Camera washing system

• US 9,313,379 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (State of Illinois)
• Original Assignee: Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (State of Illinois)
• Inventors: Catolico, Michael, Manaois, Arthur C., Wayne, Michael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blan, Nicole
• Application Number:
  US14/026,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20140007909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/12 responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/267 the liquid and the gas being both under pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0006 with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof

Abstract

A roadway monitoring camera cleaning system includes one or more cameras for capturing images through respective viewing surfaces, which are exposed to outdoor environmental conditions. A controller coupled to the cameras receives the images and determines whether a predetermined wash threshold has been met based on any of various indicia of image degradation. Responsive to the wash threshold being met, the controller operates a supply valve to connect a wash fluid source to a conduit, and operates at least one delivery tube valve to connect the supply conduit to at least one delivery tube. Wash fluid is delivered under pressure to the dirty viewing surface as a result. Subsequently, the controller may disconnect the wash fluid source and connect a pressurized source of inert dry gas, in order to dry the viewing surface and to purge the delivery tube of wash fluid.

Claims

1. A roadway monitoring camera cleaning system comprising:

a plurality of roadway monitoring cameras for capturing images, each camera disposed to capture images through a respective viewing surface exposed to outdoor environmental conditions;

a pressurized wash fluid source;

a conduit having an upstream end selectively connected to the wash fluid source through a supply valve and a downstream end connected to a delivery tube manifold;

a plurality of delivery tubes, each delivery tube having a supply end in fluid connection with the manifold via a delivery tube valve and a delivery end disposed to be proximate the viewing surface of a respective camera, the delivery tube valve and the supply valve operable to selectively supply wash fluid to at least one of the delivery tubes, such that the wash fluid exits the delivery end of the delivery tube and impinges on the viewing surface of the camera.

2. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the delivery tube valve is one of a plurality of delivery tube valves each independently actuable to fluidly connect the downstream end of the conduit to the delivery tube manifold.

3. The cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to each of the cameras for determining whether each respective viewing surface has reached a predetermined wash threshold, the controller operating at least one of the delivery tube valves to fluidly connect the supply end of the conduit to at least one delivery tube as a function of whether the wash threshold has been reached.

4. The cleaning system of claim 3, wherein the controller is operable to actuate multiple delivery tube valves at once.

5. The cleaning system of claim 3, wherein the delivery tube valve is one of a plurality of delivery tube valves each operable to connect a respective delivery tube to the manifold, the controller operating the supply valve and at least one of the delivery tube valves to fluidly connect the wash fluid source to at least one delivery tube connected to said at least one delivery tube valve.

6. The cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising a pressurized gas source of dry inert compressed gas, the gas source selectively connected to the supply end of the delivery tube by the supply valve.

7. The cleaning system of claim 6, wherein the dry inert compressed gas source includes a compressed gas dryer for removing water from a compressed gas.

8. The cleaning system of claim 6, wherein the controller operates the delivery tube valve to connect the downstream end of the conduit to at least a selected one of the delivery tubes to the manifold, and operates the supply valves to connect the upstream end of the conduit to the wash fluid source, the controller subsequently operating said supply valve and the delivery tube valve to connect the pressurized gas source to the selected one of the delivery tubes to thereby dry a respective one of the viewing surfaces and to dry the conduit and connected delivery tube.

9. A roadway monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of roadway monitoring cameras for capturing images, each camera disposed to capture the images through a viewing surface exposed to outdoor environmental conditions;

a gantry extending across a roadway, each of the roadway monitoring cameras mounted on the gantry;

a pressurized wash fluid source;

a conduit having an upstream end selectively connected to the wash fluid source through a supply valve and a downstream end connected to a delivery tube manifold;

a plurality of delivery tubes, each delivery tube having an supply end in fluid connection with the manifold via a delivery tube valve and a delivery end disposed to be proximate to the viewing surface of a respective one of the cameras, such that a wash fluid exiting the downstream end of the conduit will impinge on the viewing surface; and

a controller.

10. The monitoring system of claim 9 wherein the gantry extends across at least two lanes of traffic, at least one of the plurality of cameras directed to each of the at least two lanes of traffic.

11. A method for monitoring a roadway comprising the steps of

disposing a plurality of cameras in different positions on a gantry over a roadway, each of the plurality of cameras having a viewing surface;

providing at least one delivery tube for each of the plurality of cameras;

providing a nozzle disposed on a downstream end of each of the delivery tubes, the nozzle being in close proximity to the respective viewing surface;

providing a wash fluid source selectively connected to an upstream end of each of the delivery tubes;

providing a compressed gas source selectively connected to an upstream end of each of the delivery tubes;

using a controller to actuate the flow of a wash fluid from the wash fluid source through the nozzle of the delivery tubes;

responsive to said step of using the controller to actuate the flow of the wash fluid, impinging the wash fluid on the viewing surface;

using the controller to actuate the flow of a compressed gas from the compressed gas source through the nozzle of the delivery tubes; and

responsive to said step of using the controller to actuate the flow of the compressed gas, impinging the gas on the viewing surface.