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An apparatus and method is provided for detecting a temperature range or a temperature of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing. The apparatu

An apparatus and method is provided for detecting a temperature range or a temperature of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing. The apparatus comprises a sensor for sensing infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing within two or more infrared wavelength ranges. The sensor generates signals indicative of the sensed infrared radiation in each of the wavelength ranges. A processor determines a temperature range or a temperature of the wheel or bearing from the generated signals. The method detects a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing. The method includes sensing infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing within two or more wavelength ranges of the infrared radiation. Signals are generated that are indicative of the sensed infrared radiation in each infrared wavelength range. A temperature range or a temperature of the wheel or bearing is determined from the generated signals.

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1. An apparatus for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the apparatus comprising:a sensor for sensing inf

1. An apparatus for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the apparatus comprising:a sensor for sensing infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing within two or more different infrared wavelength ranges and generating signals indicative of an amplitude of the sensed infrared radiation in each of the wavelength ranges; and a processor determining a peak wavelength range having the greater amplitude as a function of each of the generated signals during a particular period of time, wherein the determined peak wavelength range is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the generated signals have an amplitude indicative of the amplitude of the sensed infrared radiation and wherein the processor determines the peak wavelength range from the wavelength ranges as represented by the generated signals by identifying the generated signal having a greater amplitude.3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor generates a signal indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing and wherein the processor generates an alarm signal for activating an alarm when the determined temperature range is treater than a predetermined temperature.4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor generates a signal indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing and wherein the processor generates an alarm signal when the determined peak wavelength range is less than or equal to a predetermined wavelength.5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor further comprises two or more sensing elements, each sensing element sensing a wavelength range which does not substantially overlap with any wavelength range sensed by the any other sensing element and wherein each sensing element provides a signal indicative of a magnitude of the infrared radiation sensed in its corresponding wavelength range.6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:a lens collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing from a train traversing a railroad track; wherein the sensor receives the collected infrared radiation. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:a lens collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing from a train traversing a railroad track and producing corresponding coherent infrared radiation; and a prism receiving the coherent infrared radiation from the lens and generating a spectrum of infrared radiation along an axis; wherein the sensor is an array of sensing elements aligned along the axis to receive the spectrum of infrared radiation. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:a filter bank comprising two or more filters positioned to receive infrared radiation emitted by the wheel or bearing, each filter passing a wavelength range which does not substantially overlap with any wavelength range transmitted by any other filter; wherein the sensor is an array of sensing elements, each element receiving the infrared radiation passed by one of the filters. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:a lens collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing from a train traversing a railroad track; wherein the filter bank receives the collected infrared radiation from the lens. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to sense the wavelength ranges of radiation within the wavelength range from 800 nanometers to 30 microns.11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an infrared array.12. An apparatus for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the apparatus comprises:a lens collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track and producing coherent radiation corresponding to the collected infrared radiation; a prism receiving the coherent infrared radiation from the lens and generating a spectrum of infrared radiation along an axis; a sensor receiving the spectrum, sensing infrared radiation within two or more different infrared wavelength ranges, and generating signals indicative of an amplitude of the radiation within each of the infrared wavelength ranges; and a processor receiving the generated signals indicative of the infrared radiation within each of the wavelength ranges and determining a peak wavelength range as a function of each of the generated signals, wherein the peak wavelength range is indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the generated signals have an amplitude indicative of the amplitude of the sensed infrared radiation and wherein the processor determines the peak wavelength range from the wavelength ranges as represented by the generated signals by identifying the generated signal having a greater amplitude.14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the sensor is an array of sensing elements aligned along the axis to receive the spectrum of infrared radiation.15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor generates a signal indicative of the determined temperature range and generates an alarm signal for activating an alarm when the determined temperature range is greater than a predetermined temperature.16. An apparatus for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the apparatus comprising:a lens collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track and producing coherent infrared radiation corresponding to the collected radiation; a prism receiving the coherent infrared radiation from the lens and generating a spectrum of infrared radiation along an axis; an array of sensing elements aligned along the axis receiving the spectrum of infrared radiation, sensing infrared radiation within two or more different infrared wavelength ranges, and generating corresponding signals having a magnitude indicative of an amplitude of the sensed infrared radiation within each of the two or more infrared wavelength ranges; and a processor or circuit receiving the generated signals of the infrared radiation within each of the two or more wavelength ranges, determining a peak wavelength range having the greater amplitude as a function of the generated signals, said peak wavelength range being indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing, and generating a signal indicative of the temperature range. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor or circuit determines the temperature range of the wheel or bearing by determining a peak wavelength range having the greater amplitude of the sensed infrared radiation as a function of the generated signals.18. An apparatus for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the apparatus comprising:a lens collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track and producing coherent infrared radiation corresponding to the collected infrared radiation; a sensor receiving the collected radiation, sensing the received infrared radiation within two or more different infrared wavelength ranges, and generating signals having an amplitude indicative of the radiation within the wavelength ranges; and a processor or circuit receiving the generated signals indicative of the radiation within the infrared wavelength ranges, determining a peak wavelength range having the greater amplitude as a function of each of the generated signals, wherein the determined peak wavelength range corresponds to the generated signal having the greater amplitude and is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, and generating a signal that is indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing. 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor or circuit generates an alarm signal when the peak wavelength range is equal to or less than a predefined wavelength representing a threshold temperature range.20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the sensor is an infrared array.21. An apparatus for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the apparatus comprising:means for collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track; means for sensing an amplitude of infrared radiation of the collected infrared radiation within two or more different infrared wavelength ranges; means for determining a peak wavelength range as a function of the amplitude of the sensed infrared radiation and wherein the determined peak wavelength range has the greater amplitude and is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing; and means for generating a signal indicative of the temperature range of wheel or bearing as represented by the determined peak wavelength range. 22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:means for generating wavelength ranges of the collected infrared radiation, each of which does not substantially overlap with any other wavelength range; wherein the means for sensing senses the wavelength ranges of the generating means. 23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:means for filtering the collected infrared radiation into two or more wavelength ranges, each wavelength range does not substantially overlap with any other filtered wavelength range; wherein each of the sensing means senses a corresponding filtered wavelength range. 24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the sensing means is an infrared array.25. A method for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the method comprising the steps ofsensing infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing within two or more wavelength ranges of the infrared radiation; generating signals indicative of an amplitude of the sensed infrared radiation in each infrared wavelength range; and determining a peak wavelength range having the greater amplitude as a function of each of the generated signals, wherein the peak wavelength range is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing. 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:generating the wavelength ranges of the infrared radiation wherein each wavelength range does not substantially overlap with any other generated wavelength range; wherein sensing senses the infrared radiation in each of the generated wavelength ranges. 27. The method of claim 25, wherein the generated signals have an amplitude indicative of the amplitude of the sensed infrared radiation and wherein determining the temperature range comprises determining the peak wavelength range of the sensed infrared radiation by determined which of the generated signals has a greater amplitude relative to each of the other generated signals; andwherein the determined peak wavelength range is indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing. 28. The method of claim 25, wherein determining the temperature range comprises determining a temperature that is indicative of a temperature of the wheel or bearing.29. The method of claim 28, wherein determining the temperature comprises determining a peak wavelength of the sensed infrared radiation; wherein the determined peak wavelength is indicative of the temperature of the wheel or bearing.30. A method for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the method comprising the steps of:collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track; sensing the collected infrared radiation within two or more wavelength ranges, wherein each wavelength range does not substantially overlap with any other wavelength range; determining a magnitude of the infrared radiation in each of the sensed wavelength ranges; generating signals indicative of the determined magnitudes; and determining a peak wavelength range having a greater magnitude as a function of each of the generated signals, wherein the peak wavelength range is indicative a temperature range of the wheel or bearing. 31. The method of claim 30, further comprising;generating two or more wavelength ranges of the collected infrared radiation, wherein each generated wavelength range does not substantially overlap with any other generated wavelength range; wherein sensing is sensing the infrared radiation within the each of the generated wavelength ranges. 32. The method of claim 30, further comprising:filtering the collected infrared radiation into two or more wavelength ranges, wherein each filtered wavelength range does not substantially overlap with any other filtered wavelength range; wherein sensing senses the infrared radiation within each of the filtered wavelength ranges. 33. The method of claim 30, wherein determining the temperature range comprises the substep of determining a peak wavelength range of the sensed infrared radiation within each wavelength range; andwherein the determined peak wavelength range is indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing. 34. A method for detecting a temperature range of railroad train wheel or beating wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the method comprising the steps of:collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track; generating two or more different wavelength ranges of the collected infrared radiation, wherein each generated wavelength range does not substantially overlap with any other generated wavelength range; sensing infrared radiation within each of the infrared wavelength ranges; generating a corresponding signal having an amplitude indicative of an amplitude of the sensed infrared radiation for each wavelength range; determining a peak wavelength range from the amplitude of each of the generated signals, wherein the peak wavelength range is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing; and generating an alarm signal when the determined peak wavelength range is less than or equal to a predefined wavelength. 35. An apparatus for detecting a temperature of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature of the wheel or bearing, the apparatus comprising:a sensor for sensing infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing within two or more different infrared wavelength ranges and generating signals having a magnitude indicative of the amplitude of the sensed infrared radiation in each of the wavelength ranges; and a processor determining a peak wavelength range having the greater amplitude as a function of the generated signals by analyzing each of the generated signals to determine which of the generated signals has the greater magnitude relative to the other generated signals during a particular time period, and wherein said peak wavelength range is indicative of a temperature of the wheel or bearing.