Road maintenance vehicle

Abstract

The utility model relates to a road maintenance vehicle which comprises a first camera, a second camera and a processing unit. The first camera is arranged at the top of a cab of the road maintenance vehicle or arranged at the top of a carriage of the road maintenance vehicle; the second camera is arranged at a rearview mirror of the road maintenance vehicle; the first camera and the second camera are both connected with the processing unit; the first camera is used for monitoring a current lane where the road maintenance vehicle is located to obtain a first monitoring result and sending the first monitoring result to the processing unit; and the second camera is used for monitoring a lane adjacent to the current lane to obtain a second monitoring result and sending the second monitoring result to the processing unit. By means of the road maintenance vehicle, road monitoring can be completed more comprehensively and clearly during routing inspection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of road maintenance technology, and in particular to a road maintenance vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] In order to facilitate the maintenance of road damage, better protect the road and its structures and facilities, maintain the road's usability as much as possible, restore damaged parts in a timely manner, ensure driving safety and comfort, and save transportation costs and time, it is generally necessary to conduct comprehensive monitoring of the road surface.

[0003] In existing technologies, road maintenance vehicles are often used to monitor road surfaces. However, when monitoring multi-lane environments, existing road maintenance vehicles often have problems such as incomplete and unclear monitoring of the road surface. Moreover, multi-lane environments often require road maintenance vehicles to make multiple trips to complete the monitoring, resulting in low monitoring efficiency and hindering timely response and maintenance of the road surface.

[0004] Currently, no effective solution has been proposed to address the problems of incomplete, unclear, and inefficient monitoring by road maintenance vehicles in existing technologies. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, it is necessary to provide a road maintenance vehicle, including a first camera, a second camera, and a processing unit; the first camera is installed on the top of the driver's cab of the road maintenance vehicle, or on the top of the vehicle body of the road maintenance vehicle; the second camera is installed at the rearview mirror of the road maintenance vehicle; both the first camera and the second camera are connected to the processing unit.

[0006] The first camera is used to monitor the current lane where the road maintenance vehicle is located, obtain the first monitoring result, and send the first monitoring result to the processing unit;

[0007] The second camera is used to monitor the adjacent lanes of the current lane, obtain a second monitoring result, and send the second monitoring result to the processing unit.

[0008] In one embodiment, the second camera includes two second sub-cameras, which are respectively installed on the left rearview mirror and the right rearview mirror of the road maintenance vehicle. The second sub-camera installed on the left rearview mirror is used to monitor the status of the left adjacent lane of the road maintenance vehicle, and the second sub-camera installed on the right rearview mirror is used to monitor the status of the right adjacent lane of the road maintenance vehicle.

[0009] In one embodiment, the road maintenance vehicle also includes at least one drone device, which is communicatively connected to the processing unit;

[0010] The drone equipment is used to monitor the preset side lanes, obtain the third monitoring result, and send the third monitoring result to the processing unit.

[0011] In one embodiment, the processing unit obtains the road detection result based on the first monitoring result, the second monitoring result, and the third monitoring result, and sends the road detection result to a preset terminal and / or a preset server.

[0012] In one embodiment, the road maintenance vehicle further includes a drone charging platform; wherein the drone charging platform is used to charge drone equipment.

[0013] In one embodiment, the drone device returns to the drone charging platform when the remaining battery power meets the power required to return to the drone charging platform.

[0014] When the remaining battery power is insufficient to return to the drone charging platform, the drone device sends its location to the processing unit.

[0015] In one embodiment, the height and angle of the first camera are respectively a preset first height and a first angle; the height and angle of the second camera are respectively a preset second height and a second angle.

[0016] In one embodiment, the first camera is bound to the current lane;

[0017] The second camera is linked to the adjacent lane.

[0018] The drone equipment is bound to the corresponding adjacent lane.

[0019] In one embodiment, the first camera is a multi-view camera.

[0020] In one embodiment, the first camera and the second camera are rotatably connected to the road maintenance vehicle.

[0021] The road maintenance vehicle provided by this utility model integrates a first camera and a second camera, thereby improving the range and clarity of lane detection. Furthermore, this application also includes intelligent linkage between drone equipment and the road maintenance vehicle, thereby achieving comprehensive coverage of multi-lane scenarios and efficiently completing multi-lane image collection. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a road maintenance vehicle in one embodiment;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the road maintenance vehicle in one of the embodiments;

[0024] Figure 3 This illustrates the deployment relationship of a drone device, a first camera, and a second camera in a multi-lane scenario in one embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application.

[0027] It is understood that the term "connection" in the following embodiments should be understood as "electrical connection," "communication connection," etc., if the connected circuits, modules, units, etc., have electrical signal or data transmission with each other.

[0028] It is understandable that "at least one" refers to one or more, and "multiple" refers to two or more. "At least a part of an element" refers to part or all of an element.

[0029] When used herein, the singular forms of “a,” “an,” and “the” may also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising / including” or “having,” etc., specify the presence of the stated features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Meanwhile, the term “and / or” as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0030] Please see Figure 1 This utility model provides a road maintenance vehicle, including a first camera 11, a second camera 12 and a processing unit (not shown in the figure); the first camera 11 is installed on the top of the driver's cab of the road maintenance vehicle, or installed on the top of the vehicle body of the road maintenance vehicle; the second camera 12 is installed at the rearview mirror of the road maintenance vehicle; both the first camera 11 and the second camera 12 are connected to the processing unit.

[0031] The first camera 11 is used to monitor the current lane where the road maintenance vehicle is located, obtain the first monitoring result, and send the first monitoring result to the processing unit;

[0032] The second camera 12 is used to monitor the adjacent lanes of the current lane, obtain a second monitoring result, and send the second monitoring result to the processing unit.

[0033] Specifically, the road maintenance vehicle is equipped with a first camera 11, a second camera 12, and a processing unit. The first camera 11 is preferably mounted on the roof, such as on the top of the driver's cab or the top of the cargo compartment. The number of first cameras 11 can be determined by relevant technicians; preferably, a multi-view camera is used, and the first cameras 11 are preferably mounted on the top of the driver's cab. The first camera 11 focuses on monitoring the current lane in which the road maintenance vehicle is located, and assists in monitoring the adjacent lanes on both sides of the current lane to obtain a first monitoring result. That is, the first monitoring result includes the monitoring results of the current lane and the adjacent lanes on both sides, and is generally based on video recording and photography of the current lane and the adjacent lanes on both sides. It should be noted that the first camera 11 achieves the aforementioned effect of focusing on monitoring the current lane and assisting in monitoring the adjacent lanes on both sides due to the installation position and angle of the first camera 11. The position and angle of the first camera 11 are adjustable and can be adjusted by relevant technicians according to the actual road conditions to better capture the aforementioned first monitoring result. The aforementioned first monitoring result includes, but is not limited to, recording and saving the current lane status.

[0034] Furthermore, the second camera 12 is installed at the rearview mirror of the road maintenance vehicle to monitor the lane conditions of the adjacent lanes of the current lane and obtain a second monitoring result. This second monitoring result is obtained by recording and photographing the adjacent lanes. The angle and position of the second camera 12 can be fine-tuned by relevant technicians according to actual needs to better align with and photograph the adjacent lanes. Furthermore, as those skilled in the art know from existing technology, vehicle rearview mirrors are generally located on the left and right sides of the vehicle. Accordingly, when the second camera 12 is installed at the left rearview mirror, it is used to detect the left adjacent lane of the current lane; similarly, when the second camera 12 is installed at the right rearview mirror, it is used to detect the right adjacent lane of the current lane. The monitoring of the adjacent lane conditions by the second camera 12 includes, but is not limited to, recording the adjacent lanes or detecting the road conditions of the adjacent lanes in real time.

[0035] Furthermore, both the first camera 11 and the second camera 12 are electrically or communicatively connected to the processing unit, facilitating the transmission of the acquired first and second monitoring results to the processing unit. This allows the processing unit to assess the health status of the lane or to facilitate analysis of the captured road conditions by relevant technicians. The processing unit supports real-time preview and video playback, and after the maintenance vehicle's inspection is completed, it outputs the road inspection results, such as whether there is damage, whether a re-inspection is needed, and whether repairs are required.

[0036] This application provides a road maintenance vehicle, which includes a first camera 11 mounted on the roof and a second camera 12 mounted on the rearview mirror, thereby enabling accurate and efficient detection of multi-lane scenarios without requiring the maintenance vehicle to make multiple trips.

[0037] In some embodiments, the second camera includes two second sub-cameras, which are respectively installed on the left and right rearview mirrors of the road maintenance vehicle. The second sub-camera installed on the left rearview mirror is used to monitor the status of the left adjacent lane of the road maintenance vehicle, and the second sub-camera installed on the right rearview mirror is used to monitor the status of the right adjacent lane of the road maintenance vehicle.

