AI-based black ice removal system using invisible light on road surfaces

Abstract

To provide a black ice deicing system that can deice black ice from a road surface by irradiating the road surface with invisible light.SOLUTION: A black ice deicing system comprises: a plurality of laser scanners arranged at intervals along a road, and each including a light source unit, a non-contact temperature sensor, and a control unit for controlling an operation to radiate a laser beam to an area in charge; a wether sensor for measuring a temperature and humidity; and an integrated controller for communicating with the plurality of laser scanners. The integrated controller determines whether or not the laser beam is radiated to a road surface on the basis of at least one of the measured temperature and humidity, and when it is determined that the laser beam is radiated, generates a control signal to activate at least one laser scanner, and the control unit determines a heating area, and generates a pulse signal to turn on / off the light source unit to radiate the laser beam in accordance with the shape and range of the heating area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a black ice de-icing system using invisible light, and more particularly, to a black ice de-icing system using invisible light for de-icing black ice on a road surface by controlling an area for scanning invisible light such as a laser.

Background Art

[0002] The driving stability of a vehicle depends not only on the visual distance that a driver can ensure, but also on the road surface conditions. For example, snow accumulated on the road surface due to snowfall or frozen ice significantly reduces the frictional resistance between the tire and the road surface. In addition, road surface dew or black ice generated by the thin freezing of rainwater on the road surface due to extremely low temperatures after rainfall is more dangerous because it cannot be confirmed by the driver's naked eye.

[0003] Moreover, even without rainfall or snowfall, when the temperature difference between the atmosphere and the ground suddenly becomes large, water vapor in the atmosphere freezes immediately upon contact with the ground, so black ice that is invisible to the eye may occur on the road surface. Especially on foggy days, since the driver's visibility is blocked, black ice generated by the freezing of fog on the road surface becomes even more difficult to see. Fog and black ice occurring on roads where vehicles travel at high speeds such as highways may lead to major accidents, so drivers have no choice but to drive carefully.

[0004] In order to provide an environment in which vehicles can travel safely even under circumstances where the road surface conditions change rapidly due to weather conditions, various technologies have been proposed. For example, a technology in which a salt water spraying facility is installed on a road designated as a freezing risk area, calcium chloride is sprayed to lower the freezing point of the road surface, and freezing is prevented, or a technology in which heating wires are buried in the bottom surface of the road and an electric current is passed through the heating wires according to weather conditions to prevent freezing has been proposed.

[0005] However, there are several drawbacks to using saltwater spraying equipment. For example, saltwater containing calcium chloride may flow from the road surface into adjacent farmland, potentially contaminating the surrounding soil. If the sprayed saltwater comes into contact with vehicles, it can cause corrosion. Furthermore, if saltwater comes into contact with concrete civil engineering structures such as bridges and retaining walls, it can lead to safety problems such as concrete deterioration and reduced durability of the facilities.

[0006] Furthermore, the method of embedding heating elements in roads has limitations in terms of economic efficiency, as it involves high costs for installing the structures and consumes a large amount of electrical energy for their operation.

[0007] To solve this problem, the applicant filed and received registration for "Anti-slip device using road surface ice" in "Korean Patent No. 10-2221831" (registration date: February 23, 2021, hereinafter referred to as "prior art document"). The prior art document proposes sending hot air to a blower pipe using a hot air generating means and a blower fan, and then injecting the hot air onto the road surface using pressure injection nozzles continuously provided in the blower pipe.

[0008] However, the hot air injection method has a limitation: the pressure of the hot air discharged from the pressure injection nozzle drops significantly, which can prevent the hot air from reaching the other side of the road.

[0009] Therefore, in addition to direct physical or chemical methods such as salt spray, hot air jetting, and embedded heating elements, there is a need for technologies that use light to de-ic the road surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent No. 10-2221831 [Overview of the Initiative]

[0011] This disclosure provides a black ice removal system that can remove black ice from a road surface by irradiating the road surface with invisible light.

