Route damage prediction system and method
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- one or more cameras configured to obtain image data within one or more fields of view of the one or more cameras that include a route that is traveled upon by plural different vehicles, the route including a track having one or more rails, the image data including at least one of still images or video of the route obtained at different times;
a conversion unit including one or more computer processors configured to at least one of create wireframe model data based on the image data or modify the image data into the wireframe model data representative of the route, the wireframe model data including substantially parallel line segments that represent the one or more rails in the image data, the conversion unit further configured to filter out a temporary external factor on the one or more rails in the image data at a location of the route, the temporary external factor filtered out by combining at least one of different sets of the image data of the location of the route acquired at the different times or different sets of the wireframe model data of the location of the route that are based on the sets of image data to produce combined wireframe model data, wherein the temporary external factor is other than damage to the location of the route and is absent from the one or more rails in at least one of the sets of the image data; and
an analysis unit including one or more computer processors configured to examine the line segments of the combined wireframe model data to identify changes to the line segments over time that represent a historical trend of changes to the one or more rails, wherein the analysis unit is configured to compare the historical trend of the changes to the one or more rails with designated patterns of changes in the wireframe model data to determine when to request at least one of repair, inspection, or maintenance of the route.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A route damage prediction system includes cameras, a conversion unit, and an analysis unit. The cameras obtain image data that include a route traveled upon by vehicles. The image data includes still images and/or video of the route obtained at different times. The conversion unit includes one or more computer processors configured to at least one of create wireframe model data or modify the image data into the wireframe model data representative of the route. The analysis unit includes one or more computer processors configured to examine changes in the wireframe model data to identify a historical trend of changes in the image data. The analysis unit is configured to compare the historical trend of the changes in the image data with designated patterns of changes in the wireframe model data to determine when to request at least one of repair, inspection, or maintenance of the route.
170 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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one or more cameras configured to obtain image data within one or more fields of view of the one or more cameras that include a route that is traveled upon by plural different vehicles, the route including a track having one or more rails, the image data including at least one of still images or video of the route obtained at different times; a conversion unit including one or more computer processors configured to at least one of create wireframe model data based on the image data or modify the image data into the wireframe model data representative of the route, the wireframe model data including substantially parallel line segments that represent the one or more rails in the image data, the conversion unit further configured to filter out a temporary external factor on the one or more rails in the image data at a location of the route, the temporary external factor filtered out by combining at least one of different sets of the image data of the location of the route acquired at the different times or different sets of the wireframe model data of the location of the route that are based on the sets of image data to produce combined wireframe model data, wherein the temporary external factor is other than damage to the location of the route and is absent from the one or more rails in at least one of the sets of the image data; and an analysis unit including one or more computer processors configured to examine the line segments of the combined wireframe model data to identify changes to the line segments over time that represent a historical trend of changes to the one or more rails, wherein the analysis unit is configured to compare the historical trend of the changes to the one or more rails with designated patterns of changes in the wireframe model data to determine when to request at least one of repair, inspection, or maintenance of the route. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method comprising:
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receiving image data having one or more fields of view that include a route that is traveled upon by plural different vehicles, the route including a track having one or more rails, the image data including at least one of still images or video of the route obtained at different times; at least one of creating wireframe model data based on the image data or modifying the image data into the wireframe model data representative of the route, the at least one of creating the wireframe model data or modifying the image data into the wireframe model data performed by one or more computer processors, the wireframe model data including substantially parallel line segments that represent the one or more rails in the image data; filtering out a temporary external factor on the one or more rails in the image data at a location of the route to at least one of create the wireframe model data or modify the image data into the wireframe model data, the temporary external factor filtered out by combining at least one of different sets of the image data of the location of the route acquired at the different times or different sets of the wireframe model data of the location of the route that are based on the sets of image data to produce combined wireframe model data, wherein the temporary external factor is other than damage to the location of the route and is absent from the one or more rails in at least one of the sets of the image data; examining the line segments of the combined wireframe model data to identify changes to the line segments over time that represent a historical trend of changes to the one or more rails; and determining when to request at least one of repair, inspection, or maintenance of the route based on the historical trend of the changes to the one or more rails. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system comprising:
one or more computer processors configured to; receive image data acquired at different times, the image data representing at least one of still images or video of a common section of a route traveled by vehicles, the route including a track having one or more rails; create wireframe model data from the image data, the wireframe model data including substantially parallel line segments that represent the one or more rails in the image data; examine the line segments of the wireframe model data to identify changes in the line segments of the wireframe model data over time, the changes including at least one of bending, changing shape, or moving of one or more of the line segments; and examine the changes in the line segments of the wireframe model data to determine when to request at least one of repair, maintenance, or inspection of the common section of the route; wherein the one or more computer processors are also configured to filter out a temporary external factor on the one or more rails in the image data at a location of the route, the temporary external factor filtered out by combining different sets of the image data of the location of the route acquired at the different times, wherein the temporary external factor is other than damage to the location of the route and is absent from the one or more rails in at least one of the sets of the image data, and wherein the wireframe model data that is examined to identify changes in the line segments includes the wireframe model data after filtering out the temporary external factor on the one or more rails. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
Specification