CA2131189C - Control apparatus for line marking machines - Google Patents

Control apparatus for line marking machines Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CA2131189C
CA2131189C CA002131189A CA2131189A CA2131189C CA 2131189 C CA2131189 C CA 2131189C CA 002131189 A CA002131189 A CA 002131189A CA 2131189 A CA2131189 A CA 2131189A CA 2131189 C CA2131189 C CA 2131189C
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
line
detection means
old
line detection
pattern
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
CA002131189A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2131189A1 (en
Inventor
John Smyrk
Alan Loughron
Dennis Siroky
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Roads Corp
Original Assignee
Roads Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Roads Corp filed Critical Roads Corp
Priority claimed from PCT/AU1993/000091 external-priority patent/WO1993018236A1/en
Publication of CA2131189A1 publication Critical patent/CA2131189A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2131189C publication Critical patent/CA2131189C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Abstract

The present application discloses control apparatus for controlling application of line marking material to refurbish an old line pattern on a pavement surface, said control apparatus comprising a first line detector mounted in use at a forward position whereby a first predetermined width of said pavement surface substantially greater than said old pattern width is transverse scanned with information indicative of said old line pattern viewed by said first line detector being retained over a first predetermined length of said gavement surface in the direction of said old line pattern, a second line detector mounted in use rearwardly of said first line detector, said second line detector in use being arranged to transverse scan a second predetermined width of said pavement surface substantially greater than the width of said old line pattern with information indicative of said old line pattern viewed by said second line detector being retained over a second predetermined length of said pavement surface in the direction of said old line pattern, said first line detector producing a lateral shift control signal indicative of lateral shift of said old line pattern as sensed with said lateral shift control signal being adapted to control lateral movement of line marking material applicator to correctly deposit said line marking material over lines forming said old line pattern, said first line detector further recognising, preferably by a neural network, transition points in said old line pattern and providing signal indicative of said transition points to said second line detector, said second line. detector including a transition detector which receives the signal indicative of transition points from said first line detector and information from the transverse scan of said second line detector and in response thereto provides a control signal to control on/off conditions of said line marking material applicator.