[0012] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an AI-based system for removing black ice from road surfaces using invisible light, Multiple laser scanners are arranged at intervals along the road, and each laser scanner is A light source unit that emits a laser, A non-contact temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the area of ​​the road surface, and A control unit that controls the operation of irradiating the area with a laser. Multiple laser scanners having, A weather sensor that measures the temperature and humidity of the surrounding environment, An integrated controller that communicates with the aforementioned multiple laser scanners, Equipped with, Here, the integrated controller, Based on at least one of the temperature and humidity measured by the weather sensor, it is determined whether or not to irradiate the road surface with a laser, and When it is determined that a laser should be irradiated, a control signal is generated to activate at least one of the plurality of laser scanners that should be operated; The control unit of the laser scanner, which is activated by the integrated controller, Based on the temperature measured by the non-contact temperature sensor, the heating area in the designated area that requires laser irradiation is determined, and A pulse signal is generated to turn on / off the light source unit of the activated laser scanner so that the laser is irradiated according to the shape and extent of the heated area. The system will be provided.

[0013] The laser scanner may also include a galvanometer having two reflectors that rotate around different orthogonal axes x and y, and the control unit may set the pulse signal cycle based on the speed at which the reflectors rotate.

[0014] The control unit may set the on-off duty ratio of the pulse signal based on the ratio of the width of the heating area to the length of the scan line of the laser that can be irradiated onto the road surface by the galvanometer.

[0015] The control unit can set the heating area to include a plurality of points having different temperatures measured by the non-contact temperature sensor, and can control the galvanometer so that the rotation speed of the reflector changes based on the temperature difference.

[0016] Each laser scanner may further include an ultrasonic sensor for detecting the distance from an object present on the road surface. The control unit may control the light source unit to turn off when the ultrasonic sensor detects an object within a preset distance.

[0017] The black ice de-icing system may further include a server that communicates remotely with the integrated controller. The server may transmit control commands to the integrated controller for controlling each of the plurality of scanners.

[0018] The black ice removal system may further include a camera for imaging the road surface. The integrated controller can determine the road surface condition by analyzing the road surface image captured by the camera via an AI learning model, and, according to the determined road surface condition, can determine whether or not black ice is present on the road surface and whether or not to irradiate the road surface with a laser.

[0019] The integrated controller may determine whether to activate the laser scanner based on big data including topographical characteristics, regional weather, temperature, and humidity information.

[0020] The black ice de-icing system may further include a camera for imaging the road surface. The integrated controller may detect the terrain on the road surface by analyzing the image captured by the camera via an AI learning model, and control the laser scanner to selectively irradiate the laser according to the terrain on the road surface.

[0021] Each of the laser scanners may further include an actuator for changing the direction in which the galvanometer is directed. The control unit may control the actuator to change the direction of the galvanometer to face the heating area.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a black ice de-icing system on a road surface using invisible light according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a laser scanner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] It is a diagram for explaining the operation of a laser scanner embedded in a road edge area according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] It is a diagram for explaining a method of setting a heating area for de-icing black ice by a laser scanner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining a method of laser scanning a heating area by a laser scanner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] It is a graph showing an example of a scanning line of a laser scanner and a pulse signal for controlling the laser scanner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7]This figure shows the configuration of the laser scanner including an ultrasonic sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Furthermore, in describing this disclosure, if it is determined that providing detailed explanations of known functions or configurations related to this disclosure would obscure the gist of this disclosure, such detailed explanations will be omitted. Also, the terms described later are defined in consideration of the functions in this disclosure and may be modified depending on the intent and relationship of the user or operator. Therefore, these terms should be defined in accordance with the content of this specification as a whole.

[0024] Figure 1 shows the configuration of a black ice removal system for road surfaces using invisible light, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Referring to Figure 1, an invisible light-based black ice removal system for road surfaces according to an embodiment of this disclosure includes a plurality of laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n, and an integrated controller 200.

[0026] In the illustrated embodiment, the system includes, but is not limited to, three laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n, and may include two or more laser scanners.

[0027] The plurality of laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n are arranged at intervals along the road. Furthermore, the laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n can irradiate the road surface with lasers. The method of irradiating with lasers may be scanning. Furthermore, the laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n are equipped with non-contact temperature sensors for measuring the temperature of the road surface, and these non-contact temperature sensors measure the temperature of multiple points on the road surface. The configuration and operation of the laser scanners for scanning the road surface with lasers and measuring the temperature of the road surface will be described in detail below with reference to Figure 3.

