Marker installation method and marker installation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11339543-B2
Application number	US-201816770646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2018
Priority date	Dec 12, 2017
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

An installation system has a laser range finder set at a reference position to measure a distance to a target, an installation cart which performs operation for laying a magnetic marker in a road, and an arithmetic unit which identifies a position relation of a laying position where the magnetic marker is laid with respect to the reference position. When operation for laying the magnetic marker in a road is performed, by taking the installation cart during performing the operation of laying the magnetic marker in the road as a target, based on a distance to the installation cart measured by the laser range finder, the position relation of the laying position with respect to the reference position is identified by the arithmetic unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A marker installation method for laying a plurality of markers detected by a vehicle, the method comprising:
setting a surveying device which measures a distance to a target at a reference position;
when an operation for laying each respective marker among the plurality of markers is performed, measuring, by using the surveying device, a distance to an installation device which performs the operation for laying;
identifying, using the distance measured, a position relation of a laying position where the respective marker is laid with respect to the reference position;
identifying a position, which has the position relation identified with respect to the reference position, as the laying position of the respective marker;
storing the laying position of the respective marker; and
accumulating the stored laying position of the respective markers as laying information of the plurality of markers in a database.

2. The marker installation method in claim 1 , wherein the surveying device includes at least two surveying devices which are set at different reference positions, and the position relation is identified based on distances to the installation device measured by the at least two surveying devices.

3. The marker installation method in claim 1 , wherein the surveying device is able to measure the distance to the installation device and an azimuth where the installation device is positioned with respect to a reference azimuth, and
the position relation is identified by the distance to the installation device measured by the surveying device and the azimuth where the installation device is positioned.

4. The marker installation method in claim 1 , wherein while the installation device is able to provide laying positions at a plurality of locations without position change, the surveying device measures distances to the installation device for measurement points at at least two locations of the installation device, and
an orientation of the installation device is identified by using the distances to the installation device measured by the surveying device for the measurement points at the at least two locations of the installation device, and thereby orientation of the laying positions at the plurality of locations are identified.

5. The marker installation method in claim 1 , the method further comprising a step of forming a marker laying line indicating the laying position of the respective markers on a road surface, a step of setting the installation device with reference to the marker laying line, and a step of performing the operation for laying the respective markers.

6. The installation method in claim 5 , wherein the step of forming the marker laying line is a step to be performed by an operation vehicle as traveling, the operation vehicle equipped with a tank which stores a marking fluid, which is a material for forming the marker laying line, and a dropping device which drops the marking fluid onto a road surface.

7. The marker installation method in claim 6 , wherein the installation device includes a traveling mechanism part for movement and a control part which controls the traveling mechanism part, and the step of setting the installation device is performed by the control part controlling the traveling mechanism part.

8. A marker installation system for laying a plurality of markers detected by a vehicle, the system comprising:
a surveying device set at a reference position to measure a distance to a target;
an installation device including an operation unit which performs an operation for laying each respective marker among the plurality of markers;
a laying position identifying part which identifies a position relation of a laying position where a respective marker is laid with respect to the reference position; and
a database for storing information of laying positions of the respective markers, wherein
the laying position identifying part is configured to identify the position relation of the laying position of the respective marker with respect to the reference position based on a distance to the installation device measured by the surveying device by taking the installation device performing the operation for laying the respective marker as a target, and to identify a position, which has the position relation identified with respect to the reference position, as the laying position of the respective marker,
the database is configured to store the laying position of the respective markers, and to accumulate the stored laying position of the respective markers as laying information of the plurality of markers.

9. The marker installation system in claim 8 , wherein the survey device includes at least two surveying devices which are set at different reference positions, and the laying position identifying part is configured to identify the position relation based on distances to the installation device measured by the at least two surveying devices.

10. The marker installation system in claim 8 , wherein the surveying device is able to measure the distance to the installation device and an azimuth where the installation device is positioned, and
the laying position identifying part is configured to identify the position relation by the distance to the installation device measured by the surveying device and the azimuth where the installation device is positioned.

11. The marker installation system in claim 8 , wherein while the installation device is able to provide laying positions at a plurality of locations without position change, the surveying device measures distances to the installation device for measurement points at at least two locations of the installation device, and
the laying position identifying part is configured to identify orientation of the installation device by using the distances to the installation device measured by the surveying device for the measurement points at the at least two locations of the installation device, and thereby orientation of the laying positions at the plurality of locations are identified.

12. The marker installation method in claim 2 , wherein the surveying device is able to measure the distance to the installation device and an azimuth where the installation device is positioned with respect to a reference azimuth, and
the position relation is identified by the distance to the installation device measured by the surveying device and the azimuth where the installation device is positioned.

13. The marker installation method in claim 2 , wherein while the installation device is able to provide laying positions at a plurality of locations without position change, the surveying device measures distances to the installation device for measurement points at at least two locations of the installation device, and
an orientation of the installation device is identified by using the distances to the installation device measured by the surveying device for the measurement points at the at least two locations of the installation device, and thereby orientation of the laying positions at the plurality of locations are identified.

14. The marker installation method in claim 3 , wherein while the installation device is able to provide laying positions at a plurality of locations without position change, the surveying device measures distances to the installation device for measurement points at at least two locations of the installation device, and
an orientation of the installation device is identified by using the distances to the installation device measured by the surveying device for the measurement points at the at least two locations of the i

Assignees

• Aichi Steel Corp

Inventors

• Yamamoto Michiharu
• Nagao Tomohiko
• Aoyama Hitoshi
• Fujiya Masayoshi
• Takeuchi Shin
• Takeishi Hideto
• NISHIYAMA Taizo

Classifications

• E01C23/18

  for applying prefabricated markings · CPC title

• E01C23/163 Primary

  for marking-out the location of the markings; Guiding or steering devices for marking apparatus, e.g. sights · CPC title

• G01C15/06

  Surveyors' staffs; Movable markers · CPC title

• E01C23/0946 Primary

  specially for forming recesses to receive marking materials or markers, e.g. cutters for milling traffic line channels, core drills for button-setting (other tools E01C23/0993) · CPC title

• G01C15/002

  Active optical surveying means (optical plumbing G01C15/105) · CPC title