Device for evaluating the state of wetting of a surface, evaluation method and associated indication device

• US 8,269,968 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2007
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique, Universite de Poitiers
• Original Assignee: Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique, Universite de Poitiers
• Inventors: Brochard, Jacques, Khoudeir, Majdi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Sang
• Application Number:
  US12/307,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,905 Days
• Field of Search: 356364-369, 250/225
• US Class Current: 356/369
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/21 Polarisation-affecting properties G01N21/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/55 Specular reflectivity
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

A device (2) for evaluating the state of wetting of a surface (8) includes an emitter (4) emitting a beam (F, F1, F2) which is incident in the direction of the surface (8) and a single element (12) for receiving the beam reflected by the surface (8). The device includes: A polarization (10, 13, 14) including a first polarization zone (13) and a second polarization zone (14) designed to polarize a first part (F1) and a second part (F2) of the beam in a first and a second polarization direction; and a evaluation element (28) for calculating a polarization ratio between the polarizations of the first part of the reflected beam and the second part of the reflected beam to evaluate the state of wetting of the surface (8). Also described is an evaluation process and an associated indicator device.

Claims

1. A device for evaluating a state of wetting of a surface, the device comprising:

at least one emitter able to emit at least one light beam which is incident in a direction of a surface, the surface being able to at least partly reflect the beam;

a single means for receiving the beam reflected by the surface;

means for polarisation comprising at least one first polarisation zone and one second polarisation zone capable of polarising a first part and a second part of the beam in a first polarisation direction and a second polarisation direction respectively, the first part and the second part of the beam having a first wavelength and a second wavelength respectively, the second wavelength being different from the first wavelength, and the means for polarisation being located between the emitter and the surface under analysis;

means for recombining the first part and the second part of the polarized beam in the first polarisation direction and the second polarisation direction respectively in only one beam, the means for recombination being located between the emitter and the surface; and

means for calculation capable of calculating a polarisation ratio between the polarisations of the first part of the reflected beam and the second part of the reflected beam in order to evaluate the state of wetting of the surface.

2. The evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the first polarisation zone is capable of polarising only the first part of the beam and the second polarisation zone is capable of polarising only the second part of the beam.

3. The evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the first polarisation direction is substantially perpendicular to the second polarisation direction.

4. The evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein a means for receiving comprise means for creating an image in colour, the image comprising pixels of a first colour capable of being excited by the first part of the beam and pixels of a second colour capable of being excited by the second part of the beam, and a polarisation ratio is calculated from a mean of grey levels of the pixels of the first colour and a mean of grey levels of the pixels of the second colour.

8. A device for indicating a state of wetting of a road for a motor vehicle travelling on that road, the vehicle incorporating means for emission/receiving, comprising:

means for control comprising;

means for connection to the vehicle'"'"'s emission/receiving means to transmit a request for characterisation of a road type to a remote server and to receive the type,

a mapping defining polarisation threshold values, of primary wetting density thresholds and secondary wetting density thresholds on a basis of different road types,

means for selecting at least one of the said values from the mapping according to the road type received by the means for emission/receiving, and

means for transmitting the selected value or each selected value to an evaluation device;

the device for evaluating the state of wetting according to claim 1, the device including a predetermined polarisation threshold a predetermined primary wetting density threshold and a predetermined secondary wetting density threshold, the device being capable of receiving the value or each value selected by the means for control, and of modifying

a predetermined value or each predetermined value by the value or each value received.

5. A method for evaluating a state of wetting of a surface capable of reflecting at least a part of an incident light beam, comprising:

emitting at least one incident beam in a direction of the surface by an emitter,

polarising at least a first part and a second part of the beam in a first polarisation direction and a second polarisation direction by at least a first polarisation zone and a second polarisation zone respectively, the first part and the second part of the beam having a first wavelength and a second wavelength respectively, the second wavelength being different from the first wavelength, with means for polarisation being located between the emitter and the surface;

recombining the first part and the second part of the polarized beam in the first polarisation direction and the second polarisation direction respectively in only one beam, a means for recombining being located between the emitter and the surface;

receiving the first part and the second part of the beam polarised by the receiving means; and

evaluating the state of wetting of the surface by calculating a polarisation ratio between the polarisation of the first part of the reflected by beam and the second part of the reflected beam by means for calculation.

6. The method of evaluation according to claim 5, wherein the receiving stage comprises a stage of creating an image representing the first part and the second part of the polarised beam, and the evaluation stage comprises the following stages:

determining a wetting density of the surface by calculating a degree of saturation of the image;

comparing the wetting density with at least one predetermined primary wetting density threshold;

if the wetting density is below the primary wetting density threshold, comparing the polarisation ratio with a predetermined polarisation threshold; and

classifying the surface as a dry surface when a polarisation coefficient is above the polarisation threshold and as a wet surface when the polarisation coefficient is below the polarisation threshold

7. The method of evaluation according to claim 6, wherein the evaluation stage further comprises the following stages:

if the wetting density is above the primary wetting density threshold, comparing the wetting density with at least one secondary wetting density threshold; and

classifying the surface as a slightly wetted surface when the wetting density is below the secondary wetting density threshold and as a heavily wetted surface when the wetting density is above the secondary wetting density threshold.

9. A device for evaluating a state of wetting of a surface, the device comprising:

at least one emitter able to emit at least one light beam which is incident in a direction of a surface, the surface being able to at least partly reflect the beam;

a single receiver configured to receive the beam reflected by the surface;

a polariser comprising at least one first polarisation zone and one second polarisation zone capable of polarising a first part and a second part of the beam in a first polarisation direction and a second polarisation direction respectively, the first part and the second part of the beam having a first wavelength and a second wavelength respectively, the second wavelength being different from the first wavelength, and the polariser being located between the emitter and the surface under analysis;

a recombiner of the first part and the second part of the polarized beam in the first polarisation direction and the second polarisation direction respectively in only one beam, the recombiner being located between the emitter and the surface; and

a calculator configured for calculating a polarisation ratio between the polarisations of the first part of the reflected beam and the second part of the reflected beam in order to evaluate the state of wetting of the surface.

10. The evaluation device according to claim 9, wherein the first polarisation zone is capable of polarising only the first part of the beam and the second polarisation zone is capable of polarising only the second part of the beam.

11. The evaluation device according to claim 9, wherein the first polarisation direction is substantially perpendicular to the second polarisation direction.

12. The evaluation device according to claim 9, wherein a receiver is configured for creating an image in colour, the image comprising pixels of a first colour capable of being excited by the first part of the beam and pixels of a second colour capable of being excited by the second part of the beam, and a polarisation ratio is calculated from a mean of grey levels of the pixels of the first colour and a mean of grey levels of the pixels of the second colour.