Method and apparatus for measuring retroreflectivity of a reflective layer on a surface

Claim 1

A method of measuring retroreflectivity of a reflective layer on a surface, comprising: illuminating a portion of said reflective layer with a laser beam of a predetermined wavelength emanating from a laser source while said portion is exposed to ambient light, said wavelength being in the range of from about 600 nm to about 650 nm and said laser beam being incident on said layer at a particular incidence angle (i), said incident beam being reflected in the direction generally back toward its source at least partially at a particular observation angle (o), said incidence angle and said observation angle being separated by a divergence angle (δ); filtering the laser light reflected at said observation angle through a narrow pass filter centered on said predetermined wavelength; picking up said filtered light with a photometer; and producing an electric signal corresponding to the amount of light incident on said photometer, said signal thus corresponding to the retroreflectivity of the illuminated portion of said reflective layer.

Claim 2

A method of measuring retroreflectivity of a reflective layer on a surface, comprising: illuminating a portion of said reflective layer with a laser beam of a predetermined wavelength emanating from a laser source while said portion is exposed to ambient light, said wavelength being in the range of from about 600 nm to about 650 nm and said laser beam being incident on said layer at a particular incidence angle (i), said incident beam being reflected in the direction generally back toward its source at least partially at a particular observation angle (o), said incidence angle and said observation angle being separated by a divergence angle (δ); filtering the laser light reflected at said observation angle through a narrow pass filter centered on said predetermined wavelength; picking up said filtered light with a photometer; and producing an electric signal corresponding to the amount of light incident on said photometer, said signal thus corresponding to the retroreflectivity of the illuminated portion of said reflective layer.

Claim 6

A method of measuring retroreflectivity of a reflective stripe on a road surface, said strip containing beads of a generally transparent material, comprising sweeping a laser beam across said stripe at a particular incidence angle relative to said stripe to illuminate an area of said stripe while the stripe is exposed to ambient light, said incident laser beam being reflected back at least partially at a particular observation angle; sweeping a telephotomultiplier across said stripe at said observation angle to trace the sweeping of the incident beam, said telephotomultiplier producing an output level related to the amount of said incident laser beam that is reflected back at said observation angle; and ascertaining said retroreflectivity based on the output level of said telephotomultiplier.

Claim 7

A method of measuring retroreflectivity of a reflective stripe on a road surface, said strip containing beads of a generally transparent material, comprising sweeping a laser beam across said stripe at a particular incidence angle relative to said stripe to illuminate an area of said stripe while the stripe is exposed to ambient light, said incident laser beam being reflected back at least partially at a particular observation angle; sweeping a telephotomultiplier across said stripe at said observation angle to trace the sweeping of the incident beam, said telephotomultiplier producing an output level related to the amount of said incident laser beam that is reflected back at said observation angle; and ascertaining said retroreflectivity based on the output level of said telephotomultiplier.

Claim 8

A method of measuring retroreflectivity of a reflective marking on a road surface, said marking containing reflective beads of a generally transparent material comprising: sweeping a laser beam emanating from a laser source across said marking at a particular incidence angle relative to said marking to illuminate an area of said marking while said area is exposed to ambient light, said incident beam having a predetermined wavelength in the visible spectrum and being reflected in the direction generally back toward its source at least partially at a particular observation angle; sweeping a telephotomultiplier across said marking at said observation angle to trace the sweeping of the incident beam, said reflected beam being filtered in said telephotomultiplier through a narrow pass filter centered on said predetermined wavelength and then incident on a photometer element, said photometer element producing an output level related to the amount of said incident laser beam that is reflected back at said observation angle; and ascertaining the retroreflectivity of said marking based on the output level of said telephotomultiplier.

Claim 9

A method of measuring retroreflectivity of a reflective marking on a road surface, said marking containing reflective beads of a generally transparent material comprising: sweeping a laser beam emanating from a laser source across said marking at a particular incidence angle relative to said marking to illuminate an area of said marking while said area is exposed to ambient light, said incident beam having a predetermined wavelength in the visible spectrum and being reflected in the direction generally back toward its source at least partially at a particular observation angle; sweeping a telephotomultiplier across said marking at said observation angle to trace the sweeping of the incident beam, said reflected beam being filtered in said telephotomultiplier through a narrow pass filter centered on said predetermined wavelength and then incident on a photometer element, said photometer element producing an output level related to the amount of said incident laser beam that is reflected back at said observation angle; and ascertaining the retroreflectivity of said marking based on the output level of said telephotomultiplier.

