Wear leveling for road life optimization

• US 8,818,670 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lynar, Timothy M., Steer, Kent C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): MELTON, TODD M
• Application Number:
  US13/540,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20140012432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0058 responsive to externally generated signalling
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/042 using inductive or magnetic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

There are provided methods and systems for road wear leveling. A method includes determining a location of a velocity change point based on wear leveling information for a road segment including the location. The method further includes communicating the location of the velocity change point to a vehicle.

Claims

1. A road wear leveling method, comprising:

determining, using a velocity change point determining unit or a receiving device, a location of a velocity change point based on wear leveling information for a road segment including the location; and

communicating, using at least one of one or more external location indicating devices and one or more internal location indicating devices with respect to the vehicle, the location of the velocity change point to a vehicle,

wherein the method is performed for a fixed and single traversal path with respect to the road segment.

2. The road wear leveling method of claim 1, further comprising controlling, selectively using an enforcement system, one or more vehicle functions in accordance with the location of the velocity change point.

3. The road wear leveling method of claim 2, wherein the one or more vehicle functions comprise vehicle braking.

4. The road wear leveling method of claim 1, wherein the location of the velocity change point is determined so as to maximize an interval between two repairs.

5. The road wear leveling method of claim 4, wherein the time to repair the road segment is maximized by minimizing a difference between maximally and minimally worn regions of the road segment.

6. The road wear leveling method of claim 1, wherein said communicating step comprises arranging one or more road signs or lights to indicate at least a starting point for implementing a velocity change.

7. The road wear leveling method of claim 6, wherein an arrangement of the one or more road signs or lights is configured so as to maximize an interval between two repairs.

8. The road wear leveling method of claim 6, wherein the one or more road signs comprise at least one of non-electronic road signs and electronic road signs.

9. The road wear leveling method of claim 1, wherein said communicating step comprises providing an in-vehicle indication of the location of the velocity change point.

10. The road wear leveling method of claim 1, wherein said determining step uses induction loop data from induction loops embedded in the road segment.

11. The road wear leveling method of claim 1, wherein said determining step uses normative road wear profiles relating to expected wear condition for the road segment.

12. The road wear leveling method of claim 1, wherein said determining step uses at least one of vehicle passage information, road maintenance information, and road profile measurements.

13. A road wear leveling system for performing a road wear leveling method, the system comprising:

a velocity change point determining unit for determining a location of a velocity change point based on wear leveling information for a road segment including the location; and

a communication system for communicating the location of the velocity change point to a driver of the vehicle,

wherein the method is performed for a fixed and single traversal path with respect to the road segment.

14. The road wear leveling system of claim 13, wherein the velocity change point determining unit and the communication system are located externally with respect to the vehicle.

15. The road wear leveling system of claim 14, wherein the communication system comprises one or more road signs or lights arranged to indicate at least a starting point for implementing a velocity change.

16. The road wear leveling system of claim 15, wherein an arrangement of the one or more road signs or lights is configured so as to maximize an interval between two repairs.

17. The road wear leveling system of claim 15, wherein the one or more road signs comprise at least one of non-electronic road signs and electronic road signs.

18. The road wear leveling system of claim 15, wherein the one or more road lights comprise one or more light emitting diodes embedded in the road segment.

19. The road wear leveling system of claim 14, wherein the communication system comprises a heads up display.

20. The road wear leveling system of claim 13, wherein the velocity change point determining unit and the communication system are located within the vehicle.

21. The road wear leveling system of claim 20, further comprising an in-vehicle enforcement system connected to one or more vehicle systems for implementing a velocity change at the determined location.

22. The road wear leveling system of claim 21, further comprising an override system configured to allow a driver to override the enforcement system.

23. A road wear leveling method, comprising:

receiving, using a receiving device, at least one of vehicle passage information, road maintenance information, road profile measurements, induction loop data from induction loops embedded in the road segment, and normative road wear profiles relating to expected wear condition for the road segment;

determining, using a velocity change point determining unit, a location of a velocity change point based on wear leveling information for a road segment including the location, the wear leveling information determined responsive to said receiving step;

controlling, selectively using an enforcement system, one or more vehicle functions in accordance with the location of the velocity change point,

wherein the method is performed for a fixed and single traversal path with respect to the road segment.

24. A road wear leveling method of claim 23, further comprising communicating, using at least one of one or more external location indicating devices and one or more internal location indicating devices with respect to the vehicle, the location of the velocity change point to a driver of the vehicle.

25. A road wear leveling system for performing a road wear leveling method, the system comprising:

a receiving device for receiving at least one of vehicle passage information, road maintenance information, road profile measurements, induction loop data from induction loops embedded in the road segment, and normative road wear profiles relating to expected wear condition for the road segment;

a velocity change point determining unit for determining a location of a velocity change point based on wear leveling information for a road segment including the location, the wear leveling information determined responsive to an output of said receiving device; and

an in-vehicle enforcement system connected to one or more vehicle systems for implementing a velocity change at the determined location,

wherein the method is performed for a fixed and single traversal path with respect to the road segment.