Sensor synchronization apparatus and method
First Claim
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1. A system for inspecting railway track infrastructure at high speed and high resolution, the system comprising:
- a power source;
a light emitting apparatus powered by the power source for emitting light energy toward a railway track bed;
a data storage apparatus;
a first sensor directed to a first viewing area for sensing reflected light that was emitted from the light emitting apparatus and acquiring three dimensional elevation and intensity data of the railway track bed to be stored in the data storage apparatus;
a second sensor substantially collinear with and adjacent to the first sensor and directed to the first viewing area for sensing reflected light that was emitted from the light emitting apparatus and acquiring three dimensional elevation and intensity data of the railway track bed to be stored in the data storage apparatus;
a high resolution distance measuring encoder for providing longitudinal sample pulse distance data; and
at least one processor in communication with the data storage apparatus, the first sensor, the second sensor, and the distance measuring encoder wherein the at least one processor is configured for sequencing the timing of operation for the first sensor and the second sensor in a cascading, repeating manner such that the first sensor is triggered for operation while the second sensor is on standby and wherein the second sensor is triggered for operation while the first sensor is on standby, and wherein multiplexed data gathered by the first sensor and the second sensor are combined and demultiplexed_to generate a higher resolution resultant three dimensional elevation and intensity data of the railway track bed than if only a single sensor were used.
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Abstract
A system and method for inspecting a railway track bed using a plurality of sensors that are synchronized for rapid interrogation of a railway track bed while the sensors are in motion at a high rate of speed.
119 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A system for inspecting railway track infrastructure at high speed and high resolution, the system comprising:
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a power source; a light emitting apparatus powered by the power source for emitting light energy toward a railway track bed; a data storage apparatus; a first sensor directed to a first viewing area for sensing reflected light that was emitted from the light emitting apparatus and acquiring three dimensional elevation and intensity data of the railway track bed to be stored in the data storage apparatus; a second sensor substantially collinear with and adjacent to the first sensor and directed to the first viewing area for sensing reflected light that was emitted from the light emitting apparatus and acquiring three dimensional elevation and intensity data of the railway track bed to be stored in the data storage apparatus; a high resolution distance measuring encoder for providing longitudinal sample pulse distance data; and at least one processor in communication with the data storage apparatus, the first sensor, the second sensor, and the distance measuring encoder wherein the at least one processor is configured for sequencing the timing of operation for the first sensor and the second sensor in a cascading, repeating manner such that the first sensor is triggered for operation while the second sensor is on standby and wherein the second sensor is triggered for operation while the first sensor is on standby, and wherein multiplexed data gathered by the first sensor and the second sensor are combined and demultiplexed_to generate a higher resolution resultant three dimensional elevation and intensity data of the railway track bed than if only a single sensor were used. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A system for inspecting railway track infrastructure at high speed and high resolution, the system comprising:
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a power source; a light emitting apparatus powered by the power source for emitting light energy toward a railway track bed; a data storage apparatus; a first sensor directed to a first viewing area for sensing reflected light that was emitted from the light emitting apparatus and acquiring three dimensional image data of the railway track bed to be stored in the data storage apparatus; a second sensor substantially collinear with and adjacent to the first sensor and directed to the first viewing area for sensing reflected light that was emitted from the light emitting apparatus and acquiring three dimensional elevation and intensity data of the railway track bed to be stored in the data storage apparatus; an N sensor substantially collinear with and adjacent to the second sensor and directed to the first viewing area, wherein N is a set of one or more ordinal numbers each of which equals a different integer of 3 or greater, for sensing reflected light that was emitted from the light emitting apparatus and acquiring three dimensional image data of the railway track bed to be stored in the data storage apparatus; a high resolution distance measuring encoder for providing longitudinal sample pulse distance data; and at least one processor in communication with the data storage apparatus, the first sensor, the second sensor, the N sensor, and the distance measuring encoder wherein the processor is configured for sequencing the timing of operation for the first sensor, the second sensor, and the N sensor in a cascading, repeating manner such that the first sensor is triggered for operation while the second sensor and the N sensor are on standby, wherein the second sensor is triggered for operation while the first sensor and the N sensor are on standby, and wherein the N sensor is triggered for operation while the first sensor and the second sensor are on standby, and wherein multiplexed data gathered by the first sensor, the second sensor and the N sensor are combined and demultiplexed to generate a higher resolution resultant three dimensional elevation and intensity data of the railway track bed than if only two sensors were used. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
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6. A method of inspecting railway track infrastructure at high speed and high resolution, the method comprising the steps of:
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a. emitting light from a light source toward a railway track bed; b. receiving longitudinal sample pulse distance data from a high resolution distance measuring encoder; c. sequencing the timing for activation of a first sensor and a second sensor directed to the same viewing area in a repeating pattern based on the received longitudinal sample pulse distance data so that the first sensor is activated during time periods when the second sensor is on standby and the first sensor is on standby during time periods when the second sensor is activated, wherein the first sensor is collinear with and adjacent to the second sensor; d. detecting light reflected from the railway track bed using the first sensor while the first sensor is activated; and e. detecting light reflected from the railway track bed using the second sensor while the second sensor is activated. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification