ASSET ASSESSMENT SYSTEM

• US 20120320204A1
• Filed: 06/20/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Dahlin, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US13/164,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20120320204A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence

Abstract

An asset assessment system that gathers information about a plurality of assets located at various geographical locations.

Claims

1. An asset assessment system, comprising:

a plurality of assets located at various geographical locations;

a geographical information system database for providing information relating to geographical locations of the plurality of assets;

an on-board global positioning system device;

a camera;

a pointing controller, wherein the camera is attached to the pointing controller; and

a computer, wherein the computer receives information from the geographical information system database and the global positioning system device to direct the pointing controller where to point the camera.

2. The asset assessment system of claim 1, wherein the camera pointed at a selected asset from the plurality of assets records at least one image of the selected asset.

3. The asset assessment system of claim 1, further comprising a retroreflectivity measurement apparatus.

4. The asset assessment system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of assets include roadway signs or roadway structures.

5. The asset assessment system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface to allow a user to read information and input information about the assets.

6. The asset assessment system of claim 1, wherein the system collects assessment information about the asset, and wherein the assessment information includes inventory, maintenance, or incidental sign evaluation information.

7. The asset assessment system of claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) reader with a steerable antenna, wherein each asset includes a radio frequency-responsive element, and wherein the computer steers the RFID antenna in the direction of a selected asset from the plurality of assets to read information from the radio frequency-responsive element of the selected asset.

8. The asset assessment system of claim 1, further comprising a database for storing all information gathered by the asset assessment system relating to the plurality of assets.

9. The asset assessment system of claim 1, wherein the computer calculates the optimized location of the vehicle for the camera to take a image of a selected asset, and communicates directions to a driver of the vehicle to that optimized position.

10. An asset assessment system, comprising:

a plurality of assets located at various geographical locations;

a geographical information system database for providing information relating to geographical locations of said plurality of assets;

an on-board global positioning system device;

a plurality of cameras directed at different positions; and

a computer, wherein the computer receives information from the geographical information system database and the global positioning system device and selects a camera from the plurality of cameras.

11. The asset assessment system of claim 10, wherein the camera pointed at a selected asset records at least one image of the selected asset from the plurality of assets.

12. The asset assessment system of claim 10, further comprising a retroreflectivity measurement apparatus.

13. The asset assessment system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of assets include roadway signs or roadway structures.

14. The asset assessment system of claim 10, further comprising a user interface to allow a user to read information, and input information about the assets.

15. The asset assessment system of claim 10, wherein the system collects assessment information about the asset, and wherein the assessment information includes inventory, maintenance, or incidental sign evaluation information.

16. The asset assessment system of claim 10, further comprising a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) reader with a steerable RFID antenna, wherein each asset includes a radio frequency-responsive element, and wherein the computer steers the RFID antenna in the direction of a selected asset from the plurality of assets to read information from the radio frequency-responsive element of the selected asset.

17. The asset assessment system of claim 10, further comprising a database for storing all information gathered by the asset assessment system relating to the plurality of assets.

18. The asset assessment system of claim 10, wherein the computer calculates the optimized location of the vehicle for the camera to take an image of a selected asset, and communicates directions to that optimized position.

19. An asset assessment system, comprising:

a plurality of assets located at various geographical locations, wherein each asset includes a radio frequency-responsive element;

a geographical information system database for providing information relating to geographical locations of said plurality of assets and the individual radio frequency-responsive element information for each asset;

an on-board global positioning system device;

a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) reader with a steerable RFID antenna; and

a computer, wherein the computer receives information from the geographical information system database and the global positioning system device and steers the RFID antenna in the direction of a selected asset from the plurality of assets to read information from the radio frequency-responsive element of the selected asset.

20. The asset assessment system of claim 19, wherein a selected radio frequency-responsive element has an antenna characteristic information, and the antenna characteristic is included in the geographical information system database.

21. The asset assessment system of claim 19, wherein the steerable antenna is optimized to read the selected radio frequency-responsive element based on its antenna characteristic information.

22. The asset assessment system of claim 19, further comprising a pointing controller and a camera attached to the second pointing controller;

and wherein the computer directs the pointing controller where to point the camera.

23. The asset assessment system of claim 19, wherein the camera pointed at a selected asset records at least one image of the selected asset.

24. The asset assessment system of claim 19, further comprising a retroreflectivity measurement apparatus.

25. The asset assessment system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of assets include roadway signs or roadway structures.

26. The asset assessment system of claim 19, further comprising a user interface to allow a user to read information.

27. The asset assessment system of claim 19, wherein the system collects assessment information about the asset, and wherein the assessment information includes inventory, maintenance, or incidental sign evaluation information.

28. The asset assessment system of claim 19, further comprising a database for storing all information gathered by the asset assessment system relating to the plurality of assets.

29. The asset assessment system of claim 19, wherein the computer calculates the optimized location of the vehicle for the RFID antenna to read the radio frequency-responsive element of a selected asset, and communicates directions to that optimized location.

30. A method of assessing assets, comprising:

providing a geographical information system database for providing information relating a plurality of assets located at various geographical locations and the geographical locations of the plurality of assets;

providing a camera to take an image of a selected asset;

providing a global positioning system device;

positioning the camera based on information about a selected asset from the geographical information system database and from the global positioning system; and

taking an image of the selected asset.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of:

measuring retroreflectivity of the selected asset.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the plurality of assets include roadway signs or roadway structures.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of:

collecting assessment information about the selected asset, wherein the assessment information includes inventory, maintenance, or incidental sign evaluation information.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

providing further a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) reader with a steerable antenna, wherein each asset includes a radio frequency-responsive element;

steering the RFID antenna in the direction of a selected asset from the plurality of assets to read information from the radio frequency-responsive element of the selected asset.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of:

calculating the optimized location of the vehicle for the camera to take an image of a selected asset; and

communicating directions to a driver of the vehicle to that optimized location.