Patent ID: 6194486
Filing Date: 2001-02-27
Classification: E01F,H01Q

Abstract:
A roadway marker system including a roadway marker on a roadway surface, a vehicle for travel upon and along said roadway surface, comprising in combination: a MMW radiometric detector carried by said vehicle for detecting MMW radiometric temperature from a small area of roadway surface proximate said vehicle, said roadway surface having a first MMW radiometric temperature reflecting characteristic said roadway marker comprising:a roadway marking paint, said roadway marking paint including: a mixture of thermoplastic material and a solid particulate material, said solid particulate material further comprising particles, said particles being homogeneously distributed within said thermoplastic material, said thermoplastic material having a second MMW radiometric temperature reflecting characteristic and said solid particulate material having a third MMW radiometric temperature reflecting characteristic, said third MMW radiometric temperature reflecting characteristic being greater than either of said first or second MMW radiometric temperature reflecting characteristic and wherein said third MMW radiometric temperature reflecting characteristic predominates over said second MMW temperature reflecting characteristic of said thermoplastic material; said homogeneously distributed particles being of a shape and size sufficient to render said roadway marking paint highly reflective to MMW energy, wherein said roadway marking paint contrasts significantly in MMW radiometric temperature reflectivity with said roadway surface enabling said MMW radiometric detector to distinguish the presence of said roadway marker paint from the presence solely of said roadway surface.