[0038] Specifically, the second camera includes two sub-cameras, which are respectively installed on the left and right rearview mirrors of the road maintenance vehicle. The sub-camera installed on the left rearview mirror is used to detect the status of the left adjacent lane of the road maintenance vehicle, and the sub-camera installed on the right rearview mirror is used to monitor the status of the right adjacent lane of the road maintenance vehicle. Both sub-cameras can be independently fine-tuned in position and angle according to actual needs. Both sub-cameras are connected to the processing unit, so as to facilitate the transmission of the collected status of the left and right adjacent lanes to the processing unit. The methods for collecting the status of the left and right adjacent lanes include, but are not limited to, recording and photographing the left and right adjacent lanes.

[0039] This embodiment enables the imaging of adjacent lanes on both sides of the current lane where the maintenance vehicle is located, thereby analyzing the road conditions of the adjacent lanes on both sides and improving the efficiency of the maintenance vehicle in imaging and monitoring multiple lanes.

[0040] In some embodiments, the road maintenance vehicle also includes at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) device, which is communicatively connected to the processing unit;

[0041] The drone equipment is used to monitor the preset side lanes, obtain the third monitoring result, and send the third monitoring result to the processing unit.

[0042] Specifically, Figure 2 These are schematic diagrams of the road maintenance vehicle in some embodiments. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the road maintenance vehicle in this application may also carry at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) device 21. The number of UAV devices 21 can be determined by relevant technical personnel. In some preferred embodiments, the number of UAV devices 21 can be determined according to the number of lanes. For example, it can be set as: number of UAV devices 21 = (N-3) / 2, where N is the number of lanes. If the calculation result is a decimal, it is rounded up. The following are some common correspondences between the number of lanes and the number of drone devices 21 and cameras: When there is one lane, only the first camera 11 installed on the road maintenance vehicle is used; when there are two or three lanes, the first camera 11 installed on the road maintenance vehicle and the second camera 12 are used (as can be understood from the above, when there are two lanes, one second sub-camera is installed for each adjacent lane, and when there are three lanes, two second sub-cameras are installed for each adjacent lane); when there are four lanes, the first camera 11, the second camera 12 installed on the road maintenance vehicle and one drone device 21 are used; when there are four or more N lanes, the first camera 11, the second camera 12 and (N-3) / 2 drone devices 21 are used.

[0043] Furthermore, Figure 3 This describes the deployment relationship between the drone device 21, the first camera 11, the second camera 12, and the multi-lane road in one embodiment. Figure 3 The positions of the first camera 11 and the second camera 12 correspond to the positions of the road maintenance vehicle and the lanes they occupy. The left and right sides of the current lane are the adjacent lanes on the left and right, respectively. Therefore, the lanes outside these adjacent lanes, i.e., the lane where the drone device 21 is located, are the side lanes. In practical applications, the drone device 21 can flexibly adjust its position based on the overall monitoring situation and monitor lanes not currently covered. The drone device 21 communicates with the processing unit, facilitating the transmission of the collected video and image results (i.e., the third monitoring results) of the side lanes to the processing unit. It should be noted that in actual use, the drone device 21 has a large shooting range, and the third monitoring results it captures generally include not only the road conditions of the side lanes but also the lanes adjacent to them.

[0044] Furthermore, a drone charging platform is installed on the outside of the maintenance vehicle. This drone charging platform is preferably located on the top of the outside of the maintenance vehicle's cargo compartment and is connected to the maintenance vehicle through real-time positioning. The drone charging platform is used to charge the drone equipment 21. When the drone returns to the drone charging platform to charge, it simultaneously sends the collected road data and videos to the upper-level system. After charging is completed, the drone continues to be dispatched to shoot and collect data on road sections that are not clearly covered. The determination of road sections that are not clearly covered can be made manually by relevant technical personnel.

[0045] In some embodiments, the processing unit obtains road detection results based on the first monitoring result, the second monitoring result, and the third monitoring result, and sends the road detection results to a preset terminal and / or a preset server.

