LOCOMOTIVE WIRELESS VIDEO RECORDER AND RECORDING SYSTEM

• US 20110216200A1
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Daniel Malachi Ballesty, Glenn Robert Shaffer, Jeffrey James Kisak, Wing Yeung Chung
• Inventors: Ballesty, Daniel Malachi, Chung, Wing Yeung, Kisak, Jeffrey James, Shaffer, Glenn Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,913,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0027 Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/009 On-board display devices
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/021 Measuring and recording of train speed
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/023 Determination of driving direction of vehicle or train
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/026 Relative localisation, e.g. using odometer
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/53 for trackside elements or systems, e.g. trackside supervision of trackside control system conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/57 for vehicles or trains, e.g. trackside supervision of train conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An imaging system for generating images taken from a rail vehicle, the system including a camera configured to generate video data associated with a rail vehicle, and a processor configured to control recording of video data according to at least one of a variable frame rate or a variable resolution based on operating conditions of the rail vehicle. A method and non-transitory computer readable medium with instructions are also included.

Claims

1. An imaging system for generating images taken from a rail vehicle, the system comprising:

a camera configured to generate video data associated with a rail vehicle; and

a processor configured to control recording of the video data according to at least one of a variable frame rate or a variable resolution based on operating conditions of the rail vehicle.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a data storage device to store the video data for later retrieval.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the operating conditions of the rail vehicle comprise a location of the rail vehicle, a time of day the video data is generated or recorded, environmental conditions experienced by the rail vehicle, and/or landmarks that the rail vehicle passes.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control recording of the video data according to at least one of a higher frame rate or a higher resolution if the rail vehicle is traveling at a higher speed, and wherein the processor is configured to control recording of the video data according to at least one of a lower frame rate or a lower resolution if the rail vehicle is traveling at a lower speed.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control recording of the video data according to at least one of a higher frame rate or a higher resolution if the rail vehicle is approaching a crossing, and wherein the processor is configured to control recording of the video data according to at least one of a lower frame rate or a lower resolution if the rail vehicle is not approaching a crossing.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control recording of the video data at a higher frame rate if the rail vehicle is traveling at a higher speed, and wherein the processor is configured to control recording of the video data at a lower frame rate if the rail vehicle is traveling at a lower speed.

7. Non-transitory computer readable medium with instructions, that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to control recording of video data associated with a rail vehicle at one of a variable frame rate or a variable resolution based on operating conditions of the rail vehicle.

8. Non-transitory computer readable medium with instructions according to claim 7, that cause the processor to control storing the video data for later retrieval.

9. Non-transitory computer readable medium with instructions according to claim 7, that cause the processor to control a camera to generate the video data, the camera associated with the rail vehicle.

10. A method for generating images taken from a rail vehicle, the method comprising:

generating video data associated with a rail vehicle, with a camera attached to the rail vehicle; and

controlling recording of the video data according to at least one of a variable frame rate or a variable resolution based on operating conditions of the rail vehicle, where the recording is controlled with a processor.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising storing the video data for later retrieval.

12. The method according to claim 10, comprising:

controlling recording of the video data according to at least one of a higher frame rate or a higher resolution if the rail vehicle is traveling at a higher speed; and

controlling recording of the video data according to at least one of a lower frame rate or a lower resolution if the rail vehicle is traveling at a lower speed.

13. The method according to claim 10, comprising:

controlling recording of the video data according to at least one of a higher frame rate or a higher resolution if the rail vehicle is approaching a crossing; and

controlling recording of the video data according to at least one of a lower frame rate or a lower resolution if the rail vehicle is not approaching a crossing.

14. The method according to claim 10, comprising:

controlling recording of the video data at a higher frame rate if the rail vehicle is traveling at a higher speed; and

controlling recording of the video data at a lower frame rate if the rail vehicle is traveling at a lower speed.