Driving assistance method and system
View Patent ↗A driving assistance system and method is provided that includes a plurality of magnetic markers having a magnet component configured to generate a magnetic field on a road surface, together with a pavement marking material that includes a RFID tag that is readable by a RFID tag reader. The pavement marking material includes encoded information that is conveyed to a vehicle's on-board sensing system that is adapted to obtain data through wireless communications. The magnetic markers are conformable, polymeric materials having viscoelastic properties such that vehicles having magnetic sensors can detect magnetic fields from the magnetic markers when positioned on a road surface.
1. A driving assistance system, comprising:
a plurality of magnetic markers that each include a magnet component configured to generate a magnetic field on a road surface, said magnetic markers comprising a magnetic tape or magnetic sheet, and wherein the magnet component is one of a conformable and a non-conformable magnet selected from the group consisting of polymeric magnets, ceramic magnets, metal magnets and metal alloy magnets; and
a pavement marking material that includes a RFID tag that is readable by a RFID tag reader, said pavement marking material including encoded information that includes one or more bits of information able to be conveyed to a vehicle's on-board sensing system comprising a sensor system adapted to obtain data through wireless communications, and wherein the RFID tag is mounted on or within a body of the pavement marking material.
2. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of magnetic markers comprise magnet components that are conformable and comprise polymeric materials that have viscoelastic properties.
3. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic component comprises magnetic particles embedded in a conformable magnetic layer selected from the group consisting of paint and a polymeric composite stripe adherable to the road surface.
4. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the magnet component comprises a polymeric magnet that includes magnetic particles.
5. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is configured to detect said pavement marking materials, despite weather conditions.
6. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle has a magnetic sensor adapted to detect a magnetic signal, said magnetic sensor positioned on the vehicle to detect magnetic fields from said plurality of magnetic markers when positioned on said road surface.
7. The driving assistance system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of magnetic markers are about 12-18 inches away from the magnetic sensor when the vehicle is in a closest proximity to the plurality of magnetic markers.
8. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein said pavement marking material is adapted to reflect at least two of the following signals: visible light, laser from a lidar; and a radar signal.
9. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of magnetic markers present a magnetic signal and are adapted to be positioned on one of a lane edge of a vehicle lane on the roadway, and in the center of the roadway.
10. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of magnetic markers include one or more rare earth magnetic components.
11. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein said system enables accurate lane marking recognition despite weather conditions where the road is covered by snow.
12. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said RFID tag reader and said vehicle's on-board sensing system comprises a magnetic sensor powered by at least one piezoelectric power generation system.
13. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein said RFID tag is embedded in said pavement marking material.
14. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein said pavement marking material includes a thin-film conductive material that conducts one of an AC or DC current.
15. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of magnetic markers comprise neodymium magnets having a diameter of at least about 20 mm in diameter and are at least about 5 mm thick.
16. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , further comprising infusing power to said plurality of magnetic markers by solar charged batteries embedded in said plurality of magnetic markers.
17. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of magnetic markers comprise polymeric materials having viscoelastic properties with magnetic particles embedded in said polymeric materials.
18. A driving assistance system, comprising:
a plurality of magnetic markers that each include a magnet component configured to generate a magnetic field on a road surface, said magnetic markers comprising a magnetic tape or magnetic sheet, and wherein the magnet component is one of a conformable and a non-conformable magnet selected from the group consisting of polymeric magnets, ceramic magnets, metal magnets and metal alloy magnets;
a pavement marking material that includes a RFID tag that is readable by a RFID tag reader, said pavement marking material including encoded information that includes one or more bits of information able to be conveyed to a vehicle's on-board sensing system comprising a sensor system adapted to obtain data through wireless communications, and wherein the RFID tag is mounted on or within a body of the pavement marking material; wherein a rare earth magnet is embedded in said pavement marking material; wherein a magnetic field of said plurality of magnetic markers, measured at 12 inches, is greater than at least 2 gauss; and wherein the magnet component is disposed in the plurality of magnetic markers, said plurality of magnetic markers being arranged in an array in which a gap of predetermined distance is maintained.
19. The driving assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is configured to detect said pavement marking materials, despite weather conditions.
20. A driving assistance system, comprising:
a plurality of magnetic markers that each include a magnet component configured to generate a magnetic field on a road surface, said magnetic markers comprising a magnetic tape or magnetic sheet, and wherein the magnet component is one of a conformable and a non-conformable magnet selected from the group consisting of polymeric magnets, ceramic magnets, metal magnets and metal alloy magnets;
a pavement marking material that includes a RFID tag that is readable by a RFID tag reader, said pavement marking material including encoded information that includes one or more bits of information able to be conveyed to a vehicle's on-board sensing system comprising a sensor system adapted to obtain data through wireless communications, and wherein the RFID tag is mounted on or within a body of the pavement marking material; wherein the magnetic component comprises magnetic particles embedded in a conformable magnetic layer selected from the group consisting of paint and a polymeric composite stripe adherable to the road surface; and wherein said system enables accurate lane marking recognition despite weather conditions where the road is covered by snow.