[0028] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the plurality of laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, 100-n are arranged at equal intervals along the road, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Each laser scanner 100-1, 100-2, 100-n is assigned a service area. That is, a series of laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, 100-n are each responsible for a certain area of ​​the road surface and de-ice black ice from their corresponding area. The service areas assigned to each laser scanner may be mutually exclusive or at least partially overlapping.

[0029] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n are positioned along the boundary stone or curb between the roadway and the sidewalk, but other structures may be used to install the laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n. Another example of use is that the laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n are installed on bridges where black ice is likely to occur. In this case, the laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n may be installed on the superstructure, guardrail, railing, etc., of the bridge.

[0030] The integrated controller 200 communicates with the plurality of laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n by wired communication and / or wireless communication methods. The integrated controller 200 can individually control each of the plurality of laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n. The integrated controller 200 can transmit control signals to at least one of the plurality of laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n via an established communication method.

[0031] The communication method connecting the integrated controller 200 and the laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n may be serial communication or Ethernet communication. For example, the integrated controller 200 may be connected to the multiple laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n via communication cables connected to multiple communication ports. The integrated controller 200 may transmit control signals via the communication connection to control each of the multiple laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n.

[0032] Furthermore, the integrated controller 200 can receive signals from each of the laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n via the communication connection. The integrated controller 200 can receive signals relating to the road surface temperature measured by the non-contact temperature sensor of the laser scanner. In addition, the integrated controller 200 can receive signals relating to information such as the defrosting operation status, time elapsed, and detection of objects ahead from each of the plurality of laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n.

[0033] The integrated controller 200 can determine, via an AI learning model, whether or not black ice is present on the road surface and whether or not to irradiate the road surface with a laser. That is, the laser irradiation of the laser scanner 100 onto the road surface is performed by the automatic control of the integrated controller 200, not by a command from the administrator. The AI ​​learning model can be used to improve the accuracy of the determination. For machine learning, actual and macroscopic data about the environment around the road can be collected.

[0034] The integrated controller 200 may include a camera 210 for imaging the road surface. The camera 210 may be a general IP camera that captures real images, or it may be a thermal imaging camera or night vision camera that can easily identify objects even at night. In another embodiment, the camera 210 may not be included in the integrated controller 200 and may be configured as a CCTV installed on another structure such as a pole. In this case, the camera 210 can communicate with the integrated controller 200 via various wired and / or wireless communication methods.

[0035] The road surface image captured by the camera 210 may be transmitted to the integrated controller 200, which may analyze the captured road surface image. The integrated controller 200 may use an AI learning model to analyze the image captured by the camera 210.

[0036] The AI ​​learning model can identify vehicles, people, animals, road facilities, etc., from an image. For example, the AI ​​learning model can identify a person walking, a person who has fallen, or a person riding a bicycle. Also, for example, the AI ​​learning model can identify a bird flying across the road or the carcass of an animal hit by a car. Therefore, the integrated controller 200 can detect the topography of the road surface from the image. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the integrated controller 200 can identify lanes drawn on the road surface, median strips at the edge of the road, grass, and trees. For example, the integrated controller 200 can identify drainage ditches at the edge of the road, speed bumps, sinkholes, depressions, and other objects lying on the road.

[0037] Furthermore, the AI ​​learning model can analyze the image to determine the condition of the captured road surface. The AI ​​learning model can extract feature vectors by analyzing the road surface image captured by the camera 210 in real time. The feature vectors can be obtained by extracting statistical moment vectors for the luminance component distribution for a sample region in the image, and then extracting feature vectors for each wavelength based on multidimensional sub-region division of the luminance component distribution. A database for determining the road surface condition from the feature vectors may be included in the integrated controller 200. The database stores feature vectors extracted for dry road surfaces, wet road surfaces, frozen road surfaces, and frosty road surfaces. By comparing the feature vectors extracted from the image sample with the moment feature vectors stored in the database in real time, it can be determined that the captured road surface condition is indicated by feature vectors that have similarity or consistency with the trend of such feature vectors.

