Abstract:
A vehicle-mountable system is provided for monitoring road surface defects. The system may include a detector to detect a surface defect in a road surface along which a vehicle is traveling. A positioning system may determine an instant location of the vehicle, and a repository may store a location of the surface defect with reference to the instant location. A controller unit may receive and compare the instant location with the location of the surface defect to identify an imminent surface defect encounter. The controller unit may also identify guidance instructions to minimize an effect of the imminent surface defect encounter. Finally, an interface may relay the guidance instructions to the vehicle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Navigation systems have become increasingly popular in recent years. Typical navigation systems include a small electronic device that provides information that facilitates a driver&#39;s ability to reach a desired destination. Generally, navigation systems operate by detecting where the navigation unit is positioned (using Global Positioning Satellites (“GPS”)), and by applying that position to a context, using a map and the desired destination, for example. Based on this information, the navigation system may suggest how the driver should navigate the vehicle (e.g., turn right in 500 meters) to get to the desired destination. The navigation system may also suggest possible route alternatives based on the map and personal preferences (e.g., avoiding motorways), and may provide additional information such as broadcasts of traffic information (e.g., traffic jams on certain routes). 
         [0002]    While this information is often helpful, known navigation systems are not equipped to inform a driver of hazardous and other unsafe road conditions such as damaged pavement, road obstructions, and debris, which might compromise an otherwise desirable route of travel. Indeed, such conditions may damage a vehicle, and may pose a danger for passengers contained therein. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    Embodiments of the invention have been developed to monitor road surface defects and enable drivers to avoid such defects. 
         [0004]    In one embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle-mountable system is provided for monitoring road surface defects. The system may include a detector to detect a surface defect in a road surface along which a vehicle is traveling. A positioning system may determine an instant location of the vehicle, and a repository may store a location of the surface defect with reference to the instant location. A controller unit may receive and compare the instant location with the location of the surface defect to identify an imminent surface defect encounter. The controller unit may also identify guidance instructions to minimize an effect of the imminent surface defect encounter. Finally, an interface may relay the guidance instructions to the vehicle. 
         [0005]    A corresponding method and computer program product are also disclosed and claimed herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    In order that the advantages of the disclosure will be readily understood, a more particular description of embodiments of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered limiting of its scope, embodiments of the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of a system in accordance with embodiments of the invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  depicts functional blocks of a generic computer system; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  illustrates a system suitable for implementing embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating the flow of activities relating to one embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  depicts an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    It will be readily understood that the components of embodiments of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the systems and methods of the present invention, as represented in the Figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, as claimed, but is merely representative of selected embodiments of the invention. 
         [0013]    Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. 
         [0014]    Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that embodiments of the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the disclosure. 
         [0015]    The illustrated embodiments of the invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. The following description is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain selected embodiments of the invention that are consistent with the disclosure as claimed herein. 
         [0016]    With reference now to  FIG. 1 , a vehicle-mounted system  100  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is depicted. The system  100  may include a controller unit  101  connected to a positioning system  103  (e.g., a GPS satellite receiver) and to one or more detectors  107 . The controller unit  101  may be a mobile computer unit, vehicle unit, or more generally any kind of data processing system capable of receiving and processing data. The detectors  107 , together with the positioning system  103 , may identify road surface defects. This data may be collected and stored for later use by the controller unit  101 . 
         [0017]    The detectors  107  may operate, for example, by means of bump sensors that may also provide information on the size and the depth of the bump based on the detected shock with respect to the vehicle speed. It is noted that these kinds of shock detectors (i.e., bump sensors) may be found on cars to adjust the active suspension system of the car. According to one embodiment of the present invention, such information may be stored in a local repository or database. Other solutions, however, may include transmitting the information to a server equipped to collect, process and transmit such information to a plurality of connected endpoints (e.g., a plurality of subscribed satellite receivers). 
         [0018]    The controller unit  101 , with the assistance of the positioning system  103  may monitor the position of the vehicle and, when the position of one of the identified road surface defects is approaching, may take the necessary actions to minimize the effect of such defects to the vehicle and its passengers. 
         [0019]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a generic computer of a system in accordance with the present invention (e.g., a mobile computer unit, central server, router, and transmitter) is denoted with  150 . The computer  150  may be formed by several units that are connected in parallel to a system bus  153 . 
         [0020]    In detail, one or more microprocessors (μP)  156  may control operation of the computer  150 . A RAM  159  may be directly used as a working memory by the microprocessors  156 , and a ROM  162  may store basic code for a bootstrap of the computer  150 . Peripheral units may be clustered around a local bus  165  by means of respective interfaces. Particularly, a mass memory may consist of a hard-disk  168  and a drive  171  for reading CD-ROMs  174 . Moreover, the computer  150  may include input devices  177  (for example, a keyboard and a mouse), and output devices  180  (for example, a monitor and a printer). A Network Interface Card (“NIC”)  183  may be used to connect the computer  150  to the network. A bridge unit  186  may provide an interface between the system bus  153  and the local bus  165 . Each microprocessor  156  and the bridge unit  186  may operate as master agents requesting an access to the system bus  153  for transmitting information. An arbiter  189  may manage granting access with mutual exclusion to the system bus  153 . 
