WO1997013234A1 - Surface material and condition sensing system - Google Patents
Surface material and condition sensing system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1997013234A1 WO1997013234A1 PCT/US1996/015985 US9615985W WO9713234A1 WO 1997013234 A1 WO1997013234 A1 WO 1997013234A1 US 9615985 W US9615985 W US 9615985W WO 9713234 A1 WO9713234 A1 WO 9713234A1
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- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- chamber
- vehicle
- εaid
- platform
- signal
- Prior art date
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R16/00—Electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for; Arrangement of elements of electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for
- B60R16/02—Electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for; Arrangement of elements of electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for electric constitutive elements
- B60R16/023—Electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for; Arrangement of elements of electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for electric constitutive elements for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
- B60R16/0237—Electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for; Arrangement of elements of electric or fluid circuits specially adapted for vehicles and not otherwise provided for electric constitutive elements for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems circuits concerning the atmospheric environment
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60T—VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL; ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES
- B60T8/00—Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01K—MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01K13/00—Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N1/00—Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
- G01N1/02—Devices for withdrawing samples
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
- E01C—CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR
- E01C19/00—Machines, tools or auxiliary devices for preparing or distributing paving materials, for working the placed materials, or for forming, consolidating, or finishing the paving
- E01C19/12—Machines, tools or auxiliary devices for preparing or distributing paving materials, for working the placed materials, or for forming, consolidating, or finishing the paving for distributing granular or liquid materials
- E01C19/20—Apparatus for distributing, e.g. spreading, granular or pulverulent materials, e.g. sand, gravel, salt, dry binders
- E01C2019/2055—Details not otherwise provided for
- E01C2019/207—Feeding the distribution means
- E01C2019/208—Feeding the distribution means with longitudinal auger
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N1/00—Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
- G01N1/02—Devices for withdrawing samples
- G01N2001/028—Sampling from a surface, swabbing, vaporising
Definitions
- This invention generally relates to vehicle mounted sensor systems and more particularly to a system for determining characteristics of surface material related to adverse driving conditions from a vehicle.
- Patent Nos. 4,492,952 and 4,678,056 One particular system, disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,416,476, employs an infrared sensor which is mounted on the exterior of the vehicle and sends a signal to a microprocessor which then can display the temperature of the road surface.
- U.S. Patent No. 5,416,476, employs an infrared sensor which is mounted on the exterior of the vehicle and sends a signal to a microprocessor which then can display the temperature of the road surface.
- These systems are simplistic and do not tell the operator the critical information needed under all conditions, such as, at what temperature will the particular material actually on the road surface freeze? Therefore there is a need for a material sensing apparatus and system for determining when an actual liquid on a road surface will freeze and alerting the operator to such situations before they actually occur so that the operator can adjust driving techniques accordingly.
- the system in accordance with the present invention addresses the above described needs. It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a unique multipurpose system which includes a multipurpose sensor mounting platform accommodating a variety of sensors that enables the temporary use of materials such as rainwater and road conditioning materials actually encountered on a road surface to determine the condition of the road surface. It is another object of the invention to provide a system for detecting the actual materials on a roadway. It is another object of the invention to provide a system for determining a characteristic such as friction coefficients or the actual freezing temperature of a material on a road surface regardless of the makeup of the material. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a reliable display of information to the vehicle operator of actual and pending conditions of the road surface. It is a still further object of the invention to provide an apparatus for sensing actual road conditions that can function automatically or manually.
- One embodiment of the apparatus for sensing surface material condition in accordance with the present invention comprises a collection means for receiving material discharged, for example, from a vehicle wheel in contact with a roadway surface, at least one sensing means coupled to the collection means for detecting a characteristic of the received material such as friction coefficients, temperature, conductivity, and chemical concentrations and producing a corresponding signal, processing means for converting the corresponding signal, and display means connected to the processing means for providing an indication of surface conditions based on the material characteristics.
- the collection means may include a conventional mud flap located immediately behind a vehicle wheel so that a portion of any surface material that is picked up by the vehicle wheel and thrown against the flap may be collected.
- An alternative collection means is a scoop located in proximity of the wheel or adjacent the road surface to collect deposited surface material.