[0038] The integrated controller 200 can control the laser scanner to selectively irradiate the laser according to the road surface terrain. The road surface terrain can be detected by having an AI learning model analyze the road surface image captured by the camera 210. For example, even if black ice may be present, it is not necessary to heat structures such as median strips in the middle of the roadway or sound barriers at the edges of the road. Also, heating dry grass or wood with a laser in winter poses a fire risk. Therefore, the integrated controller 200 can control the laser scanner 100 so as not to irradiate heating areas, even if they are located within such areas. Areas with uneven road surfaces are prone to water accumulation and ice formation, and therefore require sufficient heating. For this reason, the integrated controller 200 can control the laser scanner 100 so as to deliver a large amount of laser energy to such areas.

[0039] The integrated controller 200 includes a weather sensor 220 that measures the temperature and humidity of the surrounding environment. Black ice is highly likely to occur when the road surface is wet from rain, snow, fog, etc., and the temperature is below zero degrees Celsius. By measuring the temperature and humidity of the environment around the road on which the system is built, the weather sensor 220 can determine whether the road surface under its jurisdiction is in an environment where black ice may form. The weather sensor 220 may be implemented as a weather observation device, and the measured temperature and sensor readings may be displayed numerically via a display device. In this case, a local manager may check the weather station and manually activate the laser scanner. In addition to temperature and humidity, the weather sensor 220 may further measure environmental factors such as air quality, noise, ultraviolet radiation, wind direction, and wind speed. In another embodiment, the weather sensor 220 may not be included in the integrated controller 200 and may be configured as a separate device installed on another structure, such as a tall pole. In this case, the weather sensor 220 can communicate with the integrated controller 200 via various wired and / or wireless communication methods.

[0040] The temperature and / or humidity information measured by the weather sensor 220 can be used to supplement the road surface conditions determined by the AI ​​module from the image. For example, if the road surface conditions predicted by the AI ​​learning module are "frozen" or "wet," the road surface is determined to be "frozen" if the road surface temperature is below zero degrees Celsius or the air temperature is 4 degrees Celsius or lower.

[0041] The integrated controller 200 determines whether or not to irradiate the road surface with a laser based on at least one of the temperature and humidity measured by the weather sensor 220. The criteria for determining whether or not to irradiate with a laser may be a range of temperature and / or humidity preset as conditions for black ice formation, and / or may be a result predicted by machine learning. For example, if the temperature measured by the weather sensor 220 is below zero degrees and the humidity is 80% or higher, it is determined to irradiate the road surface with a laser. Alternatively, for example, by tracking weather changes over 24 hours, it is determined to irradiate with a laser if it is likely to rain during the day and the temperature will drop sharply at night, potentially causing frost on the road surface or frozen rainwater. Alternatively, the integrated controller 200 may make a determination that reflects geographical influences such as bridges and valleys in mountainous areas.

[0042] When the integrated controller 200 determines that a laser is to be irradiated, it activates at least one of the plurality of laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n to be operated. This activation can be performed in various ways, such as turning on a power supply switch to the laser scanner, sending an enable signal to the control unit of the laser scanner, or releasing a shielding screen that obstructs the front of the laser scanner. The integrated controller 200 can selectively activate the laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n. The integrated controller 200 can select which laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n to activate depending on the location and environmental conditions.

[0043] The activated laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n determine the heating areas in their respective areas that require laser irradiation, based on the temperature measured by the non-contact temperature sensor. In other words, the laser scanner 100 according to this disclosure irradiates the necessary parts of the entire area that can be laser scanned with a laser. This will be explained in detail below with reference to Figures 3 to 5.

[0044] The activated scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n generate pulse signals that control the light source units of the activated laser scanners to turn on and off so that the laser is irradiated according to the shape and range of the heating area. This will be described later with reference to Figure 6.

[0045] The black ice de-icing system may further include a server that communicates remotely with the integrated controller 200. The network for remote communication may be an internet network. In this case, the integrated controller 200 and the server may communicate in accordance with the TCP / IP protocol. Not only one communication network, but multiple communication networks may be involved in the remote communication. For example, the integrated controller 200 and the server may be connected via a mobile communication network such as LTE or a local area network (LAN) such as Wi-Fi. The integrated controller 200 may notify the server of information processed by signals received from laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, and 100-n.

