Bnsf Railway Company

Darrell Robert Krueger

Corey D Wills

Garrett Smitley

Rachel Kohler

Kevin Lawhon

William Dombrow

Michael A Wnek

Joshua Soles

A system and method for monitoring a roadway by comparing captured images to image inconsistencies caused by lost or unnecessary motion and for minimizing lost or unnecessary motion of an axle of a vehicle and filtering erroneous pulses of an electrical signal to generate a trigger signal to capture images is presented. The system enables the minimization of image artifacts causing distortion in an image. The system can take images of a target, compute an object pixel size of the image to ensure calibration of longitudinal measurements, and calibrate the rotary encoder with the camera of the machine vision system. The system can enable calibration of the locomotive components in the field to compensate for the misalignment of the machine vision system and provide safe travels.

System and method for minimizing lost motion of an axle of a vehicle and filtering erroneous electrical signals

A system and method for calibrating a machine vision system on the undercarriage of a rail vehicle while the rail vehicle is in the field is presented. The system enables operators to calibrate the machine vision system without having to remove the machine vision system from the undercarriage of the rail vehicle. The system can capture, by a camera of an image capturing module, a first image of a target. The image capturing module and a drum can be attached to a fixture and the target can be attached to the drum. The system can also determine a number of lateral pixels in a lateral pitch distance of the image of the target, determining a lateral object pixel size based on the number of lateral pixels, and determining a drum encoder rate based on the lateral object pixel size. The drum encoder rate can be programmed into a drum encoder.

Systems and methods for calibrating image capturing modules

An apparatus, system, and method for temporary fluid commodity transfer stations. A fluid commodity transfer structure can include a base member, a casing, and a fluid commodity transfer system. The fluid commodity transfer system can be configured to dispense a commodity for transloading from opposite sides of the fluid commodity transfer structure. A modular fueling station system can include one or more receptacles operably coupled to a fluid commodity transfer structure to allow a fluid commodity transfer system to utilize each receptacle as a fuel reservoir. The fluid commodity transfer structure can be loaded onto an intermodal transport vehicle, unloaded at a location, deposited at the location, and be operably coupled with one or more receptacles and/or other fluid commodity transfer structures to provide fueling infrastructure for fleet vehicles or allow for the commercial transfer of fluid from one receptable to another as a mobile fluid transfer system.

Apparatus, system, and method for temporary liquid commodity transfer stations

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a defect detector module, an image of a physical object and classifying, by the defect detector module, one or more first features from the image of the physical object into one or more first classifications using one or more machine learning algorithms. The method further includes analyzing, by the defect detector module, the one or more first classifications and determining, by the defect detector module, that the physical object comprises a defect based on analyzing the one or more first classifications.

Systems and methods for determining defects in physical objects

A sample confinement tool includes a first end and a second end. The first end of the sample confinement tool is coupled to a driving tool. The driving tool is coupled to a heavy-duty vehicle. The sample confinement tool is operable to insert a predetermined depth below a ballast surface and collect a ballast sample within the second end of the sample confinement tool. The sample confinement tool is also operable to confine the ballast sample within the second end of the sample confinement tool by mechanically compressing the ballast sample. The sample confinement tool is further operable to release the ballast sample into a sample receptacle by mechanically decompressing the ballast sample.

Systems and methods for confining ballast samples

A rail vehicle includes a truck having wheels for engaging a railroad track, a bolster supported by the truck, and a tank supported by the bolster for storing a lading. A measurement system measures the level of the lading within the tank and includes gauges and a controller. The gauges are disposed at selected points on the bolster for sensing at least one of lateral and longitudinal localized displacement experienced by the bolster during motion of the rail vehicle. The controller calculates the level of the lading within the tank and compensates for changes in the level of the lading during motion of the rail vehicle in response to signals generated by the gauges.

System, method and apparatus for lading measurement in a rail car

In one embodiment, a method includes capturing, by a camera of an image capturing module, a first image of a target. The image capturing module and a drum are attached to a fixture and the target is attached to the drum. The method also includes determining a number of lateral pixels in a lateral pitch distance of the image of the target, determining a lateral object pixel size based on the number of lateral pixels, and determining a drum encoder rate based on the lateral object pixel size. The drum encoder rate is programmed into a drum encoder. The method further includes capturing, by the camera, a second image of the target while the target is rotated about an axis of the drum, determining a number of longitudinal pixels in a longitudinal pitch distance of the second image, and comparing the number of lateral pixels to the number of longitudinal pixels.

Systems and methods for calibrating image capturing models

A portable, modular fueling system for the storage, dispensing and offloading of fuel from a rail vehicle to one or more other fuel storage vessels is disclosed. The system module is self-contained on an ISO standardized intermodal platform. The module is capable of being in fluid communication with a plurality of modular storage vessels, either rail-bound or wayside, such as for delivering fuel to a fuel tender or a locomotive. Electrical power, equipment storage, lighting, and compressed air may be located on the intermodal rail car or in a support module, such as either ground-based or rail-mobile. Alternatively, the platform can be mounted to a trailer chassis, or affixed to a land-based foundation matching the standardized intermodal container footprint. Control of the fuel system is provided by automatic means with manual override.

Growing community of inventors

Lawrence, KS, United States of America

Darrell Robert Krueger