APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING THE LOCATION OF A ROADWAY MARK OR PORTION THEREOF NOT MEETING STANDARDS

• US 20150127223A1
• Filed: 01/12/2015
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LimnTech LLC
• Original Assignee: LimnTech LLC
• Inventors: Dolinar, Douglas D., Haller, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,230,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/00 Arrangements for holding or mounting articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/004 outside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0087 around two axes
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/01 Devices or auxiliary means for setting-out or checking the configuration of new surfacing, e.g. templates, screed or reference line supports form rails E01C19/50; Applications of apparatus for measuring, indicating, or recording the surface configuration of existing surfacing, e.g. profilographs E01C23/07 takes precedence; measuring roughness or irregularity in general G01B
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/163 for marking-out the location of the markings; Guiding or steering devices for marking apparatus, e.g. sights
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/18 with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2014 around a vertical axis F16M11/2035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2028 for rolling, i.e. for creating a landscape-portrait rotation
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 repositionable
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for determining the geographical location of a roadway mark or portion thereof not meeting roadway mark standards data. The system includes a GPS antenna; a GPS receiver responsive to the GPS antenna for determining the geographical location of the GPS antenna; and a system responsive to the GPS receiver. The system (a) determines the GPS geographical location of the roadway mark or portion thereof, (b) determines characteristic data of the roadway mark or portion thereof, (c) inputs roadway mark standards data, (d) compares the roadway characteristic data with the roadway mark standards data, and (e) determines the geographical location of the roadway mark or portion thereof based upon the comparison of the roadway characteristic and standards data.

Claims

1. A roadway mark inspection system comprising:

a GPS antenna;

a GPS receiver responsive to the GPS antenna for determining the geographical location of the GPS antenna;

a calibrated imager synchronously responsive to the GPS receiver and downwardly focused to image a roadway mark or portion thereof evident on a roadway surface; and

a computer responsive to the imager and GPS receiver for (a) determining the GPS geographical location of the roadway mark or portion thereof, (b) determining characteristic data of the roadway mark or portion thereof from the imaged roadway mark, (c) comparing the roadway mark characteristic data with roadway mark standards data, and (d) determining the geographical location of the roadway mark or portion thereof based upon the comparison between the roadway mark characteristic and standards data.

2. A roadway mark inspection apparatus for determining the geographical location of a roadway mark or portion thereof not meeting roadway mark standards data, the apparatus comprising:

a GPS antenna;

a GPS receiver responsive to the GPS antenna for determining the geographical location of the GPS antenna; and

a system responsive to the GPS receiver for (a) determining the GPS geographical location of the roadway mark or portion thereof, (b) determining characteristic data of the roadway mark or portion thereof, (c) inputting roadway mark standards data, (d) comparing the roadway characteristic data with the roadway mark standards data, and (e) determining the geographical location of the roadway mark or portion thereof based upon the comparison of the roadway characteristic and standards data.

3. The roadway mark inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus selectively remarks roadway marks not meeting roadway mark standards data, the apparatus further comprising a roadway mark marker responsive to the system for selectively remarking those roadway marks identified by the geographical location of the roadway mark or portion thereof based upon the comparison of the roadway characteristic and standards data.

4. The roadway mark inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the GPS antenna, adapted to receive GPS radio wave signals originating from a GPS satellite system or a GPS-pseudolite array, is connected to the GPS receiver which decodes the GPS signals for determining the GPS location of the GPS antenna.

5. The roadway mark inspection apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a calibrated imager synchronously responsive to the GPS receiver and downwardly focused to image the roadway mark or portion thereof evident on a roadway surface, wherein the system is responsive to both the imager and the GPS receiver.

6. The roadway mark inspection apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising a vehicle carrying the imager, the imager automatically producing roadway image data containing at least one actual roadway mark or portion thereof evident on the roadway surface, and the GPS antenna.

7. The roadway mark inspection apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a speed detector.

8. The roadway mark inspection apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a vehicle navigation and control system controlling the direction, speed, and acceleration of the vehicle along a predetermined path.

9. The roadway mark inspection apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a filter processing the roadway image data and producing GPS-referenced filtered image data and a compressor responsive to the GPS-referenced filtered image data for compressing the GPS-referenced filtered image data.

10. The roadway mark inspection apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising an adjustable mount for affixing the imager to the vehicle and for positioning the imager to image the roadway mark or portion thereof, the mount including at least one fixably adjustable axis of rotation substantially parallel to the roadway surface.

11. The roadway mark inspection apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a second imager, the imager aligned to image a roadway mark substantially parallel to, and to the left of, a direction of travel of the vehicle, and the second imager carried by the vehicle and aligned to image a roadway mark substantially parallel to, and to the right of, the direction of travel of the vehicle.

12. A method for determining the geographical location of a roadway mark or portion thereof not meeting roadway mark standards data, the method comprising:

(a) determining the geographical location of a GPS antenna;

(b) determining the GPS geographical location of a roadway mark or portion thereof;

(c) determining characteristic data of the roadway mark or portion thereof;

(d) inputting roadway mark standards data;

(e) comparing the roadway characteristic data with the roadway mark standards data; and

(f) determining the geographical location of the roadway mark or portion thereof based upon the comparison of the roadway characteristic and standards data.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising selectively remarking roadway marks not meeting roadway mark standards data.

14. The method according to claim 12 further comprising receiving GPS radio wave signals originating from a GPS satellite system or a GPS-pseudolite array, and decoding the GPS signals for determining the GPS location of the GPS antenna.

15. The method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of providing a calibrated imager and a GPS receiver, the imager synchronously responsive to the GPS receiver and downwardly focused to image the roadway mark or portion thereof evident on a roadway surface.

16. The method according to claim 15 further comprising positioning the imager to image the roadway mark or portion thereof.

17. The method according to claim 15 further comprising the step of providing a vehicle carrying the imager, the imager automatically producing roadway image data containing at least one actual roadway mark or portion thereof evident on the roadway surface, and the GPS antenna.

18. The method according to claim 17 further comprising controlling the direction, speed, and acceleration of the vehicle along a predetermined path.

19. The method according to claim 17 further comprising filtering the roadway image data to produce GPS-referenced filtered image data, and compressing the GPS-referenced filtered image data.

20. The method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of providing a vehicle carrying first and second imagers, the first imager aligned to image a roadway mark substantially parallel to, and to the left of, a direction of travel of the vehicle, and the second imager aligned to image a roadway mark substantially parallel to, and to the right of, the direction of travel of the vehicle.