US Patent 10915111 Roadway surface applied encoded route information

In some embodiments, route information and/or location identifiers are directly encoded on a surface of a roadway. A route information service stores detailed route information that correspond with sections of a roadway and provides instructions to a road symbol application device to apply combinations of shapes to a surface of the roadway to encode the route information and/or location identifiers on the roadway. A sensor of a vehicle traversing the roadway detects the combination of symbols, decodes the combination of symbols to determine route information and/or location identifiers, and provides the route information to a control system of the vehicle for use in controlling the vehicle or displays the route information via a display of the vehicle.