Roadway marker control system

A method for positioning a material dispensing nozzle which is attached to a paint carriage which is attached to, and laterally movable with respect to, a vehicle onto a predetermined roadway mark path located on a roadway surface, the method comprising:

• determining a geographical location of a first global positioning system (GPS) antenna mounted on the vehicle and responsive to a first GPS receiver using a first signal processor responsive to the first GPS receiver;
• determining the geographical location of a second GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle and responsive to a second GPS receiver using a second signal processor responsive to the second GPS receiver;
• determining the geographical location of a third GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle and responsive to a third GPS receiver using a third signal processor responsive to the third GPS receiver,
• determining a relative lateral displacement of the paint carriage with respect to the vehicle using a linear motion and position sensor;
• determining an absolute GPS location of the material dispensing nozzle using a GPS location processor responsive to the first signal processor and to the linear motion and position sensor, wherein the GPS location processor is further responsive to the second signal processor and the third signal processor;
• transforming the absolute GPS location of the material dispensing nozzle into a location in a coordinate system other than GPS using a coordinate transform processor;
• comparing the location of the material dispensing nozzle in the coordinate system other than GPS to a desired roadway mark path according to the coordinate system other than GPS;
• and
• moving the paint carriage laterally with respect to the vehicle based on the comparison between the location of the material dispensing nozzle in the coordinate system other than GPS to move the material dispensing nozzle over a desired roadway mark path according to the coordinate system other than GPS.

A global positioning system (GPS)-based control system for positioning a material dispensing nozzle over a predetermined roadway mark path located on a roadway surface comprising:

• a vehicle having an attached material dispensing nozzle which is laterally movable with respect to the vehicle;
• a first GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle;
• a second GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle;
• a third GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle;
• a first GPS receiver responsive to the first GPS antenna;
• a second GPS receiver responsive to the second GPS antenna;
• a third GPS receiver responsive to the third GPS antenna;
• a first signal processor responsive to the first GPS receiver for determining a geographical location of the GPS antenna;
• a second signal processor responsive to the second GPS receiver for determining the geographical location of the second GPS antenna;
• a third signal processor responsive to the third GPS receiver for determining the geographical location of the third GPS antenna,
• a linear motion and position sensor for determining a relative lateral linear displacement of the material dispensing nozzle with respect to the vehicle;
• a GPS location processor responsive to the first signal processor and to the linear motion and position sensor for determining an absolute GPS location of the material dispensing nozzle, wherein the GPS location processor is further responsive to the second signal processor and the third signal processor for determining the absolute GPS location of the material dispensing nozzle;
• a coordinate transform processor for transforming the absolute GPS location of the material dispensing nozzle into a location in a coordinate system other than GPS;
• a comparator device for comparing the location of the material dispensing nozzle in the coordinate system other than GPS to a desired roadway mark path according to the coordinate system other than GPS;
• and
• a control system, including a computer, responsive to the comparator device for controllably positioning the material dispensing nozzle over the predetermined roadway mark path.

A global positioning system (GPS)-based control system for positioning a material dispensing nozzle over a predetermined roadway mark path located on a roadway surface comprising:

• a vehicle having an attached paint carriage which is laterally movable which respect to the vehicle;
• a material dispensing nozzle attached to the paint carriage;
• a first GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle;
• a second GPS receiver responsive to the second GPS antenna;
• a third GPS receiver responsive to the third GPS antenna;
• a linear motion and position sensor for determining a relative lateral linear displacement of the material dispensing nozzle with respect to the vehicle;
• a first GPS receiver responsive to the first GPS antenna;
• a second GPS receiver responsive to the second GPS antenna;
• a third GPS receiver responsive to the third GPS antenna;
• a computer configured to:
• determine a geographical location of the first GPS antenna based on an output of the first GPS receiver;
• determine an absolute GPS location of the material dispensing nozzle based on the geographical location of the first GPS antenna and an output of the linear motion and position sensor;
• transform the absolute GPS location of the material dispensing nozzle into a location in a coordinate system other than GPS;
• compare the location of the material dispensing nozzle in the coordinate system other than GPS to a desired roadway mark path according to the coordinate system other than GPS;
• and
• a control system, including a computer, configured to position the material dispensing nozzle over the predetermined roadway mark path by moving the paint carriage based on the comparison of the location of the paint carriage in the coordinate system other than GPS to a desired roadway mark path according to the coordinate system other than GPS.

A vehicle mounted global positioning system (GPS)-based control system for positioning a material dispensing nozzle over a predetermined roadway mark path located on a roadway surface comprising:

• a vehicle having an attached paint carriage which is laterally movable with respect to the vehicle;
• a material dispensing nozzle attached to the paint carriage;
• a first GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle;
• a second GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle;
• a third GPS antenna mounted on the vehicle;
• a first GPS receiver responsive to the first GPS antenna;
• a second GPS receiver responsive to the second GPS antenna;
• a third GPS receiver responsive to the third GPS antenna;
• a first signal processor responsive to the first GPS receiver for determining a geographical location of the first GPS antenna;
• a second signal processor responsive to the second GPS receiver for determining the geographical location of the second GPS antenna;
• a third signal processor responsive to the third GPS receiver for determining the geographical location of the third GPS antenna,
• a laser attached to the paint carriage for projecting a line pattern on the roadway surface;
• an imager device configured to detect the projected line pattern;
• a GPS location processor responsive to the first signal processor and to the imager device for determining an absolute GPS location of the material dispensing nozzle;
• a coordinate transform processor for transforming the absolute GPS location of the material dispensing nozzle into a location in a coordinate system other than GPS;
• a comparator device for comparing the location of the material dispensing nozzle in the coordinate system other than GPS to a desired roadway mark path according to the coordinate system other than GPS;
• and
• a control system, including a computer, responsive to the comparator device for controllably positioning the material dispensing nozzle over the predetermined roadway mark path by laterally moving the paint carriage.