Monitoring system for train

• US 10,864,928 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2017
• Issued: 12/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Locomotive Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Progress Rail Locomotive Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shubs, Jr., Alexander, Roenspies, David Matthew, Seaton, James David
• Primary Examiner(s): Oh, Harry Y
• Application Number:
  US15/786,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20190111952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0072 On-board train data handling
• 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 23/041 Obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/54 of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

A monitoring system for a train is provided. The monitoring system includes an image capturing device configured to capture a video feed of a designated area associated with the train. The monitoring system also includes a controller coupled to the image capturing device. The controller is configured to receive the video feed from the image capturing device. The controller is configured to analyze the video feed to determine if a predefined triggering event has occurred. The controller is configured to record and store a predefined length of the video feed based on the determination. The controller is configured to provide a notification of the recorded video feed to a user through a user interface. The controller is configured to allow the user to access at least a portion of the recorded video feed through the notification.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for a train, the monitoring system comprising:

an image capturing device configured to capture a video feed of a designated area associated with the train; and

a controller coupled to the image capturing device, the controller configured to;

receive the video feed from the image capturing device;

analyze the video feed to determine if a predefined triggering event has occurred, the predefined triggering event preceding a predefined rail event;

record and store a relevant section of the video feed in response to determining that the predefined triggering event has occurred, the relevant section of the video feed having a predefined length;

identify a priority type of the predefined triggering event that occurred, the priority type being one of a low priority, a medium priority and a high priority;

push a notification of the recorded and stored relevant section of the video feed to a user on a user interface immediately upon identifying the priority type of the predefined triggering event that occurred as high priority;

push the notification of the recorded and stored relevant section of the video feed to the user on the user interface once a period of time has elapsed after identifying the priority type of the predefined trigger event that occurred as medium priority or low priority; and

enable access by the user to at least a portion of the recorded and stored relevant section of the video feed through interaction with the notification on the user interface.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled to a display unit such that the user interface is provided on the display unit.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to store a timestamp of a start of the triggering event in response to determining that the predefined triggering event has occurred.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further coupled to an electronic control module of the train for determination of the occurrence of the triggering event.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the length of the relevant section of the video feed is predefined, such that the monitoring system records the video feed for a predefined time period before each of a start and an end of the triggering event.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to any one of:

provide the notification and allow real-time viewing of the recorded and stored relevant section of the video feed in response to identifying the high priority type of the triggering event;

or

log and flag the recorded and stored relevant section of the video feed in response to identifying the medium or low priority type of the triggering event.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the notification includes one of:

a set of images, a thumbnail, or a URL link associated with the recorded video feed.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein analyzing the video feed includes performing image analysis on the video feed for detecting if the triggering event has occurred.

9. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is provided at a location which is one of on-board the train or at a remote location.

16. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

provide a timeline on the user interface; and

provide the notification on the user interface at a position relative to the timeline that indicates a start time of the predetermined triggering event.

17. The monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to provide the notification on the user interface with a width relative to the timeline that indicates a duration of the recorded video feed.

18. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the image capturing device is mounted on infrastructure associated with the train.

19. The monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to provide, to the user, a mitigating action to be taken by the user.

10. A method for monitoring a train, the method comprising:

receiving, by a controller, a video feed of a designated area associated with the train from an image capturing device;

analyzing, by the controller, the video feed to determine if a predefined triggering event has occurred, the predefined triggering event preceding a predefined rail event;

recording and storing, by the controller, a relevant section of the video feed in response to determining that the predefined triggering event has occurred, the relevant section of the video feed having a predefined length;

determining a priority type of the predefined triggering even that occurred, the priority type being one of a low priority, a medium priority and a high priority;

pushing, by the controller, a notification of the recorded and stored relevant section of the video feed to a user on a user interface immediately upon determining the priority type of the predefined triggering event that occurred is of high priority;

pushing, by the controller, the notification of the recorded and stored relevant section of the video feed to the user on the user interface once a period of time has elapsed after determining the priority type of the predefined triggering event that occurred is of medium priority or low priority; and

enabling, by the controller, access by the user to at least a portion of the recorded and stored relevant section of the video feed through interaction with the notification on the user interface.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising storing, by the controller, a timestamp of a start of the triggering event in response to determining that the predefined triggering event has occurred.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising any one of:

providing the notification and allowing real-time viewing of the recorded and stored relevant section of the video feed in response to identifying the high priority type of the triggering event by the controller;

or

logging and flagging the recorded and stored relevant section of the video feed in response to identifying the low or medium priority type of the triggering event by the controller.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the notification includes one of:

a set of images, a thumbnail, or a URL link associated with the recorded video feed.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein analyzing the video feed step includes performing image analysis on the video feed for detecting if the triggering event has occurred.

20. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising providing the user with a mitigating action to be taken by the user.

15. A train comprising:

an engine; and

a monitoring system comprising;

an image capturing device configured to capture a video feed of a designated area associated with the train; and

a controller coupled to the image capturing device, the controller configured to;

receive the video feed from the image capturing device;

analyze the video feed to determine if a predefined triggering event has occurred, the predefined triggering event preceding a predefined rail event;

record and store a relevant section of the video feed in response to determining that the predefined triggering event has occurred, the relevant section of the video feed having a predefined length;

push a notification of the recorded and stored relevant section of the video feed to a user on a user interface immediately upon determining the priority type of the predefined triggering event that occurred is of high priority;

push the notification of the recorded and stored relevant section of the video feed to the user on the user interface once a period of time has elapsed after determining the priority type of the predefined trigger event that occurred is of medium priority or low priority; and

enable access by the user to at least a portion of the recorded and stored relevant section of the video feed through interaction with the notification on the user interface.