SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING A CHARACTERISITIC OF AN OBJECT ADJACENT TO A ROUTE

• US 20100070172A1
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/041 Obstacle detection

Abstract

A system is provided for determining at least one characteristic of an object positioned adjacent to a route. The characteristic of the object is related to the operation of a powered system. The powered system travels along the route. The system includes a plurality of cameras attached to the powered system. The plurality of cameras are aligned along a respective line of sight to the object. A method and computer readable media are also provided for determining at least one characteristic of an object positioned adjacent to a route.

Claims

1. A determination system for determining at least one characteristic of an object positioned adjacent to a route, said characteristic of the object being related to an operation of a powered system traveling along the route, said determination system comprising a plurality of cameras being attached to the powered system, said plurality of cameras aligned along a respective line of sight to said object.

2. The determination system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of cameras are positioned at a respective plurality of external surfaces of said powered system, and said powered system is one of an off-highway vehicle, a marine vessel, transportation vehicle, agricultural vehicle, and a rail vehicle.

3. The determination system of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to said plurality of cameras, said controller being configured to respectively align said plurality of cameras along the respective line of sight to said object.

4. The determination system of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to said plurality of cameras, wherein said plurality of cameras are configured to collect respective visible spectral data from said object, and said controller is configured to determine the characteristic of said object based upon said visible spectral data.

5. The determination system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of cameras are positioned at a respective plurality of external surfaces of said powered system;

and said plurality of external surfaces are positioned within a common transverse plane intersecting a fixed length position along a length of said powered system, said plurality of external surfaces being spaced within said transverse plane.

6. The determination system of claim 5, wherein said fixed length position is adjacent to an end of the powered system.

7. The determination system of claim 5, wherein said plurality of external surfaces are horizontally spaced within said transverse plane, said plurality of cameras being positioned adjacent to opposing sides of said powered system.

8. The determination system of claim 5, wherein said plurality of external surfaces are vertically spaced within said transverse plane, said plurality of cameras being positioned adjacent to one side of said powered system.

9. The determination system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller coupled to said plurality of cameras, said controller being configured to respectively align said plurality of cameras along the respective line of sight to said object; and

a position determination device coupled to said controller, said position determination device configured to determine a position of the powered system along the route;

wherein said controller includes a memory configured to store an expected position of said object along the route, and at least one position parameter of said object at said expected position; and

said controller is further configured to determine the respective line of sight for said plurality of cameras to said object based on said position of the powered system, said expected position of said object along the route, and said at least one position parameter of said object at said expected position.

10. The determination system of claim 9, wherein said position parameter is one of a vertical distance between a ground and the object and a horizontal distance between the route and a base of the object.

11. The determination system of claim 9, wherein upon determining the respective line of sight for said plurality of cameras, said controller is configured to align said plurality of cameras along the respective line of sight to the object by varying at least one of a horizontal alignment and a vertical alignment of a respective camera along the respective line of sight to the object.

12. The determination system of claim 9, wherein upon aligning said plurality of cameras along the respective line of sight to the object, said controller is configured to calculate a distance from the powered system to the object based upon the respective line of sight of the plurality of cameras to the object.

13. The determination system of claim 9, wherein upon aligning said plurality of cameras along the respective line of sight to the object, and upon an obstacle having obstructed said line of sight of a first camera of said plurality of cameras to said object, said line of sight of a second camera of said plurality of cameras to said object remains unobstructed to said object.

14. The determination system of claim 13, wherein said obstacle is a fog shroud surrounding a portion of said object coinciding with said line of sight of said first camera to said object.

15. The determination system of claim 1, wherein said powered system is a locomotive traveling along a railroad, said plurality of cameras is a pair of cameras having a pair of camera locations along a respective opposing side of said locomotive.

16. The determination system of claim 15, wherein said object is a light signal positioned adjacent to said railroad, and said pair of cameras are aligned along the respective line of sight to said light signal from said pair of camera locations along opposing sides of said locomotive to collect visible spectral data from the light signal.

17. The determination system of claim 15, wherein said pair of cameras is configured to determine whether an adjacent railroad is positioned on one side of said railroad.

18. A method for determining at least one characteristic of an object positioned adjacent to a route, said characteristic of the object being related to the operation of a powered system traveling along the route, said method comprising:

aligning a plurality of cameras along a respective line of sight to said object, wherein the plurality of cameras are attached to the powered system;

collecting respective image data from said object with said plurality of cameras; and

determining the characteristic of said object based upon said image data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of cameras are attached at a respective plurality of external surfaces of the powered system, said powered system being one of an off-highway vehicle, a marine vessel, a transportation vehicle, an agricultural vehicle, and a rail vehicle.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining a position of the powered system along the route;

storing an expected position of said object along the route in a memory; and

determining the respective line of sight for said plurality of cameras to said object based on said position of the powered system, said expected position of said object along the route, and at least one position parameter of said object at said expected position.

21. A determination system for determining at least one characteristic of a wayside equipment positioned adjacent to a railroad, said determination system comprising:

a plurality of cameras attached to a locomotive; and

a controller attached to the locomotive, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the plurality of cameras for alignment along a respective line of sight to said wayside equipment.

22. The determination system of claim 21, wherein said plurality of cameras are positioned at a respective plurality of external surfaces of said locomotive;

and said plurality of external surfaces are positioned within a common transverse plane intersecting a fixed length position along a length of said locomotive, said plurality of external surfaces being spaced within said transverse plane.

23. The determination system of claim 22, wherein said fixed length position is adjacent to an end of the locomotive.

24. The determination system of claim 22, wherein said plurality of external surfaces are horizontally spaced within said transverse plane, said plurality of cameras being positioned adjacent to opposing sides of said locomotive.

25. The determination system of claim 22, wherein said plurality of external surfaces are vertically spaced within said transverse plane, said plurality of cameras being positioned adjacent to one side of said locomotive.

26. Computer readable medium for determining at least one characteristic of an object positioned adjacent to a route, said characteristic of the object being related to an operation of a powered system traveling along the route, a plurality of cameras are attached to the powered system, said computer readable medium including computer software code, that, when executed on a processor, causes the processor to:

align said plurality of cameras along a respective line of sight to said object.