[0046] Specifically, the processing unit is used to obtain road detection results based on the first monitoring result, the second monitoring result, and the third monitoring result. The first monitoring result includes monitoring results for the current lane and the adjacent lanes on both sides of the current lane, with an emphasis on the current lane. The second monitoring result includes monitoring results for adjacent lanes, and the third monitoring result includes monitoring results for the adjacent lanes. As mentioned above, the first monitoring result includes captured images of the road conditions of the current lane and its adjacent lanes, and the third monitoring result also includes captured images of the road conditions of the adjacent lanes and their adjacent lanes. Similarly, the second monitoring result generally also includes captured images of the road conditions of lanes adjacent to the adjacent lanes. Therefore, the first, second, and third monitoring results typically involve multiple (i.e., two or three) images of the same lane. For the detection of non-overlapping lanes in the first, second, and third monitoring results, the processing unit can perform the detection based on existing road detection algorithms and send the road detection results to the terminal and / or server. For the detection of overlapping lanes in the first, second, and third monitoring results, if the analysis based on the images captured by the vehicle-mounted camera and the drone is consistent, the detection results are sent to the terminal and / or server. If the image analysis based on the vehicle-mounted camera and the drone is inconsistent, firstly, if the images captured by the vehicle-mounted camera and the images captured by the drone indicate the same type of road disaster but with different disaster levels, the vehicle-mounted camera and drone images are combined with the drone images to determine the appropriate level of road disaster. The resolution of the cameras and drones, as well as the distance between the road maintenance vehicles / drones and the road disaster sites, should be considered, prioritizing those with closer proximity and higher resolution. Secondly, when different types of road disasters are reported based on images from the vehicle-mounted cameras and drones—for example, if the vehicle-mounted camera analysis indicates potholes while the drone analysis indicates cracks—the inspection results from both locations should be combined, collected, reported, and analyzed together. Finally, if the analysis results from both vehicle-mounted and drone monitoring indicate that there is no road disaster while the other indicates a road disaster, the result from the report indicating a road disaster should be considered valid.

[0047] In some embodiments, the road maintenance vehicle also includes a drone charging platform; wherein the drone charging platform is used to charge drone equipment.

[0048] Specifically, this application includes a drone charging platform, which is preferably installed on the outside of a road maintenance vehicle. The drone charging platform is used to charge drone equipment.

[0049] In some embodiments, the drone device returns to the drone charging platform when the remaining battery power meets the power required to return to the drone charging platform.

[0050] When the remaining battery power is insufficient to return to the drone charging platform, the drone device sends its location to the processing unit.

[0051] Specifically, when the drone detects that it cannot continue operating (e.g., due to insufficient power or other reasons), it can determine whether it can return to the charging platform for recharging based on its current distance to the charging platform and its remaining power. If the remaining power is sufficient to return to the charging platform, the drone will return. If the remaining power is insufficient, the drone will send its location to the processing unit for later retrieval. Furthermore, if the drone cannot continue operating midway through the inspection, it will return to the point of interruption to continue recording and filming once the abnormality is resolved (e.g., it has returned to the charging platform to complete recharging), thus obtaining complete third-party monitoring results for the entire inspection.

[0052] In some embodiments, the height and angle of the first camera are respectively a preset first height and a first angle; the height and angle of the second camera are respectively a preset second height and a second angle.

[0053] Specifically, the height and angle of the first and second cameras mounted on the road maintenance vehicle are adjustable, and relevant technicians can adjust them according to different actual needs. That is, the first height, first angle, second height, and second angle can all be preset by relevant technicians.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first camera is bound to the current lane; the second camera is bound to the adjacent lane; and the drone device is bound to the corresponding side lane.

[0055] Specifically, each lane is bound to a corresponding camera (first camera, second camera, and drone device). That is, the current lane is bound to the first camera, the adjacent lane is bound to the second camera, and the adjacent lane is bound to the drone device. When the video information corresponding to the lane (i.e., the monitoring results mentioned above) is uploaded to the processing unit, the information corresponding to the lane will be analyzed. The monitoring results captured by the first camera, the second camera, and the drone device, i.e., the video and image results, can be transmitted to the processing unit in real time, or they can be transmitted to the processing unit uniformly after the road maintenance vehicle inspection is completed.

[0056] In some embodiments, the first camera is a multi-view camera.

[0057] In some embodiments, the first camera and the second camera are rotatably connected to the road maintenance vehicle.

[0058] Specifically, both the first and second cameras are mounted on the road maintenance vehicle. To achieve clear and complete road images captured by the first and second cameras, their mounting angles and heights can be adjusted according to the actual application scenario. For easy adjustment, the first camera can be rotatably connected to the maintenance vehicle via a hinge and mounting base. Specifically, a first and second hinge are installed within the mounting base, and both ends of the camera mounting plate are fixedly connected to the first and second hinges, respectively. Rotating the adjustment knob rotates the second hinge, thereby adjusting the angle of the camera mounting plate. Furthermore, the length of the first and / or second hinges is adjustable, thus adjusting the camera height and rotatably connecting the second camera to the maintenance vehicle.

[0059] This application also provides a preferred embodiment of a road maintenance vehicle.

