US 6,163,755 A · Obstacle detection system

Abstract

A system for alerting a driver of a vehicle of the presence of an obstacle in a track of the vehicle, comprising a sensor mounted on the vehicle for producing at least one sensor signal representative of a predetermined field of view of the track in front of the vehicle, and an obstacle detection device coupled to the sensor for processing the at least one sensor signal produced thereby so as to detect an obstacle in the track and produce an obstacle detect signal consequent thereto. An obstacle avoidance device is mounted in the vehicle and coupled to the obstacle detection device and is responsive to the obstacle detect signal for producing an obstacle avoidance signal. According to a preferred embodiment, the track is a rail track, the vehicle is a railway engine and the sensor includes a video camera for imaging the track. The resulting image is processed so as to detect a potential obstacle on the tracks allowing the brakes to be applied either manually or automatically.

Claims56

Dependent claims

A system for alerting a controller of a track-led vehicle of the presence of an obstacle in a track of said vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one sensor mounted on the vehicle for sensing a field of view of the track in front of the vehicle so as to produce successive sensor signals each representative of a respective successive section of track ahead of the vehicle,
an obstacle detection device coupled to the sensor means for processing said successive sensor signals so as to detect therefrom a discontinuity in the track and to produce an obstacle detect signal consequent thereto,
an obstacle avoidance device mounted in the vehicle and coupled to the obstacle detection device and being responsive to the obstacle detect signal for producing an obstacle avoidance signal, and
a memory containing pre-stored obstacle data indicative of recognizable obstacle characteristics;
the obstacle detection device being coupled to the memory for comparing the at least one sensor signal with the pre-stored obstacle data so as to produce the obstacle detect signal consequent to a match.

2 more elements

A system for alerting a controller of a track-led vehicle of the presence of an obstacle in a track of said vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one sensor including a video camera mounted on the vehicle for sensing a field of view of the track in front of the vehicle so as to produce successive video images thereof each representative of a respective successive section of track ahead of the vehicle,
an obstacle detection device coupled to the video camera for processing successive video images produced thereby so as to detect therefrom a discontinuity in the video image of the track indicative of an obstacle on the track and to produce an obstacle detect signal consequent thereto,
an obstacle avoidance device mounted in the vehicle and coupled to the obstacle detection device and being responsive to the obstacle detect signal for producing an obstacle avoidance signal,
a video monitor coupled to the video camera for displaying said video image, and
a directing unit coupled to the video camera for automatically directing the video camera towards the track, said directing unit comprising:
an apparent movement device for determining apparent movement of the track between successive frames of video image data each corresponding to a respective section of the track, and
an adjusting device coupled to the apparent movement device and to the video camera for automatically adjusting the orientation of the video camera in order to compensate for said apparent movement.

4 more elements

A system for alerting a controller of a track-led vehicle of the presence of an obstacle in a track of said vehicle, the system comprising:

at least one sensor including a video camera mounted on the vehicle for sensing a field of view of the track in front of the vehicle so as to produce successive video images thereof each representative of a respective successive section of track ahead of the vehicle,
an obstacle detection device coupled to the video camera for processing successive video images produced thereby so as to detect therefrom a discontinuity in the video image of the track indicative of an obstacle on the track and to produce an obstacle detect signal consequent thereto,
an obstacle avoidance device mounted in the vehicle and coupled to the obstacle detection device and being responsive to the obstacle detect signal for producing an obstacle avoidance signal,
a video monitor coupled to the video camera for displaying said video image, and
a directing unit coupled to the video camera for automatically directing the day/night video camera towards the track,
a receiver coupled to the obstacle detection unit for receiving at least one auxiliary video image of a section of the vehicle's track outside of the field of view of said day/night video camera,
at least one post or tower having mounted thereon a respective auxiliary video camera for imaging a region of said track within its field of view and producing a corresponding auxiliary video image,
a transmitter coupled to the auxiliary video camera for transmitting the auxiliary video image to the receiver, and
a steering unit coupled to the auxiliary video camera for operating under control of the controller so as vary the field of view of the auxiliary video camera.

6 more elements

A system for alerting a controller of a railway engine of the presence of an obstacle on a railway track thereof, the system comprising:

at least one sensor including a video camera mounted on the railway engine for sensing a field of view of the railway track in front of the railway engine so as to produce successive video images thereof each representative of a respective successive section of railway track ahead of the railway engine,
an obstacle detection device coupled to the video camera for processing successive video images produced thereby so as to detect therefrom a discontinuity in the video image of the railway track indicative of an obstacle on the railway track and to produce an obstacle detect signal consequent thereto,
an obstacle avoidance device mounted in the railway engine and coupled to the obstacle detection device and being responsive to the obstacle detect signal for producing an obstacle avoidance signal,
a video monitor coupled to the video camera for displaying said video image,
a directing unit coupled to the video camera for automatically directing the video camera towards the track,
a database construction unit for preparing a set of pictures, including potential obstacles, imaged from a specified distance and from various angles so as to construct dynamically a database of potential obstacles,
a locating unit for locating a rail in said image, and
a comparator for comparing a segment of said image within an area of the rail with at least some of the pictures in said database so as to determine whether said area of the image corresponds to an obstacle on the rail.

5 more elements

A method for alerting a controller of a track-led vehicle of the presence of an obstacle in a track of said vehicle comprising at least one rail, the method comprising the steps of:

(1) automatically directing a video camera towards the track for producing successive frames of video image data each representative of a successive section of track ahead of the vehicle, by:
a) determining apparent movement of the at least one rail of the track between successive frames of video image data each corresponding to a respective section of the track, and
b) automatically adjusting the orientation of the video camera in order to compensate for said apparent movement,
(2) processing said successive video images so as to detect therefrom a discontinuity in the at least one rail of said track, and
(3) producing an obstacle detect signal consequent thereto.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Obstacle detection system

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Obstacle detection system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims56