Automated track inspection vehicle and method

• US 6,356,299 B1
• Filed: 09/22/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Trosino, Michael, Cunningham, John J., Shaw, Alfred E. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/404,262
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.718, H04/N.947, 348/128, 348/125, 348/130, 348/148, 736/36, 356/1, 246/166, 178/6, 364/516, 364/561, 340/904, 358/93, 128/78
• US Class Current: 348/128
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/10 for detecting cracks in rails or welds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/044 Broken rails
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/047 Track or rail movements
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/048 Road bed changes, e.g. road bed erosion

Abstract

An automated track inspection vehicle for inspecting track for anomalies includes a self-propelled car equipped with cameras for creating images of the track. A driver and inspector visually inspect the track and right-of-way through a window in the vehicle. Additionally, the images from the cameras are viewed by an inspector on a video terminal to detect anomalies. When anomalies are detected by the driver, inspector, or various redundant detection systems, a signal is provided to store the video data for later review by an analyst. The analyst will review the stored video data to confirm the presence of an anomaly and generate a track inspection report identifying at least the type and location of anomaly and the required remedial action.

Claims

1. A method of detecting an anomaly in a railroad track comprising the steps of:

(a) guiding a car along railroad track;

(b) viewing the track through a window in the car to detect the presence or absence of an anomaly;

(c) creating an image of the track through a camera system located on the car, said image including (1) both rails of the track including (2) an entire lateral extent of cross ties extending both between the rails and outward of both rails, (3) rail fastening elements, and (4) ballast materials and (5) the presence or absence of at least one anomaly in (1) through (4);

(d) viewing the image of the track through a display terminal located inside the car to detect the anomaly if present;

(e) upon detection of the anomaly if present in step (d), providing a signal representative of the detection of the anomaly; and

(f) upon receipt of the signal, recording the image of the track including the anomaly if present.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after step (b), the step of upon detection of the anomaly in step (b), providing a signal representative of the detection of the anomaly, wherein step (f) occurs upon receipt of the signal provided responsive to detection of the anomaly in either steps (b) or (d).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

(g) upon receipt of the signal, viewing the recorded image to confirm or deny the anomaly.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

(h) after confirming the anomaly, generating a report of the anomaly.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of generating a report includes evaluating the anomaly and including the evaluation in the generated report.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of generating a report includes determining recommendations for remedial action to be taken for the anomaly and including the recommendations in the generated report.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

(i) archiving the image of the anomaly and the generated report.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating an image of the track includes creating multiple images of the track through multiple cameras at various locations on the car.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the multiple images of the track is a perspective right-of-way image, the method further comprising the step of continuously recording the right-of-way image.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after step (d), the step of:

measuring the distance travelled by the car along the track and providing a distance marker;

wherein the step of recording the image of the track including the anomaly includes noting the distance marker at which the anomaly was detected.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after step (c), the steps of:

measuring the distance travelled by the car along the track; and

providing with the image of the track a distance marker representing a distance measurement;

wherein the steps of viewing and recording the image includes viewing and recording the distance marker.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(g) measuring a plurality of geometry parameters on the track, including distance;

(h) calculating the anomaly from one or more of the plurality of parameters.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating an image of the track includes creating plan view images of the track, the method further comprising:

(g) determining an expected pattern for the image of the track;

(h) employing a pattern recognition algorithm to ascertain variations between the image and the expected pattern.

14. A method of detecting an anomaly in a railroad track comprising the steps of:

(a) guiding a car along railroad track;

(b) creating an image of the railroad track through a camera system located on the car, said image including (1) both rails of the track including (2) an entire lateral extent of cross ties extending both between the rails and outward of both rails, (3) rail fastening elements, and (4) ballast materials and (5) the presence or absence of at least one anomaly in (1) through (4);

(c) recording the image of the tracks; and

(d) viewing the recorded image to detect the anomaly if present.

15. A method of detecting an anomaly in a railroad track comprising the steps of:

(a) guiding a car along railroad track;

(b) creating an image of the track through a camera system located on the car, said image including (1) both rails of the track including (2) an entire lateral extent of cross ties extending both between the rails and outward of both rails, (3) rail fastening elements, and (4) ballast materials and (5) the presence or absence of at least one anomaly in (1) through (4);

(c) viewing the image of the track through a display terminal located inside the car to detect the anomaly if present;

(d) upon detection of the anomaly if present, recording the image of the track.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, after step (c), the step of upon detection of the anomaly, providing a signal representative of the detection of the anomaly, wherein the step of recording the image of the track occurs upon receipt of the signal.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

(e) upon receipt of the signal, viewing the recorded image to confirm or deny the anomaly.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

after confirming the anomaly, generating a report of the anomaly.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of generating a report includes evaluating the anomaly and including the evaluation in the generated report.

20. A method of detecting the anomaly in a railroad track comprising the steps of:

(a) guiding a car along railroad track;

(b) viewing the track through a window in the car to detect the anomaly;

(c) creating an image of the track through a camera system located on the car said image including (1) both rails of the track including (2) an entire lateral extent of cross ties extending both between the rails and outward of both rails, (3) rail fastening elements, and (4) ballast materials and (5) the presence or absence of at least one anomaly in (1) through (4);

(d) viewing the image of the track through a display terminal located inside the car to detect the anomaly;

(e) measuring a plurality of geometry parameters on the track, including distance;

(f) detecting the anomaly if present by calculating variations between one or more of the plurality of measured parameters and a plurality of expected parameters;

(g) upon detection of the anomaly in one or more of steps (b), (d) and (f), providing a single representative of the detection of the anomaly;

(h) upon receipt of the signal, recording the image of the track including the anomaly; and

(i) viewing the image of the track through a display terminal located inside the car to detect the anomaly.

21. A method of detecting an anomaly in a railroad track comprising the steps of:

(a) creating digital image of the track through a camera system, said image including (1) both rails of the track including (2) an entire lateral extent of cross ties extending both between the rails and outward of both rails, (3) rail fastening elements, and (4) ballast materials and (5) the presence or absence of at least one anomaly in (1) through (4);

(b) determining an expected pattern for the image of the track;

(c) ascertaining variations between the image and the predetermined expected pattern.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

(d) determining whether the ascertained variations in the image form the anomaly.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

(e) signalling the detection of the anomaly.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

(f) analyzing the image of the track including the anomaly to determine if corrective action is required.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein a pattern recognition technology algorithm is used in step (c).

25. A method of detecting an anomaly in a railroad track comprising the steps of:

(a) creating an image of the track through a camera system, said image including (1) both rails of the track including (2) an entire lateral extent of cross ties extending both between the rails and outward of both rails, (3) rail fastening elements, and (4) ballast materials and (5) the presence or absence of at least one anomaly in (1) through (4);

(b) viewing the image of the track through a display terminal to detect the anomaly.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of:

(c) upon detection of the anomaly, recording the image of the track including the anomaly.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

(c) upon detection of the anomaly, providing a signal representative of the detection of the anomaly; and

(d) upon receipt of the signal, recording the image of the track including the anomaly.

28. A method of detecting an anomaly in a railroad track comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a digitized image of the track through a camera system, said digital image including (1) both rails of the track including (2) an entire lateral extent of cross ties extending both between the rails and outward of both rails, (3) rail fastening elements, and (4) ballast materials and (5) the presence or absence of at least one anomaly in (1) through (4);

(b) recording the image of the track; and

(c) viewing the recorded image through a display terminal to detect the anomaly.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said digitized image of the track is created at a minimum speed of about 30 miles an hour.