Description

~

:s i o1 WO 93/18136 ~ ~ :' PGT/AU93/00091 .~ ~ ~ :1 The present invention relates generally to apparatus for applying lines of desired configuration onto a roadway or pavement surtace and more particularly to apparatus for controlling application of paint or other line marking materials to accurately repeat previously formed link on the roadway or pavement surface.
Roadway or pavement marking lines (either centre lines or margin lines) inevitably wear out over time and the rehabilitation of these marking lines is a task that must be continually carried out by roadway maintenance organisations.
The length of roadways in many countries including Australia result in a nevi for machinery that can accurately .reform old line markings at relatively high speed so that costs can be minimised. There are in fact many difficulties involved in being able to accurately reform old making tines at high speed and some of these include difficulties with distinguishing the old line itself caused by extraneous road markings such as changes in road surface colouring, shadows.
unusual colouring areas'such as oil or paint splashes, and simply in some cases as a result of extreme wear of the old line. Moreover, changes in pattern configurations also cause difticutties for continuous high speed reforming of old lines.
In prior patent literature these have been disclosed many proposals for mechanising reforming of old pavement lines. Some of these are disclosed in US Patent Nos. 3046854, 3101175, 3286929 and 3298352, all of which would have various problems associated with being able to distinguish old line 'markings, to be able to accurately repeat those old line markings and more particularly, to handle changes in sine patterns. In United States Patent No.
5,054;959 there is disclosed apparatus for distinguishing old line markings on a roadway surtace and in response thereto, correctly positioning paint applicator guns so that paint could be applied comecdy over the old line markings. This apparatus has been used successfully but certain difficulties have arisen in relation to recognition of old line markings including pattern changes in those markings, particularly when operating at high speed.
The objective therefore of the present invention is tv provide improvements in control apparatus for machinery of the type generally disclosed in US Patent No. 5,054,959 to improve recognition of old line markings and particularly changes in pattern formats in tf pose line markings. Preferably it is an objective of the present invention to enable operational speeds to be improved by improved old line and line pattern recognition.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided in control apparatus for controlling application of line marking to refurbish an old line pattern on a pavement surface, said control apparatus including at least one line detection means adapted in use to transverse scan a predetermined width of said pavement surface substantially greater than a width of said old line pattern while being carried forwardly in the direction of :.aid old line pattern, said at least one line detection means including pattern transition detector means taught through a neural network to recognise line pattern changes and in response thereto, control line marking material applicator means to repeat accurately said line pattern changes.
According to a further aspect of thE~ present invention, there is provided control apparatus for controlling application of line marking material to refurbish an old line pattern on a pavement surface said control apparatus comprising a first line detection means adapted to be mounted in use at a forward position whereby a first predetermined width of said pavement surface substantially greater than a width of said old pattern is transverse scanned with information indicative of said old line pattern viewed by said first line detection means being retained over a first predetermined length of said pavement surface in the direction of said old line pattern, a second line detection means adapted to be mounted in use rearwardly of said first line detection means, said second line detection means being in use arranged to transverse scan a second predetermined, width of said pavement surface substantially greater than the width of said old line pattern with information indicative of said old line pattern viewed by said second line detection means being retained over a second predetermined length of said pavement surface in the direction of said old line pattern, said first line detection means further recognising transition points in said old line pattern and providing a signal indicative of said transition points to said .second line detection means, said second line detection means including transition detector means which receives the signal indicative of transition points from said first line detection means and information from the transverse scan of said second line detecaion means and in response thereto provides control signal means to control on/off conditions of said line marking material applicator means.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided control apparatus for controlling application of line marking material to refurbish an old line pattern on a pavement surface said control apparatus comprising a first line detection means adapted to be mounted in use at a forward position whereby a first predetermined width of said pavement surface substantially greater than a width of said old pattern is transverse scanned with information indicative of said old line pattern viewed by said first line detection means being retained over a first predetermined length of said pavement surface in the direction of said old line pattern, a second line detection means adapted to be mounted in use rearwardly of said first line detection means, said second line detection means in use being arranged to transverse scan a second predetermined width of said pavement surface substantially greater than the width of said old line pattern with information indicative of said old line pattern viewed by said second line detection means being retained over a second predetermined length of said pavement surface in the direction of said old line pattern, said first line detection means producing a lateral shift control signal indicative of lateral shift of said old line pattern as sensed with said lateral shift control signal being adapted to control lateral movement of line marking material applicator means to correctly deposit said line marking material over lines forming said old line pattern, said first line detection means further recognising transition points in said old line pattern and providing a signal indicative of said transition points to said second line detection means, said second line detection means including transition detector means which receives the signal indicative of transition points from said first line detection means and information from the transverse scan of said second line detection means and in response thereto WO 93/18236 ~ PCT/AU93/00091 '' ,' ~.' ~~ :~ n ~
f.d provides control signal means to control on/off conditions of said line marking material applicator means.
Preferably the first predetermined length of scanned pavement surface is substantially greater than said second predetermined length. Conveniently said first predetermined length is about five metres in length. The first predetermined width and the second predetermined widths may be equal or they may be different however, they are preferably between about 400 mm and 1.2 metres, conveniently about 500 mm.
