Apparatus and method for detecting road surface properties

A method of detecting a road surface property, the method comprising:

• storing, on a memory, a reflectivity table which includes a degree of reflectivity of a rainy road relative to a reference reflectivity, a degree of reflectivity of a snowy road relative to the reference reflectivity and a degree of reflectivity of a dry road relative to the reference reflectivity;
• measuring, by a controller, a reflection wherein the reflection is amount of a laser beam that is emitted through a light emitting unit of a laser sensor, reflected from the road surface, and received by a light receiving unit;
• calculating, by the controller, a degree of reflectivity, wherein the degree of reflectivity is a ratio of the measured reflection to in comparison to the reference reflectivity;
• and
• detecting, by the controller, a road surface property corresponding to the calculated degree of reflectivity based on the reflectivity table;
• wherein the degree of reflectivity of a dry road is 1, the degree of reflectivity of a rainy road is less than 1, and the degree of reflectivity of a snowy road is greater than 1.

An apparatus for detecting a road surface property, the apparatus comprising:

• a memory configured to store a reflectivity table that includes a degree of reflectivity of a rainy road relative to a reference reflectivity, a degree of reflectivity of a snowy road relative to the reference reflectivity, and a degree of reflectivity of a dry road relative to the reference reflectivity and store a plurality of program instructions;
• and configured to store a plurality of program instructions;
• a processor configured to execute the program instructions, the program instructions when executed configured to:
• detect abnormalities on a road surface based on a surface image of a road in front of a vehicle captured by an image capturing device;
• operate a laser sensor upon detection of an abnormality on the road surface;
• measure a reflection wherein the reflection is an amount of a laser beam that is emitted through a light emitting unit of the laser sensor, reflected from the road surface, and received by a light receiving unit;
• calculate a degree of reflectivity wherein the degree of reflectivity is a ratio of the measured reflection in comparison to the reference reflectivity;
• and
• detect a road surface property that corresponds to the calculated degree of reflectivity based on the reflectivity table;
• wherein the degree of reflectivity of a dry road is 1, the degree of reflectivity of a rainy road is less than 1, and the degree of reflectivity of a snowy road is greater than 1.

A method of detecting a road surface property, the method comprising:

• Storing, in a memory, a reflectivity table that includes a degree of reflectivity of a rainy road relative to a reference reflectivity, a degree of reflectivity of a snowy road relative to the reference reflectivity, and a degree of reflectivity of a dry road relative to the reference reflectivity;
• detecting, by a controller, abnormalities on the road surface based on a surface image of a road in front of a vehicle captured by an image capturing device;
• operating, by the controller, a laser sensor upon detection of an abnormality of the road surface by the image processing unit;
• measuring, by the controller, a reflection wherein the reflection is an amount of a laser beam that is emitted through a light emitting unit of the laser sensor, reflected from the road surface, and received by a light receiving unit;
• calculating, by the controller, a degree of reflectivity wherein the degree of reflectivity is a ratio of the measured reflection in comparison to the reference reflectivity;
• and
• detecting, by the controller, the road surface property corresponding to the calculated degree of reflectivity based on the reflectivity table;
• wherein the degree of reflectivity of a dry road is 1, the degree of reflectivity of a rainy road is less than 1, and the degree of reflectivity of a snowy road is greater than 1.