         [0021]    Similar considerations may apply if the system has a different topology, or is based on other networks. Alternatively, the computers may have a different structure, include equivalent units, or consist of other data processing entities (such as PDAs, mobile phones, and the like). In any case, embodiments of the invention may also be suitable to be used in a system where the control of the workstations is decentralized, or even in a stand-alone computer, such as an in-vehicle satellite navigation system. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  shows a system suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 3 , a constellation of navigation satellites  311 , 312  and  313  may belong, for example, to the GPS or Galileo system. A vehicle  300  may carry a navigation system  316 . The navigation system may include a mobile computer unit  316   a , including a sensor interface  316   b  and a satellite positioning receiver  331 . The sensor interface  316   b  may receive input from, for example, the shock detectors and other sensors embedded in the vehicle  300 . The satellite positioning receiver  331  may receive timing data transmitted by the navigation satellites  311 ,  312  and  313 , and thereby determine the instantaneous position of the vehicle  300 . 
         [0023]    During operation, a sensor in the vehicle  300  may detect a bump and transmit this information to the vehicle&#39;s computer unit  316   a . The satellite positioning receiver  331  may process signals received from the navigation satellites  311 ,  312  and  313  so as to determine the position of the vehicle  300 . This information may be later used by the vehicle when it is again in proximity to the determined position. In some embodiments, the system may include a database  341  where all the detected road surface defects have been recorded together with the corresponding location. Accordingly, when the vehicle approaches a position recorded in the database  341 , as monitored by the satellite positioning receiver  331 , the driver of the vehicle may be alerted of the impending road defect. Alternatively or additionally, corrective actions may be implemented by the vehicle controller system, as described in more detail below. 
         [0024]    With reference now to  FIG. 4 , a method for monitoring a road surface in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is illustrated with a diagram. The method may begin at the black start circle  401 . Continuing to block  403 , a sensor  107  (see  FIG. 1 ) may detect the bump. As explained above, this detection may be performed in any of several ways, including by using a shock sensor mounted on the vehicle. The system may then determine the position of the bump by means of a GPS satellite receiver of the vehicle, for example (step  405 ). The combined information (i.e. the position and the nature of the defect) may be stored in the vehicle database for future use (step  407 ). 
         [0025]    In a further embodiment of the present invention, the information may be transmitted to a central controller, so that other road users may be alerted of the presence of the identified road surface defects. This transmission may be done immediately by means of a mobile telephone line such as GSM network, for example, or alternatively may be collected within the endpoint and transferred later. The central controller may put together all information received to build a map of possible bumps or road roughness. 
         [0026]    The position of the vehicle may be substantially constantly monitored by the positioning system (step  409 ) such that when the vehicle approaches one of the previously-identified positions stored on the vehicle database (step  411 ), an appropriate action may be taken at step  413 . The range of appropriate actions may be considerable, going from simply advising the users, to planning road maintenance actions, or even to applying some corrective measures for vehicle equipment to respond to the detected road conditions. The thresholds for labeling a condition “severe” may be adjusted as desired. 
         [0027]      FIG. 5  represents a further embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the system  500  may include the learning subsystem  501 , which basically corresponds to the system described above for collecting information about bumps on the road, and more generally information about road conditions. The learning subsystem  501  may be responsible for storing and updating data relating to road conditions, locations of detected bumps, bump characteristics (e.g. width, length), other available lanes, road type (e.g., paved, unpaved, gravel road), and the like. 
         [0028]    Such information may be stored on the alert database  503  within the vehicle. The database  503  may provide the necessary information to the operational subsystem  505 , which may exploit the road condition information to adjust one or more settings in the vehicle equipment. The operational subsystem  505  may also include a system  570  that provides information on the current location of the vehicle (e.g., a GPS navigator), and a speed meter  580 . 
         [0029]    The bump advisor component  560  may provide the core processing unit of the operational subsystem  505 . In certain embodiments, it receives input from the local bump database  503 , the location system  570 , and the vehicle speed meter  580 . All inputs may be analyzed and processed to provide the necessary control input to a series of equipment including, for example, a seat belt tension controller  520 , an active suspension controller  530 , and a recommended vehicle speed controller  540 . The seat belt tension controller  520  may adjust the tension of seat belts if the road is severely damaged. The active suspension controller  530  may find the best set up of the suspension system according to the road surface, and the recommended vehicle speed controller  540  may limit the maximum speed in case of difficult road conditions. An audio/visual interface  510  may be used to communicate information to the driver. Those skilled in the art, however, will appreciate that the above examples are only a selection of possible uses and implementations of the present invention. 
         [0030]    One advantage of embodiments of the present invention is that existing structures may be used to implement the invention without the need for a dedicated, complex and expensive infrastructure. Particularly, these existing structures may be exploited to implement a monitoring system able to detect road surface defects and help the driver of a vehicle respond in an appropriate manner.