AUTOMATED WHEEL SLIDE DETECTOR

• US 20080192113A1
• Filed: 02/11/2008
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wabtec Control Systems Pty. Ltd. (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lynx Engineering Consultants Pty Ltd.
• Inventors: Kilian, Krzysztof Piotr
• Granted Patent: US 8,780,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/228 for railway vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/12 Measuring or surveying wheel-rims measuring techniques G01
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 1/166 Optical
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/57 for vehicles or trains, e.g. trackside supervision of train conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/38 using photographic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/68 using optical means, i.e. using infrared, visible, or ultraviolet light G01P3/80 takes precedence ; by reflection of waves G01S17/58

Abstract

A wheel slide detection system including an image capture means to capture an image of a wheel and a processing means to receive said captured image, identify said wheel and analyse the relative position of said wheel to determine whether said wheel is rotating.

Claims

1. A railway vehicle wheel slide detection system including:

an image capture means to capture an image of a wheel; and

a processing means to receive said captured image, identify said wheel and analyse the orientation of said wheel relative to an expected orientation to determine whether said wheel is rotating or not rotating.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of image capture means are included.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of images are captured by said image capture means to enable relative comparison between each said image.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the comparison is made between consecutive captured images.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, further including a trigger means to activate said image capture means.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said trigger means is a switch or an electronic impulse generated by a microprocessor.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6 further including at least one additional trigger means to provide at least one reference point for said processing means.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said image capture means is a camera.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said camera includes automated iris control mechanisms adapted to adjust to varying lighting conditions.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1 further including a lighting means to illuminate said wheel.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, further including a lighting control means to adjust the illumination provided by said lighting means dependent on ambient conditions.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein to determine whether said wheel is rotating, said processing means identifies a fixed component, feature or marker on said wheel, and analyses the movement of said fixed component or feature to determine whether said wheel is rotating.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least two images are captured by said image capture means, and said processing means compares the relative position of said component, marker or feature in each said image to determine rotation.

14. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the degree of rotation determined by said processing means is compared with expected rotation of said wheel to determine whether said wheel is partially or fully rotating.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the expected angle of rotation is determined by (D/R)×

(360/2×

π

)

where D equals distance traveled by said wheel,

equal radius of said wheel, and is a mathematical constant.

16. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image capture means uses a slow shutter or time lapse technique.

17. A system as claimed claim 16, wherein to determine whether said wheel is rotating, said processing means identifies a fixed component, feature or marker on said wheel, and analyses the movement of said fixed component or feature to determine whether said wheel is rotating.

18. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein if said processing means determines said wheel is not rotating, or is partially rotating, an alert or warning message is sent to at least one predetermined recipient.

19. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing means determines whether the wheel is partially rotating.

20. A method of detecting railway vehicle wheel slide, comprising:

capturing an image of a wheel of the vehicle;

analyzing an orientation of said wheel relative to an expected orientation; and

determining whether said wheel is or is not rotating.

21. A method according to claim 20, comprising capturing a plurality of images of said wheel and a comparison is made between two or more said images to determine whether said wheel is or is not rotating.

22. A method according to claim 21, comprising comparing consecutive images of said captured images.

23. A method according to claim 20, wherein a fixed component, feature or marker on said wheel is identified, and the movement of said fixed component, feature or marker is analyzed to determine whether said wheel is rotating or not rotating.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein at least two said images are captured, and relative positions of said component feature or marker on said wheel in each said image are compared to determine rotation or non-rotation of the wheel.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein a degree of rotation of said wheel is determined and compared with an expected rotation of said wheel to determine whether said wheel is partially or fully rotating.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein an expected angle of rotation is determined by (D/R)×

(360/2π

)

where D equals distance traveled by said wheel,

R equals the radius of said wheel, and

π

is a mathematical constant.

27. A method according to claim 20, comprising capturing said image using slow shutter or time lapse technique.

28. A method according to claim 20, comprising sending an alert or warning to at least one predetermined recipient if said wheel is not rotating or is only partially rotating.

29. A method according to claim 20, comprising triggering an activation signal to initiate capturing said image.

30. A method according to claim 29, comprising triggering at least one additional to provide at least one reference point for processing said image.

31. A method according to claim 20, comprising automated iris control of an image capture means to adjust to varying lighting conditions.

32. A method according to claim 20, comprising illuminating said wheel when capturing of said image.