(19)
(11)EP 3 663 163 A1

(12)EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43)Date of publication:
10.06.2020 Bulletin 2020/24

(21)Application number: 19000532.2

(22)Date of filing:  25.11.2019
(51)International Patent Classification (IPC): 
B61L 27/00(2006.01)
B61L 23/04(2006.01)
B61K 9/00(2006.01)
(84)Designated Contracting States:
AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR
Designated Extension States:
BA ME
Designated Validation States:
KH MA MD TN

(30)Priority: 05.12.2018 RU 2018143177

(71)Applicant: Production cooperative «Research and production Complex «AVTOMATIZATSIYA»
St. Petersburg 198320 (RU)

(72)Inventors:
  • KALABEKOV, Oleg Andreevich
    Saint-Petersburg (RU)
  • KALABEKOV, Andrey Olegovich
    Saint-Petersburg (RU)
  • POMAZOV, Yevgeny Viktorovich
    Saint-Petersburg (RU)
  • NEMTSEV, Andrey Alexandrovich
    Saint-Petersburg (RU)

(74)Representative: Álvarez López, Sonia 
Alvamark C/ Núñez de Balboa nº 31 3º 5
28001 Madrid
28001 Madrid (ES)

  


(54)AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR COMMERCIAL INSPECTION OF TRAINS AND CARS WITH MODULAR ARCHITECTURE


(57) Automated system for commercial inspection of trains and cars with modular architecture (ASCITC 3.0), containing a mounted above the rail U-shaped structure with eight television cameras (TC) mounted on it. The first and the second TC are mounted on the supports of the U-shaped structure and designed for obtaining images of the left and right sides of a car and forming images of inventory numbers of cars. The third and the forth TC are mounted on the crossbar of the U-shaped structure and designed for obtaining images of car roofs and monitoring the seals on the tank doors. Counter directed the fifth and the sixth TC are mounted on the lower parts of the opposite supports of the U-shaped structure and designed for monitoring wheeled charts and reading the inventory numbers of car frames. The seventh and the eighth TC oriented counter-currently towards the direction of the rolling stock are mounted horizontally on the upper parts of the opposite supports of the U-shaped structure and designed for forming images of the hard-melting inset of the locomotive current collector. The outputs of all TC are connected to the PC video inputs connected to a monitor. The outputs of the first, the second, the fifth and the sixth TC are connected to the controller of automated car inventory numbers recognition connected to the PC. There are the pressure sensors mounted on the rails in the section of the U-shaped structure, the outputs of which are connected through the controller to the PC. The first thermal imaging camera (TIVC) is made high-resolution, fixed on the separate support taken beyond the dimensions of the U-shaped structure and designed for forming full in height thermographic images of tanks and cars with the purpose of monitoring of the permitted filling level of the tanks and brakes performance and is connected to the PC. The second TIVC mounted at the level of the wheeled charts axles is designed for monitoring performance of the car brake system and connected to the overheating detection controller and the PC. The third TIVC oriented counter-currently towards the direction of the rolling stock and mounted on the crossbar of the U-shaped structure monitors the overheating of the current collector hard-melting inset and connected to the relevant controller. Three scanning laser range finders (SLRF) build 3-D model of cargo and cars, thus controlling the compliance of their dimensions with the shipping documents and monitoring the car walls damage. Three single-beam laser range finders (SBLRF) duplicate the SLRF work in terms of detection of the maximum oversize of the cargo and rolling stock.
The strain pressure sensors mounted on the rails monitor the overload of the wheel pair, non-uniformity of the loading on the wheel pair, caused by dangerous cargo shift by the car width, and wheel pair defects.
The technical result is the automated monitoring of the cargo commercial safety and operability of the rolling stock performed during the train movement which ensures improvement of the transportation safety.




Description


[0001] The invention refers to the railway transport - in particular to the automatic and telemechanic devices performing complex monitoring of both commercial state of the rolling stock and video monitoring of safety, correct placement and fixation of the cargo on the open rolling stock, of operability and safety of the car sides, roofs and tanks, state control of factors directly influencing the safety of transportation: detection of dangerous non-uniformity of the loading distribution on the wheel pairs (in terms of sustainability of the rolling stock), non-observance of the railway dimensions, disruption of the brake system functionality and wheel pairs operability, wear limit and current collector overheating.

[0002] Ensuring safety and regularity of train traffic is the most important technical task the solution of which is possible only with the help of a complex approach to the rolling stock monitoring. Cars derailing is known to be the main reason of the significant disruption of railway traffic. It may be caused by natural conditions, infrastructural factors, rolling stock failure and non-observance of loading rules, operational disturbances. Whereas the most important role is played by the factors related to the defect of the rolling stock (disruption of the brake system functionality, defects of wheel pairs and wheeled charts, defects of endurance of the car frames and other) and non-compliance with their operation (non-observance of loading rules, non-uniformity of the loading of the bulky goods, non-observance of the loading dimensions and other).