The present invention of course includes within its scope apparatus for applying line marking materials to old line patterns including control apparatus as aforesaid carried by a vehicle or the like with line marking material applicator means located rearwardly of the second line detection means. The applicator means may be constructed as described in US Patent No. 5,054,959 or any other suitable means could be used. The line marking material might be liquid paint' including solvent based paints or water based paints, thermally or cold applied plastic strip in one part or two component mix, or any other suitable material for refurbishing old lines.
A preferred embodiment will hereinafter be described with reference to the accompanying schematic diagrams, in which:
Figure 1 represents an information flow diagram in a preferred form of control apparatus according o the present invention;
Figure 2 represents schematically operation of a survey system line detection apparatus forming part of the system illustrated in Figure 1;
Figure 3 represents chematicaily operation of a control system line -detection apparatus forming a further part of the system illustrated in Figure 1, and Figure 4 represents schematically operation of a mechanical system controlled by the control system for correctly actuating the line marking material applicators.
Apparatus according to the present invention may be mounted on or from a suitable vehicle such as a truck or the like capable of carrying quantities of line marking materials to refurbish lines on a desired length of roadway or pavement WO 93/18236 ~ ~~ .~ ~ ,~ ~ ~ ' PGTlAU93/00091 f~sJ~~~'a surtace. The form of mounting may include a forwardiy mounted and extending boom such as in US Patent No. 5,054;959, but other carrying arrangements might also be used. The control apparatus conveniently includes a forwardly located survey system, a mid located control system (relative to vehicle travel/old 5 line pattern direction), both of which are used to control a rearwardly located mechanical system for positioning and controlling application of the line marking malarial. Preferably, visual left and right trajectory guides are provided capable of being viewed by the driver of the vehicle so that the driver may conveniently locate the vehicle during high speed operation so that the old line pattern on the pavement surface passes within a predetermined operational width defined by the survey system.
The survey system includes a fonrvardly (in use) mounted CCD camera which is generally sensitive to the overall pattern of the old line markings in the pavement surface. The CCD camera of the survey systEm is driven from the carrying vehicles transmission (or is otherwise responsive to speed of operation of the carrying vehicle); and acquires a transverse line scan repeatedly over short discrete lengths of road surface; for example, every five mm. The optics and mounting geometry of the CCD camera of the survey system map repeated transverse line scans to approximately half a metre of road surface width. The survey system further includes an image manager that buffers and aggregates the CCD camera pixels into ars array, 13 across (transverse) by 5 in the direction of vehicle travel. Each of these pixels may be about 40 mm wide (giving a transverse scan of 520 mm total) and about 1 metre long (giving a longitudinal scan of about 5 metres total).
The survey system also includes a lateral compensator which compresses a copy of the aforesaid pixel array into an array of 13 across and one (1 j longitudinally. This is achieved by averaging along each column of the five by one metre pixels: The lateral compensator has conveniently been taught, through a neural network; to recognise lateral drift of the road surtace image and to compensate for such lateral 'drift. The signal' from the lateral compensator is applied both to the mechanical system and to the image classifier of the survey system to rotate left/right so that hey are laterally central to their respective pixel _.
.... ,,, .. ,. , ,. . . ..... . ~.
«.~ ~ . . . . . , . . r . .~.. .. . ,~ ,... .
~aaawavrcncrr.rm:r.. . .......;..a.. ....... ..7T.: ~ , . f '.:. < ...~_~:J._ ~.. . ......... .. ..~:~ r .. ..?.. ,:.'a ~~ . ... , . ... . .. . ., , . t ~ : i .. .~ ,s - ... ;c. _ ~.; 6 frames. The image classifier has been taught (through a neural network) to classify transitions from one paint pattern to the next in an old pattern on the roadway surface. Transitions are defined by a state-transition diagram. Any transition detected by the survey system is signalled ahead to the control system so that it knows what kind of transition to look for.
As indicated above, the lateral compensation signal is also passed to the mechanical system which moves the line marking material applicator means left or right to position the line marking material applicator means correctly over the old line (or lines).
At ar~y time, the current track is indicated by a setting manually input by the driver (or operator). This determines which line material applicator (paint supply gun in the case of liquid paint being applied) is in operation for a single paint line (either continuous or intermittent). If a wrong track is detected by the survey system, it issues an override signal which switches off the applicators temporarily 'and connects the tracking by repositioning the carriage carrying the applicators (see far example US Patent No. 5,054;959). Furthermore, the lateral compensator can recognise paint images at~ the extremities of the CCD camera field of view. It will then issue an emergency shut down signal to the applicators (paint guns).
Referring now to Figure 4, the control system comprises a CCD camera, driven from the vehicle transmission (or some other vehicle speed controlled input) and acquires a transverse line scan approximately every 5 mm. The optics and mounting geometry map a transverse line scan to approximately half a metre of road width. The control system includes an image manager that buffers and aggregates'the CC~ pixels into an array 13 across by 10 along the direction of travel. Each pixel in the array may be approximately 40 mm wide giving a total width in the array of 520 mm and 30 mm long giving an approximate length of the array of 300 mm. The incoming lateral compensation signal causes images in the Transition Detector to rotate left/right so that they are laterally central to. their pixel frame. .
The Transition Detector has been taught (through a Neural Network) to recognise the exact point at which a transition occurs between one line pattern WO 93/18236 :s f ~ -~ ~ ~ PCTlAU93/00091 :;. ; J ~ , and the next. The Transition Detector uses not only the buffered image from the CCD camera of the control system, but also the incoming pattern classification from the survey system; to determine what k?~ ~i of signal to send to the line marking material applicators. The applicator sign leis may be:
"P" _ pulse ---- on for 3m and off for 9.5 m which is tile normal line/spacing configuration for intermittent road lines in Australia "O" , open cl~se Figure 4 illustrates schematically the control system for the mechanical system which may be constructed as in US Patent No. 5,054,959. fn the following discussion reference is made to paint guns, however, other forms of applicators could be used dependeng on the nature of the line marking material u~eci. The paint gun actuators are signalled open/closed by the gun control module. It receives signals O, C or P from the control system. "P" (or pulse) results in a timed open-close sequence from the paint gun control module. The paint guns can be shutdown (until manually easel by the driver/operator) with a gun shut down signal from the survey system. This is a fail-safe mechanism to avoid out of range paint application. When a track change over-ride signal is received from the survey system; the paint guns momentarily shut off to allow the gun carriage to take up its correct position: Let~ral control signals cause the gun carriage to move left or right for lateral compensation of the vehicles trajectory.
Bath the gun control module and the carriage control module have control loops t~ effect proper gun actuator movement and carriage position.

