DE3643470A1 - Method and device for determining the geometrical profile of roadway surfaces - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and device for determining the geometrical profile of roadway surfaces. In accordance with the invention, the roadway surface is scanned in a contactless fashion by means of a plurality of electron-optical height sensors attached to the vehicle, and thus the changes in height of the surface of the roadway are determined. At the same time, a length sensor, likewise operating in an electron-optical fashion, is used to scan the roadway in a contactless fashion in the longitudinal direction, resulting in a precise measurement of the vehicle speed and of the measurement section. The scanning pulses of all the sensors are continuously recorded and/or stored and conditioned to be ready for retrieval. The electronic systems for this are located in the vehicle interior. The vehicle suspension is restricted to prescribed damping paths as a function of speed. It is possible for the first time by using the invention to determine the geometrical roadway profiles in a reproducible manner with high faithfulness at relatively high road speeds in moving traffic.

Description

The invention relates to a method for determining the geometric profile of roadways, in which attached to a vehicle, several sensors moved across the road surface and the rashes be measured and / or recorded.

The invention further relates to a device for Determining the geometric profile of road surfaces, where there are several on one vehicle sensors attached to surface structure and can be moved over the road and at Recording, possibly recording devices provided are that receive the scanning pulses from the sensors and / or record, especially to perform of the method according to the invention.

The determination of the profile of a road surface is of considerable importance for numerous concerns road construction, traffic planning, etc.

So far, however, there is no easy way and quickly multi-lane and at the same time reproducible road-delivering results Surface detection. There are namely push rollers or -wheels pulled by towing vehicles across the road and used as a scanner. Even the highest quality Electronics cannot do this authentic results from the scanning signals deliver. The scanning rollers have a small one Diameter, so they can be smaller Perceive deepening, at least theoretically, however would have to drive at an extremely low rolling speed be because of high speeds for the occurrence of the Lead gyro effect and scanning deflections change. Moreover  can be as small as surface holes in a road are interesting for the acquisition, no samples at all role to be trained and at the same time be operationally stable and robust. Scanning wheels larger Diameter are also subject to the gyroscopic effect. You can because of their larger radius of curvature Wheel circumference, which is equal to half the wheel diameter, in roadway depressions or holes, the edges of which lie closer together than the radius of curvature corresponds, not or only z. Immerse T., where it is impossible from the resulting deflection the actual profile of the roadway hole arithmetically to determine.

In addition, all mechanical scanner rods, Have guides, bearings, etc. that have a mass or a Weight and as a result both the mass and are subject to the respective form inertia, on the other hand additional kinetic energy pick up and drop off. A constant Surface contact is even at the slightest Not maintaining scan speeds, d. that is, the mechanical scanners jump despite high Damping effort; this appearance also falsified the scanning result.

Mechanical scanning elements are also subject also wear as their rollers or wheels Rolled edge, which is accompanied by changes in diameter, which in turn changes the scanning result caused.

The summation of such more diverse, more random Falsification of the scanning results is an essential one Factor which is the cause for the fact that the Lane recordings of mechanical systems are not are reproducible.  

Finally, it must be taken into account that the mechanical recording of a roadway profile from the described, system-related reasons only with extreme slow speed can be made. Consequently, it is impossible to take such shots without Road closure, for example when traffic is running, perform. This is another reason to carry out such lane profile recordings only if it is absolutely inevitable.

There is also another problem, namely the exact assignment of the profiles obtained to the Points of the road. This assignment is used in the mechanical systems used up to now enables that, starting from measured basic points, a grid scale is measured and designed, that of one of the mechanical scanners with must be included. Measure and clear again the grid scales are works that take time (during which the lane must remain closed) and which with regard to the use of some special qualified personnel are quite expensive.

From the description of this previous, known The procedure follows that of the invention underlying task:

A method and a device are to be created with those in rolling traffic, i.e. with higher driving speeds, the geometric Roadway (surface) surface profiles with large Faithful to original reproducibly determined, recorded and can be accessed, the above disadvantages described should be avoided.  