[0003] Nowadays automated methods of commercial inspection of rolling stock during its entering the destination yard providing the opportunity of real-time monitoring have been significantly developed. Thus it is reasonable both to enlarge the stock list of the evaluated features of the commercial safety of cargo, and to complete the current automated systems also with real-time monitoring features of the technical state of the rolling stock. Whereas the simultaneous detection of non-observance of the loading rules (overloading, non-uniformity of the loading on the wheels, major non-observance of the loading dimensions and other) and defects of the rolling stock (overheating of the axle-boxes, seizure of the wheel pairs of single wheel charts, intolerable wheel run-out and cracks, extreme wear of current collectors of the electric locomotive and other) can significantly minimize the number of reasons disturbing the regularity of train traffic.

[0004] Currently there are various known technical means of commercial monitoring of rolling stock - monitoring safety and accuracy of loading of the rolling stock. For example, there is a known device for detection of the cargo oversize of the rolling stock including two supports located at both sides of the railway, a sensor of a rolling stock presence, a car counter, photoelectric sensors of monitoring the dimensions of the rolling stock, each of which contains a radiator, an optical system, a reflector, a photoelectric receptor, an interface unit the outputs of which are connected to the outputs of the photoelectric channels, a memory unit and a register (Author's certificate of the USSR, No. 1799773, class B 61 K 9/02, 1993).

[0005] The device allows to register the breach of the allowed loading dimensions that can lead to non-observance of the traffic safety conditions, however doesn't solve the issues of the visual monitoring of the technical and commercial state of trains and cars as well as the automated evaluation of the technical state of the rolling stock, in particular, of the wheeled charts and the locomotive current collector. Furthermore, it is worth noticing that the device uses reflective-mode electro-optical sensors equipped with additional constructional units such as a reflector and autonomous optical system which reduces the reliability of the device. The mentioned sensors work unreliably in conditions of atmospheric phenomena (fog, sun outage, projector outage, etc.).

[0006] There is a prior art method and system of remote control of the cargo safety in a moving train designed to provide the opportunity of real-time detection of the fact of unauthorized access to a moving train. A visual inspection of a rolling stock is performed in the destination yard using fixed cameras of general and detailed inspection (patent RU 2138077 C1, G 08 B 13/196).

[0007] The disadvantage of the device is the fact that an operator can see only a perspective image of the train (in particular, of the roof of a moving car) formed by a camera of a general inspection during the real-time visual inspection of the rolling stock. The camera of the detailed inspection performs a non-stop recording of the image of the search objects, moving fast in its field of vision, which cannot be directly visually detected by an operator. The image deviations of the inspected object from the initial state are detected by its comparison with the reference image, and based on the results of this comparison the cargo safety is evaluated. The reference image of the inspected train is created in advance in the departure yard by recording a video of the rolling stock in the similar transportation conditions, which is further transferred to the destination yard prior to the arrival of the inspected object. Furthermore, the device doesn't allow the inspection of the car loading dimensions on the rolling stock for the purpose of safe transportation of the train vehicles as well as it doesn't solve the issues of the visual monitoring of the technical and commercial state of trains and cars as well as the evaluation of the technical state of the rolling stock, in particular, of the wheeled charts and the locomotive current collector.

[0008] There is a prior art device for automated detection and registration of non-observance of the rolling stock loading dimensions with the simultaneous inspection of the train from above, which contains a sensor of the train beginning and a U-shaped gate mounted above the railway with the five mounted dimensions inspection sensors of the rolling stock in the form of the optoelectronic channels formed by the light source and a photoelectric receiver which are mounted along the outlines of the maximum allowed train dimensions, a car counter sensor, a video camera freely mounted on the crossbar of the gate and connected with the help of the radio channel through the interface unit to the operator's workplace equipped with a video recorder, a personal computer (PC) and an indication unit (RU 2066282 C1, B 61 K 9/02).

[0009] The disadvantages of this device are the following:
  • the installation of additional supports for optoelectronic sensor of the train beginning is needed;
  • there is inaccuracy of the car count due to the cars of different type and purpose (for example, a double count of the same car may occur when the car is without sides and several cargos on it are concentrated on the limited areas of the car floor that leads to the short-circuit of the light stream of the car count sensor);
  • one television camera mounted on the crossbar of the U-shaped gate doesn't provide the possibility of inspection of the car sides due to which it doesn't solve the issue of the visual inspection of the technical and commercial state of the trains and cars surfaces;
  • the video recording from the camera is made to the analog video recorder which reduces the reliability of the device;
  • the device doesn't allow to evaluate the uniformity of the loading on the wheels and to detect the excessive in terms of transportation safety non-uniformity of the loading on the wheels;
  • the technical state of the rolling stock, in particular, of the wheels, wheeled charts brakes and locomotive current collector, is not evaluated.


[0010] There is a prior art automated system for commercial inspection of trains and cars (ASCITC) under the patent RU 2252170 C1, B61K 9/02. The stated system contains an optoelectronic sensor of the train beginning and a mounted above the rail U-shaped bearing structure with a television camera designed for obtaining images of the car roofs, nine optoelectronic sensors for monitoring car loading dimensions, an optoelectronic sensor of car count, whereas the sensors outputs are connected to the identification and interface unit inputs, while the identification and interface unit output is connected to the PC input of the automated working place of an operator with a monitor connected to its output. Furthermore, there are an optoelectronic sensor of the wheeled charts count, three additional television cameras designed for obtaining images of the left and right sides of the cars as well as for monitoring of the seals on the tank doors, projectors whereas the sensors monitoring the car loading dimensions are mounted on the bearing structure with the possibility of the combined monitoring of the limits of the combined area-based limit loading dimensions and dimensions of the rolling stock, an optoelectronic sensor of the car beginning, an optoelectronic sensor of the wheeled charts count, television cameras of the left and the right sides of the cars are fixed on the supports, a television camera monitoring the seals on the tank doors is fixed on the crossbar, while projectors are fixed on the supports and the crossbar of the bearing structure, whereas the outputs of all television cameras are connected to the PC video inputs, the outputs of the additional monitoring sensors of the cars loading dimensions and the sensor of the wheeled charts count are connected to the relevant inputs of the indication and interface unit connected through the control input to the PC output, the indication and interface unit has a possibility to work autonomously.

