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US 6,977,597 B2Granted
Vehicle mounted travel surface and weather condition monitoring system
OwnerJohn A. Dohertyinventor
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OwnerJohn A. Dohertyinventor
Estimating the term…
A system and apparatus for detecting and evaluating surface conditions on a road surface and atmospheric conditions simultaneously from a vehicle is disclosed. The system comprises a sensor for detecting the presence of deposited material on a road surface, a detector for determining one or more characteristics of the deposited material such as freezing temperature, process means for converting a detected signal and display means for displaying the condition of the road surface, and a sensor for detecting falling precipitation. An embodiment of the present invention includes a remote sensing apparatus which utilizes electromagnetic radiation to sense actual surface material conditions, temperatures, and composition and local atmospheric conditions at the vehicle as it is moving over a travel surface. This information is then processed through a computer in order to determine those additional steps necessary to apply additional materials to the road surface in order to minimize hazardous driving conditions.
A method of controlling a material moving device connected with a vehicle, the material moving device being capable of moving through a plurality of positions, the method comprising:
A method of determining a quantity of a road conditioning material to deposit on a vehicle travel surface having at least a first quantity of road conditioning material on the vehicle travel surface, the method comprising:
A method of determining a quantity of a road conditioning material to deposit on a vehicle travel surface comprising:
An apparatus for determining a quantity of a road conditioning material to deposit on a vehicle travel surface comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.