37 results about "Rumble strip" patented technology

An embodiment of the present invention includes a device to alter transfer characteristics of a road departure warning installation installed on a road to a driver of a vehicle, including a rumble strip sensor to sense input from a rumble strip and an adjustable vehicle component in communication with the rumble strip sensor, the adjustable vehicle component configured to automatically adjust to increase an amount of input from the rumble strip sensed by the driver. Another embodiment of the present invention includes a device to estimate lateral displacement of a vehicle based on the location of a rumble strip installed on a road with respect to the vehicle, the device including a processor configured to receive four signals indicative of contact of a rumble strip with respective associated four tires of the vehicle and to estimate a lateral distance that the vehicle has traveled beyond the detected rumble strip.

A vehicle controlling method which includes detecting an engagement of a vehicle tire with a rumble strip of a road, and performing first and second vehicle controls. The first vehicle control includes operating a controller to control movement of the vehicle after the vehicle tire has disengaged from the rumble strip to bring the vehicle tire back into engagement with the rumble strip. The second vehicle control includes operating the controller to continue to control movement of the vehicle to maintain the vehicle tire in engagement with the rumble strip after the vehicle tire has been brought back into engagement with the rumble strip.

A lane departure avoidance system is provided with a rumble strip sensing device and a lateral lane departure rate determining component. The rumble strip sensing device is configured to detect an input from a rumble strip to a vehicle wheel that is indicative of a rumble strip engagement amount. The lateral lane departure rate determining component is configured to determine a lateral rate of lane departure of a vehicle based on a detection result of the rumble strip sensing device.

An embodiment of the present invention includes a device to alter transfer characteristics of a road departure warning installation installed on a road to a driver of a vehicle, including a rumble strip sensor to sense input from a rumble strip and an adjustable vehicle component in communication with the rumble strip sensor, the adjustable vehicle component configured to automatically adjust to increase an amount of input from the rumble strip sensed by the driver. Another embodiment of the present invention includes a device to estimate lateral displacement of a vehicle based on the location of a rumble strip installed on a road with respect to the vehicle, the device including a processor configured to receive four signals indicative of contact of a rumble strip with respective associated four tires of the vehicle and to estimate a lateral distance that the vehicle has traveled beyond the detected rumble strip.

A rumble strip cutting machine having a drum that can be shifted from one side of the machine to the other. The machine includes a piston wheel that imparts an up and down motion to the frame so that rumble strips can be cut at desired intervals as the machine is driven along the road shoulder. The piston wheel includes a wheel mounting assembly on each side of the machine so that the wheel can be conveniently shifted from one side of the machine to the other. Additional structures allow for the flexing of the machine frame, applying pressure to the cutting drum, adjusting the depth of cut, tightening the belt used to drive the drum, and lifting the machine for job site transportation. The machine enables a method of cutting rumble strips close to obstructions on narrow shoulders while driving the machine in the direction of moving traffic.

A vehicle controlling method which includes detecting an engagement of a vehicle tire with a rumble strip of a road, and performing first and second vehicle controls. The first vehicle control includes operating a controller to control movement of the vehicle after the vehicle tire has disengaged from the rumble strip to bring the vehicle tire back into engagement with the rumble strip. The second vehicle control includes operating the controller to continue to control movement of the vehicle to maintain the vehicle tire in engagement with the rumble strip after the vehicle tire has been brought back into engagement with the rumble strip.

A method of operating a tire pressure monitor system (12) on a vehicle (10) to determine a wheel location of wheels (14) equipped with pressure sensors (16). The method includes equipping a plurality of wheels (14) with a pressure sensor (16), determining a plurality of pressure values from each pressure sensor (16), detecting a variation of the pressure values from a plurality of pressure sensors (16), and determining a wheel location based on a comparison of the variations of the pressure values. Variations useful for determining wheel location may include running over an object such as a rumble strip or pot-hole on the roadway, or the vehicle (10) executing a turn.

A rumble-strip following system for automated vehicle steering includes a vibration-detector, a steering-device, and a controller-circuit. The vibration-detector is configured to detect vibration experienced by a host-vehicle traveling a roadway. The steering-device is configured to steer the host-vehicle. The controller-circuit is in communication with the vibration-detector and the steering-device. The controller-circuit is configured to determine that the vibration is indicative of a tire of the host-vehicle contacting a rumble-strip arranged parallel to a heading of the roadway, and operate the steering-device so the tire follows the rumble-strip.

The invention discloses an intelligent changeable rumble warning traffic marked lines. The intelligent changeable rumble warning traffic marked lines are formed by two rows of parallel lamp groups which are embedded on the ground; the lamp groups are formed by a plurality of lamp units; the lamp units are formed by a plurality of cube lamp covers which are arranged above the horizon line and a plurality of base bodies which are arranged under the horizon line; the length, the width and height of the cube lamp covers are from 1.5 to 3 cm; LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamps are embedded on bilateral sides of the lamp covers along the traffic marked lines; a white-basic-color lamp and a yellow-basic-color lamp are arranged in every LED lamp; distance between the lamp covers of every lamp unit is from 1.5 to 5 cm. According to the intelligent changeable rumble warning traffic marked lines, embossments are formed on the road surface due to the lamp bodies and an uneven road condition is formed in the traffic marked lines, so that when tires of vehicles pass the marked lines, an effect that the vehicles drive on a rumble strip is generated, drivers are warned that the vehicles are changing lines or departing from existing driving tracks, and the purpose of reducing traffic accidents is achieved.

In certain preferred embodiments, the present invention provides a grinding machine for creating depression patterns in a surface such as asphalt or concrete. The depression pattern may be a rumble strip for alerting drivers who drift off a driving lane, or may be for other uses. Use of a depression pattern (instead of protrusions) eliminates interference with snowplow operation in areas where plows are used. In the present invention, the grinding machine is based on a trolley which moves at a uniform height along a surface, and includes a forward “gauge” wheel which controls the relative grinding drum depth based on the wheel position and rotation. In a preferred embodiment, the grinding assembly is raised and lowered relative to the trolley in correspondence with the advancement of the trolley.

A cargo carrier for portable rumble strips is mountable to a hitch assembly for a vehicle. The cargo carrier includes a basket configured to receive and retain a portable rumble strip for storage and transport, and a mounting assembly that includes a pintle adapted to be received in a receiver of a hitch assembly mountable to a vehicle. The basket has a frame that includes frame elements that define a bottom wall, relatively long front and back walls, and relatively short side walls that connect the front wall and the back wall. The front, back, and side walls extend from respective sides of the bottom wall in a common direction. And the basket further includes a rotating element at the top of at least one of the side walls to facilitate drawing rumble strips lengthwise over the side wall into or out of the basket.

A system for retrieving a portable rumble strip from a roadway includes a carrier mountable to a vehicle for transporting retrieved portable rumble strips and a winch mountable to the carrier. The carrier has a support surface configured to support a rumble strip. And the winch includes a rotatable drum and a lead with a major dimension being a length dimension. A proximal end of the lead is connected to the drum such that rotation of the drum winds the lead about the drum. A hook is connected to a distal end of the lead opposite the proximal end. The hook is configured to engage and hold a portable rumble strip as the drum rotates to draw the lead and the hook to the winch, thereby drawing the engaged portable rumble strip into the carrier.

The invention discloses a new type of multi-functional rumble belt, which comprises a plurality of rumble belt monomers arranged and joined together by a mortise and tenon device along the width direction, a rubber cork, a heating cable, a high-frequency noise early warning device and a trapezoidal early warning device; The invention uses colored self-luminous recycled concrete to achieve the effect of easy identification for drivers, uses heating cables to achieve the function of melting snow in winter rainy and snowy weather, reduces the probability of vehicles rushing out of the road, and uses recycled concrete to actively respond to the national promotion of energy-saving and low-carbon technologies. It has the characteristics of convenient installation, low cost, resource saving, etc., and is suitable for long-term promotion and application.

A vehicle suspension system (3) is provided that allows attention eliciting information such as rumble strips, bumps and road markers to be conveyed to the vehicle operator substantially without detracting from the performance of the vehicle suspension system. A control unit (10) determines if a prescribed warning condition exists according to vehicle information and / or road surface information acquired by an information acquiring unit, and performs a warning control including an extending and retracting movement of the actuator interposed between an sprung member (8) and an unsprung member (9) of the vehicle at a prescribed frequency when the warning condition is determined.