- Thi ⁇ embodiment does not require a collection means, but instead, remotely senses directly the surface material characteristics such as temperature, conductivity, friction coefficients or chemical concentrations.
- Thi ⁇ embodiment utilizes a sensor located on the undercarriage of the vehicle at a preferably fixed distance from the road surface which senses the surface temperature and at least one other unique surface material characteristic so that the specific material or materials can be identified, the composition determined, and freezing temperatures determined.
- Another embodiment of the apparatus has a sensor mud flap which includes a channel leading into a detection chamber where liquid runoff from the wheel flap is periodically collected and then frozen.
- the freeze point is sensed along with the temperature of the collected material. This information is displayed to the operator of the vehicle. Once the freeze point is determined, the frozen material is thawed and discharged from the chamber so that a new sample may be collected and analyzed.
- Another embodiment of the invention includes an endless belt of liquid absorbing material mounted to the flap. The endless belt collects and absorbs liquid collected by the flap, transports it to a collector which extracts the liquid from the belt and directs it to the sensor means which also can be a detection chamber where the chamber contents is frozen in order to sense the freeze point.
- the sensing means may be a single sensor or a combination of several sensors to detect particular parameters of interest.
- the road conditions are primarily affected by changes in temperature and material concentrations. Therefore the sensing means may include resistance temperature detectors, thermocouple, infrared temperature sensors, conductivity detectors, close proximity electromagnetic radiation (EMR) transmitters and detectors or transceivers, friction measurement devices, and other material analysis systems such as a spectrographic analysis system such as a mass spectrometer.
- the mass spectrometer or other material analysis device would preferably be mounted inside the vehicle, with a sample conveying means such as a belt or pump line directing the sample from the flap or other collection platform such as a scoop, etc. into the analysis device, e.g.. the vaporizing chamber for the spectrometer.
- an ultra wide band doppler radar or any other suitable electromagnetic radiation (EMR) emission and detection technique may be used to remotely ascertain chemical and phy ⁇ ical characteristics of the material on the roadway surface.
- the processing means may include a microprocessor for converting sensed signals to display signals, store potential material data, determining material identity and pertinent material characteristics, and includes power and signal transmission means.
- the display means may be a panel with indicators of the freeze point, the ambient temperature, and connections to more detailed signal analysis equipment such as chart recorders, tape recording devices, or other processing equipment.
- the display means may also include alarms and inputs to automatic functions such as activating anti-lock brake systems, or transfers from two wheel to all- wheel drive systems, or activating chemical spreader control functions, etc.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic view of a sensor platform in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention.
- Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the first embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention.
- Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of a vehicle showing potential locations for the sensor platform in accordance with the present invention.
- Fig. 4 is a partial side view of a second embodiment of a sensor platform of the present invention.
- Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the present invention.
- Fig. 6 is a control block diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention.
- Fig. 7 is front view of the display panel in the second embodiment of the present invention.
- Fig. 8 is a schematic side view of an alternative collection apparatus of a system in accordance with the present invention.
- Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a remote sensing embodiment of the system in accordance with the present invention.
- a first embodiment of the apparatus of the invention includes a platform 12 which is typically vertically mounted behind a vehicle wheel 14. This platform 12 replaces and also operates as a conventional mud flap on the vehicle 10.
- one of the objects of this invention is to provide a unique multi-purpose mounting platform 12, such as is shown in Fig. 1, that enables the temporary use of materials 16 which are typically discharged from a vehicle wheel/road surface interface to measure certain characteristics of the materials that have left a roadway surface (surface materials) , and to also determine certain characteristics of the surface itself.
- the surface is most commonly a road or aircraft runway surface. Throughout this specification, use of the terms surface, road, roadway, or runway are interchangeable and are used to generally mean any surface upon which a vehicle is operated or is operable.
- the manipulation of the characteristics of surface materials for instance freezing the surface material, is one efficient and accurate way to obtain information on the surface conditions as well as determine the conditions of loose surface material.
- Material volumetric buildup such as snow, ice, liquid solution, i.e.. depth of material on the surface.
- the methodology of determining the characteristics described above varies with the characteristic being tested.
- the general type of material buildup may be measured via resistivity and/or conductivity in conjunction with temperature.