[0011] The disadvantage of the device is the insufficient volume of data on commercial safety of cargo in the train due to the fact that:
  • there is no monitoring and visualization of the train car damage and hopper-car frames;
  • the evaluation of the compliance of the car dimension with the railway dimensions is performed with the help of an optoelectronic sensor set requiring accurate adjustment of their components - radiators and photoelectric receivers, whereas their adjustment can be disturbed during the railways repair and maintenance works;
  • fractures, major marks, etc. cannot be automatically detected;
  • evaluation of the uniformity of the loading on the car wheels and detection of the excessive in terms of transportation safety non-uniformity of the loading on the wheels caused by the shift of the granular cargo are not provided;
  • the technical state of the rolling stock, in particular, of the wheels, wheeled charts brakes and locomotive current collector, is not evaluated.


[0012] Selected as a prototype automated system for commercial inspection of trains and cars under the Eurasian patent 008682, International Patent Classifier B 61K 9/02 has the similar disadvantages. The stated system contains a mounted above the rail U-shaped bearing structure with four television camera designed for obtaining images of the left car side, the right car side, the car roof and for monitoring of the seals on the tank doors, optoelectronic sensors monitoring the borders of the combined area-based loading dimensions and dimensions of the rolling stock, optoelectronic sensors of the train beginning, car count and wheeled charts count as well as projectors, whereas the outputs of all television cameras are connected to the PC video inputs of the automated working place of an operator, the outputs of all optoelectronic sensors are connected to the relevant inputs of the indication and interface unit which has a possibility to work both autonomously and under PC control; the control input and output of the indication and interface unit are connected to the PC sequential ports with a monitor connected to the PC output. Furthermore, there are a weighing rail with the weighing devices fixed on it designed for automated weight control and detection of the general, lateral and transversal car overload at the train movement as well as for detection of the train speed at weighing, a thermal imaging camera designed for obtaining digital thermographic data and forming thermographic images of the tanks and cars sides with the purpose of monitoring of the filling level of the tanks, uniformity and fullness of the cars loading, a device for automated cars inventory numbers recognition, whereas the weighing rail is mounted on the crossbar of the U-shaped bearing structure, the thermal imaging camera is fixed on the support of the bearing structure, the outputs of the weighing devices mounted on the weighing rail are connected with the relevant inputs of the multiportal plate of the PC which is located at the automated working place of an operator, while the output of the thermal imaging camera is connected to the input of the PC Fire Wire port. Whereas the device for automated cars inventory numbers recognition is created on basis of the PC microprocessor unit with the possibility of automatic recognition of the inventory numbers, detection of the discrepancies between data from the wagon list and the recognized inventory numbers, and also with the possibility of forming the list of inventory numbers with reference to the car number.

[0013] The purpose of the current invention is the expansion of the prototype functionalities due to elimination of the disadvantages mentioned above.

[0014] The stated purpose of the invention is reached due to the fact that along with the available in the prototype:
  • a mounted above the rail U-shaped bearing structure with four television cameras mounted on it, the outputs of which are connected to the PC video inputs with a monitor mounted on the automated workplace of an operator, while outputs of the first and the second television cameras are additionally connected to the first controller of automated car inventory numbers recognition connected through the multiportal plate to the PC input;
  • the first thermal imaging camera designed for obtaining digital thermographic data and forming thermographic images of the tanks and cars sides with the purpose of monitoring of the filling level of the tanks, uniformity and fullness of the cars loading, which is connected through the multiportal plate to the PC input,
there are also additional:
  • two counter directed and mounted on the lower parts of the opposite supports of the bearing structure the fifth and the sixth television cameras for monitoring wheeled charts and car frames, and reading the numbers of car frames, the outputs of which are directly connected to the first controller, and through the multiportal plate to the PC video inputs;
  • the second thermal imaging camera monitoring the performance of the brake system of the rolling stocks mounted on the support at the level of the wheeled charts axles, the output of which is directly connected to the second controller of overheating detection, which is also connected to the output of the first thermal imaging camera, and through the multiportal plate to the PC video input, whereas the output of the second controller is also connected through the multiportal plate to the PC, while the first thermal imaging camera is made high-resolution and fixed on the separate support taken beyond the dimensions of the U-shaped bearing structure with the purpose of the full observance of the car by the height for monitoring of both filling level and wheel pairs overheating;
  • mounted respectively on the opposite supports and the crossbar of the bearing structure three single-beam laser range finders of monitoring of compliance of the loading dimensions and monitoring the damages of the car walls and roofs, the scanning planes of which are located vertical, the outputs of which are connected through the multiportal plate to the PC;
  • three single-beam laser range finders of duplicating the monitoring of the maximum allowed oversize of the rolling stock, the outputs of which are connected through the multiportal plate to the PC, whereas one of them is mounted on the side support and other two - on the crossbar of the U-shaped bearing structure;
  • the deformation sensors mounted consequently along each rail located under the U-shaped bearing structure in the inter rail spaces, the outputs of which are connected to the third controller of the deformation sensors data evaluation, containing the recording unit of data on the rail deformation in the installation spot of each deformation sensor at the passing of the wheeled chart by the wheel, the outputs of which are connected to the wheel pair overloading detection unit entering the given controller, detection unit of the dangerous shift of the cargo along the car width, wheel pair defect detection unit, whereas the outputs of the named units are connected through the multiportal plate to the PC;
  • the seventh and the eighth television cameras and the third thermal imaging camera mounted horizontally on the upper parts of the opposite supports of the bearing structure and oriented counter-currently towards the direction of the rolling stock, whereas the outputs of the named television cameras are connected to the PC input through the multiportal plate and through the forth controller of the detection of the critical wearing of the current collector hard-melting inset containing consequently connected image selection unit, television images recording unit, hard-melting inset images recognition unit, hard-melting inset length and height measuring unit, hard-melting inset length and height ratio unit and comparison unit, while the output of the third thermal imaging camera to the PC input through the fifth controller of the current collector overheating detection and through the multiportal plate.


