Multi-sensory measuring system and method for transportation vehicle operating systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021108966-A1
Application number	US-201916596825-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 9, 2019
Priority date	Oct 9, 2019
Publication date	Apr 15, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method are provided for observing conditions in an environment around a transportation vehicle and adjusting operation of the transportation vehicle in response to the observed conditions. The temperatures of features in the environment can be determined to compensate for varying conditions in the environment in operating the transportation vehicle.

First claim

1 . A transportation vehicle comprising:
a plurality of operating systems for controlling operation of the transportation vehicle; and multi-sensory measuring means for observing conditions in an environment around the transportation vehicle by collecting thermal emission data from one or more features in the environment, capturing one or more images of the environment including the one or more features, collecting ranging information from the transportation vehicle to the one or more features, modifying the thermal emission data based on at least one of the one or more captured images and the collected ranging information, and determining a temperature of the one or more features based on the modified thermal emission data to allow the operating systems to adjust operation of the transportation vehicle in response to the observed conditions.

2 . The transportation vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the multi-sensory measuring means is further configured to collect environmental information of the environment and modifying the thermal emission data based on the collected environmental information.

3 . The transportation vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the multi-sensory measuring means is further configured to classify the one or more features to determine an emissivity of the one or more features.

4 . The transportation vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more features includes at least one of a roadway ahead of the transportation vehicle, people, water, other vehicles, and road markings.

5 . The transportation vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more features includes a roadway ahead of the transportation vehicle, and wherein the operating systems are configured to adjust at least one of vehicle dynamics, driving speed, maximum deceleration and acceleration, and maximum velocity through a curve in response to the determined temperature of the roadway.

6 . The transportation vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more features includes a roadway ahead of the transportation vehicle, wherein the multi-sensory measuring means is configured for determining a temperature profile along the roadway, and wherein the multi-sensory measuring means is further configured for determining a trajectory on the roadway with maximum friction based on the temperature profile.

7 . The transportation vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the multi-sensory measuring means is a multi-sensory measuring system that includes a thermal detector, an imaging device, and a ranging device,
wherein the thermal detector is configured to detect thermal radiation from features in an environment around the transportation vehicle and collect thermal emission data based on the detected thermal radiation, the imaging device is configured to capture one or more images of the environment including the one or more features, the ranging device is configured to collect ranging information for determining a distance from the transportation vehicle to the one or more features, the multi-sensory measuring system is configured to determine a temperature of the one or more features based on the thermal emission data and at least one of the one or more captured images and collected ranging information, and wherein at least one of the plurality of operating systems are configured to adjust operation of the transportation vehicle in response to the determined temperature of the one or more features.

8 . A transportation vehicle comprising:
a plurality of operating systems for controlling operation of the transportation vehicle; and a multi-sensory measuring system that includes a thermal detector, an imaging device, and a ranging device, wherein the thermal detector is configured to detect thermal radiation from features in an environment around the transportation vehicle and collect thermal emission data based on the detected thermal radiation, the imaging device is configured to capture one or more images of the environment including the one or more features, the ranging device is configured to collect ranging information for determining a distance from the transportation vehicle to the one or more features, the multi-sensory measuring system is configured to determine a temperature of the one or more features based on the thermal emission data and at least one of the one or more captured images and collected ranging information, and wherein at least one of the plurality of operating systems are configured to adjust operation of the transportation vehicle in response to the determined temperature of the one or more features

9 . The transportation vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the multi-sensory measuring system further includes one or more environmental sensors configured to collect environmental information of the environment, and wherein the multi-sensory measuring system is further configured to determine the temperature of the one or more features based on the thermal emission data and the collected environmental information.

10 . The transportation vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the multi-sensory measuring system is further configured to classify the one or more features and determine an emissivity of the one or more features.

11 . The transportation vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the one or more features includes a roadway ahead of the transportation vehicle, and wherein the operating systems are configured to adjust at least one of vehicle dynamics, driving speed, maximum deceleration and acceleration, and maximum velocity through a curve in response to the determined temperature of the roadway.

12 . The transportation vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the one or more features includes a roadway ahead of the transportation vehicle, wherein the multi-sensory measuring system is configured to determine a temperature profile along the roadway, and wherein the multi-sensory measuring system is further configured to determine a trajectory on the roadway with maximum friction based on the temperature profile.

13 . The transportation vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the one or more features includes at least one of a roadway ahead of the transportation vehicle, people, water, other vehicles, and road markings.

14 . The transportation vehicle of claim 8 , further comprising a geolocation unit and a wireless connection unit, wherein the geolocation unit is configured to determine a location of the transportation vehicle, and wherein the wireless connection unit allows access to environmental data at the determined location of the transportation vehicle.

15 . A method for operating a transportation vehicle, the method comprising:
collecting thermal emission data from one or more features in an environment around the transportation vehicle; capturing one or more images of the environment including the one or more features; collecting ranging information from the transportation vehicle to the one or more features; modifying the thermal emission data based on at least one of the one or more captured images and the collected ranging information; determining a temperature of the one or more features based on the modified thermal emission data; and adjusting operation of the transportation vehicle in response to the determined temperature.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
collecting environmental information of the environment; and modifying the thermal emission data based on the collected environmental information.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
classifying the one or more features; and determining an emissivity of the one or more features based on the classification.

18

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag
• Audi Ag
• Porsche Ag

Inventors

• Kuepper Philipp Nils

Classifications

• G01J5/0025 Primary

  Living bodies (ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00) · CPC title

• G06V20/56 Primary

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title

• G06V10/143

  Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths · CPC title

• G08G1/0104

  Measuring and analyzing of parameters relative to traffic conditions · CPC title

• G01J2005/0077

  Imaging · CPC title