Sensor-based infrastructure condition monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12474477-B2
Application number	US-202117500334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2021
Priority date	Oct 13, 2021
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A processing system including at least one processor may gather first imaging data associated with an infrastructure item via at least a first imaging device, where the first imaging data represents a first condition of the infrastructure item, and gather second imaging data associated with the infrastructure item via at least a second imaging device, where at least one of the at least the first imaging device or the at least the second imaging device is mounted on a vehicle, and where the infrastructure item is visible from a road on which the vehicle operates. The processing system may then determine a second condition of the infrastructure item in accordance with the second imaging data, where the second condition comprises a potentially unsafe condition of the infrastructure item, and generate a report of the potentially unsafe condition of the infrastructure item in response to the determining.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
gathering, by a processing system including at least one processor, first imaging data associated with an infrastructure item via at least a first imaging device, wherein the first imaging data represents a first condition of the infrastructure item; gathering, by the processing system, second imaging data associated with the infrastructure item via at least a second imaging device, wherein at least one of: the at least the first imaging device or the at least the second imaging device is mounted on a vehicle, and wherein the infrastructure item is visible from a road on which the vehicle operates; determining, by the processing system, a second condition of the infrastructure item in accordance with the second imaging data, wherein the second condition comprises a potentially unsafe condition of the infrastructure item, wherein the determining is based upon a comparison of the second imaging data with the first imaging data; instructing, by the processing system, at least a third imaging device to deploy to a location of the infrastructure item to gather additional imaging data associated with the infrastructure item; confirming, by the processing system, the second condition of the infrastructure item based upon the additional imaging data; and generating, by the processing system, a report of the potentially unsafe condition of the infrastructure item in response to the confirming of the second condition of the infrastructure item.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the report comprises an order to perform a maintenance associated with the infrastructure item.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the infrastructure item comprises a traffic sign.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the infrastructure item comprises a street light or a path light.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the second condition comprises the street light or the path light being in a non-illuminated state, and wherein the non-illuminated state is detected in accordance with a machine learning-based detection model.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the infrastructure item comprises a fire hydrant.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the second condition comprises the fire hydrant in an open state, and wherein the open state is detected in accordance with a machine learning-based detection model.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the infrastructure item comprises a road marking.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the second condition comprises the road marking being undetectable to the at least the second imaging device or the road marking being detected by the at least the second imaging device with a confidence level below a threshold.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second condition of the infrastructure item is detected when the second imaging data is indicative of the second condition and is obtained via a threshold number of the at least the second imaging device or a percentage of the at least the second imaging device over a threshold period of time.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least the first imaging device comprises at least a first camera and the at least the second imaging device comprises at least a second camera.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least the first imaging device comprises at least a first light detection and ranging sensor and the at least the second imaging device comprises at least a second light detection and ranging sensor; or the at least the first imaging device comprises at least a first radar sensor and the at least the second imaging device comprises at least a second light radar sensor.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of: the at least the first imaging device or the at least the second imaging device comprises at least one of:
a mobile smartphone; an augmented reality headset; or an uncrewed aerial vehicle.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructing further includes:
instructing the at least the third imaging device to orient in a direction of the infrastructure item.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first condition comprises a first state of growth associated with vegetation around the infrastructure item, and wherein the second condition comprises a second state of growth associated with the vegetation around the infrastructure item.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first condition comprises a first confidence of determination of alphanumeric information of the infrastructure item, and wherein the second condition comprises a second confidence of determination of the alphanumeric information of the infrastructure item.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
correlating the first condition of the infrastructure item to a first weather condition; and correlating the second condition of the infrastructure item to a second weather condition, wherein the report includes an indication of at least one of: the first condition of the infrastructure item being associated with the first weather condition or the second condition of the infrastructure item being associated with the second weather condition.

18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing system including at least one processor, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
gathering first imaging data associated with an infrastructure item via at least a first imaging device, wherein the first imaging data represents a first condition of the infrastructure item; gathering second imaging data associated with the infrastructure item via at least a second imaging device, wherein at least one of the at least the first imaging device or the at least the second imaging device is mounted on a vehicle, and wherein the infrastructure item is visible from a road on which the vehicle operates; determining a second condition of the infrastructure item in accordance with the second imaging data, wherein the second condition comprises a potentially unsafe condition of the infrastructure item, wherein the determining is based upon a comparison of the second imaging data with the first imaging data; instructing at least a third imaging device to deploy to a location of the infrastructure item to gather additional imaging data associated with the infrastructure item; confirming the second condition of the infrastructure item based upon the additional imaging data; and generating a report of the potentially unsafe condition of the infrastructure item in response to the confirming of the second condition of the infrastructure item.

19 . An apparatus comprising:
a processing system including at least one processor; and a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
gathering first imaging data associated with an infrastructure item via at least a first imaging device, wherein the first imaging data represents a first condition of the infrastructure item;
gathering second imaging data associated with the infrastructure item via at least a second imaging device, wherein at least one of the at least the first imaging device or the at least the second imaging device is mounted on a vehicle, and wherein the infrastructure item is visible from a road on which the vehicle operates;
determining a second condition of the infrastructure item in accordance with the second imaging data, whe

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Chien Ginger
• Cui Zhi
• Zavesky Eric
• Moton Jr Robert T
• Luu Adrianne Binh
• Koch Robert

Classifications

• G06T7/97

  Determining parameters from multiple pictures (depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85) · CPC title

• G06T2207/20081

  Training; Learning · CPC title

• G06T2207/30261

  Obstacle · CPC title

• G06T2207/20084

  Artificial neural networks [ANN] · CPC title

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title