Efficient data acquisition for track databases
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsCharles W. Morris, Matthew A. Rhodes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved method of rail survey deploys feature identification tags along an inner edge of a train track rail. Each tag includes a unique identifier to identify a respective feature along the train track. Each tag includes a reflector to reflect light to a sensor on a track surveyor. The sensor reads track feature tags without the need for stopping at each feature. A track database is provided that is capable of storing tables that associate track features with geo-locations. As each tag is deployed or read during a rail survey, it can be paired with geo-location data and stored in the track database.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- reading, with a first sensor from a vehicle moving along a train track, an identifier from a tag that is attached to a rail of the train track near a feature along the train track;
- sensing, with a second sensor while moving along the train track, a reflection from an optical reflector on the tag, wherein the optical reflector is physically distinct from the identifier;
- and
- recording
- (i) an indicium of the identifier, and
- (ii) an indicium of a geo-location that is reported at the time that the reflection is sensed.
A method comprising:
- attaching to a rail of a train track, at each of a plurality of features along the train track, a respective tag;
- reading, with a first sensor from a vehicle moving along the train track, identifiers from the respective tags;
- sensing, with a second sensor while moving along the train track, reflections from optical reflectors on the respective tags;
- and
- recording associations between
- (i) indicia of the identifiers, and
- (ii) indicia of geo-locations that are reported when the reflections are sensed.
A method comprising;
- attaching a tag to a rail of a train track near a feature along the train track, wherein the tag comprises an optical bar code and an optical reflector that is physically distinct from the optical bar code, and wherein the optical bar code encodes an indicium of the feature;
- reading the optical bar code by a first sensor moving along the train track;
- and
- sensing light from the optical reflector by a second sensor moving along the train track.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.