Railroad surveying and monitoring system

• US 8,180,590 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marshall University Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Marshall University Research Corporation
• Inventors: Szwilski, Anthony B., Begley, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): West, Jeffrey R
• Application Number:
  US12/312,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20100026551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,778 Days
• Field of Search: 702/5, 702/57, 702/81, 702/94, 702/95, 702/150, 702/152, 702/153, 702/159, 702/167, 701/207, 701/208, 342/357.06, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/08 Measuring installations for surveying permanent way applications of measuring apparatus or devices for track building purposes E01B35/00; measuring techniques G01
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/047 Track or rail movements
• CPC Class Codes: E01B 37/00 Making, maintaining, renewing, or taking-up the ballastway or the track, not provided for in a single one of groups E01B27/00 - E01B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/885 for ground probing prospecting or detecting using electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/54 using carrier phase measurements; using long or short baseline interferometry

Abstract

A Railroad Surveying and Monitoring System configured on a mobile platform for surveying, monitoring, and analyzing rail position and superstructure and terrain substructure of railroad tracks (20a,b) or other structures. The system employs two or more High Accuracy Differential Global Positioning System devices (110,112), ground penetrating radar devices (116), terrain conductivity instruments (118), optical cameras (124), and data receivers and processors (126), which in turn process, display, and store the data in a usable database. Precise coordinate data generated from a High Accuracy Global Positioning System provides both location data for subsurface sensors and surface sensors and rail position coordinates to monitor track displacements during track inspection in real time.

Claims

1. A high accuracy track surveying system, comprising:

a mobile platform adapted to travel along a track in a direction of travel, said track having a first rail and a second rail;

a first rover mounted on said mobile platform, wherein said first rover comprises a first high accuracy differential global positioning system receiver having a first antenna phase center positioned near a highest point of the platform and at a first predefined distance of more than twenty inches over the first rail when said mobile platform travels along the track, and wherein said first high accuracy differential global positioning system receiver is adapted for receiving first raw data from a global positioning system satellite and a global positioning system base station when said mobile platform travels along the track;

a second rover mounted on said mobile platform at a spaced horizontal distance from said first rover, wherein said second rover comprises a second high accuracy differential global positioning system receiver having a second antenna phase center positioned at a second predefined distance of no more than twenty inches above and over the first rail when said mobile platform travels along the track, wherein said second high accuracy differential global positioning system receiver is adapted for receiving second raw data from the global positioning system satellite and the global positioning system base station when said mobile platform travels along the track, wherein said first antenna phase center and said second antenna phase center are aligned over the first rail and oriented parallel to the direction of travel when said mobile platform travels along the track;

a computer adapted for communication with said first rover and said second rover, wherein said first rover transmits said first raw data to said computer when said mobile platform travels along the track, wherein said second rover transmits said second raw data to said computer when said mobile platform travels along the track, wherein said computer comprises a means for generating first coordinate position data representing a first computed positioning of a side-edge of the first rail using said first raw data and said first predefined distance, a means for generating second coordinate position data representing a second computed positioning of the side edge of the first rail using said second raw data and said second predefined distance, and a means for merging said first coordinate position data and said second coordinate position data thereby generating corrected coordinate position data; and

a means for presenting data when said mobile platform travels along the track, wherein said data is selected from the group consisting of said first raw data, said second raw data, said first coordinate position data, said second coordinate position data, said corrected coordinate position data, a representation of said first coordinate position data, a representation of said second coordinate position data, a representation of said corrected coordinate position data, and combinations thereof.

2. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 1, wherein said second rover is attached to an arm extending from said mobile platform such that said arm extends in front of, behind, or to a side of said mobile platform.

3. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 1, wherein said first rover is attached to a roof rack on said mobile platform.

4. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 1, further comprising a means for storing said data.

5. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 4, further comprising a means for comparing said data collected during an initial survey with said data collected during a subsequent survey, thereby generating comparison data indicating differences between said data collected during said initial survey and said data collected during said subsequent survey, wherein said comparison data is generated when said mobile platform travels along the rail during said subsequent survey.

6. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 5, further comprising a means for presenting a representation of said comparison data when said mobile platform travels along the rail during said subsequent survey.

7. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 5, further comprising a means for storing said comparison data.

8. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a means for non-invasively penetrating terrain substructure under the rail and generating ground penetrating data when said mobile platform travels along the rail, wherein said means for non-invasively penetrating terrain substructure is attached to said mobile platform;

a means for correlating said ground penetrating data with said corrected coordinate position data when said mobile platform travels along the rail, thereby generating correlated ground penetrating data; and

a means for presenting a representation of said correlated ground penetrating data when said mobile platform travels along the rail.

9. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a ground penetrating radar device attached to said mobile platform, wherein said ground penetrating radar device generates ground penetrating data when said mobile platform travels along the rail;

a means for correlating said ground penetrating data with said corrected coordinate position data when said mobile platform travels along the rail, thereby generating correlated ground penetrating data; and

a means for presenting a representation of said correlated ground penetrating data when said mobile platform travels along the rail.

10. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a terrain conductivity device attached to said mobile platform, wherein said terrain conductivity device generates substructure moisture content data when said mobile platform travels along the rail;

a means for correlating said substructure moisture content data with said corrected coordinate position data when said mobile platform travels along the rail, thereby generating correlated substructure moisture content data; and

a means for presenting a representation of said correlated substructure moisture content data when said mobile platform travels along the rail.

11. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a ground penetrating radar device attached to said mobile platform, wherein said ground penetrating radar device generates ground penetrating data as said mobile platform travels along the rail;

a means for correlating said ground penetrating data with said corrected coordinate position data when said mobile platform travels along the rail, thereby generating correlated ground penetrating data;

a means for presenting a representation of said correlated ground penetrating data when said mobile platform travels along the rail;

a terrain conductivity device attached to said mobile platform, wherein said terrain conductivity device generates substructure moisture content data as said mobile platform travels along the rail;

a means for correlating said substructure moisture content data with said corrected coordinate position data when said mobile platform travels along the rail, thereby generating correlated substructure moisture content data; and

a means for presenting a representation of said correlated substructure moisture content data as said mobile platform travels along the rail.

12. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 11, further comprising a means for filtering said ground penetrating data using said substructure moisture content data as said mobile platform travels along the rail.

13. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 11, further comprising a means for storing said data, said correlated ground penetrating data, and said correlated substructure moisture content data.

14. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 13, further comprising a means for comparing said data, said correlated ground penetrating data, and said correlated substructure moisture content data collected during an initial survey with said data, said correlated ground penetrating data, and said correlated substructure moisture content data collected during a subsequent survey, thereby generating comparison data indicating differences between said data, said correlated ground penetrating data, and said correlated substructure moisture content data collected during the initial survey and said data, said correlated ground penetrating data, and said correlated substructure moisture content data collected during the subsequent survey, wherein said comparison data is generated when said mobile platform travels along the rail during the subsequent survey.

15. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 14, further comprising a means for presenting a representation of said comparison data when said mobile platform travels along the rail during the subsequent survey.

16. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 14, further comprising a means for storing said comparison data.

17. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 1, wherein the first predefined distance at which the first antenna phase center is positioned over the first rail is approximately six to eight feet.

18. The high accuracy track surveying system according to claim 1, wherein the first predefined distance at which the first antenna phase center is positioned over the first rail is at least six feet.

19. A method for surveying a track having a first rail and a second rail, comprising the steps of:

(a) placing upon the track a mobile platform of a high accuracy track surveying system, wherein said high accuracy track surveying system comprises;

said mobile platform adapted to travel along the track in a direction of travel;

a first rover mounted on said mobile platform, wherein said first rover comprises a first high accuracy differential global positioning system receiver having a first antenna phase center positioned near a highest point of the platform and at a first predefined distance of more than twenty inches over the first rail when said mobile platform travels along the track, and wherein said first high accuracy differential global positioning system receiver is adapted for receiving first raw data from a global positioning system satellite and a global positioning system base station when said mobile platform travels along the track;

a second rover mounted on said mobile platform at a spaced horizontal distance from said first rover, wherein said second rover comprises a second high accuracy differential global positioning system receiver having a second antenna phase center positioned at a second predefined distance of no more than twenty inches above and over the first rail when said mobile platform travels along the track, wherein said second high accuracy differential global positioning system receiver is adapted for receiving second raw data from the global positioning system satellite and the global positioning system base station when said mobile platform travels along the track, wherein said first antenna phase center and said second antenna phase center are aligned over the first rail and oriented parallel to the direction of travel when said mobile platform travels along the track;

