Virtual profilograph for road surface quality assessment
US7689351B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 31, 2006 |
| Grant date | Mar 30, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 28, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S19/14
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A virtual profilograph is disclosed that can provide measurements indicative of the ride quality of a roadway as the road is being constructed. As a result, a more timely, less costly indication of the ride quality of a roadway is obtained as compared to prior methods. In a first embodiment a Global Navigation Satellite System antenna is attached to a vehicle. When the vehicle travels over a roadway, measurements of the position of the antenna are recorded at different times. A profile of the roadway is created by measuring the elevation of the antenna as a function of the distance traveled from a starting point. In another embodiment, tilt sensors are used to measure the slope of the roadway and the tilt of the vehicle so that a precise orientation of the vehicle and, hence, the contours of the roadway, can be determined.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.