Claims (7)

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. In control apparatus for controlling application of line marking to refurbish an old line pattern on a pavement surface, said control apparatus including at least one line detection means adapted in use to transverse scan a predetermined width of said pavement surface substantially greater than a width of said old line pattern while being carried forwardly in the direction of said old line pattern, said at least one line detection means including pattern transition detector means taught through a neura network to recognise line pattern changes and in response thereto, control line marking material applicator means to repeat accurately said line pattern changes.
2. In control apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said at least one line detection means comprises first and second line detection means, said first line detection means adapted to be mounted in use at a forward position whereby a first predetermined width of said pavement surface substantially greater than said old pattern width is transverse scanned with information indicative of said old line pattern viewed by said first line detection means being retained over a first predetermined length of said pavement surface in the direction of said old line pattern, said second line detection means being mounted in use rearwardly of said first line detection means, said second line detection means being in use arranged to transverse scan a second predetermined width of said pavement surface substantially greater than the width of said old line pattern with information indicative of said old line pattern viewed by said second line detection means being retained over a second predetermined length of said pavement surface in the direction of said old line pattern, said first line detection means further recognising transition points in said old line pattern and providing a signal indicative of said transition points to said second line detection means, said second line detection means including transition detector means which receives the signal indicative of transition points from said first line detection means and information from the transverse scan of said second line detection means and in response thereto provides control signal means to control on/off conditions of said line marking material applicator means.
3. Control apparatus for controlling application of line marking material to refurbish an old line pattern on a pavement surface, said control apparatus comprising a first line detection means adapted to be mounted in use at a forward position whereby a first predetermined width of said pavement surface substantially greater than a width of said old pattern is transverse scanned with information indicative of said old line pattern viewed by said first line detection means being retained over a first predetermined length of said pavement surface in the direction of said old line pattern, a second line detection means adapted to be mounted in use rearwardly of said first line detection means, said second line detection means being in use arranged to transverse scan a second predetermined width of said pavement surface substantially greater than the width of said old line pattern with information indicative of said old line pattern viewed by said second line detection means being retained over a second predetermined length of said pavement surface in the direction of said old line pattern, said first line detection means further recognising transition points in said old line pattern and providing a signal indicative of said transition points to said second line detection means, said second line detection means including transition detector means which receives the signal indicative of transition points from said first line detection means and information from the transverse scan of said second line detection means and in response thereto provides control signal means to control on/off conditions of said line marking material applicator means.
4. Control apparatus for controlling application of line marking material to refurbish an old line pattern on a pavement surface, said control apparatus comprising a first line detection means adapted to be mounted in use at a forward position whereby a first predetermined width of said pavement surface substantially greater than a width of said old pattern is transverse scanned with information indicative of said old line pattern viewed by said first line detection means being retained over a first predetermined length of said pavement surface in the direction of said old line pattern, a second line detection means adapted to be mounted in use rearwardly of said first line detection means, said second line detection means in use being arranged to transverse scan a second predetermined width of said pavement surface substantially greater than the width of said old line pattern with information indicative of said old line pattern viewed by said second line detection means being retained over a second predetermined length of said pavement surface in the direction of said old line pattern, said first fine detection means producing a lateral shift control signal indicative of lateral shift of said old line pattern as sensed with said lateral shift control signal being adapted to control lateral movement of line marking material applicator means to correctly deposit said line marking material over lines forming said old line pattern said first line detection means further recognising transition points in said old line pattern and providing a signal indicative of said transition points to said second line detection means, said second line detection means including transition detector means which receives the signal indicative of transition points from said first line detection means and information from the transverse scan of said second line detection means and in response thereto provides control signal means to control on/off conditions of said line marking material applicator means.
5. Control apparatus according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein said first predetermined length of scanned pavement surface is substantially greater than said second predetermined length.
6. Control apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein said first predetermined length is about five metres:
7. Control apparatus according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein said first and said second predetermined widths are between 400 mm and 1200 mm.
CA002131189A 1992-03-06 1993-03-04 Control apparatus for line marking machines Expired - Fee Related CA2131189C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AUPL123792 1992-03-06
AUPL1237 1992-03-06
PCT/AU1993/000091 WO1993018236A1 (en) 1992-03-06 1993-03-04 Control apparatus for line marking machines