[0015] The essence of the invention is explained in the drawing shown in the Figure. The following abbreviations are used on the Figure:

PS - pressure sensor;

SBLRF - single-beam laser range finder;

SLRF - scanning laser range finder;

TC - television camera;

TIC - thermal imaging camera.



[0016] Automated system for commercial inspection of trains and cars with modular architecture (ASCITC 3.0), the architecture of which is shown in the Figure, contains a mounted above the rail U-shaped bearing structure 1, with eight television cameras 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 mounted on it. The first 2 and the second 3 television cameras are mounted on the supports of the U-shaped bearing structure 1 and designed for obtaining images of the left and right sides of a car and forming images of inventory numbers of cars. The third 4 and the forth 5 television cameras are mounted on the crossbar of the U-shaped bearing structure 1 and designed for obtaining images of car roofs and monitoring the seals on the tank doors. Counter directed the fifth 6 and the sixth 7 television cameras are mounted on the lower parts of the opposite supports of the U-shaped bearing structure 1 and designed for monitoring wheeled charts and reading the inventory numbers of car frames. The seventh and the eighth television cameras 8 and 9 oriented counter-currently towards the direction of the rolling stock are mounted horizontally on the upper parts of the opposite supports of the U-shaped bearing structure 1 and designed for forming images of the hard-melting inset of the locomotive current collector. The outputs of all television cameras are connected through the multiportal plate 10 to the video inputs of the PC installed at the automated workplace of a PC operator 11 with a monitor 12. The outputs of the first 2 and the second 3 television cameras are additionally connected to the first controller 13 of automated car inventory numbers recognition connected through the multiportal plate 10 to the PC input 11. There are the strain sensors 16 mounted on the rails 14 and 15 in the section of the U-shaped bearing structure 1 in the inter rail spaces. Whereas the outputs of the strain sensors 16, mounted on the rails 14 and 15 are connected through the multiportal plate 10 to the relevant PC inputs 11. Furthermore, there are three thermal imaging cameras 17, 18 and 19. The first thermal imaging camera 17 is made high-resolution, fixed on the separate support 20 taken beyond the dimensions of the U-shaped bearing structure 1 and designed for examination of the rolling stock units along their height, obtaining digital thermographic data and forming thermographic images of the tanks and cars sides with the purpose of monitoring of the filling level of the tanks, uniformity and fullness of the cars loading with the granular cargo as well as the brakes system performance monitoring, and is connected to the second controller 21, and through the multiportal plate 10 to the PC input 11. The second thermal imaging camera 18 mounted on the support of the U-shaped bearing structure 1 at the level of the wheeled charts axles is designed for monitoring performance of the brake system of the rolling stock. Its output is directly connected to the second controller 21 of the overheating detection, and through the multiportal plate 10 to the PC video input 11, whereas the output of the second controller 21 through the multiportal plate 10 is also connected to the PC 11. The stated thermal imaging camera 18 has a relatively small linear field, due to its location near the car because of the limited distance between the railways in the conditions of the two railway traffic, and can have smaller resolution capability if compared with the thermal imaging camera 17. Oriented counter-currently towards the direction of the rolling stock and mounted on the crossbar of the U-shaped bearing structure 1 the third thermal imaging camera 19 is designed for monitoring the overheating of the current collector hard-melting inset. Its output is directly connected to the fifth controller 22 of the overheating detection of the current collector hard-melting inset, and through the multiportal plate 10 to the PC video input 11, whereas the output of the fifth controller 22 through the multiportal plate 10 is also connected to the PC 11.

[0017] There are three single-beam laser range finders 23, 24 and 25 controlling the compliance of the loading oversize, the outputs of which are connected through the multiportal plate 10 to the PC 11. There are mounted respectively on the opposite supports and the crossbar of the U-shaped bearing structure 1 three scanning laser range finders 26, 27, 28 providing the possibility of building the images of the side and top surfaces of the covered rolling stock units, models of the cargo placement on the open rolling stock helping to monitor the loading oversize and damage of the car walls and roof. The scanning areas of the laser range finders 26, 27, 28 are located vertical, and their outputs are connected through the multiportal plate 10 to the PC 11. Whereas three single-beam laser range finders 23, 24 and 25 duplicate the work of the scanning laser range finders 26, 27, 28 at detection of the major limit breach of the rolling stock dimensions requiring urgent stop.

[0018] The distance between the nearby pressure sensors 16 located on each of the rails 14 and 15 are equal. In the prototype model of the claimed device the distance between the border pressure sensors 16 (the length of the rail on which the pressure sensors are located 16) is almost equal to the triple length of the wheel circle of the wheeled chart, and the amount of the sensors 16 on each rail is equal to eight. Whereas at the rolling of the wheel along the rail different areas of the wheel rim, located on the wheel at the equal angle distances, effect each of the pressure sensors 16, which provides the possibility to evaluate the level of the conformity of the loading on different areas of the wheel rim. In case of an operable wheel (no rim beat, cracks or flat wear) the wheel pressure at its consequential passing of all pressure sensors 16 will be the same, and at the symmetrical loading of the car the pressure at the relevant pressure sensors 16 located on the rails 14 and 15 will be the same. The outputs of the pressure sensors 16 are connected to the third controller 29 of the evaluation of the data of the pressure sensors 16. The controller 29 includes a unit 30 of recording the data on the wheel pressure at each pressure sensor 16 at the passing of the wheel on the rails 14 and 15. The outputs of the unit 30 are connected to the entering the stated controller 29 unit of detection of the wheel pair loading 31, to the detection unit of the dangerous shift of the cargo along the car width 32, wheel pair defect detection unit 33. The outputs of the stated units 31-33 are connected through the multiportal plate 10 to the PC 11.

[0019] The outputs of the oriented counter-currently towards the direction of the rolling stock the seventh and the eighth television cameras 8 and 9 forming the images of the locomotive current collector hard-melting inset through the forth controller 34 of detection of the critical wear of the current collector hard-melting inset, containing consequently connected image selection unit 35, television images recording unit 36, hard-melting inset images recognition unit 37, hard-melting inset length and height measuring unit 38, hard-melting inset length and height ratio unit 39 and a comparison unit 40 are connected through the multiportal plate 10 to the PC input 11.

[0020] The following technical solutions can be used at the performance of the device.

[0021] The U-shaped bearing structure 1 is similar to the bearing structure used in dimension gates, in particular, in the complex of the commercial inspection of cargo ASCITC manufactured by Production cooperative «Research and production complex "AVTOMATIZATSIYA". Cameras on the basis of the charge coupled devices (CCD-matrix) located in the airproof thermally controlled enclosures can be used in the function of the television cameras 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Plates of series CP-114EL/CP-114EL-I, CP-118E-A-I/CP-138E-A-I, CP-132EL/CP-132EL-I or similar can be used in the function of the multiportal plate 10. A server with the suitable software and a multi-channel video input ensuring the video capture of the television signal can be used in the function of the PC 11. Monitor 12 is LCD, for example, VMC-38.8 type with a PC speaker.

[0022] PC 11 software ensures, in particular, the following functions:
  • reception of information on the amount of locomotives in the train from the automated system of the railway yard administration via local network;
  • reception of information on the car loading oversize;
  • protocolling of data on passing trains;
  • displaying of the passing train oversize data on the operator's PC screen;
  • recording data on the train beginning, inter car spaces, oversize and mismatch of the information on passing in the control gate of the U-shaped bearing structure of the inter car space, being received from the scanning laser range finders 26, 27 and 28 as well as during the processing of the video images from the fifth and the sixth television camera 6 and 7;
  • displaying at the monitor 12 of the images of the passing train from all television and thermal imaging cameras simultaneously ("MULTISCREEN" mode) or from any camera in a full screen mode depending on the operator's choice;
  • recording on the hard disc of the compressed video image from all television and thermal imaging cameras;
  • storing of the archive of video images limited by the capacity of the hard disc;
  • preview of the video archive on the operator's PC screen in the single screen or multiscreen modes;
  • playing the recorded video with the set speed forth and reverse;
  • frame preview and a stop-frame mode;
  • search of the video data by the time of the train passing, train number or car number;
  • displaying of the cross-section frames of the train cars for their detailed analysis.


[0023] Controllers 13, 21, 22, 29, 34 can be performed on the basis of module PCs.

[0024] Continuously operating range finders with the digital output such as, for example, BOSCH GLM 80 can be used in the function of the single-beam laser range finders 23, 24, 25. Devices by "HOKUYO" (Japan), for example, a scanning laser range finder UXM-30LX-EW ensuring the measurement of the distances up to 30 m with accuracy 1 mm at the scanning angle 190° can be used in the function of the scanning laser range finders 26, 27, 28. The stated scanning laser range finder has a built-in calculator. The stated range finder allows to form a digital frame of a car due to the usage of the built-in calculator ensuring the formation of the cut of the scanned surface landscape in the single-face scanning mode, as well as formation of the landscape image of the surface embracing the range finder when scanned volumetrically. Furthermore, in several case multi-bean laser range finders working in several faces, for example, by Velodune company can be used. Whereas the built-in calculator of the range finder potentially allows to detect the speed and the direction of the train.

