An image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement

Abstract

This utility model discloses an image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement. The system includes a trailer hitch connector for connection to a vehicle trailer hitch; a longitudinal aluminum profile with one end vertically inserted into the trailer hitch connector; a transverse aluminum profile perpendicular to the longitudinal profile and connected to its other end; a camera backplate mounted on the transverse aluminum profile; an area array camera connected to the camera backplate; and a GPS module mounted on the transverse aluminum profile. This system reduces image blurring and distortion problems common in traditional acquisition systems and solves the problem of inaccurate image-geographical location calibration in existing technologies. It has strong adaptability and flexibility, can work stably in various weather conditions and complex road conditions, ensuring all-weather, efficient image acquisition. Furthermore, the system reduces installation and maintenance complexity, improves overall system stability, and lowers costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of building equipment technology, and in particular to an image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement. Background Technology

[0002] With the accelerating pace of urbanization, the surge in road traffic, and the impacts of natural disasters and climate change, asphalt pavement damage has become increasingly prominent. Due to the material properties of asphalt pavements and the long-term effects of traffic loads, they are prone to various types of damage, such as cracks, potholes, and oil films. This not only seriously affects driving safety but can also lead to traffic accidents and vehicle damage. Therefore, efficient and accurate detection of asphalt pavement damage is of paramount importance.

[0003] Currently, image acquisition technology for asphalt pavements is widely used, with common acquisition methods including handheld cameras, fixed cameras, vehicle-mounted camera systems, and more advanced devices such as line scan cameras and LiDAR. While these methods have certain advantages in capturing images of pavement damage, they still have many shortcomings. In recent years, emerging hardware devices such as line scan cameras and LiDAR have gradually been applied to asphalt pavement image acquisition. These devices, with their high resolution and ranging accuracy, offer more possibilities for pavement damage detection.

[0004] However, existing asphalt pavement image acquisition technologies still have shortcomings in hardware design, image processing, and data calibration. Especially in terms of mobility and adaptability, existing systems often struggle to flexibly handle complex and changing pavement environments and road conditions, and their efficiency is relatively low, failing to meet the comprehensive needs of practical applications. Therefore, developing an efficient, low-cost, and highly adaptable pavement image acquisition system has become a key direction for solving the problem of asphalt pavement damage detection. Utility Model Content

[0005] This utility model provides an image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement to solve the technical problems of low efficiency, poor applicability and high cost in the prior art.

[0006] This utility model provides an image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement, including a trailer hitch connector, a longitudinal aluminum profile, a transverse aluminum profile, a camera backplate, an area array camera, and a GPS module. The trailer hitch connector connects to the trailer hitch opening of a vehicle. One end of the longitudinal aluminum profile is vertically inserted into the trailer hitch connector. The transverse aluminum profile is perpendicular to the longitudinal aluminum profile and connected to the other end of the longitudinal aluminum profile. The camera backplate is mounted on the transverse aluminum profile, the area array camera is connected to the camera backplate, and the GPS module is mounted on the transverse aluminum profile.

[0007] Optionally, the image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement also includes: an L-shaped connecting angle bracket, one end of which is connected to a transverse aluminum profile and the other end of which is connected to a longitudinal aluminum profile.

[0008] Alternatively, the trailer hitch connector is bolted to the vehicle trailer hitch.

[0009] Optionally, the shape and size of the trailer hitch connector are adapted to the trailer hitch opening of the vehicle.

[0010] Optionally, the longitudinal aluminum profile and trailer hook connector are secured with T-nuts.

[0011] Alternatively, the camera backplate is mounted on the horizontal aluminum profile via T-nuts.

[0012] Optionally, the area scan camera is connected to the camera backplate by screws.

[0013] Optionally, there are 2 to 6 T-nuts.

[0014] Optionally, the trailer opening may be square.

