Advanced Vehicular Signage for Enhanced Data Communication

Abstract

A system and method in which road markings, such as center-lane, shoulder markings and vertically oriented sign markings, are surface coatings configured to transmit machine-readable data to electronic equipment on self-driving or driving-assisted vehicles. In an embodiment, painted markings create a type of matrix code or barcode that can be read by optical detection systems in a vehicle. The data is used to inform active safety systems about road conditions, obstacles, grades, speed limits, turns, HOV, EV, or autonomous lane options, as well as other data, to safely conduct autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles. In some embodiments markings are applied with coatings that are readable by electronic components and cameras onboard a vehicle, and may not be visible to humans.

Claims

1. An apparatus for road signage, the apparatus comprising: a coating that is readable by electronic equipment configured to apply to a surface; and said coating, on a surface in view of a vehicle receiver, is readable by a processor electronically coupled to said receiver; wherein said coating transmits roadway-specific data for use by a vehicle operating on said roadways

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said coating is visible to the human eye.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said coating is invisible to the human eye

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said coating includes traditional roadway markings known to vehicle operators.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said surface is a pre-existing component of conventional road signage.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said surface is conventional road markings that are applied as segments that make a matrix code.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: coating is applied as part of the roadway-building process.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said coating is applied after the roadway is completed.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said surface is a conventional road.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said coating is applied as part of the roadway-building process.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said coating is utilized by fully autonomous vehicles.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said roadway-specific data includes speed, grade, vehicular spacing, braking points and speed-zone changes.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said data is in the form of a matrix code.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said data may be repeated along a length of roadway.

15. An apparatus for road signage, the apparatus comprising: a projector configured to project an image onto a roadway surface; and said surface is in view of a vehicle receiver, is readable by a processor electronically coupled to said receiver; wherein said image transmits roadway-specific data for use by a vehicle operating on said roadways

16. A method for providing information to vehicle self-driving equipment, the method comprising: providing a coating that is readable by electronic visualization equipment: and applying information readable by said electronic visualization equipment to a surface: and capturing an image of said readable coating with said electronic visualization equipment; and transmitting said information to a processor: wherein information transmitted to said processor is used by vehicle self-driving equipment to assist in conducting said vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein: said coating is visible to the human eye.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein: said coating is invisible to the human eye.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising: applying information readable by said electronic visualization equipment to components of conventional road signage.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising: applying said coating in the form of machine-readable information to a transparent surface material; and applying adhesive to one side of said transparent surface material: and applying said transparent surface material and coating to a surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 is an illustration of an example of the embodiment on a road sign.

[0012] FIG. 2 is an illustration of an example of the embodiment on a road-line marking.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] FIG. 1 shows an illustration of a road sign 110 with a QR code 112 applied over the road sign 110 in a coating that is readable by electronic equipment. The QR code 112 is shown in pixelated format to demonstrate that it is in a spectrum not necessarily visible to the human eye.

[0014] FIG. 2 shows an illustration of a road-line segment 114 with a barcode 116 applied over the line marking in a coating that is readable by electronic equipment. The barcode 116 is shown in pixelated format to demonstrate that it is in a spectrum not necessarily visible to the human eye.