- the chemical composition of the material on the road surface may be determined by spectrographic techniques, or by evaluation of EMR reflections.
- the percent of chemical (s) in a solution that has built up on a road surface may be determined by measuring the resistivity and/or conductivity of the collected material covering the sensor or by evaluation of EMR reflections.
- the freeze point of the solution may be determined by a software comparison, such as a table look-up, when the material components are known.
- the ambient temperature is measured via a thermometer or thermocouple which could be remote from the platform.
- the temperature of the solution/material buildup is measured by any known appropriate sensor means such as a thermometer, thermocouple or infrared sensor preferably mounted on the platform 12.
- the freeze point of a solution can actually be determined by actually freezing the collected solution.
- the freeze point is determined by monitoring a property of the solution that indicates that the freezing temperature is reached, such as changes in electrical conductivity. This could eliminate the need for a look-up table.
- the sensor platform 12 can be made of a thermoplastic material, or sensor flap material such as urethanes or teflon, and which preferably has the following characteristics:
- - pliable and flexible temperature range of plus 150 - minus 40 F degrees without melting or becoming brittle. Operating temperature of eighty degrees fahrenheit (80°F) to minus forty degrees fahrenheit (- 40°F) ; and
- Fig. 1 illustrates a variety of sensors mounted on or within it to illustrate the various mounting configurations for the purpose of making measurements or sensing certain characteristics of the material that has left the road surface as a result of turbulence or surface discharge behind the vehicle wheel.
- the platform 12 is constructed to carry or have imbedded therein various sensors 18, 20, 22, and/or 24. These sensors, depending on their function, may protrude outside of or be recessed within the finished flap 12 so that they will be exposed to, or not exposed to, the material to be sensed, or will have access to the material to be sensed. As an alternative, the various sensors could be mounted with appropriate hardware onto an existing piece of flap material to achieve the same effect.
- sensors 18 and 20 may be a conductivity detector and/ or a resistance temperature detector (RTD) or a thermocouple (TC) which senses the temperature of the material on the surface of the flap 12 and the presence of conductive solutions in the material such as NaCl or KCl or MgCl 2 in order to determine the type of material buildup.
- RTD resistance temperature detector
- TC thermocouple
- the lead wires from the conductivity cell and/or the RTD or TC are either embedded in or mounted behind the flap 12 for protection from abrasion and moisture.
- Sensor 22 may be a sensor such as an RTD or TC mounted within an aperture 26 in the flap 12.
- the aperture 26 permits the passing air flow behind the wheel 14 to blow clear and thus ensure that new material continuously passes the sensor location.
- Other sensor locations in the aperture 26 are shown in dashed lines.
- the aperture 26 may also be used to direct flow of material past a sensor such as an EMR device.
- the sensor 22A may alternatively be embedded in the flap 12 with the tip projecting to the front surface of the flap 12 to accurately measure the captured material temperature.
- Sensor 24 may be a RTD or TC mounted either behind the flap 12 or embedded within it so as to be representative of the ambient temperature of the flap 12. Alternative sensor locations may be incorporated into the sides or top of the flap 12 as indicated by the "S" thereon.
- the flap 12 is preferably mechanically attached to the vehicle 10.
- the sensor flap 12 is designed to temporarily "catch" the discharge material from the vehicle's wheel 14.
- a separate sensor wheel 14A may be provided as shown in Fig. 3, for producing material discharge to be collected by a flap 12A which carries the sensors for making the measurements concerning the surface that the vehicle is riding over as well as detecting any buildup that might be on the surface - even after the buildup has left the surface.
- the incident spray material must not cling to the flap or plug any pass-through holes as new samples must periodically be measured/sensed. Therefore, proper material selection is an important consideration in this fir ⁇ t embodiment.
- the sensors are connected to an in-cab display and control panel 28 via a cable 30 as shown in Fig. 2.
- the control panel 28 is capable of controlling, communicating with, and powering the sensors as well as interpreting sensor data and preferably includes display/input devices which can display information, accept outside input, store commands, and retrieve data. Alarm and control functions are also displayed on this panel.
- interpreted data could include a freeze point prediction or alert notice for the measured solution and/or material.
