APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR ROADWAY MONITORING

• US 20150235555A1
• Filed: 04/30/2015
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Claudel, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,472,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0104 Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0133 for classifying traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096811 where the route is computed offboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096844 where the complete route is dynamically recomputed based on new data

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for monitoring traffic and roadway water conditions. Traffic flow and roadway flooding is monitored concurrently through a wireless sensor network. The apparatus and system comprises ultrasound rangefinders monitoring traffic flow, flood water conditions, or both. Routing information may be calculated from the traffic conditions, such that routes are calculated to avoid roadways that are impassable or are slow due to traffic conditions.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. An apparatus to monitor traffic and roadway water conditions, the apparatus comprising:

a communication module configured to send and receive information wirelessly;

a sensor;

a traffic monitoring module configured to receive traffic information from the sensor; and

a roadway water monitoring module configured to receive roadway water information from the sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sensor is an ultrasound transducer.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sensor is a remote infrared temperature sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises an ultrasound transducer and a remote infrared temperature sensor.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the traffic monitoring module is further configured to determine the traffic conditions from the received traffic information.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the determined traffic conditions are heavy traffic, medium traffic, light traffic and no traffic.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the determined traffic condition is estimated vehicle flow and/or estimated vehicle speed.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the water monitoring module is further configured to determine the presence of water from the received roadway water information.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the roadway water monitoring module is configured to determine the presence of precipitation.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the roadway water monitoring module is configured to determine the depth of the water.

21. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the received traffic information comprises information selected from the group consisting of number of cars, time between passing cars, and speed of passing cars.

22. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a microcontroller comprises the traffic monitoring module and the roadway water monitoring module.

23. A system to monitor traffic and roadway water conditions, the system comprising:

an ultrasound sensor comprising a wireless communication device and an ultrasound transducer wherein the ultrasound transducer is configured to monitor traffic and roadway water conditions; and

a central computer configured to receive roadway condition information from the ultrasound sensor.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a plurality of ultrasound sensors configured to communicate with neighboring ultrasound sensors.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising a CPU configured to determine the traffic conditions and the roadway water conditions at the ultrasound sensor.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the ultrasound senor comprises the CPU.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the central computer comprises the CPU.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the central computer is configured to determine the roadway conditions at each of the plurality of ultrasound sensors from the received roadway condition information.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the central computer is configured to map the roadway conditions at each of the plurality of ultrasound sensors from the received roadway condition information.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the determined roadway conditions indicate if a road is passable.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the central computer is configured to further receive routing location information comprising a start location and an end location and to determine a route from the start location to the end location that avoids impassable roads.

32-36. -36. (canceled)