Imaging system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9865103-B2
Application number	US-201414455571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2014
Priority date	Feb 17, 2014
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

An imaging system includes a camera and a controller. The camera is configured to be disposed on a first vehicle system or at a wayside location along a route to generate image data within a field of view of the camera. The controller is configured to monitor a data rate at which the image data is provided from the camera. The controller also is configured to identify a stimulus event within the field of view of the camera based on a change in the data rate at which the image data is generated by the camera.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a sensor configured to sense stimulus information of a first vehicle system;
a camera configured to be disposed onboard the first vehicle system, the camera configured to generate image data representative of a field of view of the camera, to compress the image data into compressed data, and to output the compressed data at a bit rate;
a controller configured to monitor the stimulus information sensed by the sensor and to activate the camera from an inactive state to an active state responsive to the stimulus information exceeding a first threshold, wherein the controller also is configured to monitor the bit rate at which the compressed data is output by the camera to the controller after the camera is activated and generating the image data, the controller configured to determine a change in the bit rate that is monitored and to identify a stimulus event based on the change in the bit rate that is determined, wherein the controller is configured to determine at least one of a time or date at which the stimulus event occurs and to compare the at least one of the time or date to an authorized time or an authorized date, respectively, to determine whether the stimulus event is authorized.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to identify the stimulus event as movement.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller also is configured to activate one or more alarms responsive to identifying the stimulus event.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to identify the stimulus event responsive to a compression of the image data decreasing by more than a designated, non-zero second threshold.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle system includes at least a first vehicle and a second vehicle mechanically coupled with each other, and wherein the camera is disposed onboard the first vehicle, and
wherein the controller is configured to be disposed onboard the second vehicle in order to remotely monitor for the stimulus event in the first vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to compare one or more images formed from the image data to one or more authorized images representative of persons having authorization to be in the first vehicle system, and the controller is configured to generate an alarm signal responsive to the one or more images differing from the one or more authorized images.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein, when the camera is in the inactive state, the camera is configured to save only the image data obtained during a moving time window that extends backward from a current time to a previous time by a designated, non-zero time period and, when the camera is in the active state, the controller is configured to save the image data obtained during the moving time window and the image data obtained outside of the moving time window.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of a force sensor or an audio sensor, the force sensor configured to detect a change in acceleration of the first vehicle system as the stimulus information, the audio sensor configured to detect a sound in the first vehicle system as the stimulus information, wherein the controller is configured to switch the camera from the inactive state to the active state responsive to at least one of the force sensor detecting the change in acceleration or the audio sensor detecting the sound.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to automatically communicate an assistance request signal to one or more second vehicle systems responsive to the camera switching from the inactive state to the active state, the assistance request signal requesting the one or more second vehicle systems to acquire additional image data at a location of the first vehicle system when the camera switched from the inactive state to the active state.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the controller also is configured to generate one or more alarm signals responsive to the bit rate changing by at least the first threshold.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller also is configured to identify the stimulus event responsive to both a change in an operational setting of the first vehicle and the change in the bit rate.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to change the first threshold based on a weather condition.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a number of persons onboard the first vehicle system based on the change in the bit rate.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to change a resolution of the camera based on one or more of a location of the first vehicle system or a weather condition.

15. A method comprising:
sensing stimulus information of a first vehicle system using a sensor;
activating a camera onboard the first vehicle system from an inactive state to an active state responsive to the stimulus information that is sensed by the sensor exceeding a first threshold;
subsequently obtaining image data using the camera that represents at least a portion of the first vehicle system;
compressing the image data into compressed data using the camera;
outputting the compressed data from the camera to one or more computer processors at a bit rate;
determining, with the one or more computer processors, a change in the bit rate at which the compressed data is output by the camera;
identifying, with the one or more computer processors, a stimulus event based on the change in the bit rate at which the compressed data is output by the camera;
determining at least one of a time or date at which the stimulus event occurs based on the bit rate at which the compressed data is output by the camera; and
comparing the at least one of the time or date to an authorized time or an authorized date, respectively, to determine whether the stimulus event is authorized.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the stimulus event is identified responsive to a compression of the image data decreasing by more than a designated, non-zero second threshold.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising comparing one or more images formed from the image data to one or more authorized images representative of persons having authorization to be in the first vehicle system, and generating an alarm signal responsive to the one or more images differing from the one or more authorized images.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising detecting at least one of a change in acceleration of the first vehicle system or a sound in the first vehicle system as the stimulus information using the sensor, and switching the camera from the inactive state to the active state responsive to detecting the at least one of the change in acceleration or the sound.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising automatically communicating an assistance request signal to one or more second vehicle systems responsive to the camera switching from the inactive state to the active state, the assistance request signal requesting the one or more second vehicle systems to acquire additional image data at or near a location of the first vehicle system when the camera switched from the inactive state to the active state.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising identifying the stimulus event based on both a change in an operational setting of the first vehicle and the change in the bit rate.

21. A system

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Kraeling Mark Bradshaw
• Mcmanus Brian Joseph
• Miner Michael

Classifications

• G07C5/0866 Primary

  the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera · CPC title