TRAVEL INFORMATION SENSING AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20150187212A1
• Filed: 03/16/2015
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,652,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

Method for conveying driving conditions includes determining when a vehicle is within a set distance from an activatable sensor using a proximity sensor coupled thereto. Only when the proximity sensor determines that the vehicle is within the set distance from the activatable sensor, the activatable sensor is activated (from a deactivated state) to measure or detect a property or condition of the travel surface or the environment around the travel surface that affects interaction between tires of the vehicle and the travel surface using a measuring or detecting component, and communicate the sensor-generated information directly from the activatable sensor to the vehicle or occupant thereof. Energy is provided to the activatable sensor from an energy harvesting system associated with the activatable sensor to enable it to measure or detect the property or condition of the travel surface or the environment around the travel surface.

Claims

1. A method for conveying driving conditions, comprising:

determining when a vehicle is within a set distance from an activatable sensor using a proximity sensor coupled to the activatable sensor, the activatable sensor being configured to generate information, when activated, about a travel surface of the vehicle or an environment around the travel surface that affects interaction between tires of the vehicle and the travel surface;

only when the proximity sensor determines that the vehicle is within the set distance from the activatable sensor, activating the activatable sensor to

measure or detect a property or condition of the travel surface or the environment around the travel surface that affects interaction between tires of the vehicle and the travel surface using a measuring or detecting component that is part of the activatable sensor; and

communicate the sensor-generated information directly from the activatable sensor to the vehicle determined to be within the set distance from the activatable sensor or occupant thereof; and

providing energy to the activatable sensor from an energy harvesting system included in or connected to the activatable sensor and that generates energy and provides the generated energy to the measuring or detecting component to enable it to measure or detect the property or condition of the travel surface or the environment around the travel surface;

whereby the sensor-generated information is not communicated from the activatable sensor until the activatable sensor is activated by the proximity sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of activating the activatable sensor to communicate the sensor-generated information directly from the activatable sensor to the vehicle or occupant thereof comprises providing a visual indication from a stationary mounting structure at a location proximate the activatable sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of activating the activatable sensor to communicate the sensor-generated information directly from the activatable sensor to the vehicle or occupant thereof comprises providing an audio indication from a stationary mounting structure at a location proximate the activatable sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is configured to sense thermal emissions from the vehicle or sound of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor comprises a camera or other optical sensor that obtains images, the step of determining when the vehicle is within the set distance from the activatable sensor using the proximity sensor coupled to the activatable sensor comprising analyzing the images to assess a distance between the activatable sensor and the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor comprises a radar or laser radar (lidar) sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication of the sensor-generating information from the activatable sensor is wireless transmission of a signal, and the activatable sensor is configured to wirelessly transmit the signal directly to the vehicle or occupant thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the activatable sensor is a RFID type sensor configured to return information directly to the vehicle or occupant thereof in the form of a modulated RF signal such that the communication from the activatable sensor is wireless transmission of the modulated RF signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the activatable sensor is configured to generate information about travel conditions relating to the travel surface or external objects on or in the vicinity of the travel surface that potentially affect travel on the travel surface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the activatable sensor is configured to communicate directly to the vehicle or occupant thereof, an identification code indicative of its position with the sensor-generated information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the property or condition of the travel surface or the environment around the travel surface that affects interaction between tires of the vehicle and the travel surface being measured or detected by the activatable sensor is friction of the travel surface, atmospheric pressure, atmospheric temperature, temperature of the travel surface, moisture content of the travel surface or humidity of the atmosphere.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the activatable sensor is configured to communicate directly to the vehicle or occupant thereof, an identification of the activatable sensor with the sensor-generated information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the activatable sensor is located in a stationary mounting structure in a vicinity of the travel surface and apart from the travel surface.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the activatable sensor is embedded in the travel surface.

15. A method for conveying driving conditions, comprising:

determining when a vehicle is within a set distance from one of a plurality of physically spaced apart, activatable sensor using a respective proximity sensor coupled to each of the activatable sensors, each of the activatable sensors being configured to generate information, when activated, about a travel surface of the vehicle or an environment around the travel surface that affects interaction between tires of the vehicle and the travel surface;

only when the proximity sensor determines that the vehicle is within the set distance from one of the activatable sensors, activating that sensor to

measure or detect a property or condition of the travel surface or the environment around the travel surface that affects interaction between tires of the vehicle and the travel surface using a measuring or detecting component that is part of the activatable sensor; and

communicate the sensor-generated information directly from the activatable sensor to the vehicle determined to be within the set distance from the activatable sensor or occupant thereof; and

providing energy to each of the activatable sensors from a respective energy harvesting system included in or connected to the activatable sensor and that generates energy and provides the generated energy to the measuring or detecting component to enable it to measure or detect the property or condition of the travel surface or the environment around the travel surface;

whereby the sensor-generated information is not communicated from each of the activatable sensors until that activatable sensor is activated by the respective proximity sensor.

16. A method for conveying driving conditions, comprising:

arranging a plurality of physically spaced apart, activatable sensors in a position in which each activatable sensor is able to generate information, when activated, about a travel surface for vehicles or an environment around the travel surface that affects interaction between tires of the vehicles and the travel surface;

coupling a proximity sensor to each of the activatable sensors;

configuring each of the proximity sensors to determine when a vehicle is within a set distance from a respective one of the activatable sensors coupled to that proximity sensor;

only when one of the proximity sensors determines that the vehicle is within the set distance from the respective one of the activatable sensors, causing the activatable sensor to be activated to

measure or detect a property or condition of the travel surface or the environment around the travel surface that affects interaction between tires of the vehicle and the travel surface using a measuring or detecting component that is part of the activatable sensor; and

communicate the sensor-generated information directly from the activatable sensor to the vehicle determined to be within the set distance from the activatable sensor or occupant thereof; and

coupling each of the activatable sensors to a respective energy harvesting system included in or connected to the activatable sensor and that generates energy and provides the generated energy to the measuring or detecting component to enable it to measure or detect the property or condition of the travel surface or the environment around the travel surface;

whereby the sensor-generated information is not communicated from each of the activatable sensors until the sensor is activated by the respective one of the proximity sensors.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of causing the activatable sensor to be activated to communicate the sensor-generated information directly from the activatable sensor to the vehicle or occupant thereof comprises causing a visual or audio indication to be provided from a stationary mounting structure at a location proximate the activatable sensor.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the proximity sensors comprises a camera or other optical sensor that obtains images, the step of determining when the vehicle is within the set distance from one of the activatable sensors comprising analyzing the images from each of the proximity sensors to assess a distance between the activatable sensor coupled to that proximity sensor and the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of arranging the activatable sensors comprises positioning at least one of the sensors in a stationary mounting structure in a vicinity of the travel surface and apart from the travel surface.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of arranging the activatable sensors comprises embedding at least one of the sensors in the travel surface.