Technologies for communicating roadway information

• US 9,976,265 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2016
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Moran, Michael T., Baron, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US15/277,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20170183832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 340905, 340907, 340908, 3409081
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/30 Arrangements interacting with transmitters or receivers otherwise than by visible means, e.g. using radar reflectors or radio transmitters E01F11/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/40 Arrangements responsive to adverse atmospheric conditions, e.g. to signal icy roads or to automatically illuminate in fog; Arrangements characterised by heating or drying means
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/553 Low discrete bodies, e.g. marking blocks, studs or flexible vehicle-striking members
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/559 illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0116 from roadside infrastructure, e.g. beacons
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0141 for traffic information dissemination
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0145 for active traffic flow control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/015 with provision for distinguishing between two or more types of vehicles, e.g. between motor-cars and cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/02 using treadles built into the road pads or other sensitive devices responsive to passage of vehicles E01F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/08 according to detected number or speed of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/087 Override of traffic control, e.g. by signal transmitted by an emergency vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

Technologies for communicating roadway information includes a plurality of roadway markers configured to propagate communications amongst each other. To do so, each roadway marker is configured to transmit communications to one or more other roadway markers. The communications may include sensor data generated by a sensor of a roadway marker. One or more roadway markers may transmit the sensor data to a roadway controller. Additionally or alternatively, the communication may include an alert message. A roadway marker may include a local alert device and be configured to activate the alert device in response to receiving an alert message. Additionally, one or more roadway markers may communicate with a roadway controller, a roadway traffic device, and/or an in-vehicle computing system of a vehicle to propagate roadway marker sensor data and/or alert messages. The roadway controller may be configured to control the roadway traffic devices, roadway makers, and/or communicate with remote computing devices.

Claims

1. A roadway marker for marking a roadway, the roadway marker comprising:

a communication circuit to receive a communication from a first roadway marker; and

a control circuit to control the communication circuit to obtain sensor data indicative of the presence of a first vehicle, determine, from the obtained sensor data, whether the first vehicle has drifted out of a first lane associated with a first direction of travel to a second lane that is associated with a second direction of travel that is opposite the first direction, transmit, in response to a determination that the first vehicle has drifted out of the first lane to the second lane, the sensor data to an in-vehicle computing system of a second vehicle that is in the second lane, and propagate the communication to other roadway markers, wherein to propagate the communication comprises to transmit the communication to a second roadway marker.

2. The roadway marker of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further to control the communication circuit to transmit the communication to a roadway marker controller.

3. The roadway marker of claim 1, wherein:

the communication comprises a control message, and

the control circuit is further to control the communication circuit to transmit the control message to a roadway traffic device to control the operation of the roadway traffic device.

4. The roadway marker of claim 1, further comprising an alert device,

wherein the control circuit is further to (i) determine whether the communication is an alert message and (ii) activate, in response to a determination that the communication is an alert message, the alert device based on the alert message.

5. The roadway marker of claim 1,

wherein the control circuit is further to control the communication circuit to transmit the sensor data to the first roadway marker or the second roadway marker.

6. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions that cause, in response to execution, a first roadway marker to:

receive a communication transmitted by a second roadway marker attached to a roadway;

obtain sensor data indicative of the presence of a first vehicle, determine, from the obtained sensor data, whether the first vehicle has drifted out of a first lane associated with a first direction of travel to a second lane that is associated with a second direction of travel that is opposite the first direction;

transmit, in response to a determination that the first vehicle has drifted out of the first lane to the second lane, the sensor data to an in-vehicle computing system of a second vehicle that is in the second lane; and

propagate the communication to other roadway markers, wherein to propagate the communication comprises to transmit the communication to a third roadway marker attached to a roadway.

7. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the first roadway marker to transmit the communication to a roadway traffic device of the roadway, wherein the communication comprises a control message to control the operation of the roadway traffic device.

8. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the first roadway marker to:

determine whether the communication is an alert message; and

activate an alert device of the first roadway marker in response to determining that the communication is an alert message.

9. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the first roadway marker to:

transmit the sensor data to the second roadway marker or the third roadway marker.

10. A method for marking a roadway, the method comprising:

receiving, by a first roadway marker attached to a roadway, a communication transmitted by a second roadway marker attached to the roadway;

obtaining, by the first roadway marker, sensor data indicative of the presence of a first vehicle, determine, from the obtained sensor data, whether the first vehicle has drifted out of a first lane associated with a first direction of travel to a second lane that is associated with a second direction of travel that is opposite the first direction;

transmitting, by the first roadway marker and in response to a determination that the first vehicle has drifted out of the first lane to the second lane, the sensor data to an in-vehicle computing system of a second vehicle that is in the second lane; and

propagating the communication to other roadway markers by transmitting, by the first roadway marker, the communication to a third roadway marker attached to a roadway.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting, by the first roadway marker, the communication to a roadway traffic device of the roadway, wherein the communication comprises a control message to control the operation of the roadway traffic device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, by the first roadway marker, whether the communication is an alert message; and

activating an alert device of the first roadway marker in response to determining that the communication is an alert message.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first roadway marker, the sensor data to the second roadway marker or the third roadway marker.

14. A roadway controller for controlling a roadway, the roadway controller comprising:

a communication module to receive sensor data from a plurality of roadway markers attached to a roadway; and

a roadway management module to analyze the received sensor data, determine whether a driver is unresponsive to an alert based on the sensor data, generate, in response to a determination that the driver is unresponsive to the alert, a control message to stop cross traffic, and transmit the control message to a roadway traffic device.

15. The roadway controller of claim 14, wherein the sensor data is indicative of (i) a condition of the roadway, (ii) a local environment of the roadway marker, or (iii) the presence of a vehicle on the roadway.

16. The roadway controller of claim 14, wherein the roadway management module is further to generate an alert message based on the sensor data and transmit the alert message to one of the roadway markers to cause the roadway marker to generate the alert.

17. The roadway controller of claim 14, wherein the roadway management module is to (i) generate a notification message based on the sensor data and (ii) transmit the notification message to a remote computing device.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions that cause, in response to execution, a roadway controller to:

receive sensor data from a plurality of roadway markers attached to a roadway;

analyze the sensor data;

determine whether a driver is unresponsive to an alert based on the sensor data;

generate, in response to a determination that the driver is unresponsive to the alert, a control message to stop cross traffic; and

transmit the control message to a roadway traffic device.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein to receive sensor data comprises to receive sensor data indicative of (i) a condition of the roadway, (ii) a local environment of the roadway marker, or (iii) a presence of a vehicle on the roadway.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the roadway controller to:

generate an alert message based on the sensor data; and

transmit the alert message to one of the roadway markers to cause the roadway marker to generate the alert.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein receiving sensor data comprises receiving sensor data indicative of (i) a condition of the roadway, (ii) a local environment of the roadway marker, or (iii) a presence of a vehicle on the roadway.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

generating, by the roadway management module, an alert message based on the sensor data; and

transmitting the alert message to one of the roadway markers to cause the roadway marker to generate the alert.

21. A method for controlling a roadway by a roadway controller, the method comprising:

receiving, by a communication module of the roadway controller, sensor data from a plurality of roadway markers attached to a roadway;

analyzing, by a roadway management module of the roadway controller, the sensor data;

determining, by the roadway management module of the roadway controller, whether a driver is unresponsive to an alert based on the sensor data;

generating, by the roadway management module and in response to a determination that the driver is unresponsive to the alert, a control message to stop cross traffic; and

transmitting, by a communication module of the roadway controller, the control message to a roadway traffic.