Machine vision based track-occupancy and movement validation

A method of monitoring a train comprising:

• sensing an area in front of a rail vehicle using an image sensor, the image sensor generating sensor signals;
• generating static image data based, at least in part, on the sensor signals with at least one processor in communication with the image sensor, wherein the static image data comprises a line representation of rails located in the area in front of the rail vehicle;
• determining, with the at least one processor, track occupancy of the rail vehicle by determining a set of rails occupied by the rail vehicle based, at least in part, on the static image data;
• determining, with the at least one processor, an upcoming direction of movement of the rail vehicle by determining a direction of the set of rails occupied by the rail vehicle based, at least in part, on the static image data;
• and
• validating the determined track occupancy based, at least in part, on the upcoming direction of movement of the rail vehicle,
• wherein generating the static image data comprises filtering the sensor signals with a low pass image filter to smoothen an instantaneous image of the area in front of the rail vehicle, and
• wherein generating the static image data comprises generating an enhanced smoothened image to exaggerate pixels of the smoothened image that belong to substantially tubular structures in the area in front of the rail vehicle.

A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions that, when executed by at least one computer including at least one processor, causes the computer to:

• generate static image data based, at least in part, on sensor signals generated from an image sensor in communication with the at least one processor, wherein the image sensor is disposed on a rail vehicle and positioned to sense an area in front of the rail vehicle, wherein the static image data comprises a line representation of rails located in the area in front of the rail vehicle;
• determine track occupancy of the rail vehicle by determining a set of rails occupied by the rail vehicle based, at least in part, on the static image data;
• determine an upcoming direction of movement of the rail vehicle by determining a direction of the set of rails occupied by the rail vehicle based, at least in part, on the static image data;
• and
• validate the determined track occupancy based, at least in part, on the upcoming direction of movement of the rail vehicle,
• wherein generating the static image data comprises filtering the sensor signals with a low pass image filter to smoothen an instantaneous image of the area in front of the rail vehicle, and
• wherein generating the static image data comprises generating an enhanced smoothened image to exaggerate pixels of the smoothened image that belong to substantially tubular structures in the area in front of the rail vehicle.