Patent Publication Number: US-2018040090-A1

Title: Road health (pothole) detection over wireless infrastructure

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/370,971 filed on Aug. 4, 2016, which the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosure relates to an arrangement for protecting motor vehicles from potholes, icy roads, and other hazardous road conditions. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Roads are known to develop hazardous conditions, such as potholes, layers of ice thereon, or some type of debris laying on the road, such as roadkill. These hazardous conditions may cause damage to the vehicles and/or vehicle collisions as the vehicles lose traction and control. Currently, the usual way in which such hazardous conditions are rectified is that a driver who encounters the conditions reports them via telephone or email to a governmental entity who may then fill the pothole, put salt on the icy road, or remove the debris, for example. This type of reporting is unreliable, time-consuming, and late in coming, however, and many additional vehicles may suffer through the hazardous conditions before a correction is finally made. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention may include a vehicle including a sensor for detecting a road hazard and a transceiver for wirelessly reporting the hazard to a governmental entity. The sensor may be an accelerometer for detecting the jarring of the vehicle when hitting a pothole or when hitting an object lying in the road. The sensor could also be a traction sensor for detecting icy road conditions. An electronic processor may analyze the output signal of the accelerometer to recognize the characteristic of a pothole or other object being hit by a tire of the vehicle. In response to detecting the road hazard, the processor may wirelessly report the hazard to a central authority, such as a governmental entity. The governmental entity may respond by displaying a warning message on an electronic billboard at a point in the road before the hazard, wirelessly broadcasting a warning message, and/or by dispatching maintenance personnel to rectify the hazard. 
     In one embodiment, the invention comprises a motor vehicle including a road condition sensor detecting a hazardous condition of a road on which the motor vehicle is traveling. A global positioning system detects a global position of the motor vehicle. An electronic processor is communicatively coupled to the road condition sensor and to the global positioning sensor. The electronic processor receives a road condition signal from the road condition sensor. The road condition signal is indicative of the hazardous condition of the road on which the motor vehicle is traveling. The electronic processor receives a global position signal from the global positioning sensor. The global position signal is indicative of the global position of the motor vehicle. The electronic processor causes a road hazard signal to be wirelessly transmitted to an entity disposed remote from the motor vehicle. The road hazard signal is indicative of the hazardous condition of the road on which the motor vehicle is traveling and of a global position at which the hazardous condition of the road exists. 
     In another embodiment, the invention comprises a method of operating a motor vehicle, including detecting a hazardous condition of a road on which the motor vehicle is traveling. A global position of the motor vehicle is sensed. A road condition signal is transmitted. The road condition signal is indicative of the hazardous condition of the road on which the motor vehicle is traveling. A global position signal is transmitted. The global position signal is indicative of the global position of the motor vehicle. A road hazard signal is caused to be wirelessly transmitted from the motor vehicle to an entity disposed remote from the motor vehicle. The road hazard signal is indicative of the hazardous condition of the road on which the motor vehicle is traveling and of a global position at which the hazardous condition of the road exists. 
     In yet another embodiment, the invention comprises a motor vehicle including a road condition sensor detecting a hazardous condition of a road on which the motor vehicle is traveling. A global positioning system detects a global position of the motor vehicle. An electronic processor is communicatively coupled to the road condition sensor and to the global positioning sensor. The electronic processor receives a road condition signal from the road condition sensor. The road condition signal is indicative of the hazardous condition of the road on which the motor vehicle is traveling. The electronic processor receives a global position signal from the global positioning sensor. The global position signal is indicative of the global position of the motor vehicle. The electronic processor causes road hazard data to be wirelessly transmitted to an entity disposed remote from the motor vehicle. The road hazard data is indicative of the hazardous condition of the road on which the motor vehicle is traveling and of a global position at which the hazardous condition of the road exists. 
     An advantage of the present invention is that it may enable potholes and other road hazards to be rectified more quickly. Another advantage is that other drivers may be more quickly warned of the road hazard before it is rectified. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a road hazard mitigation arrangement of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart of one embodiment of a road hazard mitigation method of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart of one embodiment of a method of the present invention for operating a motor vehicle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a road hazard mitigation arrangement  10  of the present invention, including a vehicle  12 , a governmental entity  14 , an electronic road sign  16 , and road maintenance personnel  18 . Vehicle  12  includes an accelerometer  20 , a traction control sensor  22 , a global positioning system (GPS)  24 , a user interface  26 , an electronic processor  28 , and a transceiver  30 . Governmental entity  14  includes a transceiver  32  and an electronic processor  34 . 
     During use, accelerometer  20  may sense a road hazard due to the abrupt movement of vehicle  12  in response to a tire of vehicle  12  falling into a pothole or rolling over an object lying in the road. Traction control sensor  22  may sense a road hazard due to a tire of vehicle  12  losing traction on an icy road surface. Regardless of the form of the road hazard, a sensor signal indicative of the road hazard is transmitted from accelerometer  20  or traction control sensor  22  to processor  28 . GPS  24  may continually transmit the vehicle&#39;s global positioning coordinates to processor  28  such that processor  28  may determine and record the location of vehicle  12  when the road hazard is indicated to processor  28  by accelerometer  20  or traction control sensor  22 . Processor  28  may cause transceiver  30  to wirelessly report the road hazard and its location to government entity  14 . Processor  28  may also cause user interface  26  to present an indication to the driver, such as on a display screen of user interface  26 , that the road hazard has been reported to government entity  14 . 