- FIG. 4-7 A second embodiment of the surface condition sensing system in accordance with the invention is shown in Figs. 4-7.
- the system in accordance with the second embodiment is specifically directed to determining the freezing temperature of a surface material. It includes an apparatus 38 that collects material from the road surface into a chamber, freezes it, determines the freezing temperature, communicates the data appropriately to a display/control console, and then thaws the material, empties the chamber, and prepares for the next measurement cycle.
- the apparatus 38 is mounted in a location on the platform 12 as disclo ⁇ ed above.
- the apparatu ⁇ 38 a ⁇ ociated with this system i ⁇ seen in a side view in Fig. 4.
- the apparatus 38 comprises a support structure 40 made of any suitable material, for instance a laminate of a thermoplastic material and aluminum, and a capture and measurement portion 42 supported below and from the support ⁇ tructure 40.
- the capture portion 42 comprises an elongated chamber 44 having an open top end 46 and an open bottom end 48 generally having an elongated oval cross section.
- the open top end 46 is for receiving any surface material that collects above the top end 46 on the support ⁇ tructure 40.
- Selective opening and closing valve mechanisms 50 are mounted to the apparatus at the appropriate positions adjacent the upper and lower ends 46 and 48. When the bottom end 48 is closed and the top end 46 is open, collected material builds up in the chamber 44. When both ends are closed, the collected material is isolated. When both ends are open, the collected material is discharged from the lower end 48.
- Each of the opening and closing mechanisms 50 includes a pinch valve 52 and a solenoid 54.
- the top and bottom ends 46, 48 of the chamber 44 are selectively opened and closed by pinch-valves 52.
- the upper solenoid 54 When the upper solenoid 54 is energized, it extends a shaft 55 outward and pushes a first surface 56, engaging a flexible portion 58 of the chamber 44 adjacent the upper open end 46, from one side and drives the flexible portion 58 towards the other side, which is in contact with a stationary second surface 60.
- the open top end 46 of the chamber i ⁇ thus pinched closed between the first and second surfaces 56 and 60, causing a preferably impermeable seal to be formed at the top end of the chamber.
- the bottom end 48 of the chamber 44 is closed in a similar manner using a second solenoid operated pinch valve 52.
- the chamber 44 has a central portion 62 of a predetermined length and width between the selective opening and closing mechani ⁇ m ⁇ 50.
- Thi ⁇ portion 62 preferably has an elongated oval cross section and is made of a conductive material, such as copper.
- the central portion 62 of the chamber 44 compri ⁇ ing a conductive material is thermally coupled to opposing plates of a thermo-electric heater/cooler 64 which controls the temperature of the central conductive chamber 44 using, for example, the well known Peltier effect.
- a heat sink 66 surrounds the chamber 44, preferably on all sides, along the length of the chamber 44 to facilitate the heating and cooling process as a result of the operation of the thermo- electric heater/cooler 64.
- a liquid exiting aperture 68 is formed in the chamber 44 above the first surface 56 to allow any surface material draining into the liquid capture gap 70 to exit the chamber 44 when the flexible portion 58 of the chamber 44 is closed during operation of the thermo-electric heater/cooler 64.
- the draining liquid flows down over the heat ⁇ inks 66, preferably thereby beneficially affecting the heat transfer capabilities of the heat sinks 66.
- this second apparatus may be either automatic or manual.
- automatic operation the apparatus operates continuously or at a predetermined cycle frequency as determined by the user.
- manual mode the user actuates the apparatus each time road ⁇ urface condition information is desired.
- This ⁇ econd embodiment of the road surface sensing sy ⁇ tem i ⁇ u ⁇ ed to collect ⁇ urface material and accurately determine the freezing point of ⁇ uch material regardless of material composition.
- the apparatus is positioned on the vehicle ⁇ uch that it is exposed to the spray of the surface material caused by the motion of the vehicle, as is schematically shown in Fig.3.
- the apparatus may be po ⁇ itioned behind front or rear wheel ⁇ , or may optionally include a separate wheel or scoop device to pick up material from the road surface.
- the bottom end 48 of the chamber 44 is closed.
- the surface material spray contacts the support structure 40, runs down the ⁇ upport structure 40 under the influence of gravity into the liquid capture gap 70.