[0025] Strain pressure sensors by Statera LLC (Rostov-na-Donu, Russia) manufactured under the patent RF Nº2349874 can be used in the function of the pressure sensors 16. Experience has shown that the optimized number of the pressure sensors 16 on each rail is equal to eight.

[0026] Thermal imaging devices on the basis of the microbolometric matrix with digital processing of the images can be used in the function of the television cameras 17, 18 and 19.

[0027] When achieving the invention purpose the stated system works as follows.

[0028] An operator at receiving the information on the arriving of the train to the control zone enters data on the amount of the locomotives in the train and the train number to the PC 11, or the stated data is automatically transferred to the PC 11 vie the local network from the automated system of the yard administration. When the train enters the control zone the locomotive crosses the beams of the scanning laser range finders 26, 27, 28, each of which can work as a train beginning sensor and inter car spaces sensor, whereas the data on the beam crossing is transferred to the PC 11, which launches recording of the video data from the television cameras 2-7 to the hard disc of the PC 11. Whereas the monitor 12 in the "MULTISCREEN" mode displays the information from all or only selected by an operator television cameras. PC 11 counts the cars in the control zone according to the crossing of the beams of the scanning laser range finders 26, 27, 28 (or one of them selected as a train beginning sensor and inter car space sensor) and forms a car number, which is reproduced on the monitor screen 12 and attached to the video files transferred at that moment for being stored on the hard disc of the PC 11. Whereas the readings of the car number sensor formed on the monitor screen 12 rise, while the type of the checked car is simultaneously identified according to the sequence of cars in the train written in the memory of the PC 11.

[0029] At the train movement the television cameras 2 and 3 form the images of the side surfaces of the rolling stock units allowing the operator to detect fractures, marks, open gates and doors. At the same time video signals from the stated cameras are used in the first controller 13 of the automated cars inventory numbers recognition. Cars inventory numbers enter the PC 11, which detects discrepancies between the data from the wagon list and the recognized inventory numbers and ensures the possibility of forming the list of inventory numbers with reference to the car number. Television cameras 4 and 5 form images respectively of the roof surfaces of the rolling stock units (television camera 4 with relatively wide viewing angle) and of the seals of the tank doors (television camera 5 with relatively narrow viewing angle).

[0030] At the train movement the television cameras 6 and 7 form the images of the side surfaces of the wheeled charts and the wheels of the wheel pairs, parts of the car frames as well as the seals on the hopper-car doors allowing the operator to detect their visible damages. The images from the stated television cameras are also recorded to the memory of the PC 11. At the same time the video images of the wheeled charts transferred to the PC 11 are recognized in the PC 11 with the help of the relevant software, as the result of which the charts are counted and the data on the car number passing through the control gate is formed. This data is compared in real time with the data on the car number formed according to the signals from the scanning laser range finders 26, 27, 28 (or one of them). Such a two channel car counter allows to significantly improve the count accuracy and timely detect failures in the car count subsystem.

[0031] At the train movement the single-beam laser range finders 24 and 25, the beams from which are directed vertically downwards, and dimensionally coincide with the vertical borders of the limit railway oversize, work as the sensors of the stated oversize excess. At the crossing of their beams a signal from the relevant laser range finder enters the PC 11, and it forms a note about the oversize presence on the video image of the relevant side surface of the rolling stock unit, and notifies on the need to stop the train in order to eliminate the oversize. The single-beam laser range finder 23, the beam from which is directed horizontally, and dimensionally coincides with the upper limit horizontal border of the railway dimensions, works as a sensor of the non-observance of the stated dimension. At the crossing of its beam a relevant signal enters the PC 11, and it forms a note about the oversize presence on the video image of the relevant upper surface of the rolling stock unit. In case of excess of the border of the dimension zone the PC 11 sends an alarm signal to the monitor 12, and notifies on the need to stop the train in order to eliminate the oversize. Whereas a relevant sound signal can be also sent. The work of the single-beam laser range finders 23, 24 and 25 duplicates the work of the scanning laser range finders 26, 27 and 28, which are the main technical mean of monitoring the dimensions of the rolling stock in terms of detecting of the limit non-observance that can lead to an accident and require an urgent stop of the train.

[0032] The scanning laser range finders 26, 27 and 28 provide more detailed detection of both the oversize presence, and their form and location. The stated range finders perform scanning in the selected sectors set according to their location geometry and the car height. The calculators built in the range finders 26 and 27 form the images of the frames of the car side walls, while the calculator built in the range finder 28 forms an image of the car roof landscape or an image of the landscape of the cargo located in the gondola car or on the platform. The images of the landscapes of the car side walls and roof (the cargo in the gondola car or on the platform) are united in the PC 11 into a single car frame for obtaining an image of the car cross-section (the side walls and the cargo in the gondola car). The information on the car frame cross-section in the PC 11 is compared to the allowed railway dimensions on the given section of the railway traffic, which was sent to the PC 11 in advance. In case of excess of the dimension zone the PC 11 (similar to the information received from the single-beam laser range finders 23, 24 and 25) sends an alarm signal to the monitor 12, and the relevant sound signal of the oversize excess plays in its speaker. At the same time the information on the cross-section of the car frames is transferred non-stop to the PC 11 for being recorded with the possibility of the further analysis.

