Granted Patent B2

US 12,344,294 · App. 18/829,194 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Inventors: Mabby Nicholas Amouie (Atlanta, GA); Evan Thomas Gebhardt (Atlanta, GA); Colin Usher (Atlanta, GA); Alex Samoylov (Atlanta, GA); Howard Taylor-Bryce Darling (Atlanta, GA); Brian Thomas Yeager (Atlanta, GA); Thomas Samuel Fox (Atlanta, GA)

Assignee: Norfolk Southern Corporation & Georgia Tech Research Corporation

B61L27/57H04N7/18H04N23/56H04N23/64H04N23/90

Abstract

Claims (42)

1. An inspection portal system comprising:

a support structure comprising a first side, a second side, and a top side supported by the first and second sides, the support structure configured to span across a railroad track and to permit a train to pass therethrough;

an overhead inspection system attached to the top side, the overhead inspection system comprising one or more overhead cameras comprising an overhead line scan camera and an overhead area scan camera, and one or more overhead lights;

a first side inspection system attached to the first side of the support structure, the first side inspection system comprising one or more first cameras and one or more first lights and configured to capture images of a first side of a railcar;

a second side inspection system attached to the second side of the support structure, the second side inspection system comprising one or more second cameras and one or more second lights and configured to capture images of a second side of the railcar;

an undercarriage inspection system comprising one or more undercarriage inspection assemblies, each of the one or more undercarriage inspection assemblies being located between the rails of a railway and comprising one or more undercarriage cameras and one or more undercarriage lights; and

one or more tie-mounted inspection assemblies, each of the one or more tie-mounted inspection assemblies being attached to one or more ties of a railway at a location outside the rails of the railway, and comprising one or more third cameras and one or more third lights;

one or more wheel detection sensors configured to detect a presence or a non-presence of a railcar wheel at a location along the railway that is upstream from the support structure;

one or more computing devices in electrical communication with:

the one or more wheel detection sensors;

inspection portal cameras comprising the one or more overhead cameras, the one or more first cameras, the one or more second cameras, the one or more undercarriage cameras, and the one or more third cameras; and

inspection portal lights comprising the one or more overhead lights, the one or more first lights, the one or more second lights, the one or more undercarriage lights, and the one or more third lights, wherein the one or more computing devices is configured to determine a capture timing for each of the inspection portal cameras based at least in part on a train speed estimation determined according to wheel detection events detected by the wheel detection sensors,

wherein the one or more computing devices is further configured to determine the capture timing for each of the inspection portal cameras based on a physical distance between the wheel detection sensors and each corresponding one of the inspection portal cameras.

2. The inspection portal system of claim 1 , further comprising a weather housing comprising a first wall, a second wall, a roof, a first open end, and a second open end, wherein the weather housing covers the support structure, and is configured to permit a train to pass therethrough via the first open end and the second open end.

3. The inspection portal system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more first cameras, the one or more second cameras, the one or more undercarriage cameras, or the one or more third cameras is a line scan camera.

4. The inspection portal system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more first cameras, the one or more second cameras, the one or more undercarriage cameras, or the one or more third cameras is an area scan camera.

5. The inspection portal system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second support structure comprising a third side inspection system configured to capture images of a region of the first side of the railcar, the third side inspection system comprising one or more fourth cameras and one or more fourth lights; and

a third support structure comprising a fourth side inspection system configured to capture images of a region of the second side of the railcar, the fourth side inspection system comprising one or more fifth cameras and one or more fifth lights.

6. The inspection portal system of claim 5 , wherein the third side inspection system is configured to capture images of a brake and/or shoe region of the first side of the railcar and the fourth side inspection system is configured to capture images of a brake and/or shoe region of the second side of the railcar.

7. The inspection portal system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing devices is further configured to determine the capture timing for each of the inspection portal cameras based on one or more electrical signal transmission or processing latencies.

8. The inspection portal system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more wheel detection sensors comprises one or more pressure switches attached to the railway.

9. The inspection portal system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more wheel detection sensors comprises one or more light curtains.

10. The inspection portal system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more wheel detection sensors comprises one or more microphones, the one or more computing devices being configured to recognize one or more sounds indicative of train wheels passing by the one or more microphones.

11. The inspection portal system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more overhead cameras, the one or more first cameras, the one or more second cameras, the one or more undercarriage cameras, and the one or more third cameras are each located in a respective weather-resistant housing.

12. The inspection portal system of claim 1 , further comprising a compressed air source, wherein at least one of the one or more undercarriage inspection assemblies or the one or more tie-mounted inspection assemblies comprises an air curtain configured to blow air across an optical end of the one or more undercarriage cameras or the one or more third cameras.

13. The inspection portal system of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the one or more first lights form a first array of first lights and at least some of the one or more second lights form a second array of second lights.

14. The inspection portal system of claim 1 , wherein:

at least some of the one or more first lights form a first array of first lights and a second array of first lights, the first array of first lights being arranged in a generally vertical orientation along at least a first portion of the first side of the support structure, and the second array of first lights being arranged in a generally vertical orientation along at least a second portion of the first side of the support structure; and

at least some of the one or more second lights form a first array of second lights and a second array of second lights, the first array of second lights being arranged in a generally vertical orientation along at least a first portion of the second side of the support structure, and the second array of second lights being arranged in a generally vertical orientation along at least a second portion of the second side of the support structure.

15. The inspection portal system of claim 14 , wherein:

at least some of the first lights of the first array of first lights are pointed in a direction that is different from a direction in which some others of the first lights of the first array of first lights are pointed;

at least some of the first lights of the second array of first lights are pointed in a direction that is different from a direction in which some others of the first lights of the second array of first lights are pointed;

at least some of the second lights of the first array of second lights are pointed in a direction that is different from a direction in which some others of the second lights of the first array of second lights are pointed; and

at least some of the second lights of the second array of second lights are pointed in a direction that is different from a direction in which some others of the second lights of the second array of second lights are pointed.

16. The inspection portal system of claim 14 , wherein:

there is a first gap between the first array of first lights and the second array of first lights;

at least some of the one or more first cameras are positioned within the first gap;

there is a second gap between the first array of second lights and the second array of second lights; and

at least some of the one or more second cameras are positioned within the second gap.

17. The inspection portal system of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the one or more overhead cameras, the one or more first cameras, the one or more second cameras, the one or more undercarriage cameras, or the one or more third cameras are positioned, angled, and focused to capture images of one or more respective particular components of a passing railcar.

18. The inspection portal system of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the one or more overhead cameras, the one or more first cameras, the one or more second cameras, the one or more undercarriage cameras, or the one or more third cameras are positioned, angled, and focused to capture images of one or more respective particular regions of a passing railcar.

Assignments (9)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (79)