초록 ▼

Reference markers are attached to rails and/or other dynamically moving components of railroad tracks, and/or located at fixed and stationary positions adjacent to the track. When images of railway rolling stock are obtained, the reference marker(s) appear in the image. Accordingly, measurements of

Reference markers are attached to rails and/or other dynamically moving components of railroad tracks, and/or located at fixed and stationary positions adjacent to the track. When images of railway rolling stock are obtained, the reference marker(s) appear in the image. Accordingly, measurements of various aspects and parameters of various components of the railway rolling stock can be obtained at high precision and/or accuracy relative to the railroad track component to which the reference marker is attached and/or relative to the stationary position. The reference markers allow one or more images, obtained at some intervening time interval, to be accurately and precisely aligned relative to the reference marker(s) regardless of the dynamic motion of the railroad track component(s) and/or of the rolling stock that occurred as the images were captured. The reference markers can include optical, thermal or other indicia. The indicia have known dimensions and/or known distances from an image capture device.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. An image capture system associated with a railway comprising: a first image capture device; and a first reference marker located adjacent a first rail of said railway; wherein the first image capture device is located and/or oriented such that the first reference marker

The invention claimed is: 1. An image capture system associated with a railway comprising: a first image capture device; and a first reference marker located adjacent a first rail of said railway; wherein the first image capture device is located and/or oriented such that the first reference marker appears in a field of view of the first image capture device; and wherein the first image capture device is useable to capture at least one image including the first reference marker and at least a portion of a wheel of a rail vehicle in motion to determine at least one parameter of said wheel or said rail vehicle. 2. The image capture system of claim 1, further comprising a second reference marker located adjacent to the first reference marker and in the field of view of the first image capture device. 3. The image capture system of claim 1, wherein the first reference marker is adapted to be interconnected to said first rail and/or at least one other component of said railway. 4. The image capture system of claim 1, wherein the first reference marker is located at a substantially fixed position near said first rail. 5. The image capture system of claim 2, wherein the first reference marker is adapted to be interconnected to said first rail and/or at least one other component of said railway and the second reference marker is located at a substantially fixed position. 6. The image capture system of claim 1, further comprising a second image capture device located and oriented such that a portion or component of said rail vehicle appears in a field of view of the second image capture device. 7. The image capture system of claim 1, further comprising: a second image capture device; a second reference marker located adjacent a second rail of said railway; and wherein the second image capture device is located and/or oriented such that the second reference marker appears in a field of view of the second image capture device. 8. The image capture system of claim 1, further comprising a central processing unit in communication with the first image capture device. 9. The image capture system of claim 1, wherein the at least one image is captured and utilized to determine at least one of a wheel hollowing condition, wheel flange height, wheel flange width, wheel rim thickness, wheel flange angle, the back-to-back distance between a pair of wheels connected by an axle, the lateral position of a wheel along the first rail, axle straightness, end cap center-ness, coupler height, a leaning vehicle, the condition of a vehicle's suspension, and an out-of-gage condition. 10. An image capture system associated with a railway comprising: an image capture means; and a reference means located in proximity to a rail of said railway; wherein the image capture means is oriented such that the reference means appears in a field of view of the image capture means; and wherein the first image capture means is useable to capture at least one image including the reference means and at least a portion of a wheel of a rail vehicle in motion to determine at least one parameter of said wheel or said rail vehicle. 11. The image capture system of claim 10, wherein the at least one image is captured and utilized to determine at least one of a wheel hollowing condition, wheel flange height, wheel flange width, wheel rim thickness, wheel flange angle, the back-to-back distance between a pair of wheels connected by an axle, the lateral position of a wheel along the rail, axle straightness, end cap center-ness, coupler height, a leaning vehicle, the condition of a vehicle's suspension, and an out-of-gage condition. 12. A method for obtaining information about a rail vehicle and/or at least one of its components comprising: passing said rail vehicle along a railroad track through an image capture region, the image capture region having at least one reference marker positioned about at least one rail of said railroad track in a field of view of at least one image capture device; and utilizing the image capture device to capture a first image containing at least a portion of the reference marker and at least a first portion or component of said rail vehicle while said rail vehicle is in motion to determine at least one parameter of said rail vehicle. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising analyzing the first image to determine information about at least one of said first portion or component of said rail vehicle and said rail vehicle. 14. The method of claim 12, further comprising utilizing the image capture device to capture a second image containing at least a portion of the reference marker and at least a second portion or component of said rail vehicle while said rail vehicle is in motion. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising comparing the first image and the second image to determine information about at least one of said rail, said first portion or component of said rail vehicle, said second portion or component of said rail vehicle and said rail vehicle. 16. The method of claim 14, further comprising: analyzing the first image to obtain information about at least one of said rail, said first portion or component of said rail vehicle, and said rail vehicle; analyzing the second image to obtain information about at least one of said rail, said second portion or component of said rail vehicle, and said rail vehicle; and comparing the information obtained from the analysis of the first image to the information obtained from the analysis of the second image to determine the condition of at least one of said rail, said first portion or component of said rail vehicle, said second portion or component of said rail vehicle, and said rail vehicle. 17. The method of claim 14, further comprising: analyzing the first image to obtain information about at least one of said rail, said first portion or component of said rail vehicle, and said rail vehicle; analyzing the second image to obtain information about at least one of said rail, said second portion or component of said rail vehicle, and said rail vehicle; and combining the information obtained from the analysis of the first image to the information obtained from the analysis of the second image to determine the condition of at least one of said rail, said first portion or component of said rail vehicle, said second portion or component of said rail vehicle, and said rail vehicle.