[0033] At the preliminary transmission of the information on the form of the train car side surfaces and roofs from the departure station and it recording to the memory of the PC 11 the information on the form of the monitored train car side surfaces and roofs is compared in the PC 11 to the recorded information. This information is selected from the memory of the PC 11 considering the information on the car type stored in the memory of the PC 11 and formed on the basis of the data on the train car number and on the rolling stock preliminary entered from the railway automated control system. In case of detection of major deviations in the form of the stated car surfaces caused by the presence of deep marks, fractures, or open gates, the PC 11 sends an alarm signal to the monitor 12, and the sound signal relevant this type of breach of the cargo commercial safety plays in its speaker. At the same time the file with the relevant image is marked, and the information on the presence of the commercial flaw with its location is written to the memory of the PC 11.

[0034] Thus, the combination of the single-beam range finders 23, 24 and 25, and the scanning laser range finders 26, 27 and 28 allows to detect the full stock-list of the breaches of the car integrity and possible options of the railway oversize excess.

[0035] The thermal imaging camera 17, mounted on the support 20, is made on the basis of the microbolometric matrix of high resolution (image dissection standard is not lower than 640x480 pixel) and forms a high-quality contrast thermal image of the tank sides with liquid cargo or of the cars (gondola cars) with the bulky cargo, providing the possibility of visualization of the borders of the "cargo-air" section, which allows to visually evaluate the fullness and conformity of the bulky cargo loading. At the same time the thermal imaging camera 17 also forms a thermal image of the wheel pairs, which allows to detect improper operation of the brake system. The installation of the thermal imaging camera 17 on the separate support 20 is caused by the usage of the a not wide-angled high-resolution lens, not allowing to obtain the necessary linear field of vision at the installation of the thermal imaging camera on the side support of the dimension gate.

[0036] The above mentioned features of the system performance refer to the monitoring of the cargo commercial safety. The detection of several failures of the rolling stock that can lead to the traffic disruption is performed as follows.

[0037] At the entering of the rolling stock unit into the control section the wheeled chart come into the view of the thermal imaging cameras 17 and 18, which:
  • transfer the images to the input of the PC 11, due to which the screen of the monitor 12 displays the relevant thermal images, according to which the operator can detect hot boxes (overheating and possible breakage of the bearings) and wheel overheating (sticking of the brake jaws, bearing seizure);
  • transfer the image to the second controller 21, which detects dramatically different heating temperature of the wheeled charts elements, and in case of exceeding of the allowed value sends a command to the PC 11, which displays on the monitor 12 the relevant warning.


[0038] Also at the entering of the rolling stock unit into the control section the wheeled charts roll along the rails 14 and 15, equipped with the consequently mounted pressure sensors 16. Whereas the pressure sensors 16 are located along the rails at the equal distance from each other. In case of the correct loading and work of the wheels the following requirements are followed:
  • the loading at the similar pressure sensors 16 of the nearby rails is the same (with the set tolerance);
  • the loading at the similar pressure sensors 16 at the rolling of the first and the second car charts is the same;
  • at the movement of the wheel consequently at the pressure sensors 16 in case of the working wheel (no cracks, local hollow wear and imbalance) the loading at each pressure sensor 16 and dynamics of its change are the same.


[0039] At the train crossing of the unit 30 the recording of the influence on the pressure sensors 16 is performed. The recorded influence in the unit 31 are compared to the allowed wheel loading. In case of the excess of the loading on the wheel pair the unit 31 forms a signal sent to the PC 11, which forms an information message on the screen of the monitor 12 and an electronic mark in the image of the relevant chart. In case of the unallowable inequality of the loading on the right and the left wheel the unit of the dangerous shift of the cargo along the car width 32 forms a signal, which is sent to the PC 11 forming an information message on the screen of the monitor 12 and an electronic mark in the image of the relevant chart, whereas its value of the loading difference on the left and the right wheels is not allowed in terms of the traffic safety. At the non-conformance of the form of the growth curve of the dynamic influence the wheel pair failure detection unit 33 forms a signal, which is sent to the PC 11 forming an information message on the screen of the monitor 12 and an electronic mark in the image of the chart, on which the defected wheel is located. At the detection in the unit 33 of the inequality of the influence on the consequently located pressure sensors 16 at the wheel rolling the conclusion on the wheel beating, cracks on it or local hollow wear. Whereas the wheel pair failure detection unit 33 forms a signal, which is sent to the PC 11 forming an information message on the screen of the monitor 12 and an electronic mark in the image of the chart, on which the defected wheel is located.

[0040] The real-time detection of the defect current collector is performed according to two criteria - the excess of the limit wear of the hard-melting inset plate detected according to the value of the ratio of its width to its length, as well as the overheating of the plate.