     Transceiver  32  of government entity  14  may wirelessly receive the road hazard report from transceiver  30 . Processor  34  of government entity  14  may receive the road hazard report from transceiver  32 , analyze the report, and decide whether to cause electronic road sign  16  to display a warning message and/or dispatch road maintenance personnel  18  to fix the road hazard. Processor  34  may also transmit an acknowledgement signal to vehicle  12  via transceivers  30 ,  32 , and processor  28  may indicate to the driver via user interface  26  that the acknowledgement signal has been received. Processor  34  may transmit a warning message to vehicle  12  and other vehicles within the broadcast range of transceiver  32 , warning the drivers of the other vehicles of the reported road hazard. Processor  28  may cause the warning message from processor  34  to be presented to the driver via user interface  26 . Similarly, the warning message may be presented to the drivers of the other vehicles within broadcast range. When processor  28  receives a warning message reported by another vehicle, vehicle  12  may decide not to present the warning message to the driver if the reported hazard is not on the planned route of vehicle  12 , as determined by an optional navigation system  36  of vehicle  12 , or if vehicle  12  is not scheduled to arrive at the road hazard within a certain (e.g., predetermined) period of time in the future (e.g., within five minutes from the current time). Vehicle  12  may also decide not to present the warning message to the driver if the reported hazard is not within a certain (e.g., predetermined) distance of vehicle  12 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates one embodiment of a road hazard mitigation method  200  of the present invention. In a first step  202 , road condition data and vehicle location data are collected. On-board sensor data, such as from one or more accelerometers, may be used to detect the signature of a pothole or road surface defect/condition. For example, accelerometer  20  and traction control sensor  22  may collect road condition data, and GPS module  24  may collect vehicle location data. 
     Next, in step  204 , the road condition data and vehicle location data are wirelessly transmitted to a governmental entity. Raw sensor data or processed sensor meta data (in which the road condition signatures have been identified) may be wirelessly transmitted along with the location data. The wireless transmission may be a cellular transmission, a transmission via dedicated short range communications (DSRC), etc. For example, the data collected from accelerometer  20 , traction control sensor  22  and GPS module  24  may be wirelessly transmitted from transceiver  30  to a transceiver of a governmental entity, such as to a local governmental entity like a county department of transportation (DOT), or to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The governmental entity may include a server database and infrastructure. 
     In a final step  206 , a warning is issued and maintenance personnel are deployed. That is, a DOT entity may utilize this information to wirelessly transmit and issue warnings to other vehicles of impending situations/road hazards and deploy appropriate personnel to repair or resolve the road condition. For example, processor  34  may cause transceiver  32  to wirelessly transmit warnings of the reported road hazard to vehicles in the area of the road hazard, or within the broadcast range of transceiver  32 , and these warnings may be presented to the drivers via a user interfaces of the drivers&#39; vehicles. Processor  34  may also cause transceiver  32  to wirelessly transmit instructions to road maintenance personnel  18  to go to the location of the reported road hazard and rectify the road hazard. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment of a method  300  of the present invention for operating a motor vehicle. In a first step  302 , a hazardous condition of a road on which the motor vehicle is traveling is detected. For example, accelerometer  20  may sense a road hazard due to the abrupt movement of vehicle  12  in response to a tire of vehicle  12  falling into a pothole or rolling over an object lying in the road, or traction control sensor  22  may sense a road hazard due to a tire of vehicle  12  losing traction on an icy road surface. 
     In a next step  304 , a global position of the motor vehicle is sensed. For example, GPS  24  may continually determine the vehicle&#39;s global positioning coordinates. 
     Next, in step  306 , a road condition signal indicative of the hazardous condition of the road on which the motor vehicle is traveling is transmitted. For example, a sensor signal indicative of the road hazard is transmitted from accelerometer  20  or traction control sensor  22  to processor  28 . 
     In step  308 , a global position signal indicative of the global position of the motor vehicle is transmitted. For example, GPS  24  may continually transmit the vehicle&#39;s global positioning coordinates to processor  28 . 
     In a final step  310 , a road hazard signal is caused to be wirelessly transmitted from the motor vehicle to an entity disposed remote from the motor vehicle, the road hazard signal being indicative of the hazardous condition of the road on which the motor vehicle is traveling and of a global position at which the hazardous condition of the road exists. For example, processor  28  may cause transceiver  30  to wirelessly report the road hazard and its location to government entity  14 . 
     The foregoing description may refer to “motor vehicle”, “automobile”, “automotive”, or similar expressions. It is to be understood that these terms are not intended to limit the invention to any particular type of transportation vehicle. Rather, the invention may be applied to any type of transportation vehicle whether traveling by air, water, or ground, such as airplanes, boats, etc. 
     The foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom for modifications can be made by those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.