- the surface material collects in the chamber 44 either for a programmable predetermined period of time, preferably about 5 to 10 seconds, or until the appropriate liquid level is obtained, at which time the top end 46 is closed by closure of the upper pinch valve 52 to preclude entry of material that could contaminate the sample during measurement.
- thermo-electric cooler 64 When a sufficient amount of surface material is collected in the chamber 44 and the upper pinch valve 52 is closed and the thermo-electric cooler 64 is activated to freeze the collected surface material. The electrical conductivity of the collected surface material is monitored in the chamber 44 during the cooling process to establi ⁇ h the freezing point of the ⁇ urface material. This freezing point is communicated appropriately to the processor and di ⁇ play con ⁇ ole 72, ⁇ hown in Fig. 7.
- thermo-electric cooler 64 is activated to heat the conductive chamber portion 62 to melt the ⁇ urface material.
- the bottom end 48 i ⁇ then opened by de- energizing the lower pinch valve 52 to allow the surface material to exit the chamber 44. The process can then be repeated to obtain a new reading. More particularly, referring to Fig. 6, and to
- automatic operation of the apparatus in accordance with this embodiment of the invention proceeds as follows.
- the user places the automatic/manual selector switch 80 in the automatic position.
- a signal 82 is sent to close the bottom valve and a signal 84 is provided to de- energize the upper solenoid valve 52 so that collected material may flow into the chamber 44.
- the control system then pauses for a predetermined amount of time, such as ten seconds, in block 86.
- a signal 88 is sent to close the upper valve 52 in order to isolate the sensing portion 62 of the chamber 44.
- another programmable wait period 90 of a predetermined length of time is conducted after which the proces ⁇ or te ⁇ ts whether the contents of the central portion 62 of the chamber 44 is conductive.
- This test of conductivity 92 is necessary in order to sense whether there i ⁇ any material collected in the chamber. If the material collected in the chamber is conductive, a signal 94 is sent to turn on the thermo-electric heater/cooler 64 in the cooling mode.
- Conductivity i ⁇ continually monitored in block 96 to determine a significant change in conductivity, as the material in the central portion 62 of the chamber 44 is cooled, which indicates that the threshold to freezing has been reached. This threshold is normally indicated by a substantial change in magnitude of the conductivity signal.
- the processor then sends a signal 98 to turn on the heater until it reaches a temperature substantially greater than the threshold, for example, about 50° Fahrenheit.
- a control signal 100 is sent to de-energize both upper and lower solenoid valves 52 for a programmable period of time sufficient to permit the collected material to drain from the chamber 44, for example, ten seconds.
- an abort action display message signal 102 is displayed and the automatic process steps 80 through 96 are repeated.
- the display console includes an on/off switch 104, a start switch 106, a purge switch 108, and a display 110.
- Manual operation or automatic operation is selected by switch 80.
- the purge switch 108 may be pres ⁇ ed by the operator. This de-energizes both inlet and outlet valve ⁇ 52, allowing any material ⁇ contained in the chamber 44 to be discharged.
- the start switch 106 is pressed and the automatic or manual control process shown in the flow chart in Fig. 6 is performed from block 82 through block 100.
- the processor determines in block 112 whether switch 80 i ⁇ in the automatic or manual po ⁇ ition. If in the manual position, a signal is sent to leave both valves 52 open and await further manual instructions.
- the apparatus in accordance with the second embodiment may be modified to include a collection apparatus 120 that incorporates an endless belt 122.
- the endless belt 122 moves in the direction of the arrow 124.
- Road debris thrown up by the vehicle moves and impinges on belt 122 in the direction shown by arrow 126.
- the lower pulley 128 is preferably either hydraulic motor driven or electrically driven.
- the upper pulley 130 is preferably spring biased away from the motor driven pulley 128 to maintain tension on the belt 122.
- a collection hopper 132 is positioned below the motor driven pulley 128 and di ⁇ charge ⁇ into the open upper end 46 of the collection chamber 44 above de ⁇ cribed.
- a scraper 134 is positioned adjacent the front facing portion of the belt 122 before the belt 122 enters the hopper 132 so that as it enters the hopper 132, leaves and other solid debris may be scraped from the belt 122.