[0060] A multi-view first camera is installed on the top of the driver's cab of the road maintenance vehicle. This first camera focuses on monitoring the current lane in which the road maintenance vehicle is located, and also assists in monitoring the adjacent lanes on both sides of the current lane. Based on the first camera, a first monitoring result is obtained, which includes video and image information of the current lane and adjacent lanes captured by the first camera. A second sub-camera is installed at each of the left and right rearview mirrors of the road maintenance vehicle. The second sub-camera at the left rearview mirror monitors the adjacent lane on the left, and the second camera at the right rearview mirror monitors the adjacent lane on the right, thus obtaining a second monitoring result. Similarly, the second monitoring result focuses on video and image information of adjacent lanes captured by the second cameras. In summary, the first camera and the two second sub-cameras are rotatably mounted on the road maintenance vehicle via a pivot.

[0061] Furthermore, the road maintenance vehicle is equipped with a drone charging platform. This platform is located on the outside of the vehicle and connected to it by cable. The charging platform charges the drone equipment, which then monitors preset adjacent lanes, capturing video and images of these lanes to obtain a third monitoring result. This third monitoring result focuses on information about the adjacent lanes. In summary, after obtaining the first, second, and third monitoring results, at the end of the inspection, all three results are transmitted to the processing unit. The processing unit then provides an analysis of the inspected road, including, but not limited to, identifying road damage types (such as cracks and potholes) and classifying road damage levels using existing algorithms. It can also generate corresponding warning signals, and supports video recording viewing and real-time preview.

[0062] Furthermore, when the drone detects that it cannot continue operating (e.g., due to insufficient power or other reasons), it can determine whether it can return to the charging platform for recharging based on its current distance to the charging platform and its remaining power. If the remaining power is sufficient to return to the charging platform, the drone will return. If the remaining power is insufficient, the drone will send its location to the processing unit for subsequent retrieval.

[0063] In summary, the road maintenance vehicle equipped with multiple cameras proposed in this application can effectively improve the range and clarity of lane detection. Furthermore, this application also includes the linkage between drone equipment and the road maintenance vehicle to achieve comprehensive and clear coverage of multiple lanes and complete the collection of images and videos of multiple lanes.

[0064] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0065] Those skilled in the art should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. Any appropriate changes and variations made to the above embodiments within the scope of the essential spirit of the present utility model shall fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present utility model.

Claims

1. A road maintenance vehicle, characterized in that, The road maintenance vehicle includes a first camera, a second camera, and a processing unit; the first camera is installed on the top of the driver's cab of the road maintenance vehicle, or on the top of the cargo box of the road maintenance vehicle; the second camera is installed at the rearview mirror of the road maintenance vehicle; both the first camera and the second camera are connected to the processing unit. The first camera is used to monitor the current lane where the road maintenance vehicle is located, obtain a first monitoring result, and send the first monitoring result to the processing unit; The second camera is used to monitor the adjacent lanes of the current lane, obtain a second monitoring result, and send the second monitoring result to the processing unit.

2. The road maintenance vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second camera includes two second sub-cameras, which are respectively installed on the left rearview mirror and the right rearview mirror of the road maintenance vehicle. The second sub-camera installed on the left rearview mirror is used to monitor the status of the left adjacent lane of the road maintenance vehicle, and the second sub-camera installed on the right rearview mirror is used to monitor the status of the right adjacent lane of the road maintenance vehicle.

3. The road maintenance vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The road maintenance vehicle also includes at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) device, which is communicatively connected to the processing unit. The drone device is used to monitor a preset side lane, obtain a third monitoring result, and send the third monitoring result to the processing unit.

4. The road maintenance vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that, The processing unit obtains the road detection result based on the first monitoring result, the second monitoring result, and the third monitoring result, and sends the road detection result to a preset terminal and / or a preset server.

5. The road maintenance vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that, The road maintenance vehicle also includes a drone charging platform; wherein the drone charging platform is used to charge drone equipment.

6. The road maintenance vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, When the remaining battery power meets the requirements for returning to the drone charging platform, the drone device returns to the drone charging platform. When the remaining battery power is insufficient to return to the drone charging platform, the drone device sends its location to the processing unit.

7. The road maintenance vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height and angle of the first camera are preset to a first height and a first angle, respectively; the height and angle of the second camera are preset to a second height and a second angle, respectively.

8. The road maintenance vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first camera is bound to the current lane; The second camera is bound to the adjacent lane; The drone equipment is bound to the corresponding adjacent lane.

9. The road maintenance vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first camera is a multi-view camera.

10. The road maintenance vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first camera and the second camera are rotatably connected to the road maintenance vehicle.

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