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2131189A1 CA2131189A1 (en) 1993-09-16
CA2131189C true CA2131189C (en) 2005-12-13

Family

ID=35517553

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002131189A Expired - Fee Related CA2131189C (en) 1992-03-06 1993-03-04 Control apparatus for line marking machines

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2131189C (en)

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA2131189A1 (en) 1993-09-16

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP0632858B1 (en) Control apparatus for line marking machines
DE102016123731B4 (en) Robot for printing images on floor surfaces
EP3587667B1 (en) Road finisher with projector as navigation aid
EP1019267B1 (en) Method and device for determining the light conditions in front of a vehicle
CA1079106A (en) Highway premarking guidance system
EP0620318B1 (en) Automatic steering device for asphalt finisher
CA1219484A (en) Line marking apparatus
EP1222441B1 (en) Camera system for vehicles
US10301783B2 (en) Roadway maintenance striping control system
CN109085823A (en) The inexpensive automatic tracking running method of view-based access control model under a kind of garden scene
EP0869031A2 (en) Device for controlling the light beam and/or the lighting direction
CA2131189C (en) Control apparatus for line marking machines
US20160160452A1 (en) Method For Controlling A Construction Machine, Control System For A Construction Machine, And Construction Machine
AU679674B2 (en) Control apparatus for line marking machines
KR102409259B1 (en) Lane Guide Device for Lane-Painted Vehicles
EA033671B1 (en) Automatic horizontal road marking repetition device
WO1990012922A1 (en) A device for painting a line marking on a roadway
US20220405516A1 (en) Birds eye view camera for an asphalt paver
WO1992019811A1 (en) A vehicle for the measuring and marking of points and/or lines on a road
DE102023202671B3 (en) Vehicle comprising a position determining device and method for determining the position of a vehicle
DE69831656T2 (en) Automatic coating device
IT9004845A1 (en) AUTOMATED TRACKING DEVICE OF LONGITUDINAL LINES OF HORIZONTAL SIGNAGE ON ROADS.
KR20050033981A (en) Traffic lane painting automation system
JPH04310108A (en) Obstacle evasion controller for automously traveling vehicle

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
MKLA Lapsed