[0046] The information that the integrated controller 200 notifies the server through such remote communication may include identifiers such as the serial number of each laser scanner, a plurality of locations where the non-contact temperature sensor corresponding to the laser scanner measured the road surface temperature, and the temperatures measured at those locations. The notification information may also be a road surface image captured by the camera 210. The notification information may also be temperature and humidity measured by the weather sensor 220.

[0047] The server may be connected to one or more terminals (not shown) via the remote communication. The terminals may be connected to the server by a user to check information notified to the server from the integrated controller 200 and may send commands to control one or more laser scanners 100-1, 100-2, 100-n.

[0048] The server may include an AI learning model. The server may use the AI ​​learning model to analyze information received from the integrated controller 200. For example, the server's AI module may learn from accumulated data on the temperature and humidity conditions under which black ice forms on the road surface. The AI ​​module may learn whether black ice on the road surface can be effectively de-iced or prevented when a specific heating area is set up or when a laser is irradiated in a specific way.

[0049] Furthermore, the integrated controller 200 may determine whether or not to activate the laser scanner 100 based on big data including topographical characteristics, local weather, temperature, and humidity information. For example, the integrated controller 200 may acquire information such as climate change throughout the year, weather forecasts, and surrounding rivers for a specific area, and through the AI ​​learning model, it may highly assess the likelihood of black ice forming on a particular road or surface, and instruct the laser scanner 100 responsible for the corresponding area to perform effective or preventative laser irradiation. Such big data may be provided from the server.

[0050] The black ice removal system described herein may have the effect of managing a wide road surface, setting necessary heating areas on the road surface, effectively irradiating the heating areas with lasers, extending the lifespan of the device, providing de-icing measures adapted to various road environments using a camera, and preventing black ice from forming before it occurs.

[0051] Figure 2 shows the configuration of a laser scanner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] Referring to Figure 2, the laser scanner 100 comprises a galvanometer 110, an infrared temperature sensor 120, a laser light source unit 130, a waveguide 140, an actuator 150, and a control unit 160.

[0053] First, the laser scanner 100 is positioned facing the road at some point along the edge of a road or bridge. The configuration of the laser scanner 100 is not limited. In one configuration, as shown in Figure 2, approximately half of the total height of the laser scanner 100 is buried below the ground surface. The above-ground portion of the laser scanner 100 is surrounded by a curb, except for an opening facing forward. The opening may be open or closed with a special window (germanium) that allows infrared rays and lasers to pass through. In this embodiment, the laser scanner 100 may be partially buried underground as shown, or it may have a separate housing, or it may be erected next to the road, or it may be positioned on a pole such as a utility pole. Furthermore, it is clear that the laser scanner can be positioned in other specifications and configurations. For example, the laser scanner 100 installed on a bridge may be installed inside a protective wall, or it may be integrated with the protective wall.

[0054] The light source unit 130 emits an invisible laser. The laser may have a wavelength and / or output suitable for raising the road surface temperature. The wavelength may be determined in a region where road paving materials such as asphalt readily absorb the laser energy. The output may be determined depending on the distance from the laser scanner 100 to the road surface or the de-icing speed.

[0055] The laser output from the light source unit 130 is guided by the waveguide 140 connected to the galvanometer 110. The waveguide 140 may be an optical fiber.

[0056] The galvanometer 110 changes the direction of propagation of the laser incident through the waveguide 140. The galvanometer 110 includes reflectors that rotate about two mutually orthogonal axes x and y. The reflectors may be mirrors. Since the two reflectors and the laser incident point are precisely aligned with each other, the reflectors rotate at any angle, and the laser moves toward a point shifted by an amount corresponding to that angle. Furthermore, each reflector may be repeatedly rotated by a motor. The repeated rotation of the two reflectors enables two-dimensional planar scanning with the laser. The galvanometer or galvoscanner is already well known to those skilled in the art, so a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0057] The galvanometer 110 is connected to the actuator 150. The actuator 150 changes the orientation of the galvanometer 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the actuator 150 provides left-right rotation about the vertical axis and up-down rotation about the horizontal axis.

[0058] The infrared temperature sensor 120 or PIR sensor is a non-contact temperature sensor. The infrared temperature sensor 120 is attached to the side of the body of the galvanometer 110 and moves together with the operation of the actuator 150. In a modified example, the infrared temperature sensor 120 may be configured separately from the galvanometer 110. In this case, a separate actuator is configured for the infrared temperature sensor 120, so that the infrared temperature sensor 120 can measure the temperature at various points distributed on the road surface. This will be explained next with reference to Figure 3.

