IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20150235484A1
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: KRAELING, MARK BRADSHAW, MCMANUS, BRIAN JOSEPH, MINER, MICHAEL
• Granted Patent: US 9,865,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0866 the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera

Abstract

An imaging system includes a camera and a controller. The camera is configured to be disposed on a first vehicle system or at a wayside location along a route to generate image data within a field of view of the camera. The controller is configured to monitor a data rate at which the image data is provided from the camera. The controller also is configured to identify a stimulus event within the field of view of the camera based on a change in the data rate at which the image data is generated by the camera.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed on a first vehicle system or at a wayside location along a route of the first vehicle system, the camera configured to generate image data within a field of view of the camera; and

a controller configured to monitor a data rate at which the image data is provided from the camera, the controller configured to identify a stimulus event within the field of view of the camera based on a change in the data rate at which the image data is generated by the camera.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to identify the stimulus event as movement within the field of view of the camera.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller also is configured to activate one or more alarms responsive to identifying the stimulus event.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data rate at which the image data is provided from the camera represents a bit rate at which the image data is compressed by the camera.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to identify the stimulus event in the field of view of the camera when a compression of the image data decreases by more than a designated, non-zero threshold decrease.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle system includes at least a first vehicle and a second vehicle mechanically coupled with each other, and wherein the camera is configured to be disposed onboard the first vehicle and the controller is configured to be disposed onboard the second vehicle in order to remotely monitor for the stimulus event in the first vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine at least one of a time or date at which the stimulus event occurs based on the data rate at which the image data is provided from the camera, and the controller is configured to compare the at least one of the time or date to an authorized time or an authorized date, respectively, to determine if the stimulus event is authorized.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to compare one or more images formed from the image data to one or more authorized images representative of persons having authorization to be in the first vehicle system, and the controller is configured to generate an alarm signal responsive to the one or more images differing from the one or more authorized images.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein, when the camera is in an inactive state, the camera is configured to save only the image data obtained during a moving time window that extends backward from a current time to a previous time by a designated, non-zero time period and, when the camera is in an active state, the controller is configured to save the image data obtained during the moving time window and the image data obtained outside of the moving time window.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising at least one of a force sensor or an audio sensor, the force sensor configured to detect a change in acceleration of the first vehicle system, the audio sensor configured to detect a sound in the first vehicle system, wherein the controller is configured to switch the camera from the inactive state to the active state responsive to at least one of the force sensor detecting the change in acceleration or the audio sensor detecting the sound.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to automatically communicate an assistance request signal to one or more second vehicle systems responsive to the camera switching from an inactive state to an active state, the assistance request signal requesting the one or more second vehicle systems to acquire additional image data at a location of the first vehicle system when the camera switched from the inactive state to the active state.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera is configured to compress the image data into compressed image data, and to output the compressed image data at the data rate, the data rate comprising a bit rate;

and

the controller is configured to monitor the bit rate at which the compressed image data is output and to identify the stimulus event responsive to the bit rate changing by at least a designated threshold, the controller also configured to generate one or more alarm signals responsive to the bit rate changing by at least the designated threshold.

13. A method comprising:

obtaining image data of a field of view of a camera, the field of view including at least a portion of a first vehicle system;

monitoring, with one or more computer processors, a data rate at which the image data is provided from the camera; and

identifying, with the one or more computer processors, a stimulus event within the field of view of the camera based on a change in the data rate at which the image data is generated by the camera.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data rate that is monitored is a bit rate at which the image data is compressed by the camera.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the stimulus event in the field of view of the camera is identified when a compression of the image data decreases by more than a designated, non-zero threshold decrease.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining at least one of a time or date at which the stimulus event occurs based on the data rate at which the image data is provided from the camera, and comparing the at least one of the time or date to an authorized time or an authorized date, respectively, to determine if the stimulus event is authorized.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising comparing one or more images formed from the image data to one or more authorized images representative of persons having authorization to be in the first vehicle system, and generating an alarm signal responsive to the one or more images differing from the one or more authorized images.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting at least one of a change in acceleration of the first vehicle system or a sound in the first vehicle system, and switching the camera from an inactive state to an active state responsive to detecting the at least one of the change in acceleration or the sound.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically communicating an assistance request signal to one or more second vehicle systems responsive to the camera switching from an inactive state to an active state, the assistance request signal requesting the one or more second vehicle systems to acquire additional image data at or near a location of the first vehicle system when the camera switched from the inactive state to the active state.

20. A system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed onboard a first vehicle of a vehicle system that includes the first vehicle and at least a second vehicle mechanically coupled with each other, the camera configured to obtain image data, compress the image data into compressed image data, and output the compressed image data at a bit rate; and

a controller configured to monitor the bit rate at which the compressed image data is output and to identify a stimulus event occurring at the first vehicle responsive to the bit rate changing by at least a designated threshold, the controller also configured to generate one or more alarm signals responsive to the bit rate changing by at least the designated threshold.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to be disposed onboard the second vehicle to remotely monitor the first vehicle via the camera.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to identify movement in the first vehicle based on the bit rate decreasing by at least the designated threshold.