[0015] Beneficial effects:

[0016] The image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement provided in this application uses an area array camera for image acquisition, enabling stable high-quality images under high-speed driving and various road conditions, reducing image blurring and distortion problems common in traditional acquisition systems. A GPS module provides precise location information for each image, achieving accurate correspondence between the image and the actual damaged area of ​​the pavement, solving the problem of inaccurate image-geographical calibration in existing technologies. This invention has strong adaptability and flexibility, capable of stable operation under various weather conditions and complex road conditions, ensuring all-weather, efficient image acquisition. Furthermore, this invention integrates an area array camera and a GPS module, simplifying the system structure, reducing installation and maintenance complexity, improving overall system stability, and significantly reducing costs. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the asphalt pavement image acquisition and positioning system provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0019] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the trailer hitch connector and the trailer hitch opening.

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0021] 1. Trailer hook connector; 2. Longitudinal aluminum profile; 3. Transverse aluminum profile; 4. L-shaped connecting angle bracket; 5. Camera backplate; 6. Area scan camera; 7. GPS module; 8. Car trailer hitch. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0023] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 This application provides an image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement, including a trailer hitch connector 1, a longitudinal aluminum profile 2, a transverse aluminum profile 3, a camera backplate 5, an area array camera 6, a GPS module 7, and a vehicle trailer hitch 8. The trailer hitch connector 1 and the vehicle trailer hitch 8 are connected by bolts. One end of the longitudinal aluminum profile 2 is vertically inserted into the trailer hitch connector 1. The transverse aluminum profile 3 is perpendicular to the longitudinal aluminum profile 2 and connected to the other end of the longitudinal aluminum profile 2. The camera backplate 5 is mounted on the transverse aluminum profile 3. The area array camera 6 is connected to the camera backplate 5. The GPS module 7 is mounted on the transverse aluminum profile 3.

[0024] Specifically, the camera backplate 5 is used to mount the area scan camera 6.

[0025] In this exemplary embodiment, image acquisition is performed using an area array camera 6, which can stably provide high-quality images under high-speed driving and various road conditions, reducing image blurring and distortion problems common in traditional acquisition systems. The GPS module 7 provides precise location information for each image, achieving accurate correspondence between the image and the actual road surface damage area, solving the problem of inaccurate image-geographical calibration in existing technologies. This invention has strong adaptability and flexibility, capable of stable operation under various weather conditions and complex road conditions, ensuring all-weather, efficient image acquisition. Furthermore, this invention integrates the area array camera 6 and the GPS module 7, simplifying the system structure, reducing installation and maintenance complexity, improving overall system stability, and significantly reducing costs. This system not only provides high-precision image data but also better supports the identification and repair decisions of road surface damage, providing strong data support for road maintenance and repair work.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, the image acquisition and positioning system for the asphalt pavement further includes an L-shaped connecting bracket 4, one end of which is connected to the transverse aluminum profile 3 and the other end of which is connected to the longitudinal aluminum profile 2.

[0027] In this embodiment, the L-shaped connecting bracket 4 is used to fix the horizontal aluminum profile 3 and the vertical aluminum profile 2, and the horizontal aluminum profile 3 and the vertical aluminum profile 2 can also be fixed by T-nuts, which can ensure the stability of the device while making lateral movements.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, the trailer hook connector 1 is connected to the vehicle trailer hitch 8 by bolts.

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment, the shape and size of the trailer hitch connector 1 are adapted to the trailer hitch opening 8 of the vehicle.

[0030] Specifically, the system first uses a car with a trailer hitch to install the trailer hitch connector 1. Then, by measuring the width of the road surface to be measured, the distance of the longitudinal aluminum profile 2 extending into the trailer hitch connector 1 is determined. This is used to determine the relative distance of the area scan camera 6 from the ground, ensuring that the entire lane can be covered in the direction perpendicular to the car's travel. At the same time, this distance is used to determine the relative installation positions of the longitudinal aluminum profile 2 and the transverse aluminum profile 3. Combined with the installation positions of the area scan camera 6 and the transverse aluminum profile 3, it is ensured that the car body cannot be captured in the direction of the car's travel.

[0031] In an exemplary embodiment, the longitudinal aluminum profile 2 and the trailer hook connector 1 are fixed by a T-nut.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment, the camera backplate 5 is mounted on the horizontal aluminum profile 3 by means of a T-nut.

[0033] In an exemplary embodiment, the area scan camera 6 is connected to the camera back plate 5 by screws.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment, there are 2 to 6 T-nuts, which makes the connection between the longitudinal aluminum profile 2 and the trailer hook connector 1 more secure.

