# US 10,121,377 B2 · Infrastructure inspection apparatus, infrastructure inspection method, and infrastructure inspection system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,377 B2 - Document ID: US10121377B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/457,372 - Filed: 2017-03-13 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-01 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America - Inventors: Naoyuki Harada; Masahiko Saito; Yohei Nakata; Kazuma Takeuchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121377B2 ## CPC - G08G 1/164: {Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles} - G01M 5/00: Investigating the elasticity of structures, e.g. deflection of bridges or air-craft wings (G01M9/00 takes precedence) - G01N 21/8851: {Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges (G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002)} - G05D 1/0285: {using signals transmitted via a public communication network, e.g. GSM network} - G06V 10/95: {structured as a network, e.g. client-server architectures} - G06V 20/54: of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats - G06V 20/56: exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle - G08C 17/02: using a radio link - G08G 1/0104: {Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions} - G08G 1/0112: {from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]} - G08G 1/0125: {Traffic data processing} - G08G 1/0175: {by photographing vehicles, e.g. when violating traffic rules} - G08G 1/04: using optical or ultrasonic detectors - G08G 1/052: with provision for determining speed or overspeed {(speed measuring in general G01P)} - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G) ## Abstract An inspection method includes, with a sensor mounted in an infrastructure, measuring drive assisting information that is to be used to perform a drive assisting operation of a target vehicle that uses the infrastructure, transmitting the drive assisting information to the target vehicle, receiving, from the target vehicle, information of the infrastructure measured by the target vehicle, and inspecting the infrastructure using the information of the infrastructure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inspection apparatus comprising: a sensor that measures drive assisting information that is used to perform a drive assisting operation of a target vehicle that uses an infrastructure; a transmitter that transmits the drive assisting information to the target vehicle; a receiver that receives, from the target vehicle, information of the infrastructure measured by the target vehicle; and circuitry which performs operations, the operations including: inspecting the infrastructure using the received information of the infrastructure; and determining whether the target vehicle is capable of measuring the information of the infrastructure, wherein the transmitter transmits the drive assisting information to the target vehicle if the target vehicle is capable of measuring the information of the infrastructure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operations further include selecting the drive assisting information in response to the target vehicle, and wherein the transmitter transmits the selected drive assisting information to the target vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the operations further include determining a drive assisting function of the target vehicle, and wherein the selecting is performed based on the determined drive assisting function. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The inspection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the drive assisting information comprises information concerning a plurality of vehicles that use the infrastructure, and wherein the selecting includes selecting, from the information concerning the vehicles, information concerning a vehicle that corresponds to the determined drive assisting function and has a predetermined positional relationship with the target vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is mounted in the infrastructure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operations further include indicating to the target vehicle a measurement point where the information of the infrastructure is to be measured. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive assisting information comprises at least position information or velocity information of at least one vehicle that uses the infrastructure. ### Claim 8 An inspection system comprising a vehicle and an inspection apparatus, wherein the vehicle includes: a first sensor that measures information of an infrastructure used by the vehicle and first drive assisting information used to perform a driving assisting operation of the vehicle; a first transmitter that transmits, to the inspection apparatus, the information of the infrastructure when the first sensor has measured the information of the infrastructure; a first receiver that receives, from the inspection apparatus, second drive assisting information used to perform the drive assisting operation of the vehicle when the first sensor has measured the information of the infrastructure; and circuitry which performs operations, the operations including: performing the drive assisting operation of the vehicle in response to the first drive assisting information when the first sensor has measured the first drive assisting information; and performing the drive assisting operation of the vehicle in response to the second drive assisting information when the first sensor has measured the information of the infrastructure; and wherein the inspection apparatus includes: a second sensor that measures the second drive assisting information; a second transmitter that transmits the second drive assisting information to the vehicle; a second receiver that receives from the vehicle the information of the infrastructure measured by the vehicle; and circuitry which performs operations, the operations including inspecting the infrastructure using the received information of the infrastructure. ### Claim 9 An inspection method comprising: with a sensor mounted in an infrastructure, measuring drive assisting information that is to be used to perform a drive assisting operation of a target vehicle that uses the infrastructure; determining whether the target vehicle is capable of measuring the information of the infrastructure; transmitting the drive assisting information to the target vehicle if the target vehicle is capable of measuring the information of the infrastructure; receiving, from the target vehicle, information of the infrastructure measured by the target vehicle; and inspecting the infrastructure using the information of the infrastructure.