which samples of the first set correspond by at least a pre-determined amount.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the interrogation system is arranged such that when the set which is processed is changed from a first set to a second set, both sets are processed for a period to generate first and second output signals, the interrogation system being further arranged to evaluate the difference between the second and the first output signals and to apply a corresponding offset to the second output signal to reduce any discontinuity between the first and second output signals.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein Δt≦τ/10.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 where the length of optical fibre is a length of polarisation-maintaining fibre and the light source arranged to introduce the series of pulse pairs into the input end of the length of optical fibre is arranged to launch polarised pulse pairs into said length of fibre such that radiation individual pulses is polarised along a principal axis of the length of fibre.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the light source arranged to introduce a series of pulse pairs into an input end of the length of optical fibre comprises an optical modulator arranged to receive a laser's output and to output pulsed radiation to first and second acousto-optic modulators (AOMs) arranged to output, respectively, a first pulse of radiation of frequency ω 1 and a second pulse of radiation of frequency ω 2 , wherein ω 1 −ω 2 =Ω, wherein each AOM receives a portion of each pulse output by the modulator and wherein each AOM is arranged to increase the extinction ratio of a pulse input to it outside a time window which includes the pulse.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the modulator is an integrated optical modulator or a semiconductor optical amplifier.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein Ω is in the range 40 kHz≦Ω≦40 MHz.

11. A method of sensing and monitoring traffic, the method comprising the steps of

(i) providing a length of optical fibre on or below a surface for carrying vehicles such that the weight of a vehicle using the surface may act on said length;

(ii) introducing a series of pulse pairs into an input end of the length, each of the pulse pairs comprising first and second pulses of radiation having a frequency difference Ω and the second pulse being delayed with respect to the first by a delay τ;

(iii) detecting radiation which is Rayleigh-backscattered within the length of fibre towards the input end to generate an output signal in response thereto;

(iv) sampling he photodetector's output signal at times t 0 −Δt, t 0 and t 0 +Δt after the first pulse of each pulse pair enters the length l of optical fibre to generate respective sets of samples;

(v) processing samples obtained in step (iv) to generate an output signal corresponding to the frequency or phase of a signal composed of said samples; and

(vi) processing the set having samples corresponding to the largest signal with a frequency of approximately Ω.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein pulse pairs are introduced into said length of optical fibre at a rate less than or equal to v/2l, preferably substantially v/2l, where v is the speed of the pulses in the length of optical fibre.

13. A method according to claim 11 wherein vτ/2 substantially corresponds to the length of a unit of traffic to be sensed and monitored.

14. A method according to claim 11 wherein Δt≦τ/10.