a computer adapted for communication with said first rover and said second rover, wherein said first rover transmits said first raw data to said computer when said mobile platform travels along the track, wherein said second rover transmits said second raw data to said computer when said mobile platform travels along the track, wherein said computer comprises a means for generating first coordinate position data representing a first computed positioning of a side edge of the first rail using said first raw data and said first predefined distance, a means for generating second coordinate position data representing a second computed positioning of the side edge of the first rail using said second raw data and said second predefined distance, and a means for merging said first coordinate position data and said second coordinate position data thereby generating corrected coordinate position data; and

a means for presenting data when said mobile platform travels along the track, wherein said data is selected from the group consisting of said first raw data, said second raw data, said first coordinate position data, said second coordinate position data, said corrected coordinate position data, a representation of said first coordinate position data, a representation of said second coordinate position data, a representation of said corrected coordinate position data, and combinations thereof;

(b) moving said mobile platform along the track;

(c) receiving said first raw data and said second raw data as said mobile platform moves along the track;

(d) transmitting said first raw data and said second raw data to said computer as said mobile platform moves along the track;

(e) generating said first coordinate position data and said second coordinate position data as said mobile platform moves along the track;

(f) merging said first coordinate position data and said second coordinate position data, thereby generating said corrected coordinate position data, as said mobile platform moves along the track; and

(g) presenting said data as said mobile platform travels along the track.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

(h) storing said data in a means for storing said data as said mobile platform moves along the rail, wherein said high accuracy track surveying system further comprises said means for storing said data;

(i) comparing said data collected during an initial survey with said data collected during a subsequent survey, thereby generating comparison data indicating differences between said data collected during the initial survey and said data collected during the subsequent survey, wherein said comparison data is generated as said mobile platform travels along the rail during the subsequent survey;

(j) presenting a representation of said comparison data as said mobile platform travels along the rail during the subsequent survey;

(k) storing said comparison data in a means for storing said comparison data as said mobile platform moves along the rail, wherein said high accuracy track surveying system further comprises said means for storing said comparison data.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

(h) generating ground penetrating data via a ground penetrating radar device as said mobile platform travels along the rail, wherein said high accuracy track surveying system further comprises said ground penetrating radar device attached to said mobile platform;

(i) generating substructure moisture content data via a terrain conductivity device as said mobile platform travels along the rail, wherein said high accuracy track surveying system further comprises said terrain conductivity device attached to said mobile platform;

(j) correlating said ground penetrating data with said corrected coordinate position data as said mobile platform travels along the rail, thereby generating correlated ground penetrating data;

(k) correlating said substructure moisture content data with said corrected coordinate position data as said mobile platform travels along the rail, thereby generating correlated substructure moisture content data; and

(1) presenting a representation of said correlated ground penetrating data and said correlated substructure moisture content data, as said mobile platform travels along the rail, via a means for presenting, wherein said high accuracy track surveying system further comprises said means for presenting.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

(m) storing said data, said correlated ground penetrating data, and said correlated substructure moisture content data in a first means for storing, as said mobile platform moves along the rail, wherein said high accuracy track surveying system further comprises said first means for storing;

(n) comparing said data, said correlated ground penetrating data, and said correlated substructure moisture content data collected during an initial survey with said data, said correlated ground penetrating data, and said correlated substructure moisture content data collected during a subsequent survey, thereby generating comparison data indicating differences between said data, said correlated ground penetrating data, and said correlated substructure moisture content data collected during the initial survey and said data, said correlated ground penetrating data, and said correlated substructure moisture content data collected during the subsequent survey, wherein said comparison data is generated as said mobile platform travels along the rail during the subsequent survey;

(o) presenting a representation of said comparison data as said mobile platform travels along the rail during the subsequent survey; and

(p) storing said comparison data in a means for storing said comparison data as said mobile platform moves along the rail, wherein said high accuracy track surveying system further comprises said means for storing said comparison data.

23. The method for surveying a track according to claim 19, wherein the first predefined distance at which the first antenna phase center is positioned over the first rail is approximately six to eight feet.

24. The method for surveying a track according to claim 19, wherein the first predefined distance at which the first antenna phase center is positioned over the first rail is at least six feet.