Patent Application
20170351263
This disclosure generally relates to a roadway-infrastructure-maintenance system using automated-vehicles, and more particularly relates to a system configured to determine a need-for-maintenance of the infrastructure-feature.
It is known that an automated-vehicle detects infrastructure-features such as lane-markings, light-color emitted by a traffic-signal, and roadway-signs in order to determine how the automated-vehicle, i.e. a self-driving vehicle, should be operated. For example, the automated-vehicle travels through an intersection when the traffic-signal is green, and the automated-vehicle stops when the traffic-signal is red. Furthermore, consistent and visible lane-markings are particularly helpful to operate an automated-vehicle. However, normal wear, aging, and/or damage by a natural disaster or a collision with a vehicle may make it difficult or impossible for an infrastructure-feature to be detected.
In accordance with one embodiment, a roadway-infrastructure-maintenance system using automated-vehicles to maintain a roadway is provided. The system includes an image-device and a controller. The imaging-device is suitable to mount on a host-vehicle. The imaging-device is used to detect an infrastructure-feature proximate to a roadway traveled by the host-vehicle. The controller is in communication with the imaging-device. The controller is configured to determine a need-for-maintenance of the infrastructure-feature.
Further features and advantages will appear more clearly on a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is given by way of non-limiting example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The present invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The system 10 includes an imaging-device 14 suitable to mount on the host-vehicle 12. In general, the imaging-device 14 is used to detect one or more instances of objects 20 proximate to a roadway 18 (
Because the quality of the lane-marking 24 and the crosswalk-marking 26 is important to the operation of the host-vehicle 12, the system 10 advantageously is configured to evaluate the quality of the lane-marking 24 and the crosswalk-marking 26, and determine when there is a need-for-maintenance 30 of the infrastructure-feature 16, in this example the lane-marking 24 and the crosswalk-marking 26.
Accordingly, the system 10 includes a controller 32 in communication with the imaging-device 14. The controller 32 may include a processor (not specifically shown) such as a microprocessor or other control circuitry such as analog and/or digital control circuitry including an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for processing data as should be evident to those in the art. The controller 32 may include memory (not specifically shown), including non-volatile memory, such as electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) for storing one or more routines, thresholds, and captured data. The one or more routines may be executed by the processor to perform steps for determining when the infrastructure-feature 16 exhibit's the need-for-maintenance 30 based on signals received by the controller 32 from the imaging-device 14 as described herein.
In order for the system 10 to more readily detect the presence of an instance of the infrastructure-feature 16, the system 10 or more particularly the controller 32 may include a digital-map 34 that indicates an expected-presence 36 of the infrastructure-feature 16. The system 10 may include a location-device 38 such as a global-positioning-system-receiver (GPS-receiver) so that a map-location 40 on the digital-map 34 can be determined. If the system 10 or the controller 32 is unable to or has difficulty detecting the expected-presence 36 of the infrastructure-feature 16 at the map-location 40, then that may be an indication that the need-for-maintenance 30 is indicated when the infrastructure-feature 16 is not-detected as expected. For example, if the lane-marking 24 and/or the crosswalk-marking 26 are not detected or do not appear with sufficient contrast to the surface of the roadway 18, then that may be in indication of the need-for-maintenance 30. The cause may be that the paint used for the lane-marking 24 and/or the crosswalk-marking 26 is worn, or they may be covered by ice, snow, mud, or other debris that should be removed.
In order for the system 10 to communicate the need-for-maintenance, the system 10 includes a transmitter 42 in communication with the controller 32. The transmitter 42 may be used to communicate the need-for-maintenance 30 to a maintenance-organization 44 such a county road-commission or other suitable government agency, which may eventually lead to a maintenance-request 46 being issued by the maintenance-organization 44 to dispatch the necessary persons and/or equipment to address the need-for-maintenance 30. In order to prevent spoofing or malicious activity that wastes the resources of the maintenance-organization 44, the maintenance-request 46 may not be issued until a request-count 48 is greater than some threshold, greater than five for example, arising from multiple instances of the need-for-maintenance 30 for the same infrastructure-feature 16 being received. The maintenance-organization 44 may also maintain a map-database 50 which may be used to periodically update the digital-map 34.
By way of further non-limiting examples, the infrastructure-feature 16 may be a traffic-signal 52, a roadway-sign 54, or a street-light 56. The controller 32 may be configured to determine an operational-state 62 of, for example, the traffic-signal 52 and/or the street-light 56, and issue a need-for-maintenance 30 if either is found to be out of operation. Similar to detecting the quality of the lane-marking 24, signals or information from the imaging-device 14 may be used to determine the reflectivity and/or apparent contrast of the roadway-sign 54, and issue a need-for-maintenance 30 if the roadway-sign is difficult for the imaging-device to read or detect. If an instance of the infrastructure-feature 16 has been removed because of, for example, the presence of a construction-zone 64 so that the infrastructure-feature 16 is characterized as not-detected 66 by the system 10, the maintenance-organization 44 may receive a need-for-maintenance 30 but ignore it because the construction-zone 64 is very-temporary. If the construction-zone is expected to be present for a relatively long time, more than a week, then the maintenance-organization may elect to update the map-database 50 to stop the issuance of the need-for-maintenance 30 from the host-vehicle 12.
Accordingly, a roadway-infrastructure-maintenance system (the system 10), a controller 32 for the system 10 and a method of operating the system 10 is provided. The system 10 advantageously makes use of various imaging devices available on automated-vehicles to more quickly detect when the need-for-maintenance of an infrastructure-feature 16 is needed.
While this invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiments thereof, it is not intended to be so limited, but rather only to the extent set forth in the claims that follow.
