Patent · US Active

Automated track surveying and ditching

US8615110B2 · kind B2 · utility

12Cited by
55References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 27, 2013
Grant dateDec 24, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 27, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02A30/30
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of surveying a section of a railway to determine amounts of soil to be excavated or added at selected position coordinates of track locations includes moving a survey vehicle along the railway, optically scanning the track structure at selected intervals to obtain optical data points with position coordinates, recording images at the intervals with position coordinates, recording position coordinates of drainage points, processing the optical data points to derive ditch overlays formed by ditch profiles associated with locations along the track and ditch templates, detecting anomalous soil unit weights associated with track locations, reviewing images associated with the locations of the anomalous units, adjusting the ditch overlays as necessary, and loading the adjusted data into a computer of an excavator device for display to guide an excavator operator in reshaping the ditches along the track according to the detected position of the excavator device.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.