Enhanced paint for microwave/millimeter wave radiometric detection applications and method of road marker detection
First Claim
1. A system for communicating to a vehicle operator operating a vehicle upon a roadway in a geographic region in which the roadway is exposed to the sky of the presence nearby of a roadway marker strip on said roadway, comprising:
- MMW radiometer means carried by said vehicle for detecting MMW radiometric energy;
said MMW radiometer means including antenna means oriented forwardly and downwardly at a steep angle toward said roadway;
a roadway marker comprising MMW radiometric energy reflecting material, said roadway marker forming a strip adhered to said roadway and essentially flush therewith;
said roadway marker having a MMW radiometric temperature characteristic distinct from and provides detectable MMW radiometric contrast with the MMW radiometric temperature characteristic of said roadway.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Adding a quantity of metallic shot or particles of other materials having a high dielectric constant to the thermoplastic paint in the mixing pot of ordinary roadway marker fixation equipment, which extrudes the paint and applies same to the roadway surface, enhances the MMW radiometric visibility of the marker without adverse effect to the affixation equipment. Vehicles containing MMW radiometers directed down toward the roadway surface moves along the roadway surface is able to automatically sense microwave/millimeter wave energy from a marker in the vehicles path. In one system, the sensed energy is used in conjunction with other apparatus to assist to guide the vehicle within a traffic lane. In another system, the sensed energy is decoded and displayed as pertinent information for the vehicle'"'"'s driver.
26 Citations
2 Claims
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1. A system for communicating to a vehicle operator operating a vehicle upon a roadway in a geographic region in which the roadway is exposed to the sky of the presence nearby of a roadway marker strip on said roadway, comprising:
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MMW radiometer means carried by said vehicle for detecting MMW radiometric energy; said MMW radiometer means including antenna means oriented forwardly and downwardly at a steep angle toward said roadway; a roadway marker comprising MMW radiometric energy reflecting material, said roadway marker forming a strip adhered to said roadway and essentially flush therewith; said roadway marker having a MMW radiometric temperature characteristic distinct from and provides detectable MMW radiometric contrast with the MMW radiometric temperature characteristic of said roadway.
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2. A roadway marker system comprising a roadway marker on a roadway surface;
- and a MMW radiometric detector carried by a vehicle for providing MMW radiometric detection of said roadway marker, said MMW radiometric detector including means for sensing MMW radiometric energy emissions and reflections from a small area of roadway surface below said vehicle, said roadway having a first MMW radiometric temperature characteristic and said roadway marker having a second MMW radiometric temperature characteristic distinct from said first MMW radiometric temperature characteristic.
Specification