- a pinch idler pulley 136 is mounted adjacent the motor driven pulley 128. As the belt move ⁇ around the pulleys counterclockwise as shown in Fig. 8, liquid picked up from the road is "squeegeed" into the hopper 132 as the belt 122 passes between idler pulley 136 and driven pulley 128.
- a spring- loaded clutch 138 may al ⁇ o be provided on the motor driven pulley ⁇ o that the collection apparatu ⁇ 120 does not operate while the central portion 62 of the collection chamber 44 i ⁇ i ⁇ olated.
- FIG. 9 A block diagram of a third embodiment of the sensing ⁇ ystem in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in Fig. 9.
- Thi ⁇ third embodiment i ⁇ a completely remote sensing apparatus which is mounted on the vehicle.
- This system 200 includes at least one electromagnetic radiation transceiver 202 which emits a ultra-wide band (UWB) impulse radar.
- UWB ultra-wide band
- reflected signals are set to a depth processor 206, a density processor 208, and at least a chemical composition processor 210.
- the EMR reflected pulse may be utilized directly by the depth processor 206 to determine the depth of any surface layer of material on the roadway.
- the density processor, and composition processors 208 and 210 rely also on input from a database 212 to determine, by comparison to peak height or pha ⁇ e shift of the reflected signal versus the incident signal, an output which i ⁇ unique to a particular chemical composition and density. Comparing these outputs to the database content produces or can result in quantitative den ⁇ ity and compo ⁇ ition information 214 which is, in turn, fed to computer 216 along with depth information 218.
- the depth 218 is proces ⁇ ed in the computer 216 to provide a di ⁇ play 220 with information necessary to determine what additional chemicals need to be deposited on the road surface in order to minimize the hazardous conditions.
- the computer 216 may provide a direct output to a control device for automatically dispensing the appropriate amounts of chemicals to the road surface as the vehicle drives by.
- An infrared transceiver 222 i ⁇ also mounted on the vehicle and is directed toward the road surface.
- the transceiver 222 provides an output to a road temperature processor 224 which in turn also feeds an output to the computer 216 indicative of the actual road surface temperature.
- the apparatu ⁇ 200 in accordance with the third embodiment of the pre ⁇ ent invention, may be compactly designed for unitary installation in the cab of a road maintenance vehicle, ⁇ uch as a salt truck, with the display 220 and a keyboard input device 226 integrated into the dashboard of the vehicle.
- the driver can then input to the computer 216 desired deicing concentrations or other desired input information.
- the computer 216 then can compare the actual composition and statu ⁇ of the material actually on the road and either display or automatically control the dispensing of additional chemicals to the road surface.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU73918/96A AU7391896A (en) | 1995-10-06 | 1996-10-04 | Surface material and condition sensing system |
CA2233689A CA2233689C (en) | 1995-10-06 | 1996-10-04 | Surface material and condition sensing system |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US494195P | 1995-10-06 | 1995-10-06 | |
US60/004,941 | 1995-10-06 | ||
US08/660,232 | 1996-06-07 | ||
US08/660,232 US5619193A (en) | 1996-06-07 | 1996-06-07 | Surface material and condition sensing system |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO1997013234A1 true WO1997013234A1 (en) | 1997-04-10 |
Family
ID=26673684
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US1996/015985 WO1997013234A1 (en) | 1995-10-06 | 1996-10-04 | Surface material and condition sensing system |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
AU (1) | AU7391896A (en) |
CA (1) | CA2233689C (en) |
WO (1) | WO1997013234A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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EP2284525A1 (en) * | 2009-08-11 | 2011-02-16 | G. Lufft Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH | Contact-less freezing temperature determination |
EP2366987A1 (en) * | 2010-03-16 | 2011-09-21 | Société de Technologie Michelin | Device for measuring water temperature on a road surface |
CN102706880A (en) * | 2012-06-26 | 2012-10-03 | 哈尔滨工业大学 | Road information extraction device based on two-dimensional image and depth information and road crack information detection method based on same |
