US 4,690,553 AGranted

Road surface condition detection system

AssigneeOmron Tateisi Electronics Co.

InventorsHiroshi Fukamizu, Masaji Nakano, Kunio Iba, Taro Yamasaki, Kenji Sano

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Road surface condition detection system comprising light projector means for projecting light including the infrared region of the spectrum to a road surface to sense the condition thereof, the infrared having wavelengths at which the reflectance of snow is smaller than that of the road surface in a dry condition, light receiving means for receiving light reflected from the road surface, comparisons means for comparing the output signals generated from the light receiving means with reference signal levels corresponding to dry, wet, snowy and frozen conditions, and judging means for judging the road surface to be one of the conditions in accordance with results of comparison.

Claims11

Dependent claims

Road surface condition detection system comprising:

light projecting means for projecting light including infrared light to a road surface to sense the condition thereof;
said infrared light having a wavelength or wavelengths at which the reflectance of snow is smaller than that of asid road surface in a dry condition,
light receiving means for receiving light reflected from said road surface and for generating output signals representing the luminous energy of said reflected light;
comparison means for comparing said output signals with predetermined reference signals levels corresponding to classified road surface conditions so as to generate comparison output signals representing results of comparison;
and
judging means for judging said road surface to be one of said classified road surface conditions in accordance with said comparison output signals.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/158,901Filed 12 Jun 1980
Priority: JP 54-8311229 Jun 1979
Granted: 1 Sep 1987
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G01W 1/14
Meteorology: rainfall or precipitation gauges
G06V 20/54
Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects: of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats
G06V 20/56
Context or environment of the image: exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
G09F 27/005
Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address: signs associated with a sensor