[0041] In order to detect the wear of the hard-melting current collecting inset plate the television cameras 8 and 9 forming the images of the hard-melting current collecting inset plate are used. The need to use two television cameras 8 and 9 is caused by the fact that their optic axles are located close to the horizontal surface, and one of them, depending on the time of the day, can be exposed to the sun light (the sunrise or the sunset). For the purpose of ensuring the stable work of the system the images from both television cameras are transferred to the image selection unit 35 which sorts out the low quality images from the exposed television camera 8 or 9. After that the quality dynamic image of the plate during its movement towards the television cameras 8 and 9 is recorded to the memory of the unit 36. The unit 37 recognizes the image of the hard-melting current collecting inset plate and transfers it in the processed form (contrasting, outlining, noise abatement) to the output of the unit 38 measuring the length and the height of the hard-melting inset. After that the calculation of the ratio of the inset length and thickness (unit 39) and its comparison with the allowed value in unit 40 are performed. In case the calculated value is smaller than the allowed value, unit 40 forms a signal for the PC 11 according to which it displays on the monitor 12 a text message on the excessive wear of the current collecting plate.

[0042] In order to detect the overheating of the current collector a thermal imaging camera 19, the output of which is directly connected to the fifth controller 22, which detects the current collector overheating temperature, is used, while in case of the overheating it sends a signal to the PC 11 according to which it displays on the monitor 12 a text message on the excessive overheating of the current collecting plate.

[0043] The technical result of using the stated system is the ensuring of the visual and sound monitoring of all types of loading oversize and dimensions of the rolling stock, the real-time visual inspection of the commercial state of the rolling stock at its passing through the control section on the operator's PC screen in the "MULTISCREEN" mode (simultaneous displaying of several image windows from television and thermal imaging cameras, displaying of the informational windows on the oversize and failures with reference and inventory numbers of the cars, formation of the sound and text information signal) or in the full screen mode from the selected image source; formation of the report (reference) on the detected oversize and failures of the rolling stock (wheeled charts, brake system, current collector), creation of the video archive.

[0044] The usage of the described system allows to assess the performance of the several units together with the commercial inspection of the train, which ensures the timely measures to eliminate the failures and thus to reduce the risk of the train traffic disruption.


Claims

1. Automated system for commercial inspection of trains and cars with modular architecture (ASCITC 3.0), containing a mounted above the rail U-shaped bearing structure with four television cameras mounted on it, whereas the first and the second television cameras are designed for obtaining images of the left and right sides of a car and forming images of inventory numbers of cars, while the third and the forth television cameras are designed for obtaining images of car roofs and monitoring the seals on the tank doors, whereas the outputs of all television cameras are connected through the multiportal plate to the PC video inputs with a monitor mounted on the automated workplace of an operator, while outputs of the first and the second television cameras are additionally connected to the first controller of automated car inventory numbers recognition connected through the multiportal plate to the PC input; furthermore it has the first thermal imaging camera designed for obtaining digital thermographic data and forming thermographic images of the tanks and cars sides with the purpose of monitoring of the filling level of the tanks, uniformity and fullness of the cars loading, which is connected through the multiportal plate to the PC input, CHARECTERIZED IN THAT it has the fifth and the sixth television cameras for monitoring wheeled charts and reading the numbers of car frames - both are counter directed and mounted on the lower parts of the opposite supports of the bearing structure, the outputs of which are directly connected to the controller of automated cars inventory numbers recognition and connected through the multiportal plate to the PC video input; the second thermal imaging camera monitoring the performance of the brake system of the rolling stocks mounted on the support at the level of the wheeled charts axles, the output of which is directly connected to the controller of overheating detection, which is also connected to the output of the first thermal imaging camera, and through the multiportal plate to the PC video input, whereas the output of the second controller is also connected through the multiportal plate to the PC, the first thermal imaging camera is made high-resolution and fixed on the separate support taken beyond the dimensions of the U-shaped bearing structure, there are mounted on the support and the crossbar of the U-shaped bearing structure three single-beam laser range finders of monitoring of compliance of the loading dimensions to the limit dimensions of the rolling stocks, the outputs of which are connected through the multiportal plate to the PC, mounted respectively on the opposite supports and crossbar of the bearing structure three scanning laser range finder of monitoring oversize and damage of the car walls and roofs, the scanning planes of which are located vertical, the outputs of which are connected through the multiportal plate to the PC, on each of the rails mounted under the U-shaped bearing structure; the deformation sensors are mounted consequently along its length in the inter rail spaces, the outputs of which are connected to the third controller of the deformation sensors data evaluation containing the recording unit of data on the rail deformation in the installation spot of each deformation sensor at the passing of the wheeled chart by the wheel, the outputs of which are connected to the wheel pair overloading detection unit entering the given controller, detection unit of the dangerous shift of the cargo along the car width, wheel pair defect detection unit, whereas the outputs of the named units are connected through the multiportal plate to the PC; there are the seventh and the eighth television cameras and the third thermal imaging camera mounted horizontally on the upper parts of the opposite supports of the bearing structure and oriented counter-currently towards the direction of the rolling stock, whereas the outputs of the named television cameras are connected to the PC input through the multiportal plate and through the forth controller of the detection of the critical wearing of the current collector hard-melting inset containing consequently connected image selection unit, television images recording unit, hard-melting inset images recognition unit, hard-melting inset length and height measuring unit, hard-melting inset length and height ratio unit and comparison unit, while the output of the third thermal imaging camera to the PC input through the fifth controller of the current collector overheating detection and through the multiportal plate.
 




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Cited references

REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION



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Patent documents cited in the description