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US6535141B1 (en) | 1996-06-07 | 2003-03-18 | John A. Doherty | Vehicle mounted travel surface and weather condition monitoring system |
US7839301B2 (en) | 1995-06-08 | 2010-11-23 | Western Strategic Products, Llc | Surface condition sensing and treatment systems, and associated methods |
US7400267B1 (en) | 1995-06-08 | 2008-07-15 | Western Strategic Products, Llc | Methods for determining need for treating a vehicle travel surface |
US6938829B2 (en) | 1996-06-07 | 2005-09-06 | John A. Doherty | Apparatus and system for synchronized application of one or more materials to a surface from a vehicle and control of a vehicle mounted variable position snow removal device |
US7355509B2 (en) | 2005-02-25 | 2008-04-08 | Iwapi Inc. | Smart modem device for vehicular and roadside applications |
US9601015B2 (en) | 2005-02-25 | 2017-03-21 | Concaten, Inc. | Maintenance decision support system and method for vehicular and roadside applications |
US8275522B1 (en) | 2007-06-29 | 2012-09-25 | Concaten, Inc. | Information delivery and maintenance system for dynamically generated and updated data pertaining to road maintenance vehicles and other related information |
US9864957B2 (en) | 2007-06-29 | 2018-01-09 | Concaten, Inc. | Information delivery and maintenance system for dynamically generated and updated data pertaining to road maintenance vehicles and other related information |
US8231270B2 (en) | 2008-01-03 | 2012-07-31 | Concaten, Inc. | Integrated rail efficiency and safety support system |
US8902081B2 (en) | 2010-06-02 | 2014-12-02 | Concaten, Inc. | Distributed maintenance decision and support system and method |
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US4274091A (en) * | 1978-03-09 | 1981-06-16 | Decker Peter W | Road surface ice detector and method for vehicles |
US4492952A (en) * | 1982-04-12 | 1985-01-08 | Atlas Electronics International | Automotive driving condition alarm system |
US4678056A (en) * | 1984-10-09 | 1987-07-07 | Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. | Part time four wheel drive vehicle with road surface condition sensor |
US5416476A (en) * | 1991-11-29 | 1995-05-16 | Rendon; Edward | Method and system for detecting potential icy conditions on roads |
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1996
- 1996-10-04 CA CA2233689A patent/CA2233689C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1996-10-04 WO PCT/US1996/015985 patent/WO1997013234A1/en active Application Filing
- 1996-10-04 AU AU73918/96A patent/AU7391896A/en not_active Abandoned
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US4274091A (en) * | 1978-03-09 | 1981-06-16 | Decker Peter W | Road surface ice detector and method for vehicles |
US4492952A (en) * | 1982-04-12 | 1985-01-08 | Atlas Electronics International | Automotive driving condition alarm system |
US4678056A (en) * | 1984-10-09 | 1987-07-07 | Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. | Part time four wheel drive vehicle with road surface condition sensor |
US5416476A (en) * | 1991-11-29 | 1995-05-16 | Rendon; Edward | Method and system for detecting potential icy conditions on roads |
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EP2284525A1 (en) * | 2009-08-11 | 2011-02-16 | G. Lufft Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH | Contact-less freezing temperature determination |
US8838407B2 (en) | 2009-08-11 | 2014-09-16 | G. Lufft Meβ-Und Regeltechnik GmbH | Non-contact freezing temperature determination |
EP2366987A1 (en) * | 2010-03-16 | 2011-09-21 | Société de Technologie Michelin | Device for measuring water temperature on a road surface |
FR2957666A1 (en) * | 2010-03-16 | 2011-09-23 | Michelin Soc Tech | DEVICE FOR MEASURING THE TEMPERATURE OF WATER COVERING A PAVEMENT |
US8864372B2 (en) | 2010-03-16 | 2014-10-21 | Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin | Device for measuring the temperature of water covering a road surface |
US9823139B2 (en) | 2010-03-16 | 2017-11-21 | Compagnie Generale Des Etablissements Michelin | Device for measuring the temperature of water covering a road surface |
CN102706880A (en) * | 2012-06-26 | 2012-10-03 | 哈尔滨工业大学 | Road information extraction device based on two-dimensional image and depth information and road crack information detection method based on same |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU7391896A (en) | 1997-04-28 |
CA2233689A1 (en) | 1997-04-10 |
CA2233689C (en) | 2004-11-30 |
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