[0059] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a laser scanner embedded in a roadside area according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] The laser scanner 100, installed on the curb, observes the road surface through the opening. The laser scanner 100 has a designated area 400 for de-icing black ice on the road surface. The designated area 400 for a single laser scanner 100 may be designated at the time of installation of the laser scanner 100, or each designated area 400 may be designated after installation through a alignment and assignment process among a series of multiple laser scanners 100. Points on the road surface are virtual points and represent points where the temperature of the designated area 400 is measured by the infrared temperature sensor 120. The galvanometer 110 and the infrared temperature sensor 120 move by the operation of the actuator 150, and the infrared temperature sensor 120 detects infrared radiation occurring at different points on the road surface as it moves along a predetermined path. The temperature corresponding to the detected infrared radiation can be transmitted from the laser scanner 100 to the integrated controller 200 via a communication connection.

[0061] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3 described above, the laser scanner 100 is illustrated to be installed on a road curb, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The laser scanner 100 may be installed on a bridge railing or guardrail to de-ic the road surface above the bridge.

[0062] Referring back to Figure 2, the control unit 160 controls the components of the laser scanner 100. Specifically, the control unit 160 can control the galvanometer 110, the infrared temperature sensor 120, the laser light source unit 130, and the actuator 150. The control unit 160 can generate and control pulse signals to turn the laser light source unit 130 on and off. The control unit 160 can control the galvanometer 110 so that the laser emitted from the laser light source unit 130 scans the road surface. The control unit 160 can control the infrared temperature sensor 120 to measure temperature at a specified point or at regular time intervals. The control unit 160 can control at least one actuator 150 to change the orientation of the galvanometer 110 and / or the infrared temperature sensor 120.

[0063] The control unit 160 may be configured to perform the above control only when it receives a signal from the integrated controller 200 to activate the laser scanner 100.

[0064] The control unit 160 disclosed herein includes, or may be implemented by, a processor, a System On Chip (SOC), an embedded chip, ARM, SAS, a cloud-based driver program, etc.

[0065] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating a method for setting the heating area for black ice removal using a laser scanner, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] Figure 4 shows the total area 400 covered by one laser scanner 100. The infrared temperature sensor 120 of the laser scanner 100 measures the temperature at multiple points within the area (400). In this example, there are two points where the temperature is above 1°C, and two points where the temperature is below 0°C, at -2°C and -1°C, where black ice de-icing is required. The control unit 160 of the laser scanner 100 can determine the points below 0°C in the area 400 and set a heating area 410, which is shown by a solid line in Figure 4.

[0067] The area 400 includes four sub-areas 401, 402, 403, and 404, which are divided based on the area that can be scanned by the galvanometer 110 of the laser scanner 100. The control unit 160 can control the actuator 150 to change the orientation of the galvanometer 110 toward each of the sub-areas 401, 402, 403, and 404. Furthermore, the control unit 160 can control the laser scanner 100 to irradiate lasers corresponding to the shape and extent of the heating area belonging to each of the sub-areas 401, 402, 403, and 404. Specifically, the control unit 160 generates pulse signals for the light source unit 130.

[0068] Figure 4 shows, but is not limited to, fixed sub-areas 401, 402, 403, and 404. After measuring the infrared temperature sensor and determining the heating area of ​​the server, if the galvanometer may not laser scan the entire preset heating area at once, the control unit 160 may set a minimum sub-area based on the heating area. In this case, the actuator 150 may move fewer than three times between the fixed sub-areas 401, 402, 403, and 404.

[0069] Figure 5 illustrates a method for laser scanning a heating area using a laser scanner, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0070] First, referring to Figure 5A, Figure 5A shows two of the sub-areas 401, 402, 403, and 404 in Figure 4: sub-areas 403 and 404. Sub-area 403 belongs to the heating area 410, while sub-area 404 does not belong to the heating area 410.

