Systems and methods for detecting and recognizing a railcar identifier
AssigneeNice North America LLC
InventorsIlya Vladimirovich Popov, Irina Aleksandrovna Nizamova, Krishna Khadloya
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Abstract
Systems and techniques for detecting and recognizing a railcar identifier are described herein. An image of a railcar can be captured by an image sensor and provided to processing circuitry of a controller. A bounded portion of the image corresponding to the railcar identifier can be identified and a character recognition process can be performed to identify respective values for characters of the railcar identifier. A check digit can be computed using the identified values to validate the railcar identifier. In some examples, the bounded portion of the image can be automatically adjusted when the check digit fails to validate the railcar identifier.
Claims20
A method of detecting a railcar identifier, the method comprising:
- capturing, by an image sensor, an image including an outward-facing portion of a railcar that includes at least a portion of the railcar identifier;
- receiving, by a controller, the image captured by the image sensor;
- identifying, by the controller, a bounded portion of the image corresponding to the railcar identifier;
- applying, by the controller, a character recognition process to identify respective values for characters of the railcar identifier using the bounded portion of the image, the characters being identified individually on a character-by-character basis;
- computing, by the controller, a check digit using the identified values;
- comparing, by the controller, the computed check digit to a particular one of the identified values of the railcar identifier;
- providing, by the controller, a first railcar identification result and adjusting the bounded portion of the image when the check digit and the particular one of the identified values of the railcar identifier are unequal;
- providing, by the controller, a second railcar identification result when the check digit and the particular one of the identified values of the railcar identifier are equal;
- and
- storing, by the controller, the railcar identifier in a memory device upon matching the check digit with the particular one of the identified values.
A system for detecting a railcar identifier, the system comprising:
- an image sensor configured to capture an image including an outward-facing portion of a railcar that includes at least a portion of the railcar identifier;
- and
- a controller coupled to a memory device, the memory device containing instructions that, when executed by a processor circuit of the controller, cause the controller to:
- receive the image from the image sensor;
- identify a bounded portion of the image corresponding to the railcar identifier;
- apply a character recognition process to identify respective values for characters of the railcar identifier using the bounded portion of the image, the characters being identified individually on a character-by-character basis;
- compute a check digit using the identified values;
- compare the computed check digit to a particular one of the identified values of the railcar identifier;
- provide a first railcar identification result and adjust the bounded portion of the image when the check digit and the particular one of the identified values of the railcar identifier are unequal;
- provide a second railcar identification result when the check digit and the particular one of the identified values of the railcar identifier are equal;
- and
- store the railcar identifier in the memory device upon matching the check digit with the particular one of the identified values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.