RECORDING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VEHICLE

• US 20140267724A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Goergen, Todd Charles, Miller, Marc David, Herman, Gregory Joel
• Application Number:
  US13/795,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20140267724A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0094 Recorders on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/04 for monitoring the mechanical state of the route
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode

Abstract

A recording system may include a camera configured to record images including a first image and a storage device configured to store the images. The recording system may include a controller configured to identify at least one vertical line contained in the first image and determine whether the first image is indicative of a probable event area based on the identification of the at least one vertical line. The controller may be configured to command the camera to record the images at a first quality if the first image is indicative of a probable event area. The controller may also be configured to command the camera to record images at a second quality if the first image is not indicative of a probable event area. The images recorded at the second quality occupy less memory in the storage device than the images recorded at the first quality.

Claims

1. A recording system, comprising:

a camera configured to record images including a first image;

storage device configured to store the images; and

a controller configured to;

identify at least one vertical line contained in the first image;

determine whether the first image is indicative of a probable event area based on the identification of the at least one vertical line;

if the first image is indicative of a probable event area, send a command to the camera to record the images at a first quality; and

if the first image is not indicative of a probable event area, send a command to the camera to record the images at a second quality,

wherein the images recorded at the second quality occupy less memory in the storage device than the images recorded at the first quality.

2. The recording system of claim 1, wherein images recorded at the first quality have a higher resolution than images recorded at the second quality.

3. The recording system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to distinguish between a first vertical line indicative of man-made structures from a second vertical line indicative of natural structures.

4. The recording system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that the first image is indicative of a probable event area based on the presence of man-made structures within a predefined distance from the camera.

5. The recording system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to ignore any vertical lines indicative of telephone poles for the purpose of determining whether the first image is indicative of a probable event area.

6. The recording system of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to ignore any vertical lines indicative of natural structures for the purpose of determining whether the first image is indicative of a probable event area.

7. The recording system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to associate the probable event area with a location.

8. The recording system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that a travel speed associated with the camera has exceeded a predetermined threshold; and

based on the travel speed, send a command to record the images at the second quality.

9. The recording system of 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether an audio signal is indicative of a probable event area; and

if the audio signal is indicative of a probable event area, send a command to the camera to record the images at a first quality

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving images including a first image;

identifying, via a processor, at least one vertical line contained in the first image;

determining whether the first image is indicative of a probable event area based on the identification of the at least one vertical line;

if the first image is indicative of a probable event area, recording the images at a first quality; and

if the first image is not indicative of a probable event area, recording the images at a second quality,

wherein the images recorded at the second quality occupy less memory in a storage device than the images recorded at the first quality.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the images recorded at the first quality have a higher resolution than images recorded at the second quality.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further including distinguishing vertical lines indicative of man-made structures from vertical lines indicative of natural structures.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further including determining that the first image is indicative of a probable event area based on the presence of man-made structures within a predefined distance from the camera.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to ignore any vertical lines indicative of natural structures for the purpose of determining whether the first image is indicative of a probable event area.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further including ignoring any vertical lines indicative of telephone poles for the purpose of determining whether the first image is indicative of a probable event area.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further including:

determining that a travel speed associated with the camera has exceeded a predetermined threshold; and

based on the travel speed, send a command to record the images at the second quality.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, further including:

determining whether an audio signal is indicative of a probable event area; and

if the audio signal is indicative of a probable event area, sending a command to the camera to record the images at a first quality

18. A locomotive, comprising:

a camera configured to record images including a first image;

a storage device configured to store the images; and

a controller configured to;

analyze the first image to identify at least one vertical line contained in the first image;

determine whether the first image is indicative of a probable event area based on the identification of the at least one vertical line;

if the first image is indicative of a probable event area, send a command to the camera to record the images at a first quality; and

if the first image is not indicative of a probable event area, send a command to the camera to record the images at a second quality,

wherein the images recorded at the second quality occupy less memory in the storage device than the images recorded at the first quality.

19. The locomotive of claim 18, wherein the images recorded at the first quality have a higher resolution than the images recorded at the second quality.

20. The locomotive of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to distinguish a first vertical line indicative of man-made structures from a second vertical line indicative of natural structures.

21. The locomotive of claim 20, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that the first image is indicative of a probable event area based on the presence of man-made structures within a predefined distance from the camera.

22. The locomotive of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to ignore any vertical lines indicative of natural structures for the purpose of determining whether the first image is indicative of a probable event area.

23. The locomotive of claim 22, wherein the controller is further configured to ignore any vertical lines indicative of telephone poles for the purpose of determining whether the first image is indicative of a probable event area.

24. The locomotive of claim 23, wherein the controller is further configured to associate the probable event area with a location.

25. The locomotive of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that a travel speed associated with the locomotive has exceeded a predetermined threshold; and

based on the travel speed, send a command to record the images at the second quality.

26. The locomotive of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether an audio signal is indicative of a probable event area; and

if the audio signal is indicative of a probable event area, send a command to the camera to record the images at a first quality