Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for measuring road surface conditions

US5801647A · kind A · utility

79Cited by
8References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 6, 1996
Grant dateSep 1, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 6, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG08B19/02
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for measuring road surface conditions. In the method of measuring road surface conditions, the conditions prevailing on the surface of a road are measured by a sensor head mounted in the pavement of the road with the top surface of the sensor head aligned substantially flush with the pavement of the road. According to the invention, an optical signal is impinged from below the road to the top surface of the road, the reflection/backscatter of the optical signal is measured inside the pavement layer of the road, and weather/driving conditions prevailing on the road top surface are determined from the reflected and backscattered signal values.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.