# US 10,372,128 B2 · Sinkhole detection systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,372,128 B2 - Document ID: US10372128B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/357,980 - Filed: 2016-11-21 - Published: 2018-05-24 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-21 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Scott Vincent Myers; Ashley Elizabeth Micks; Alexandru Mihai Gurghian; Harpreetsingh Banvait; Parsa Mahmoudieh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372128B2 ## CPC - B60W 40/06: Road conditions - B60W 30/00: Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units - G01S 7/41: using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section - G01S 7/4808: {Evaluating distance, position or velocity data} - G01S 13/867: {Combination of radar systems with cameras} - G01S 13/931: of land vehicles - G01S 15/86: Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection - G01S 15/931: of land vehicles - G01S 17/86: Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders - G01S 17/931: of land vehicles - G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00) - G06F 18/25: Fusion techniques - G06V 10/80: Fusion, i.e. combining data from various sources at the sensor level, preprocessing level, feature extraction level or classification level (multimodal speaker identification or verification G10L17/10) - G06V 20/56: exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle - G08G 1/09626: {where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map} - G08G 1/0967: Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits (transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968) - G08G 1/096791: {where the origin of the information is another vehicle} - G08G 1/162: {event-triggered} - G08G 1/167: {Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection} - B60W 2420/403: Image sensing, e.g. optical camera - B60W 2552/35: Road bumpiness, e.g. potholes - G01S 13/87: Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar - G01S 2013/9323: {Alternative operation using light waves} - G01S 2013/9324: {Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves} - G01S 2013/93271: {in the front of the vehicles} - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - 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}) ## Abstract Example sinkhole detection systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a method receives data from multiple sensors mounted to a vehicle and analyzes the received data to identify a sinkhole in a roadway ahead of the vehicle. If a sinkhole is identified, the method adjusts vehicle operations and reports the sinkhole to a shared database and/or another vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving data from a plurality of sensors mounted to a vehicle; analyzing, using one or more processors, the received data to identify a sinkhole in a roadway ahead of the vehicle; and responsive to identification of a sinkhole in the roadway: adjusting vehicle operations; and reporting the sinkhole to at least one of a shared database and another vehicle; wherein analyzing the received data to identify a sinkhole in the roadway includes: receiving drive history data describing the roadway ahead of the vehicle, the drive history data including a road elevation for the roadway ahead of the vehicle; determining an actual elevation of a second vehicle on the roadway ahead of the vehicle; and detecting a difference between the actual elevation and the road elevation; in response to detecting a difference between the actual elevation and the road elevation, identifying the sinkhole in the roadway ahead of the vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors include one or more of a Lidar sensor, a radar sensor, and a camera. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising fusing the data received from the plurality of vehicle sensors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the received data to identify a sinkhole in the roadway includes detecting an area in the roadway that does not return Lidar ground plane points. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the received data to identify a sinkhole in the roadway includes detecting an area in data from a camera that does not indicate a roadway surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the received data to identify a sinkhole in the roadway includes detecting a descent of another vehicle with respect to the roadway. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the received data to identify a sinkhole in the roadway includes detecting a rise of a back of another vehicle with respect to the roadway. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein reporting the sinkhole to another vehicle includes communicating with the another vehicle using vehicle-to-vehicle communications. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting vehicle operations includes stopping the vehicle or maneuvering around the sinkhole. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: receiving data from a plurality of sensors mounted to a first vehicle; analyzing, using one or more processors, the received data to identify movement of a second vehicle in a roadway ahead of the first vehicle; and responsive to identification of movement of the second vehicle: determining the existence of a sinkhole in the roadway ahead of the first vehicle; adjusting operation of the first vehicle; and reporting the sinkhole to at least one of a shared database and another vehicle; wherein determining the existence of the sinkhole in the roadway ahead of the first vehicle comprises: receiving drive history data describing the roadway ahead of the vehicle, the drive history data including a road elevation for the roadway ahead of the vehicle; determine an actual elevation of a second vehicle on the roadway ahead of the vehicle according to the received data from the plurality of sensors; and detecting a difference between the actual elevation and the road elevation for the roadway ahead of the vehicle; and in response to detecting the difference is detected between the actual elevation and the road surface height, determining that the sinkhole is in the roadway ahead of the vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors include one or more of a Lidar sensor, a radar sensor, and a camera. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the movement of the second vehicle includes identifying a descent of the second vehicle with respect to the roadway surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the movement of the second vehicle includes a rise of the back of the second vehicle with respect to the roadway surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein reporting the sinkhole to another vehicle includes communicating with the another vehicle using vehicle-to-vehicle communications. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting operation of the first vehicle includes stopping the first vehicle or maneuvering the first vehicle around the sinkhole. ### Claim 17 An apparatus comprising: a plurality of sensors mounted to a vehicle and configured to capture sensor data; a plurality of vehicle control actuators configured to adjust operation of the vehicle; and a sinkhole detection system coupled to the plurality of sensors and the plurality of vehicle control actuators, the sinkhole detection system configured to receive and analyze the sensor data to identify a sinkhole in a roadway ahead of the vehicle, the sinkhole detection further configured, responsive to identification of a sinkhole in the roadway, to: adjust vehicle operations using the plurality of vehicle control actuators; and report the sinkhole to at least one of a shared database and another vehicle; wherein the sinkhole detection system is programmed to: receive drive history data describing the roadway ahead of the vehicle, the drive history data including a road elevation for the roadway ahead of the vehicle; determine an actual elevation of the roadway ahead of the vehicle according to the sensor data; and if a difference is detected between the actual elevation and the road elevation, identify the sinkhole in the roadway ahead of the vehicle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of sensors include one or more of a Lidar sensor, a radar sensor, and a camera.