Optical articles and systems interacting with the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12159177-B2
Application number	US-202217654499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2022
Priority date	Feb 20, 2017
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

Optical articles including a spatially defined arrangement of a plurality of data rich retroreflective elements, wherein the plurality of retroreflective elements comprise retroreflective elements having at least two different retroreflective properties and at least two different optical contrasts with respect to a background substrate when observed within an ultraviolet spectrum, a visible spectrum, a near-infrared spectrum, or a combination thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a) an article comprising a spatially defined arrangement of a plurality of data rich retroreflective elements, wherein the plurality of retroreflective elements comprise retroreflective elements having at least two different retroreflective properties and at least two different optical contrasts with respect to a background substrate when observed within an ultraviolet spectrum, a visible spectrum, a near-infrared spectrum, or a combination thereof; wherein the spatially defined arrangement comprises geometric arrangement in which the retroreflective elements are positioned with a distance from their neighboring retroreflective elements, and wherein the retroreflective elements have a periodicity from one element to another within the spatially defined arrangement;
b) an optical system, wherein the optical system is part of a vehicle, and further wherein the vehicle uses the information as an input to an autonomous driving module; and
c) an inference engine for interpreting and classifying the plurality of retroreflective elements wherein the optical system feeds data to the inference engine.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the article is disposed on at least one of: infrastructure, targets, wearables, and vehicles.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle uses the information to provide human language feedback to the driver.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle uses the information to provide at least one of haptic, audible or visual feedback to the driver.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data rich plurality of retroreflective elements is visible in the infrared spectrum.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information related to the data rich plurality of retroreflective articles comprises at least one of: road workers expected, pedestrians expected, construction workers expected, students expected, emergency responder workers expected.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inference engine is locally stored as a component of the optical system.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical system communicates with the inference engine using a wireless communication protocol.

9. A system comprising:
a) an article comprising a spatially defined arrangement of a plurality of data rich retroreflective elements, wherein the plurality of retroreflective elements comprise retroreflective elements having at least two different retroreflective properties and at least two different optical contrasts with respect to a background substrate when observed within an ultraviolet spectrum, a visible spectrum, a near-infrared spectrum, or a combination thereof; wherein the spatially defined arrangement comprises geometric arrangement in which the retroreflective elements are positioned with a distance from their neighboring retroreflective elements, and wherein the retroreflective elements have a periodicity from one element to another within the spatially defined arrangement; and wherein the information related to the data rich plurality of retroreflective articles comprises at least one of: road workers expected, pedestrians expected, construction workers expected, students expected, emergency responder workers expected
b) an optical system; and
c) an inference engine for interpreting and classifying the plurality of retroreflective elements wherein the optical system feeds data to the inference engine.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the article is disposed on at least one of: infrastructure, targets, wearables, and vehicles.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the optical system is part of a vehicle, and further wherein the vehicle uses the information as an input to an autonomous driving module.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle uses the information to provide human language feedback to the driver.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle uses the information to provide at least one of haptic, audible or visual feedback to the driver.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the inference engine is locally stored as a component of the optical system or wherein the optical system communicates with the inference engine using a wireless communication protocol.

15. A system comprising:
a) an article comprising a spatially defined arrangement of a plurality of data rich retroreflective elements, wherein the plurality of retroreflective elements comprise retroreflective elements having at least two different retroreflective properties and at least two different optical contrasts with respect to a background substrate when observed within an ultraviolet spectrum, a visible spectrum, a near-infrared spectrum, or a combination thereof; wherein the spatially defined arrangement comprises geometric arrangement in which the retroreflective elements are positioned with a distance from their neighboring retroreflective elements, and wherein the retroreflective elements have a periodicity from one element to another within the spatially defined arrangement;
b) an optical system; and
c) an inference engine for interpreting and classifying the plurality of retroreflective elements wherein the optical system feeds data to the inference engine, and wherein the inference engine is locally stored as a component of the optical system or wherein the optical system communicates with the inference engine using a wireless communication protocol.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the article is disposed on at least one of: infrastructure, targets, wearables, and vehicles.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the optical system is part of a vehicle, and further wherein the vehicle uses the information as an input to an autonomous driving module.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the vehicle uses the information to provide at least one of haptic, audible, visual or human language feedback to the driver.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the information related to the data rich plurality of retroreflective articles comprises at least one of: road workers expected, pedestrians expected, construction workers expected, students expected, emergency responder workers expected.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Company

Inventors

• Mccoy Michael A
• Gold Anne C
• Guttmann Silvia Geciova-Borovova
• Casner Glenn E
• Gardner Timothy J
• Kong Steven H
• Singh Gautam
• Kahl Jonathan T
• Anderson Nathan J
• Aune Catherine L
• Ylitalo Caroline M
• Billingsley Britton G
• Afridi Muhammad J
• Chen-Ho Kui
• Potts Travis L
• Shannon Robert W
• Somasundaram Guruprasad

Classifications

• G02B5/305

  including organic materials, e.g. polymeric layers · CPC title

• G02B5/124

  plural reflecting elements forming part of a unitary plate or sheet · CPC title

• G06K2019/0629

  Holographic, diffractive or retroreflective recording · CPC title

• G02B5/3025

  Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state (G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B5/12

  Reflex reflectors · CPC title