[0071] Furthermore, Figure 5A shows the path of the laser irradiated by the laser scanner 100 as it scans across sub-area 403. The laser incident on the road surface begins in the upper left beyond sub-area 403 and moves along a zigzag path until it reaches the lower right. The laser path, having reached the lower right, can then fold back and begin again from the upper left (cycle 1). Figure 5 shows a raster scanning pattern, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Depending on the movement of the two reflectors of the galvanometer 110, the laser beam may be irradiated in a sinusoidal pattern, a helical pattern, or a double helix pattern, in addition to a linear pattern.

[0072] The start and end points of the laser scan may vary depending on the shape and extent of the heating area 410. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5A, the galvanometer 110 operates across the entire area that the laser scanner 100 can scan, centered on the sub-area 403. However, alternatively, for example, the start point of the laser scan may be the upper left of the sub-area 403, and the end point may be the lower right of the sub-area 403. The laser, having reached the end point, may return (swivel back) to the start point.

[0073] Figure 5A shows the path by which the light source unit 130 of the laser scanner 100 is turned on or off under the control of the control unit 160. Specifically, the light source unit 130 is turned off when the laser irradiation position is outside the sub-area 403 and turned on when the laser irradiation position is inside the sub-area 403. In Figure 5A, the light source unit 130 is shown to be turned off in the flyback path that returns after one cycle of laser scanning, but it may be turned on when it crosses the sub-area 403.

[0074] The speed at which the laser irradiation position moves can vary. Specifically, the speed at which the galvanometer's reflector rotates can vary. First, the speed can differ depending on whether the laser reaches the heating area or not. Referring to Figure 5B, the laser beam passing through the sub-area 403 belonging to the heating area 410 passes slowly (solid arrow). When the laser light is irradiated to a position beyond the heating area 410, the laser irradiation position passes quickly (dotted arrow).

[0075] Next, the speed is based on the temperature difference measured within the heating area. For example, when scanning sub-area 402, which has a temperature of -2°C, relatively lower than sub-area 403, the x-axis moving reflector of the galvanometer 110 rotates relatively slowly. Because the rotation is slow, more laser energy can be incident on the road surface. Conversely, when scanning a relatively hot sub-area, the x-axis moving reflector of the galvanometer 110 rotates relatively quickly. A faster moving speed can shorten the time to complete the black ice removal process and potentially improve efficiency.

[0076] The laser scanning speed, or the rotation speed of the reflector of the galvanometer, can be calculated in the control unit 160. The control unit 160 can control the galvanometer 110 based on the temperature difference at the measurement point to change the speed at which the laser scanner 100 scans the laser.

[0077] In another variation, the number of cycles in which the laser is scanned over the sub-area may vary depending on the temperature being measured. That is, the laser scanner 100 scans the laser so that it stays longer over relatively lower temperature heating areas and shorter over relatively higher temperature heating areas.

[0078] Figure 6 is a graph showing an example of pulse signals that control a laser scanner according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0079] Referring to Figure 6, three scan lines pass across the road surface. A portion of the length of the scan lines belongs to the heating area. Therefore, when passing through a portion that does not belong to the heating area, the light source unit of the laser scanner is turned off, and when passing through a portion that is included in the heating area, the light source unit is turned on. The control unit 160 generates pulse signals to control the on and off of the light source unit 130 of the laser scanner 100.

[0080] Figure 6 also shows a graph of pulse signals for controlling the on and off states of the light source unit. In one embodiment including the galvanometer, the X-axis rotation speed of the reflector to produce a single scan line is fixed. Therefore, the cycle of the pulse signal can be matched to the rotation speed or number of rotations of the reflector.

[0081] The control unit 160 may set the cycle of the pulse signal based on the speed at which the reflector of the galvanometer 110 rotates. In the embodiment of Figure 6, the pulse signal has a length of 3 cycles to control 3 scan lines. The control unit 160 may set the on-off duty cycle of the pulse signal based on the ratio of the width of the heating area to the length of the scan lines of the laser that can be irradiated onto the road surface by the galvanometer 110. In the illustrated embodiment, since the width of the heating area is 1 / 3 of the total scan line length, the control unit 160 generates a pulse signal with a duty cycle of 1 / 3.

