System for detecting the state of a current collector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10102618-B2
Application number	US-201414905383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2014
Priority date	Jul 17, 2013
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A system for detecting a state of a current collector of an electrically driven vehicle includes a video camera device for digitally recording images of the current collector and an image-evaluating device for the data evaluation of the image recordings. The current collector has optically detectable markings, the position and/or shape and/or surface area and/or color of which can be detected by the image-evaluating device in an automated manner. A system that makes the automatic state detection faster and more reliable is thereby provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for detecting a state of a current collector of an electrically driven vehicle, the system comprising:
a video camera device for digitally recording images of the current collector;
an image evaluating device for data evaluation of the image recordings; and
optically detectable markings extending inside the current collector, said optically detectable markings having at least one of a position or shape or surface area or color to be detected by said image evaluating device in an automated manner;
said optically detectable markings including a marking disposed at a collector strip of the current collector and extending in a direction of wear of the collector strip, said marking having at least one of a position or shape or surface area or color changing with increasing wear.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said optically detectable markings include a continuous marking or a plurality of separate markings disposed across a working width of the collector strip.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein said optically detectable markings include a marking disposed at the collector strip outside of the working width as a reference.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said optically detectable markings include a plurality of markings disposed at the current collector in a distributed manner and having a defined reciprocal location in an operational state of the current collector.

5. The system according to claim 1 , which further comprises a contrast panel attached to the current collector and forming a high-contrast background marking for at least part of the current collector in a viewing direction of said video camera device.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Bahlmann Claus
• Gerstenberg Frank
• Klier Christian
• Voss Frank

Classifications

• B60L5/205 Primary

  with carbon contact members · CPC title

• G06T7/0008 Primary

  checking presence/absence · CPC title

• H04N7/183

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title

• G01B11/24

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title

• G01N21/8803

  Visual inspection (measuring projectors G01B9/08) · CPC title