This characterizes itself in order to solve this task according to the invention, that the road surface by means of several am Vehicle-mounted electron-optical H sensors (Height sensors) is scanned without contact that the scanning pulses of each electron optical Separator a multi-channel recorder and / or memory are fed that another electron-optical L-sensor (longitudinal sensor) die Longitudinal lane on striking aperiodic Structural changes in the road without contact scans, and that its strobe pulses continuously entered a computer / recorder and with the recorded and / or stored scanning pulses the H sensors are length or path-coordinated be prepared on call, while at the same time signals independent of the route Driving speed and distance determined and to digital data retrieval is stored that the electronic equipment for recording, digital recording, Storage and evaluation of the sampling pulses in Vehicle interior are housed, and that the Vehicle suspension preferably speed-dependent is limited to specified damping paths.

To achieve the object on which the invention is based characterizes the device mentioned at the beginning according to the invention in that a number of H sensors as electron-optical, surface structure sensitive scanners are provided while a further L-sensor as electron-optical, for aperiodic road structure changes more sensitive A scanner is provided for each sensor separate input channel in an electronic Multi-channel data acquisition, display, storage and -player with digital display device is provided.  

With the new process and the new device becomes non-contact, d. H. electron optical, scanned. The electron-optical scanning leaves effortlessly for the desired refinement train, it takes any surface profiling true. It works inertia-free, wear-free and fast. So z. B. at the same time as a certain route is mechanically scanned is a much larger distance according to the invention reproducible with much greater accuracy be included. Because at driving speeds of rolling traffic is not needed Cordon to take place. Because the L-sensor stochastic, d. H. aperiodic road characteristics detected, the grid scale is also unnecessary. Form any striking lane structures always individual assignment points.

Electronic processing, processing and Storage makes it possible to Repeat the recording at short intervals and compare or evaluate the results. This allows versatile research of causes of wear etc. are operated.

As for the inclusion of the H and L sensors and their Accessories commercially available motor vehicles are used must, especially with large road bumps and high scanning speeds, influence their Suspension or damping are taken so Back swinging of the vehicle at least in permissible limits are kept.

After a further development of the method according to claim 2, it is advantageous before each measurement or Recording process by a  Test or zero distance is traveled and the sensors be calibrated or adjusted to "zero deflection".

It is particularly advantageous that the H sensors according to Claim 3 adjusted across the width of the vehicle can be. So certain narrow ones Lane strips, e.g. B. ruts, road edges o. The like., Recorded particularly finely in detail.

It is also possible to add the measurement line Measure the impact of high axle loads precisely. These Measurements largely provide information about the Condition of the upper and lower structure of the carriageway.

Claim 4 provides that at least the H sensors distributed at intervals in the vehicle's longitudinal direction be attached. This process variant is suitable z. B. in particular for the detection of Concrete carriageways with bumps. Not infrequently lean Concrete sections and then form at the joints appropriate levels during the affected section runs inclined relative to the longitudinal level. across lined up H sensors could track this Do not show inclination or the inclination at all, if such sections are larger than the vehicle length are.

That according to claim 5 with speeds of 10 to 80 km / h or more can be recorded allows working in flowing traffic. It is important to note that contrary to the mechanical scanning due to low speeds no improvement in the result is achieved.

A particularly advantageous embodiment of the The device is characterized according to claim 7 in that the L sensor and the H sensors each  from an optical transmitter and an optical Receivers exist that the optical transmitter with its optical axis perpendicular to the road surface is aligned while the optical receiver at a horizontal distance from the optical transmitter is arranged and has an optical axis, which by the intersection of the optical axis of the transmitter with the road surface in normal or zero level that the optical receiver has a receiving optics with focusing part, the a position detector is installed in the optical focus is that the optical axes along with the horizontal distance from optical transmitter and optical receiver a right triangle define whose one cathete, the horizontal Distance and the right angle are constant quantities, while the length of the other cathete, the optical one Optical transmitter axis up to one Lane increase or decrease, the length of the Hypotenuse, the optical axis of the optical Receiver or its angle with the cathetus Variations dependent on the road surface or deepening are from which according to the laws of trigonometry the lane-dependent extension or shortening of the optical axis of the optical transmitter Lane depressions or elevations electronically calculable or the height or depth of a Bumpiness in millimeters or parts thereof, with the H sensor, as well as the driving speed and - distance in meters and m / s or kilometers and km / h, with the L-sensor, can be displayed and saved.

It is important to mention that the preferred one Arrangement of the optical receiver in horizontal Distance and forming a right angle to the optical axis of the transmitter is not binding. The  Knowledge of a design-related distance and whose angle leads to the optical axis of the transmitter arithmetically always to the desired results. The preferred training mentioned has only that Advantage that the angular functions are immediate can be applied while in a different arrangement calculated using the "sine theorem" or other equations must become. In any case, it delivers electron processing of the receiver signals the lane height deviation in millimeters, saved, available or recorded as a profile etc.

In the device development according to claim 8 an advantageous embodiment selected. The Measuring point diameter of approx. 6 mm corresponds to the usual average grain size of the road surface. Theoretically, the invention can already be used only grain torn out of the pavement be recorded. The measuring circuit diameter of the L sensor with its size of approx. 40 mm, records all passable Bumps on a road.

In contrast, the detection range of the L sensor is open Irregularities from 0.5 mm in size upwards set up and the measuring circle diameter of 40 mm accordingly more far-reaching. So one can Individual profile or recognition profile more irregular Structures are included that are based on the Record can be found on the road can and an exact assignment of the values of the Allow H sensors.

In order to be able to work universally, claim 9 provides that each scanner is accommodated in a housing and with the housing on a bracket at least in Transversely, possibly in the longitudinal direction of a motor vehicle is adjustable.  

So you can alternate between cross or longitudinal profiles measured from road surfaces. It makes sense mark the bracket with it the distribution of the sensors can be found quickly.

An embodiment of the device according to the invention is shown in the drawings. It shows:

Fig. 1 is a partly sectioned side view of the present device designed according to an only partially with the tail again gege surrounded motor vehicle,

Fig. 2 is a plan view according to arrow II in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a L-sensor with the road surface in a perspective schematic representation, whose principle is also applied at the H sensor,

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure and operation of the H sensor,

Fig. 5 ae schematic diagrams for a roadway and a number of possible H-sensor arrays,

Fig. 6 shows a longitudinal section of a recorded track direction profile,

Fig. 7 is a schematic representation of the method achieved by means of longitudinal distribution of the H sensors for obtaining the profile according to Fig. 6 and

Was FIG. 8 taken a partial section of a roadway transverse profile, disposed with the FIG. 5b H-sensors at 10 km / h speed.

The figures show a device 2 for determining the geometric profile of lanes 1 and the surface condition of lanes 1 .

The device 2 has contact-free electron-optical H sensors 3 and an L sensor 4 , each of which has a housing 5 and is adjustably fastened to a holder 6 which is held on a motor vehicle 7 .

The bracket 6 has a carrier 8 , which is arranged in the example at the rear of the vehicle 7 transversely to the direction of travel (arrow 9 ). An arrangement parallel to the direction of travel 9 is also possible. The carrier 8 is adjustable by means of slots and screws 10 . It carries several H sensors 3 , five in the example according to FIG. 5, which can be displaced and locked in the longitudinal direction of the carrier 8 . Many H sensors 3 transverse to the direction of travel 9 result in a correspondingly precisely recorded profile of the road 1 ; but one can as shown in FIG. 5 with few demand arranged H sensors 3 achieve the respective desired pick-up results.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the general structure of the H and L sensors 3 and 4. An electron-optical transmitter 11 and an electron-optical receiver 12 are accommodated in the housing 5 . The transmitter 11 consists of an IR diode 13 with transmission achromat 14 and has an optical axis 15 running perpendicular to the roadway 1 or its surface.

The receiver 12 is at a distance from the transmitter 11 and consists of a position detector 16 and a focussing receiving optics 17 ; the optical axis 18 is inclined to the road 1 .

Transmitter 11 and receiver 12 are set so that their optical axes 15 and 18 meet on road 1 . The transmitter 11 in the H sensor generates a measuring point 19 of approximately 6 mm in diameter and in the L sensor one of approximately 40 mm.

The distance between transmitter 11 and receiver 12 and their optical axes 15 , 18 form a triangle.

Fig. 4 shows a road level 1 a and a lower level 1 b as examples of changes in height of the road surface. In both cases, measuring circuit 20 is no longer concentric with optical axis 15 of transmitter 11 . The reflected light therefore migrates with its focus from the center of the position detector 16 . The emigration locations give signals which, when evaluated electronically, take into account the trigonometry, the height deviations of levels 7 a and 1 b from the normal of lane 1 in millimeters or parts thereof. The L-sensor 4 is basically constructed in the same way, but already reacts to structural changes in the roadway from a diameter of 0.5 mm, and its detection area (measuring circuit) has a diameter of 40 mm. In this way, aperiodic (stochastic) irregularities for location identification can be included.

The L sensor also consists of a transmitter 11 and a receiver 12 . A permanent optical comparison of the irradiated measuring surface takes place by means of the L sensor 4 . The speed of the changes is implemented by the electronics in a distance and speed measurement.

Connection lines to multichannel reception, recording and evaluation as well as storage and reproduction electronics, which are accommodated in the vehicle 7 , are not shown. This is permissible because suitable devices are available on the market. It is only necessary to ensure that they are compatible or can be made with the signals from the receivers 12 .

Fig. 5a shows a typical track 1 with track grooves 21. Figs. 5b to 5e show five H-sensors 1.3 to 5.3 in different positions. Fig. 5b shows the arrangement for full width detection, Fig. 5c greater detailed left and FIG. 5d greater detailed right half-width detection. Fig. 5e shows extremely fine detection of a left edge of the strip.

Fig. 7 shows the situation at intervals parallel to the direction of travel 9 arranged H sensors 3. The vehicle 7 is symbolized by arrows for the axles. The road consists of z. B. plate-like sections 21 , between which a joint 22 is located. In Fig. 7 the top and bottom of the shock 22 is at the same level. The two middle examples show the transition between horizontal and inclined plate 21 , that is, a joint 22 with a height difference. The height information h 1 , h 2 , delta-h shows what height signals which H sensors 3 emit relative to the joint 22 , depending on the vehicle position. An image according to FIG. 6 is then conveyed from this data.

The middle curve 23 indicates the changes in height in the direction of travel. The next lower curve 24 shows the respective driving speed; the lower curve is a time / distance signal image.

Fig. 8 shows an image when arranged transversely to the direction of travel H-sensors 3, taken h at 10 km /. Each curve shows the surface profile of the carriageway 1 scanned without contact under the respective sensor. The lower curve, which represents the time / distance signal image (see FIG. 6), has been omitted. You can work with 5 km / h to 80 km / h and more. The system does not make the lane profile recordings worse due to higher speeds. However, a correspondingly higher recording speed is then required.

In addition, the suspension or damping behavior of motor vehicle 7 has an effect at higher speeds. Suitable measures can be used to technically control and compensate for faults or errors resulting from this reverberation, etc.

There is a calibration run before each series of measurements perform, e.g. B. on an absolutely smooth zero or test track so that the sensors are at "zero" can be calibrated. There may also be bumps in the test be provided for adjustment purposes.

The device 2 and the method that can be carried out with it work in a contact-free, wear-free, fast manner and in flowing traffic and deliver precise, reproducible, electronically evaluable results. In addition, the measurement according to the invention is slip-free, which was previously not possible.

All in the description and / or drawings individual and combination features shown regarded as essential to the invention.

It goes without saying that the invention is not on the illustrated and described execution example should be limited; in particular can instead of electron-optical sensors, there are also such with a different mode of action, e.g. B. acoustic-electronic Sensors, which are used according to the principle of Work noise emission.

Claims (9)

1. A method for determining the geometric profile of roadways, in which, attached to a vehicle, several sensors are moved over the road surface and the deflections are measured and / or recorded, characterized in that the road surface by means of several electron-optical H sensors attached to the vehicle (Height sensors) is scanned contact-free, that the scanning pulses of each electron-optical scanner are fed separately to a multi-channel recorder and / or memory, that another electron-optical L-sensor (longitudinal sensor) touches the road in the longitudinal direction for aperiodic, striking structural changes in the road without contact scans, and that his scanning pulses are continuously input to a computer / recorder and with the recorded and / or stored scanning pulses of the H sensors are prepared in a length-coordinated or route-coordinated manner, and at the same time the respective signals from route-independent Driving speed and distance are determined and stored for digital data retrieval, that the electronic systems for recording, digitally recording, storing and evaluating the scanning pulses are accommodated inside the vehicle, and that the vehicle suspension is preferably limited to predetermined damping paths depending on the speed. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that that the H sensors, the L sensors and the electronic data recording devices  Recording, storage and evaluation before a test drive by driving in the frame of the tolerance level test or Zero distance to be calibrated to zero. 3. The method according to claim 1 and / or 2, characterized characterized in that at least the H sensors adjustable across the width of the vehicle a bracket attached to the rear of the vehicle will. 4. The method according to claim 1 and / or 2, characterized characterized in that at least the H sensors distributed at intervals in the vehicle's longitudinal direction be attached. 5. The method according to one or more of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that when driving speeds of approx. 10 to 80 km / h or more is measured. 6. Device for determining the geometric profile of roadways, in which a plurality of surface structure-sensitive sensors are attached to a vehicle and can be moved across the roadway, and in the recording and, if appropriate, recording devices are provided which record the scanning pulses from the sensors and / or Record, in particular for performing the method according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a number of H sensors ( 3 ) are provided as electron-optical, surface structure-sensitive scanners, while a further L-sensor ( 4 ) as electron-optical, more sensitive to aperiodic changes in road structure It is provided that a separate input channel is provided for each sensor ( 3 , 4 ) in an electronic multi-channel data recording, display, storage and playback device with a digital display device. 7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that the L sensor ( 4 ) and the H sensors ( 3 ) each consist of an optical transmitter ( 11 ) and an optical receiver ( 12 ) that the optical transmitter ( 11 ) is aligned with its optical axis ( 15 ) perpendicular to the road surface ( 1 ), while the optical receiver ( 12 ) is arranged at a horizontal distance from the optical transmitter ( 11 ) and has an optical axis ( 18 ) which through the intersection of the optical Axis ( 15 ) of the transmitter ( 11 ) with the road surface at normal or zero level, that the optical receiver ( 12 ) has a receiving optics ( 17 ) with focusing part, which is mounted in the optical focal point, a position detector ( 16 ) that the optical Axes ( 15 , 18 ) together with the horizontal distance from the optical transmitter ( 11 ) and optical receiver ( 12 ) define a right triangle, one of which is the catheter, the horizontal distance and the right one Angle constant values are while the length of the other cathete, the optical axis ( 15 ) of the optical transmitter ( 11 ) up to a roadway increase or decrease, the length of the hypotenuse, the optical axis ( 18 ) of the optical receiver ( 12 ) or whose angles with the catheters are dependent on the roadway elevation or depression, from which, according to the laws of trigonometry, the roadway-dependent extension or shortening of the optical axis ( 15 ) of the optical transmitter ( 11 ) in the case of roadway depressions or elevations can be electronically calculated or the height or depth of a road bump in millimeters or in parts thereof, with the H sensor, and the driving speed and distance in meters and m / s or kilometers and km / h, with the L sensor, can be displayed and stored. 8. The device according to claim 6 and / or 7, characterized in that the optical transmitter ( 11 ) at the H sensor consists of an IR diode ( 13 ) and a transmitter ( 14 ) and to a measuring point diameter of about 6 mm Road zero level is set, while the measuring circle diameter of the L sensor ( 4 ) has a diameter of approximately 40 mm at the same level. 9. The device according to one or more of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that each scanner ( 3 , 4 ) received in a housing ( 5 ) and with the housing ( 5 ) on a holder ( 6 ) at least in transverse, if necessary is adjustably received in the longitudinal direction of a motor vehicle ( 7 ).