Sign to vehicle identification system

• US 10,586,446 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2019
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Janovec, Jeffrey D., Smith, Kenneth L., Duoos, Michael R., Ballen, Todd A., Potts, Travis L., Howard, James, Dahlin, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Heinle, Courtney D
• Application Number:
  US16/442,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20190304303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/22 by selection of a specific region containing or referencing a pattern; Locating or processing of specific regions to guide the detection or recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/2247 Characters composed of bars, e.g. CMC-7
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/00 Non-electrical signal transmission systems, e.g. optical systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• 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 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1141 One-way transmission

Abstract

Disclosed is an identification system to improve safety on roads and allow for the driver or for the vehicle itself, if it is autonomous or semi-autonomous, to have readable and useful information about road signs, roadways, and adjacent roadway information. The disclosed identification system comprises a marker with marker communication information that can be read by a vehicle information system to provide information to the vehicle. Information that the marker communication information may convey would allow the vehicle information system to detect or recognize, or both detect and recognize critical road sign, roadway information, and adjacent roadway information. Then, the vehicle information system could respond to the information received from the marker communication information.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a receiver device configured to receive marker information from a marker, wherein the marker is positioned at a location of a roadway; and

a processor configured to;

determine positional information related to at least one of a position of a vehicle or the location of the marker at the roadway;

generate output information based on at least one of the marker information or the positional information related to at least one of a position of a vehicle or the location of the marker at the roadway;

send, to a remote computing device, the output information that is based on the marker information and the positional information related to at least one of the position of the vehicle or the location of the marker at the roadway;

receive additional information relating to the output information; and

in response to determining that the marker information is relevant to the vehicle, perform at least one operation that corresponds to a function of the vehicle based at least in part on the additional information that relates to the output information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the output information comprises at least one of:

visual information to be provided to a driver of a vehicle;

audio information to be provided to the driver of the vehicle;

control of a function of the vehicle;

sign communication information that is readable to a user;

a distance to the sign;

a uniform resource locator (URL);

an Internet Protocol (IP) address code;

or information received from an internet-based information storage system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the marker is attached to a roadway sign.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the marker is separate from a roadway sign and positioned to precede the roadway sign, relative to a direction that the vehicle is moving.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the marker information comprises at least one of machine-readable text, a graphic, an indicia, a pattern, a shape, a retroreflective property, or a code.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the marker further comprises at least one of an active communication device comprising an energy source or a passive communication device without an energy source.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the marker is configured to emit a signal comprising the marker information, and wherein the signal comprises at least one of a light-based signal, an audio signal, or an electronic signal.

8. A computing device comprising:

a memory; and

one or more computer processors configured to;

receive, from a receiver device, marker information from a marker, wherein the marker is positioned at a location of a roadway;

determine positional information related to at least one of a position of a vehicle or the location of the marker at the roadway;

generate output information based on at least one of the marker information or the positional information related to at least one of a position of a vehicle or the location of the marker at the roadway;

send, to a remote computing device, the output information that is based on the marker information and the positional information related to at least one of the position of the vehicle or the location of the marker at the roadway;

receive additional information relating to the output information; and

in response to determining that the marker information is relevant to the vehicle, perform at least one operation that corresponds to a function of the vehicle based at least in part on the additional information that relates to the output information.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the output information comprises at least one of:

visual information to be provided to a driver of a vehicle;

audio information to be provided to the driver of the vehicle;

control of a function of the vehicle;

sign communication information that is readable to a user;

a distance to the sign;

a uniform resource locator (URL);

an Internet Protocol (IP) address code;

or information received from an internet-based information storage system.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the marker is attached to a roadway sign.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the marker is separate from a roadway sign and positioned to precede the roadway sign, relative to a direction that the vehicle is moving.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the marker information comprises at least one of machine-readable text, a graphic, an indicia, a pattern, a shape, a retroreflective property, or a code.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the marker further comprises at least one of an active communication device comprising an energy source or a passive communication device without an energy source.

14. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the marker is configured to emit a signal comprising the marker information, and wherein the signal comprises at least one of a light-based signal, an audio signal, or an electronic signal.

15. A marker constructed of physical material and configured to be positioned at a location of a roadway, the marker comprising:

marker information configured in the marker;

position information configured in the marking information; and

wherein the marker is configured to provide a signal comprising the marker information that causes a computing device of a vehicle to determine positional information related to at least one of a position of a vehicle or the location of the marker at the roadway;

generate output information based on the marker information and the positional information related to at least one of a position of a vehicle or the location of the marker at the roadway;

send, to a remote computing device, the output information that is based on the marker information and the positional information related to at least one of the position of the vehicle or the location of the marker at the roadway;

receive additional information relating to the output information; and

in response to determining that the marker information is relevant to the vehicle, perform at least one operation that corresponds to a function of the vehicle based at least in part on the additional information that relates to the output information.

16. The marker of claim 15, wherein the output information comprises at least one of:

visual information to be provided to a driver of a vehicle;

audio information to be provided to the driver of the vehicle;

control of a function of the vehicle;

sign communication information that is readable to a user;

a distance to the sign;

a uniform resource locator (URL);

an Internet Protocol (IP) address code;

or information received from an internet-based information storage system.

17. The marker of claim 15, wherein the marker is attached to a roadway sign.

18. The marker of claim 15, wherein the marker information comprises at least one of machine-readable text, a graphic, an indicia, a pattern, a shape, a retroreflective property, or a code.

19. The marker of claim 15, wherein the marker is configured to emit a signal comprising the marker information, and wherein the signal comprises at least one of a light-based signal, an audio signal, or an electronic signal.