Roadway mark data acquisition and analysis apparatus, systems, and methods
First Claim
1. A system for determining characteristics of a roadway mark or portion thereof at a remote location, comprising:
- a vehicle having at least one GPS-calibrated, downwardly directed imager for automatically producing roadway image data containing at least one actual roadway mark or portion thereof evident on a roadway surface;
a GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle;
a GPS receiver responsive to the GPS antenna for determining a GPS location of the GPS antenna;
an apparatus responsive to the imager and the GPS receiver for filtering the roadway image data and producing GPS-referenced filtered image data; and
an apparatus responsive to the GPS-referenced filtered image data for compressing the GPS-referenced filtered image data; and
an apparatus for communicating the GPS-referenced filtered and compressed image data to the remote location for analyzing the roadway mark or portion thereof characteristics from the GPS-referenced filtered and compressed image data.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus, system, and method for determining characteristics of a roadway mark at a remote location. The system includes a vehicle having at least one imager for producing image data containing at least one actual roadway mark evident on a roadway surface. A GPS antenna is mounted on the vehicle. A GPS receiver is responsive to the GPS antenna for determining a GPS location of the GPS antenna. An apparatus responsive to the imager and the GPS receiver determines a GPS location of the roadway mark and filters and compresses the image data, the filtered and compressed image data containing the image data of the roadway mark. An apparatus communicates the filtered and compressed image data to the remote location for analyzing the roadway mark characteristics from the image data.
86 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A system for determining characteristics of a roadway mark or portion thereof at a remote location, comprising:
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a vehicle having at least one GPS-calibrated, downwardly directed imager for automatically producing roadway image data containing at least one actual roadway mark or portion thereof evident on a roadway surface; a GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle; a GPS receiver responsive to the GPS antenna for determining a GPS location of the GPS antenna; an apparatus responsive to the imager and the GPS receiver for filtering the roadway image data and producing GPS-referenced filtered image data; and an apparatus responsive to the GPS-referenced filtered image data for compressing the GPS-referenced filtered image data; and an apparatus for communicating the GPS-referenced filtered and compressed image data to the remote location for analyzing the roadway mark or portion thereof characteristics from the GPS-referenced filtered and compressed image data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29)
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11. A system for determining characteristics of a roadway mark at a remote location, comprising:
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a vehicle having at least one imager for producing image data containing at least one actual roadway mark evident on a roadway surface, wherein the at least one imager comprises a first imager and a second imager, the first imager mounted on the vehicle and aligned to image the at least one roadway mark substantially parallel to, and to the left of, a direction of travel of the vehicle, and the second imager mounted on the vehicle and aligned to image the at least one roadway mark substantially parallel to, and to the right of, the direction of travel of the vehicle; a GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle; a GPS receiver responsive to the GPS antenna for determining a GPS location of the GPS antenna; an apparatus responsive to the imager and the GPS receiver for determining a UPS location of the roadway mark and filtering and compressing the image data, the filtered and compressed image data containing the image data of the roadway mark; and an apparatus for communicating the filtered and compressed image data to the remote location for analyzing the roadway mark characteristics from the image data.
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12. A system for determining characteristics of a roadway mark at a remote location, comprising:
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a vehicle having at least one imager for producing image data containing at least one actual roadway mark evident on a roadway surface; a mount for affixing the at least one imager to the vehicle comprising; (a) an adjustable mount for positioning the at least one imager to image at least one roadway mark and including at least one fixably adjustable axis of rotation substantially parallel to the roadway surface, and (b) at least one magnetic clamp affixed to the adjustable mount for removably affixing the adjustable mount to the vehicle; a GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle; a GPS receiver responsive to the UPS antenna for determining a GPS location of the GPS antenna; an apparatus responsive to the imager and the UPS receiver for determining a GPS location of the roadway mark and filtering and compressing the image data, the filtered and compressed image data containing the image data of the roadway mark; and an apparatus for communicating the filtered and compressed image data to the remote location for analyzing the roadway mark characteristics from the image data.
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13. A method for determining characteristics of a roadway mark or portion thereof at a remote location, comprising:
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producing roadway image data containing an actual roadway mark or portion thereof evident on a roadway surface automatically from a GPS-calibrated, downwardly directed imager mounted on a moving vehicle; producing GPS-referenced filtered image data; compressing the GPS-referenced filtered image data; and communicating the GPS-referenced filtered and compressed image data to the remote location for analyzing the characteristics of the roadway mark or portion thereof from the GPS-referenced filtered and compressed image data. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 30)
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21. A system for determining characteristics of a roadway mark or portion thereof at a remote location, comprising:
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a vehicle having at least one GPS-calibrated, downwardly directed imager for automatically producing, either directly or indirectly, GPS-referenced image data containing at least one actual roadway mark or portion thereof evident on a roadway surface; a GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle; a GPS receiver responsive to the GPS antenna for determining a GPS location of the GPS antenna; an apparatus responsive to the imager and the GPS receiver for producing GPS-referenced filtered and compressed image data, the GPS-referenced filtered and compressed image data containing the image data of the roadway mark or portion thereof; and an apparatus for communicating the GPS-referenced filtered and compressed image data to the remote location for analyzing the roadway mark or portion thereof characteristics from the GPS-referenced filtered and compressed image data.
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22. A system for determining characteristics of a roadway mark or portion thereof at a remote location, comprising:
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a vehicle having at least one downwardly directed imager for automatically producing image data containing at least one actual roadway mark or portion thereof evident on a roadway; a GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle; a GPS receiver responsive to the GPS antenna for determining a GPS location of the GPS antenna; an apparatus responsive to the GPS receiver and imager for (a) producing GPS-referenced image data of the at least one roadway mark or portion thereof, and (b) filtering and compressing the GPS-referenced image data of the at least one roadway mark or portion thereof; and an apparatus for communicating the filtered and compressed GPS-referenced image data to the remote location for analyzing the roadway mark or portion thereof characteristics from the GPS-referenced filtered and compressed image data. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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28. A system for determining characteristics of a roadway mark or portion thereof at a remote location, comprising:
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a vehicle having at least one imager for producing image data containing at least one actual roadway mark or portion thereof evident on a roadway surface; an adjustable mount for affixing the at least one imager to the vehicle and for positioning the at least one imager to image the at least one roadway mark or portion thereof, the mount including at least one fixably adjustable axis of rotation substantially parallel to the roadway surface; a GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle; a GPS receiver responsive to the GPS antenna for determining a GPS location of the GPS antenna; an apparatus responsive to the imager and the GPS receiver for (a) producing GPS-referenced image data of the at least one roadway mark or portion thereof, and (b) filtering and compressing the UPS-referenced image data of the at least one roadway mark or portion thereof; and an apparatus for communicating the GPS-referenced filtered and compressed image data to the remote location for analyzing the roadway mark or portion thereof characteristics from the GPS-referenced filtered and compressed image data. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification