EP4018043B1

EP4018043B1 - Method and system for treating a road surface using an industrial vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP4018043B1
Application number: EP20775064.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Enzo Giletta
Original assignee: Giletta SpA
Current assignee: Giletta SpA
Priority date: 2019-08-20
Filing date: 2020-08-20
Publication date: 2024-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 2040-08-20
Also published as: WO2021033157A1; ES2982076T3; DK4018043T3; FI4018043T3; EP4018043A1; HRP20240651T1; IT201900014871A1; PL4018043T3

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102019000014871 filed on August 20, 2019 .

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a method and to a system for treating a road surface using an industrial vehicle.

BACKGROUND ART

There are known industrial vehicles adapted to spread antifreeze products (such as chlorides, salt grains, salt solutions or fluxes in general) on the road surface to prevent or reduce the formation of ice and the deposit of snow on the road surface itself; and/or to spread abrasive products, such as sand or gravel, which can be incorporated into the layer of ice that may cover the road surface to improve its grip features.
In particular, there are known vehicles of the type mentioned above, the operation of which is managed by electronic control devices adapted to control product spreading parameters (e.g. the quantity of product spread per square metre, the width and symmetry of spreading, etc.) in a predetermined manner. In particular, known electronic control devices comprise a memory containing spreading parameters selected for the specific morphological and/or environmental and/or meteorological conditions of the route where the vehicle is supposed to operate. User interface means are provided inside the vehicle, for selecting the most suitable program for the route taken by the vehicle itself, so as to determine the quantity of product to deliver and the delivery methods.
There are well known methods in which, once a program for spreading the product, which is suitable for the weather and morphological conditions of the chosen route, has been selected, the corresponding parameters are implemented irrespective of variations in the morphological, environmental, and meteorological conditions of the route. Therefore, if these conditions change, the spreading parameters are no longer optimal and must be manually altered by the vehicle control operator, who must assess the specific situation and adjust the spreading parameters accordingly.
For example, changes in the morphological/environmental conditions of the route may occur while the vehicle is moving from a central area of a city where it is operating (typically warmer and with low humidity values) to a peripheral area, e.g. A river area (typically colder and more humid). If the vehicle is operating in cold conditions (e.g. after a snowfall), it is highly likely that the central area of the city will have wet or partially melted snow, while the river area will have icy portions along the route.
There is, therefore, a need to have vehicles equipped with devices for automatic control of the road conditions on which they operate, in order to intervene automatically on the spreading parameters at every change in the environmental conditions of the route where the spreading takes place, including to avoid errors caused by difficult operating conditions and/or operator errors.
To solve the above-mentioned problem, systems have been proposed in which the vehicle for spreading products on the road surface is equipped with a device to obtain information on the current state of the road and transfer this information to a control unit on board the vehicle; the control unit, after receiving and interpreting this information, selects and sets spreading parameters adapted to the specific conditions detected. Such systems, however, have the disadvantage of reacting to changes in the spreading route conditions with a non-negligible delay due to the necessary slowness in mechanically implementing the different spreading systems. In addition, local (insignificant) changes in the route conditions may trigger an unwanted change in the spreading parameters, followed by a subsequent reset of the previous parameters as soon as the local change ends. This possible alternation of spreading parameters, which is in fact not justified by the actual general situation of the route where the spreading takes place, is not desirable.
Other systems provide for "field" learning, through a so-called self-learning operation, i.e. executing each of the routes on which it is necessary to perform road surface treatment operations for the first time and memorising the spreading parameters of each route associated with the corresponding position where they are to be implemented. These systems also suffer from obvious disadvantages, due to the need to perform a "scan" of the route in advance and only then an actual treatment of the same, increasing the associated time and costs. This system is useful for determining the morphology of the road but not the weather conditions, always working with a big delay in relation to the time of "scanning".
Patent document US2014/136023 relates generally to vehicle mounted spreading systems and more particularly to a system for controlling vehicle mounted spreaders.
Patent document EP0853708 relates to methods, apparatus and control systems for dispensing salt, grit or other substances on surfaces, for example for spreading salt or grit over icy roads.
Patent document WO97/13926 relates to methods, apparatus and control systems for dispensing salt, grit or other substances on surfaces, for example for spreading salt or grit over icy roads.
Patent document EP3412833 relates to the field of intelligent control, and in particular to an automatic moving snow removal device.
Patent document EP3067469 relates to an antifreezing agent automatic spray control apparatus, an antifreezing agent automatic spray control program, and an antifreezing agent automatic spray control method for automatically spraying an antifreezing agent according to the surface condition of the road.
However, the above-mentioned issues are not solved.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The purpose of this invention is to provide a method and a system for treating a road surface using an industrial vehicle, which makes it possible to overcome, at least partially, the drawbacks of the prior art.
According to this invention, a method and a system for treating a road surface using an industrial vehicle, as defined in the attached claims, are provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to better understand this invention, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 schematically illustrates a vehicle for spreading products on the road surface and removing snow/ice;
Figure 2 is a block diagram of a device for controlling the product-spreading and snow/ice-removal operations of the vehicle in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a flowchart relating to a first series of operations for acquiring environmental information; and
Figure 4 is a flowchart relating to a second series of operations performed at the level of the vehicle in Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a digital map divided into operational subareas for acquiring environmental information according to Figure 3 and for operating the vehicle in Figure 1 according to Figure 4; and
Figure 6 is a block diagram of a device for acquiring environmental information according to the steps in Figure 3.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows a vehicle, indicated as a whole with the number 1, in particular an industrial vehicle, equipped with a tractor 2, a tank 3 for housing one or more products 7 (solid or liquid) for treating a road surface 9, and delivery means 5, fitted, for example, to the rear of the tractor 2, and adapted to spread the product 7 on the road surface 9 of a road route P along which the vehicle 1 is moving. In particular, in the embodiment shown, the vehicle 1 is adapted to deliver antifreeze products (e.g., melting or abrasive chlorides, both liquid and solid).
The delivery means 5 can be controlled automatically to perform one or more of the following operations:

solid-product dosing (NaCl, CaCl, MnCl, abrasives, etc.),
Liquid-product dosing (NaCl, CaCl, MnCl, specific chemicals, etc.).

The spreading mode can be defined by one or more spreading parameters, including:

quantity of fluxes or abrasives or liquid product delivered per square metre;
spreading width;
symmetry of spreading (lateral or central to the vehicle axle);
humidification present or not and, if present, percentage humidification of the material spread.

The vehicle 1 also comprises a snow plough blade 4 equipped with a support arm and attachment of the blade 4 to the tractor 2 and a blade handling unit 6, which is itself known and partially illustrated. The blade 4 comprises, in a known way, a rolling body 4a, a removal knife, or scraper knife, 4b permanently attached to a lower portion of the rolling body 4a and protruding downwards to remove at least some of the snow on the road surface 9. The knife 4b is made of metal or polymer material.
The handling unit 6 can be controlled automatically to perform one or more of the following operations:

raise and lower the blade 4 in relation to the road surface 9;
rotate the blade 4 itself about at least one horizontal adjustment axis and/or about a vertical axis;
adjust the pressure on the ground of the scraper knife;
adjust the approach angle of the scraper knife (the more inclined it is the more aggressive it is);
adjust the roller and the upper protection (it must be very open in wet snow to allow its evacuation without additional effort, while it must be very closed in dry snow so that the powder snow can be controlled and is not dispersed across the windscreen).

The handling unit 6 and the delivery means 5 can be controlled automatically to perform the above-mentioned operations, as a function of the operating parameters, including (but not limited to) one or more of the following:

i. the presence of snow or ice on the road surface,
ii. the temperature of the road surface,
iii. the air temperature,
iv. the humidity of the road surface, with the relative thickness of any water film present,
v. the presence of snow and type or quality of snow (wet snow, dry snow),
vi. the presence of ice,
vii. "soft ice" (weak ice, therefore better for vehicle friction),
viii. "hard ice" (less friction for vehicles),
ix. dew point.

The following description will make explicit reference, when necessary and for a better understanding of it, to the delivery of salt, while it remains clear that the vehicle 1 may spread other products on the road surface, such as granular abrasive products (such as gravel or sand) or liquid-type antifreeze products (such as salt solutions or melting solutions in general) designed to hinder (or reduce) the formation of ice and/or the deposit of snow on the road surface.
The vehicle 1 is also equipped with an electronic control device or system 10 adapted to control the delivery means 5 to adjust, in a known way, the quantity of product delivered and the delivery modes as a function of a number of spreading parameters. The electronic control device 10 is also adapted to control the snow plough blade 4, activating the handling unit 6 of the blade 4.
With reference to Figure 2, the electronic control device 10 comprises: a GPS receiver 15 for the purpose of generating an output signal S related to the position and forward direction of the vehicle 1; a processing unit 17 cooperating with the GPS receiver 15; and a memory 19 communicating with the processing unit 17.
The handling unit 6 is controllable by the processing unit 17 as a function of one or more of the above-mentioned operating parameters.
The vehicle 1 also comprises a transceiver unit 18, either integrated into the device 10 or external to it, and operationally coupled to it. The transceiver unit 18 is configured to receive data signals using a known protocol. For example, the transceiver unit 18 is configured to receive data over a wireless channel (e.g. Wi-Fi or cellular network, including 3G, 4G and/or 5G), or via a cable, using a public or private network, as required.
The transceiver unit 18 communicates with the processing unit 17 to transfer the data received to it so that the data can be processed and interpreted.
The device 10 optionally comprises an interface unit 21 communicating with the processing unit 17 and adapted to be used by an operator (not shown) in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1 for monitoring and controlling salt-spreading/snow-removal operations and/or to detect any abnormalities or alarms. The interface unit 21 can also be integrated with the processing unit 17.
The processing unit 17 is adapted to send control signals D to an interface 5a of the delivery means 5 to control the quantity of salt delivered and the spreading methods. For example, by means of the control signals D, the quantity of salt delivered per square meter, the width of spreading, the symmetry of spreading (lateral, central), the percentage humidification of the salt that is spread, etc. can be adjusted (in a known way).
The processing unit 17 is also adapted to send control signals L towards the handling unit 6 of the blade 4 to control, in a known way, blade 4 operating parameters (pressure on the ground, approach angle, etc.).
The GPS receiver 15 cooperates with a GPS satellite tracking system to detect the absolute position of the vehicle 1 on the earth's surface.
The invention uses the GPS satellite tracking system to determine the position and direction of the vehicle 1 and control the delivery means 5 and the handling unit 6 accordingly, based on the geographical position detected (as detailed below).
In particular, the set of spreading parameters and operating parameters of the blade, relating to a route that can be taken by the vehicle 1, define the salt-spreading/snow-removal methods suitable for specific morphological conditions of the route and/or particular weather and/or environmental conditions of the road surface (presence and type of snow, ice, water, hail, etc.). The data representing these spreading/snow-removal methods are contained in the memory 19, which communicates with the processing unit 17 to generate the control signal D of the delivery means 5.
According to this invention, the different salt-spreading methods are automatically selected according to the position of the vehicle along the road route detected by the GPS receiver. Similarly, the different methods for adjusting the handling unit 6 of the blade 4 are also automatically selected based on the position of the vehicle along the road route detected by the GPS receiver.
In particular, a vehicle 1 control method will now be described by referring to the flow diagrams shown in Figures 3 and 4.
Figure 3 shows a method of acquiring environmental data and/or information for an area where the vehicle 1 is supposed to operate.
Figure 4 illustrates a method implemented on board the vehicle 1 for operating the systems for spreading salt and handling the blade 4.
With reference to step 100 in Figure 3, according to one aspect of this invention, a digital map 20 of a geographical area is provided in which the vehicle 1 is supposed to perform the cleaning/securing of the roads (e.g. spreading of antifreeze and/or abrasive products, removal of snow and/or ice, etc.). Figure 5 is an illustrative graphic representation of the digital map 20.
This digital map 20 includes, for example, the detailed planimetric representation of a city, province, region, etc., or part thereof. The digital map 20 is divided into a plurality of subareas 20a-20e covering the territorial extension of the city, or part thereof, in which the vehicle 1 is supposed to operate.
Each subarea 20a-20e is bounded by sides of a polygon, or other geometric shape, and is chosen in such a way that the portion of territory enclosed within it has uniform features. These features include, but are not limited to: morphological, environmental, estimated or predicted temperature, climatic, and estimated or predicted traffic features.
In other words, one or more of the above-mentioned features are shared (or estimated to be so, or believed so by an operator) for each point inside the corresponding subarea 20a-20e (or for a majority of points inside the corresponding subarea 20a-20e), and, consequently, differ between one subarea 20a-20e and another subarea 20a-20e.
For the purpose of the subarea 20a-20e division, only the features significant for the technical context in which the vehicle 1 operates are taken into consideration. In particular, since the vehicle 1 is a vehicle adapted to improve the safety conditions of the road during winter, or, in any case, when the presence of snow, ice, hail, and/or water can be a danger for road users, the significant features taken into account for the subarea division include: altitude, estimated temperatures, environmental humidity, wind direction, estimated traffic, presence of activities that may induce local heating, type of road paving, presence of side barriers, or cut routes, etc.
By way of example, with reference to Figure 5:

the subarea 20a is a high-traffic, peripheral, and flat geographical area;
the subarea 20b is a river, flat, high-humidity geographical area;
the subareas 20c and 20d are peripheral and hilly/mountainous geographical areas, with colder temperatures than flat geographical areas; and
the subarea 20e is a central city, flat geographical area with higher temperatures than the peripheral areas (e.g. due to warming from commercial and residential activities) and with reduced traffic (e.g. due to traffic limitations).

The considerations mentioned above are only examples of a possible division into subareas, and may vary as a function of the specific peculiarities of the geographical area being considered.
The division into subareas 20a-20e is, in itself, a known procedure in the state of the art and may be performed by an operator in a known way and, thus, is described no further.
With reference to step 102 in Figure 3, one or more patrolling vehicles 40 (of which one is schematically illustrated in Figure 6) are sent along routes that cross, even only partially, all the subareas 20a-20e, to acquire information relating to the environmental conditions of the road surface (presence and type of snow, ice, hail, water, etc.) and/or temperature and/or weather conditions (or other information still) in each corresponding subarea 20a-20e. The patrolling vehicles may also be vehicles that habitually run along tracts of the subareas 20a-20e, such as buses or taxis.
The routes may be random or pre-set. For the purpose of this invention, since the division into subareas 20a-20e is performed by taking into consideration features that are shared by each point (or a majority of points) belonging to the same subarea 20a-20e, it is enough that the patrolling vehicles 40 run along even only a portion of the corresponding subarea 20a-20e, each portion having a size or spatial extension (e.g. area) that is less than the total size or spatial extension (e.g. area) of the corresponding subarea 20a-20e. The portion of the corresponding subarea 20a-20e traversed by the patrolling vehicles 40, preferably has a minimum length chosen so that the environmental information acquired has a general and not a point value. For example, the portion of the corresponding subarea 20a-20e traversed by the patrolling vehicles 40 is chosen from a length ranging from 0.5 km to 1 km. Lengths or distances greater than 1km are, however, possible.
The information acquired is, therefore, associated with the whole subarea 20a-20e.
The patrolling vehicles 40 may be private vehicles equipped for the purpose, or public vehicles (e.g. buses, trams, etc.) conveniently chosen based on the route programmed.
Regardless of the type of patrolling vehicle 40, in order to acquire the appropriate information, each patrolling vehicle 40 is equipped with a sensor device (transducer) 42 for measuring the physical or chemical features, or physiochemical properties, of the road surface, and is adapted to provide knowledge on the state of the road, including the formation of ice or the accumulation of snow/hail/water. The sensor device 42 enables, therefore, the acquisition of information relating to the state of the road surface, distinguishing between dry, humid, wet, ice, snow, salt-residue. The device 42 also provides, optionally, a "grip" value for the tyres on the road surface, as a function of the quantity of water, snow, and ice detected. Optionally, the sensor device 42 is configured to acquire additional types of information such as, for example, the environmental and/or road surface temperature, the environmental humidity, and/or the presence of obstacles or works that are underway.
A sensor device adapted for this purpose is well known, for example, from US 2017/0131723 . There are, however, numerous other sensors that are commercially available and can be used in the context of this invention, which is not, thus, limited to the choice of a specific one of these.
A respective sensor device 42 is, thus, mounted on each patrolling vehicle 40, in a position so as to enable the acquisition of the above-mentioned information. If the sensor device 42 used does not enable the acquisition of all the above-mentioned information, it is possible to mount several sensors on the patrolling vehicles 40, each of which is equipped to acquire one piece, or a plurality of pieces, of information.
In addition, or alternatively, to the data acquired by the sensor device 42, the above-mentioned environmental information may also derive from transducers or sensors of various types already present on the road section.
With joint reference to Figure 3, step 104, and to Figure 6, the information thus acquired (transduced) are sent to a processing unit 44, provided with, or coupled to, a memory 46, for storing such information.
In addition, the vehicle 40 is provided with a geolocation system 47, via which the geographical position of the patrolling vehicles 40 is monitored. Below, non-limiting reference will be made to a GPS-based geolocation system; however, other systems could be used instead of GPS, for example by triangulating the cellular network signal.
The patrolling vehicle 40 is also provided with a transmission unit 48 configured to acquire information from the memory 46 and to send it to a remote server 50 (e.g. a cloud-based platform). The information may be sent in real time, or at pre-set times (e.g. periodically) or at the end of the route, when the corresponding patrolling vehicle 40 re-enters the base, or according to additional timing methods.
This information can be sent by using a wireless connection, freely chosen as required. For example, a Wi-Fi network can be used, a cellular network (e.g. 3G, 4G, 5G, or another technology), a satellite transceiver network, etc. If the data are sent only when the patrolling vehicle 40 has re-entered the base, a cabled connection can also be used, or portable storage devices such as "hard-disks", "pen drives", SD cards, etc.
Together with the information transduced by the sensor device 42, the transmission unit 48 also sends GPS data relating to the position of the patrolling vehicle 40 during use.
More specifically, the processing unit 44 associates the spatial position (GPS data) of the patrolling vehicle 40 and the data/information acquired via the sensor device 42, so that at each acquisition time the data and information transduced are uniquely associated, via the sensor device 42, with GPS coordinates of the patrolling vehicle 40 in the environment (subarea) under analysis. It is, thus, possible to identify the actual position of the patrolling vehicle 40 in the digital map 20 and, in particular, in relation to each subarea 20a-20e, and to know the road conditions in this position.
In addition, according to one embodiment, and with reference to step 106 in Figure 3, the data and the information transmitted to the remote server 50 (during step 104 in Figure 3) are associated with spreading parameters and/or control parameters of the blade 4 adapted to the environmental conditions detected (parameterisation step). This association is performed at the level of the remote server 50. For this purpose, by way of example, the remote server 50 is provided with a data base by means of which it is possible to associate each piece of environmental information with a corresponding spreading parameter and/or operating method for the blade 4.
According to one embodiment, in order to avoid taking up space on the memory and to reduce the computational load at the level of the patrolling vehicle 40, the digital map 20 is stored at the level of the remote server 50 and the identification of the actual position of the patrolling vehicle 40 in the digital map 20 and, in particular, in relation to each subarea 20a-20e, is also performed at the level of the remote server 50. Other embodiments are possible, as is clear to a person skilled in the art.
By way of non-limiting example, the database may be designed so as to associate, for corresponding environmental conditions detected by the sensor device 42, specific treatment parameters of the road surface including, but not only, the spreading of salt. For example, for each macro-condition including:

the presence of snow,
the presence of ice,
the presence of water,

sensor device

below -5°C,
between -1 and -5 °C,
between -1 and +1 °C.

The thickness of the layer of snow (and/or snow mixed with water), or ice, or water, measured in millimetres on the road surface, is also taken into account.
Based on the values detected, treatment values are automatically set, e.g. dosage of salt to be spread, measured in grams per square metre.

The following table illustrates an example of a data base (predefined and/or able to be freely changed as required) that can be used in the context mentioned above, with explicit (but non-limiting of this invention) reference to the presence of ice and to the salt-spreading dosages, for various temperatures of the road surface detected:

	SALT DOSAGE
THICKNESS ICE	TEMP below -5°C	TEMP between -1 and -5°C	TEMP between -1 and +1°C
0.1 mm	15 g/m²	10 g/m²	10 g/m²
0.3 mm	18 g/m²	12 g/m²	12 g/m²
0.6 mm	20 g/m²	20 g/m²	15 g/m²
···
2 mm	30 g/m²	30 g/m²	25 g/m²

Known sensor devices 42 that can be used in the context of this invention also provide a "grip" value for the tyres on the road surface, in the various conditions detected on the road surface, including: dry, with snow, with snow mixed with water, with water only, or with ice.
If the grip information is not provided directly by the sensor device 42 used, this information can, however, be inferred from the quantity of water, snow, or ice present on the road surface. As the quantity increases, the grip reduces (i.e. the grip value is inversely proportional to the thickness of water, snow, or ice detected).
If the information provided by the sensor device 42 indicate that the current grip value, in a given subarea 20a-20e, is below a pre-set threshold (low grip), the treatment parameters for the road surface, compared to the theoretical datum provided by the data base, are changed. For example, if the grip is below the threshold, the quantity of salt spread is increased. This increase can be a fixed quantity or proportional or dependent on the shift of the actual grip in relation to the threshold. For example, the spreading of salt is increased by a percentage value (e.g. by 10%) for each corresponding reduction in percentage (e.g. by 10%) of the grip value detected.
Similarly, if the grip is above the threshold, the quantity of salt spread is reduced. This decrease can be a fixed quantity or proportional or dependent on the shift of the actual grip in relation to the threshold. For example, the spreading of salt is reduced by a percentage value (e.g. by 10%) for each corresponding reduction in percentage (e.g. by 10%) of the grip value detected.
It is clear that, although the subareas 20a-20e are chosen in such a way that they group together zones or points that are uniform from a morphological/environmental point of view, as previously discussed, it may happen that the patrolling vehicle 40 detects, in the same subarea 20a-20e environmental and/or grip conditions that are not uniform.
In this case, if the same environmental and/or grip conditions (or a subset of conditions considered "critical" or particularly important) are replicated for a majority of detection points, or above a threshold (e.g. at least 70% of detection points show the same conditions), the treatment parameters for treating these majority environmental and/or grip conditions are set for the whole subarea 20a-20e.
Otherwise, if the same environmental and/or grip conditions (or a subset of conditions considered "critical" or particularly important) are detected for a low or insignificant number of detection points, or below a threshold (e.g. only 100 of detection points show the same conditions), the treatment parameters of the whole subarea 20a-20e are chosen at an intermediate value from the values expected for the different environmental conditions detected, or at a value included between the values expected for the different environmental conditions detected. For example, the choice of this value for the treatment parameters can be made using a weighted average. In this way, it is possible to provide adequate treatment for the few points with irregular environmental conditions and a non-oversized treatment for the other points with uniform environmental conditions.
According to one embodiment of this invention, in order to implement what has been described above, the following steps are performed:

The sensor 42 detects data and information relating to the road surface at measuring/detection points of a corresponding sub-area 20a-20e, at predefined intervals, e.g. every 5 minutes;
The sensor 42 transmits these data/this information to the remote server 50;
the remote server 50 saves, processes, and calculates, for each measuring point, the weight of the salt to be spread, based on a table or database of the type illustrated above;

If critical conditions are detected at one or more measuring point, the weight of the salt to be spread is increased, and the increase is calculated for each point,
A weighted average is calculated for all the weight values;
If the number of critical points is above a minimum threshold value (e.g. more than 30%), the weight attributed to the whole subarea 20a-20e is that which has the greater value (for all the corresponding subarea, since each area is subject to a uniform, not punctiform, treatment of the road surface);
If the number of critical points is below the threshold (e.g. below 300) the weighted average calculated is used.

The updated treatment parameters of the road surface are, thus, transmitted from the remote server 50 to the vehicle 1, which implements them for treating the corresponding subarea 20a-20e. The updated treatment parameters of the road surface are transmitted from the remote server 50 to the vehicle 1 first and/or during the treatment of the road surface, in particular as a function of the route that the vehicle 1 will have to take or is taking.
It is clear that Figure 6 is only illustrative of a possible embodiment and is non-limiting of this invention; in fact, the memory 46 can be omitted if the data and information acquired, such as the GPS position, are sent in real time to the remote server 50. In addition, the sensor device 42, the processing unit 44, the GPS sensor device and/or the transmission unit 48 may be either integrated inside the same container or distributed on board the vehicle 40, and conveniently connected to each other.
It is, therefore, clear that, according to this invention, the environmental and road data and information are "real" or "actual" data, i.e. data acquired on the reference territory and not estimated using weather forecasts.
With reference to Figure 4, step 200, the vehicle 1 acquires from the remote server 50 the environmental and road data and information stored and parameterised in it (to step 106 of Figure 3), together with the position indications (GPS coordinates) to which such environmental information refers.
According to a different embodiment, during step 200, the vehicle 1 sends the GPS data relating to its position (acquired via the GPS receiver 15) to the remote server 50 (via the processing unit 17 and the transceiver unit 18), and the remote server 50 sends commands relating to the spreading and handling parameters of the blade 4, associated with that specific geographical position, to the vehicle 1.
In step 202, the vehicle 1, after having received these commands via the transceiver unit 18, implements the delivery means 5, in accordance with the commands received (automatically and without the manual intervention of the operator), via the processing unit 17. In the same step 202, the vehicle 1, after having received these commands via the transceiver unit 18, implements via the processing unit 17 (automatically and without the manual intervention of the operator) including the handling unit 6 of the blade 4, in accordance with the commands received.
According to what is discussed above, it is clear that a unique association between the spreading/blade handling parameters and geographical position is determined.
In step 204, the processing unit 17 continuously monitors, or at regular intervals, the position signal S provided by the GPS receiver, and checks if the route on which these parameter acquisition operations are being carried out is still included in the subarea 20a-20e, for which the current commands have been received, or whether there has been a change in subarea 20a-20e. This operation can be performed on board the vehicle 1 if the memory 19 stores the digital map 20. Conversely, the vehicle 1 continuously sends, or at time intervals, its GPS position to the remote server 50, which performs this check. If the subarea 20a-20e changes, the processing unit 17 acquires from the remote server 50 the new spreading parameters for the subarea 20a-20e that the vehicle 1 has entered, and implements the delivery means 5 in accordance with these new parameters (step 206).
According to this invention, therefore, for each subarea 20a-20e (irrespective of the specific position assumed by the vehicle 1 in the corresponding subarea 20a-20e), the vehicle 1 maintains the same spreading parameters and only changes them when it enters a different subarea 20a-20e.
It is also possible, taking into account the mechanical implementation latency of the spreading systems of the vehicle 1 for the change in spreading parameters, to vary the spreading parameters near a new subarea 20a-20e, in such a way that, at the entrance to the new subarea 20a-20e, the vehicle 1 is already set with the corresponding spreading parameters. For this purpose, the memory 19 stores the latency values relating to the various mechanical implementations, so that the processing unit 17 is able to estimate, based on the position, direction, and speed values of the vehicle 1, when to implement the mechanical parts of the same with new spreading parameters.
Moreover, it is clear that modifications and variations may be made to the vehicle for treating the road surface via granular or liquid products described and illustrated herein without thereby departing from the scope of this invention.
In particular, this invention applies in a self-evident manner to vehicles 1 configured to perform even one of the following operations: spreading and mechanical snow/ice removal using the blade 4.
In addition, the operations performed remotely, by the server 50, and at a local level by the industrial vehicle 1 can be performed totally at the level of the industrial vehicle 1, if provided with processing and storage means that are powerful enough. In this case, the information acquired by the patrolling vehicles 40 during use are directly transferred to the industrial vehicle 1. In general, this invention is applied, therefore, in a self-evident manner, to a situation in which the processing means of the remote server 50 and of the industrial vehicle 1 are either of the distributed or centralised type.

Claims

A method for treating a road surface (9) using an industrial vehicle (1), comprising the steps of:
- acquiring a digital map (20) of a geographical area to be treated, said digital map being divided into a plurality of subareas (20a-20e), each subarea being defined based on a prevalent feature, among: geomorphological, and/or estimated or actual meteorological, and/or estimated or actual traffic, and/or presence of commercial/industrial activity, and/or residential, including city outskirts, city centre, type of road surface and paving;

- for each subarea (20a-20e), acquiring local information relating to an actual state of the road surface (9) in one respective portion of territory whose size is less than the total size of the corresponding subarea (20a-20e);

- for each subarea (20a-20e), assigning respective treatment parameters of the road surface (9) chosen as a function of said local information; and

- operating the industrial vehicle (1) in said geographical area to be treated, for performing said treatment of the road surface (9), including:
• acquiring current geographical coordinates of the industrial vehicle,

• maintaining the treatment parameters unaltered so long as the current geographical coordinates of the industrial vehicle remain in the same subarea (20a-20e), and

• updating the treatment parameters when the current geographical coordinates of the industrial vehicle show that the industrial vehicle (1) has entered a different subarea (20a-20e),

characterized in that:
the step of acquiring said local information on the road surface (9) comprises acquiring, for a plurality of geographical coordinates, not coincident among them, of each sub-area, at least one respective point information relating to the actual state of the road surface (9) at each of said geographical coordinates; and

the step of associating, for each subarea, the local information acquired to the respective parameters of said treatment includes:
assigning to each respective point information a corresponding point treatment parameter, and

using, for the treatment of the same subarea, i) the principal point treatment parameters, in percentage, in said same subarea, wherein the point treatment parameters are considered to be the principal ones if, in the subarea (20a-20e) considered, the same point treatment parameters are associated with a number of geographical coordinates that is greater than a preset threshold, or ii) global treatment parameters calculated as a weighted average of the point treatment parameters.
The method according to claim 1, wherein said geomorphological feature is one among: flat, fluvial, hilly, or mountainous;
and said meteorological feature is one among: environmental humidity, environmental temperature, or wind direction.
The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of acquiring said local information of the road surface (9) comprises:
- coupling a respective sensor device (42) to one or more patrolling vehicles (40), each sensor device (42) being adapted to acquire information relating to said actual state of the road surface (9) among: presence of snow, presence of ice, presence of water, thickness of a layer of water, snow conditions including compacted snow and sleet, ice conditions including hard ice and weak ice, temperature of the road surface, tyre grip on the road surface;

- sending said one or more patrolling vehicles (40) provided with the respective sensor device (42), through said subareas (20a-20e).
The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of sending said information and geographical coordinates from said one or more patrolling vehicles (40) to a remote server (50),
wherein the step of associating the treatment parameters to all the geographical coordinates belonging to the respective subarea is carried out by said remote server (50),

the method further comprising the step of sending said treatment parameters from said remote server (50) to said industrial vehicle (1).
The method according to claim 4, further comprising the steps of:
- generating, by the industrial vehicle (1), a position signal (S) correlated to the geographical position of said industrial vehicle (1);

- communicating, from the industrial vehicle to the remote server, the position signal (S);

- assessing, on the basis of the position signal (S), whether the industrial vehicle (1) has changed the subarea (20a-20e) in which it is operating and, if yes, sending new treatment parameters from the remote server to the industrial vehicle.
The method according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the step of operating the industrial vehicle (1) comprises:
- spreading a solid and/or liquid product (7) on the road surface through delivery means (5) carried by said vehicle (1); and

- adjusting spreading parameters of said product (7) including at least one among: type of product spread, an amount of product spread per unit of area, a width of spreading, a symmetry of spreading.
The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the industrial vehicle (1) is provided with a blade (4) provided with a rolling body (4a) and with a scraper knife (4b) permanently connected to the rolling body, for the mechanical removal of snow and/or ice from the road surface (9),
the step of operating the industrial vehicle (1) comprises at least one among: lifting and lowering the blade (4) with respect to the road surface (9), rotating the blade (4) around at least one adjustment axis, setting the ground pressure of the scraper knife, setting an approach angle of the scraper knife, adjusting the rolling body.
A system for treating a road surface (9), comprising:
- an industrial vehicle (1), adapted to perform said treatment of the road surface (9);

- a processing assembly (17, 50), configured to:
acquire a digital map (20) of a geographical area to be treated, said digital map being divided into a plurality of subareas (20a-20e), each sub-area being defined on the basis of a principal feature, among: geomorphological, and/or estimated or current meteorological, and/or estimated or current traffic, and/or presence of commercial/industrial activities, and/or residential including city outskirts, city centre, type of road surface and paving;

acquire, for each subarea (29a-20e) from at least one sensor device (42), local information relating to an actual state of the road surface (9) in a respective portion of territory whose size is less than the total size of the corresponding subarea (20a-20e);

assign, for each subarea (20a-20e), respective treatment parameters chosen as a function of said local information; and

control, in each subarea to be treated, operations of the industrial vehicle (1) to perform said treatment of the road surface (9), including:
• acquiring current geographical coordinates of the industrial vehicle,

• maintaining the treatment parameters unaltered so long as the current geographical coordinates of the industrial vehicle remain in the same subarea (20a-20e), and

• updating the treatment parameters when the current geographical coordinates of the industrial vehicle show that the industrial vehicle (1) has entered a different subarea (20a-20e),

characterized in that the system comprises one or more patrolling vehicles (40), each one provided with a respective sensor device (42), configured to move through said subareas (20a-20e) so as to acquire said information relating to the actual state of the road surface (9) in each subarea (20a-20e), the operation of acquiring said local information on the road surface (9) comprises acquiring, for a plurality of geographical coordinates, not coincident among them, of each subarea, at least one respective point information relating to the actual state of the road surface (9) at each of said geographical coordinates;
and in that the operation of associating, for each subarea, the local information acquired with the respective parameters of said treatment includes:
assigning to each respective point information a corresponding point treatment parameter, and

using, for the treatment of the same subarea, i) the principal point treatment parameters, in percentage, in said same subarea, wherein the point treatment parameters are considered the principal ones if, in the subarea (20a-20e) considered, the same point treatment parameters are associated with a number of geographical coordinates greater than a pre-set threshold, or ii) global treatment parameters calculated as a weighted average of the point treatment parameters.
The system according to claim 8, wherein the industrial vehicle (1) is further provided with a position detector configured to identify a geographical position of the industrial vehicle (1) in said geographical area to be treated.
The system according to any one of claims 8-9, wherein said geomorphological feature is one among: flat, fluvial, hilly, or mountainous;
and said meteorological feature is one among: environmental humidity, environmental temperature, wind direction.
The system according to any one of claims 8-10 wherein said one or more patrolling vehicles (40) include a respective transceiver (48) configured to send said information and geographical coordinates to the processing assembly (17, 50),
and wherein said industrial vehicle (1) includes its own transceiver (18) for receiving said treatment parameters from said processing assembly (17, 50).
The system according to claim 11, wherein the industrial vehicle (1) comprises geolocation means configured to generate a position signal (S) correlated to the geographical position of said industrial vehicle (1),
the processing assembly (17, 50) being configured to assess, on the basis of the position signal (S), whether the industrial vehicle (1) has changed the subarea (20a-20e) in which it is operating and, if yes, updating the treatment parameters.
The system according to any one of claims 8-12, wherein the industrial vehicle (1) is configured to spread a solid and/or liquid product (7) on the road surface through delivery means (5) carried by said vehicle (1),
the processing assembly (17, 50) being configured to adjust spreading parameters of said product (7) including at least one among: type of product spread, an amount of product spread per unit of area, a spreading width, a symmetry of spreading.
The system according to any one of claims 8-13, wherein the industrial vehicle (1) is provided with a blade (4) provided with a rolling body and with a scraper knife permanently connected to the rolling body, for the mechanical removal of snow and/or ice from the road surface (9),
the processing assembly (17, 50) being configured to control operations of the industrial vehicle (1) for: lifting and lowering the blade (4) with respect to the road surface (9), rotating the blade (4) around at least one adjustment axis, setting a ground pressure of the scraper knife, setting an approach angle of the scraper knife, adjusting the rolling body.