Process for determining the roughness of a roadway surface and sensor device for carrying out the process
AssigneeKistler Holding AG
InventorGabriel Winterstein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for determining the roughness of a surface of a roadway uses a sensor device attached to a vehicle traveling on the surface. The sensor device includes a photodetector that images a portion of the surface while the vehicle moves over the roadway's surface. The photodetector generates measurement signals from the image. In a first step the measurement signals are provided as measurement data that include an intensity containing information about the roughness of the surface and information about the light intensity of the surface. The intensity is defined by an amplitude and an offset.
Claims17
A process for determining the roughness of a surface of a roadway, the process comprising the following steps:
- moving a vehicle over the roadway, wherein the vehicle carries a sensor device that includes a photodetector;
- capturing a portion of the surface of the roadway as an image on the photodetector;
- generating measurement analog signals by the photodetector from the image captured on the photodetector;
- converting the analog measurement signals generated by the photodetector into measurement digital data;
- wherein said measurement digital data includes an intensity;
- wherein the intensity contains information regarding the roughness of the surface;
- wherein the intensity contains information regarding the light intensity of the surface;
- and
- wherein the intensity of the measurement digital data is composed of an amplitude and an offset.
A sensor device for being carried on a vehicle while determining the roughness of a surface of a roadway on which the vehicle is traveling, the sensor device comprising:
- a photodetector configured to be carried on the vehicle while pointed at the roadway for imaging a portion of the surface onto the photodetector as an image;
- wherein the photodetector is configured to generate measurement analog signals from the image;
- an evaluation unit configured to convert the measurement analog signals into measurement digital data;
- an evaluation program configured to load and evaluate the measurement digital data;
- wherein the measurement digital data includes an intensity that contains information regarding the roughness of the surface and information regarding the light intensity of the surface;
- and
- wherein the intensity of the measurement digital data is composed of an amplitude and an offset.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.