Brake component monitoring

• US 20130083188A1
• Filed: 10/03/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Electronic Machines Corp.
• Original Assignee: International Electronic Machines Corp.
• Inventors: Mian, Zahid F., Gamache, Ronald W., Glasser, Nicholas P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,945,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/135
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/228 for railway vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/406 Test-mode; Self-diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/06 for measuring thickness ; e.g. of sheet material thickness measurement by thermal means G01B21/085
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/0028 Brakes, brakeshoes, clutches

Abstract

A solution for evaluating a component of a vehicle, such as a brake pad of a rail vehicle, is provided. An imaging component can acquire image data for a target area of the vehicle within which at least a portion of the component is visible. The target area can be illuminated by an illumination device that is, for example, horizontally offset from the imaging device to highlight the three-dimensional structure in the target area by creating shadows in the image data. A set of points corresponding to the component can be identified in the image data using the shadows. A measurement for at least one attribute of the component can be calculated from the set of points.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an imaging component including;

a first imaging device configured to acquire image data for a target area of a vehicle; and

a first illumination device configured to direct electromagnetic radiation on the target area, wherein the first illumination device is at least one of;

horizontally or vertically offset from the first imaging device to create shadows in the image data; and

a computer system for evaluating a component at least partially visible in the target area using the image data by performing a method comprising;

locating a region of interest within the image data, wherein the region of interest corresponds to a location where the component is expected to be at least partially visible;

identifying a set of points in the image data corresponding to at least two edges of the component, wherein the identifying includes identifying a separation point between the component and at least one other component using the shadows in the image data; and

calculating a measurement for at least one attribute of the component using the set of points.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging component further includes a second imaging device configured to acquire image data for the target area, wherein the first imaging device is located above the target area and the second imaging device is located below the target area, and wherein the method further includes merging the image data acquired by the first and second imaging devices into a single image prior to the locating.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the component is a brake assembly of a rail vehicle, and wherein the first imaging device is configured to acquire image data for a first portion of the brake assembly through an opening in a truck assembly and the second imaging device is configured to acquire image data for a second portion of the brake assembly from below the truck assembly.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the method further includes:

comparing the measurement for the at least one attribute of the component with an acceptable value range for the at least one attribute; and

initiating an action in response to the at least one attribute being outside the acceptable value range.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the action includes at least one of:

notifying an operator of the vehicle, rerouting the vehicle, or scheduling the vehicle for maintenance.

6. A system comprising:

an imaging component including;

a first imaging device configured to acquire image data for a target area of a rail vehicle, wherein the target area includes at least a portion of a brake assembly of the rail vehicle; and

a first illumination device configured to direct electromagnetic radiation on the target area, wherein the first illumination device is at least one of;

horizontally or vertically offset from the first imaging device to create shadows in the image data; and

a computer system for evaluating the brake assembly using the image data by performing a method comprising;

locating a region of interest within the image data, wherein the region of interest corresponds to a location where the brake assembly is expected to be at least partially visible;

identifying a set of points in the image data corresponding to at least two edges of the brake assembly, wherein the identifying includes identifying a separation point between the brake assembly and at least one other component using the shadows in the image data; and

calculating a measurement for at least one attribute of the brake assembly using the set of points.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the imaging component further includes a second imaging device configured to acquire image data for the target area, wherein the first imaging device is configured to acquire image data for a first portion of the brake assembly through an opening in a truck assembly and the second imaging device is configured to acquire image data for a second portion of the brake assembly from below the truck assembly, and wherein the method further includes merging the image data acquired by the first and second imaging devices into a single image prior to the locating.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a set of rail wheel detectors configured to signal when a rail wheel is detected, wherein the method further includes:

determining a time for acquiring the image data for a rail wheel based on a set of signals generated by the set of rail wheel detectors; and

triggering the first imaging device to acquire the image data based on the time.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the set of rail wheel detectors includes at least two rail wheel detectors located on opposing sides of a field of view of the first imaging device, and wherein the determining is different for each odd rail wheel and each even rail wheel.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the calculating includes determining a thickness of a brake pad of the brake assembly in a plurality of locations.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of locations include a location adjacent to a top extremum and a location adjacent to a bottom extremum of the brake pad.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the determining includes projecting a thickness of an obscured portion of the brake pad using the set of points.

13. A method comprising:

evaluating a brake assembly using image data for a target area of a rail vehicle, wherein the target area includes at least a portion of a brake assembly of the rail vehicle and includes shadows caused by the brake assembly, the evaluating including;

locating a region of interest within the image data, wherein the region of interest corresponds to a location where the brake assembly is expected to be at least partially visible;

identifying a set of points in the image data corresponding to at least two edges of the brake assembly, wherein the identifying includes identifying a separation point between the brake assembly and at least one other component using the shadows in the image data; and

calculating a measurement for at least one attribute of the brake assembly using the set of points.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the image data includes at least two images having at least partially overlapping fields of view, and wherein the evaluating further includes merging the at least two images to create a single image prior to the locating.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a time for acquiring the image data for a rail wheel based on a set of signals generated by a set of rail wheel detectors; and

triggering an imaging device to acquire the image data based on the time.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

comparing the measurement for the at least one attribute of the component with an acceptable value range for the at least one attribute; and

initiating an action in response to the at least one attribute being outside the acceptable value range.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the action includes at least one of:

notifying an operator of the vehicle, rerouting the vehicle, or scheduling the vehicle for maintenance.