[0082] Figure 7 shows the configuration of a laser scanner including an ultrasonic sensor according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] Referring to Figure 7, the laser scanner 100 includes an ultrasonic sensor 170. The ultrasonic sensor 170 can detect the distance from an object 700 in front. When the ultrasonic sensor 170 sends a signal to the control unit 160 indicating that it has detected an object 700 within a preset distance, the control unit 160 controls the light source unit 130 to turn off. The preset distance may be shorter than the distance from the ultrasonic sensor 170 to the road surface. The ultrasonic sensor 170 is used to prevent human accidents caused by laser heating. Therefore, object detection by the ultrasonic sensor 170 takes precedence over other signals. For example, regardless of the control of the control unit 160, the light source unit 130 may be forcibly turned off by a signal indicating that the ultrasonic sensor 170 has detected an object within the preset distance. Alternatively, the detection signal from the ultrasonic sensor 170 may be sent to the integrated controller 200, which may stop the laser scanner 100 regardless of the control commands of the server 300.

[0084] As described above, the system of this disclosure can de-ic the black ice that forms on the road surface by controlling the irradiation of invisible light. Furthermore, the weather sensor can accurately determine whether or not to de-ic the black ice, and by setting a heated area on a part of the road surface, the non-contact temperature sensor can accurately irradiate the laser to the necessary location. Therefore, it becomes possible to de-ic the black ice on the road surface and to prevent the formation of black ice on the road surface.

[0085] While embodiments of this disclosure have been illustrated and described, this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above and can be modified in various ways by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure as set forth in the claims. Furthermore, such modifications should also be understood to be within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A system for removing black ice from a road surface using invisible light, based on an AI learning model configured to analyze road surface images, Multiple laser scanners are arranged at intervals along the road, and each laser scanner is A light source unit that emits a laser, A non-contact temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the area of ​​the road surface, and A control unit that controls the operation of irradiating the area with a laser. Multiple laser scanners having, A weather sensor that measures the temperature and humidity of the surrounding environment, A camera that images the road surface, The system includes an integrated controller that communicates with the aforementioned multiple laser scanners, Here, the integrated controller, The road surface condition is determined by analyzing the road surface image captured by the camera, and based on the determined road surface condition, the temperature measured by the weather sensor, and the humidity, it is determined whether or not to irradiate the road surface with a laser, and When it is determined that a laser should be irradiated, a control signal is generated to activate at least one of the plurality of laser scanners that should be operated; The control unit of the laser scanner, which is activated by the integrated controller, Based on the temperature measured by the non-contact temperature sensor, the heating area in the designated area that requires laser irradiation is determined, and A system for generating pulse signals to turn on / off the light source unit of the activated laser scanner so that the laser is irradiated according to the shape and extent of the heated area.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the laser scanner comprises a galvanometer having two reflectors that rotate about different orthogonal axes x and y, and the control unit sets the cycle of the pulse signal based on the speed at which the reflectors rotate.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit sets the on-off duty cycle of the pulse signal based on the ratio of the width of the heating area to the length of the scan line of the laser that can be irradiated onto the road surface by the galvanometer.

4. The control unit, The heating area is defined to include a plurality of points having different temperatures measured by the non-contact temperature sensor, and The system according to claim 3, wherein the galvanometer is controlled so that the rotation speed of the reflector changes based on the temperature difference.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein each laser scanner further comprises an ultrasonic sensor for detecting the distance from an object present on the road surface, and the control unit controls the light source unit to turn off when the ultrasonic sensor detects an object within a preset distance.

6. The system further comprises a server that communicates remotely with the aforementioned integrated controller, The system according to claim 1, wherein the server transmits control commands to the integrated controller for controlling each of the plurality of laser scanners.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the integrated controller determines whether or not black ice is present on the road surface and whether or not to irradiate the road surface with a laser, according to the determined road surface condition.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the integrated controller determines whether or not to activate the laser scanner based on big data including topographical characteristics, local weather, temperature, and humidity information.

9. It is further equipped with cameras that capture images of the road surface, The system according to claim 1, wherein the integrated controller detects the terrain on the road surface by analyzing images captured by the camera via an AI learning model, and controls the laser scanner to selectively irradiate the laser according to the terrain on the road surface.

10. Each laser scanner further comprises an actuator that changes the direction in which the galvanometer is directed, The system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the actuator to change the orientation of the laser scanner toward the heating area.

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