[0035] In an exemplary embodiment, the vehicle trailer opening 8 is square.

[0036] Furthermore, the car trailer opening 8 can also be other shapes, such as round, diamond, or oval.

[0037] In the exemplary embodiment described above, the software portion of the system is implemented using Python, with the user interface developed using PyQt5 and the OpenCV and MvSDK libraries integrated to complete image acquisition and processing. Core functions include camera initialization and configuration, real-time video stream display, automatic image saving, and geographic information annotation. First, by capturing an image of the calibration board, feature points are extracted. An intrinsic parameter matrix and distortion coefficients are calculated using a calibration algorithm, a correction mapping table is generated, and the correction mapping is applied to the image. Finally, the correction effect is verified, and calibration parameters are adjusted as needed to ensure the image's geometric accuracy meets requirements. To ensure color accuracy and consistency during image acquisition, the system uses a standard color chart as a color reference tool. The standard color chart is captured by a camera, obtaining the color chart area in the image. Then, an image processing program identifies the color chart area, extracting the RGB values ​​(or values ​​in other color spaces) of each color sample on the chart. Next, these extracted color values ​​are compared with the preset target color values ​​of the standard color chart, and the deviation value is calculated. Based on this deviation, the system adjusts the image's color balance, using color correction algorithms (such as white balance adjustment, gamma correction, color mapping, etc.) to restore the colors in the image. In this way, the system can effectively compensate for color distortion caused by camera exposure, lighting conditions or other factors, restore the true colors of the image, and thus improve the quality and accuracy of the image.

[0038] Furthermore, through a built-in timer mechanism, the system captures road surface images at user-defined time intervals and converts GGA data sentences received from GPS module 7 into decimal format for calculation and storage. In this way, the system obtains an accurate decimal representation, thereby determining the device's current geographical location. It also applies my country's road marker naming rules to file naming, achieving efficient data classification and management. In addition, the software supports dynamic naming based on mileage markers, combined with geographical distance calculations, to accurately locate collection points. To improve system adaptability, combined with direction and road segment settings, the system can automatically create a categorized directory to store corrected and labeled image files.

[0039] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely specific implementations of this application, used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them. The protection scope of this application is not limited thereto. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art can still modify or easily conceive of changes to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features, within the technical scope disclosed in this application. Such modifications, changes, or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be covered within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

[0040] Furthermore, although the operations of the method of this application are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings, this does not require or imply that these operations must be performed in that specific order, or that all the operations shown must be performed to achieve the desired result. Additionally or alternatively, certain steps may be omitted, multiple steps may be combined into one step, and / or one step may be broken down into multiple steps.

Claims

1. An image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement, characterized in that, include: Trailer hook connector, for connecting to the trailer hitch of a vehicle; A longitudinal aluminum profile, with one end vertically inserted into the trailer hook connector; A horizontal aluminum profile is arranged perpendicularly to the vertical aluminum profile and connected to the other end of the vertical aluminum profile; The camera backplate is mounted on the horizontal aluminum profile. A field-array camera is connected to the camera backplate. The GPS module is mounted on the horizontal aluminum profile.

2. The image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement according to claim 1, characterized in that, The image acquisition and positioning system for the asphalt pavement also includes: The L-shaped connecting bracket is connected at one end to the horizontal aluminum profile and at the other end to the vertical aluminum profile.

3. The image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement according to claim 1, characterized in that, The trailer hook connector is connected to the trailer hitch of the vehicle by bolts.

4. The image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shape and size of the trailer hook connector are adapted to the trailer hitch opening of the vehicle.

5. The image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement according to claim 1, characterized in that, The longitudinal aluminum profile and the trailer hook connector are fixed by T-nuts.

6. The image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement according to claim 1, characterized in that, The camera backplate is mounted on the horizontal aluminum profile by a T-nut.

7. The image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement according to claim 1, characterized in that, The area array camera is connected to the camera back plate by screws.

8. The image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement according to claim 5, characterized in that, There are 2 to 6 T-nuts.

9. The image acquisition and positioning system for asphalt pavement according to claim 1, characterized in that, The trailer opening is square.

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