Claim 10

A method of measuring retroreflectivity of a reflective light on a surface, comprising: illuminating a portion of said reflective layer with a laser beam of a predetermined wavelength emanating from a laser source while said portion is exposed to ambient light, said wavelength being in the range of from about 600 nm to about 650 nm and said laser beam being directed to incidence mirror means and being reflected thereby to be incident on an area of said layer at an incidence angle, said incident beam being reflected in the direction generally back toward its source at least partially at an observation angle; reflecting the light reflected back at said observation angle in observation mirror means; filtering the light reflected back from said observation mirror means through a narrow pass filter centered on said predetermined wavelength; and picking up the filtered light with a photometer corresponding to the amount of light incident on said photometer, said level thus corresponding to the retroreflectivity of the illuminated portion of said reflective layer.

Claim 11

A method of measuring retroreflectivity of a reflective light on a surface, comprising: illuminating a portion of said reflective layer with a laser beam of a predetermined wavelength emanating from a laser source while said portion is exposed to ambient light, said wavelength being in the range of from about 600 nm to about 650 nm and said laser beam being directed to incidence mirror means and being reflected thereby to be incident on an area of said layer at an incidence angle, said incident beam being reflected in the direction generally back toward its source at least partially at an observation angle; reflecting the light reflected back at said observation angle in observation mirror means; filtering the light reflected back from said observation mirror means through a narrow pass filter centered on said predetermined wavelength; and picking up the filtered light with a photometer corresponding to the amount of light incident on said photometer, said level thus corresponding to the retroreflectivity of the illuminated portion of said reflective layer.

Claim 14

A method of measuring retroreflectivity of a reflective layer on a surface, comprising: illuminating a portion of said reflective layer with a laser beam emanating from a laser source while said portion is exposed to ambient light, said beam being of a predetermined wavelength, said laser beam being incident on said layer at a low incidence angle, said low incidence angle being on the order of about 1° to 5° from horizontal, said beam being reflected in the direction generally back toward its source, at least partially at a similarly low observation angle, said incidence angle and said observation angle being different from each other and separated by a divergence angle; measuring with a photometer the intensity of the laser light reflected back at said low observation angle; illuminating said portion of said reflective layer with said laser beam incident thereon at a high incidence angle, said high incidence angle being on the order of 15° to 60° from the horizontal, said beam being reflected in the direction generally back toward its source, at least partially, at a similarly high observation angle, said high incidence and observation angles being separated by a divergence angle; measuring with said photometer the intensity of the light reflected back at said high observation angle; and averaging the measured intensities of said reflected back light at said high and said low observation angles, thus producing an indication of the condition of the reflective layer.

Claim 15

A method of measuring retroreflectivity of a reflective layer on a surface, comprising: illuminating a portion of said reflective layer with a laser beam emanating from a laser source while said portion is exposed to ambient light, said beam being of a predetermined wavelength, said laser beam being incident on said layer at a low incidence angle, said low incidence angle being on the order of about 1° to 5° from horizontal, said beam being reflected in the direction generally back toward its source, at least partially at a similarly low observation angle, said incidence angle and said observation angle being different from each other and separated by a divergence angle; measuring with a photometer the intensity of the laser light reflected back at said low observation angle; illuminating said portion of said reflective layer with said laser beam incident thereon at a high incidence angle, said high incidence angle being on the order of 15° to 60° from the horizontal, said beam being reflected in the direction generally back toward its source, at least partially, at a similarly high observation angle, said high incidence and observation angles being separated by a divergence angle; measuring with said photometer the intensity of the light reflected back at said high observation angle; and averaging the measured intensities of said reflected back light at said high and said low observation angles, thus producing an indication of the condition of the reflective layer.