Corey Dean Wills

US Patent:

20220333968, Oct 20, 2022

Filed:

Jun 30, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/810104

Inventors:

- Fort Worth TX, US
Corey D, Wills - Berryton KS, US

Assignee:

BNSF Railway Company - Fort Worth TX

International Classification:

G01F 23/20
G01F 25/20
G01N 3/08
G01N 27/90

Abstract:

A rail vehicle includes a truck having wheels for engaging a railroad track, a bolster supported by the truck, and a tank supported by the bolster for storing a lading. A measurement system measures the level of the lading within the tank and includes gauges and a controller. The gauges are disposed at selected points on the bolster for sensing at least one of lateral and longitudinal localized displacement experienced by the bolster during motion of the rail vehicle. The controller calculates the level of the lading within the tank and compensates for changes in the level of the lading during motion of the rail vehicle in response to signals generated by the gauges.

US Patent:

20220237772, Jul 28, 2022

Filed:

Apr 13, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/719811

Inventors:

- Fort Worth TX, US
Corey D. Wills - Berryton KS, US

Assignee:

BNSF Railway Company - Fort Worth TX

International Classification:

G06T 7/00
G06T 7/11
G06N 20/00
G06K 9/62

Abstract:

A system and method for monitoring a roadway by comparing captured images to image inconsistencies caused by lost or unnecessary motion and for minimizing lost or unnecessary motion of an axel of a vehicle and filtering erroneous pulses of an electrical signal to generate a trigger signal to capture images is presented. The system enables the minimization of image artifacts causing distortion in an image. The system can take images of a target, compute an object pixel size of the image to ensure calibration of longitudinal measurements, and calibrate the rotary encoder with the camera of the machine vision system. The system can enable calibration of the locomotive components in the field to compensate for the misalignment of the machine vision system and provide safe travels.

US Patent:

20230096667, Mar 30, 2023

Filed:

Dec 6, 2022

Appl. No.:

18/062254

Inventors:

- Fort Worth TX, US
Corey D. Wills - Berryton KS, US

Assignee:

BNSF Railway Company - Fort Worth TX

International Classification:

G06T 7/00
G06T 7/11
G06N 20/00
G06K 9/62
B61K 9/08
G06V 10/12

Abstract:

Methods and systems for filtering a trigger signal from an encoder for triggering an image capturing device. In embodiments, a trigger signal may be received as an input signal from an encoder including a sequence of pulses for triggering the image capturing device. In embodiments, an average pulse frequency of the trigger signal over a period of time may be determined based on sampling a number of pulses in the trigger signal over the period of time, and frequency restrictions may be applied to the average pulse frequency to generate a trigger frequency. In embodiments, an output frequency may be determined based on the trigger frequency, and a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal having a frequency based on the output frequency may be determined for triggering the image capturing device.

US Patent:

20210318157, Oct 14, 2021

Filed:

Jun 25, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/304825

Inventors:

- Fort Worth TX, US
Corey D. Wills - Berryton KS, US

Assignee:

BNSF Railway Company - Fort Worth TX

International Classification:

G01F 23/20
G01F 25/00
G01N 3/08
G01N 27/90

Abstract:

A rail vehicle includes a truck having wheels for engaging a railroad track, a bolster supported by the truck, and a tank supported by the bolster for storing a lading. A measurement system measures the level of the lading within the tank and includes gauges and a controller. The gauges are disposed at selected points on the bolster for sensing at least one of lateral and longitudinal localized displacement experienced by the bolster during motion of the rail vehicle. The controller calculates the level of the lading within the tank and compensates for changes in the level of the lading during motion of the rail vehicle in response to signals generated by the gauges.

US Patent:

20210318158, Oct 14, 2021

Filed:

Jun 25, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/304831

Inventors:

- Fort Worth TX, US
Corey D. Wills - Berryton KS, US

Assignee:

BNSF Railway Company - Fort Worth TX

International Classification:

G01F 23/20
G01F 25/00
G01N 3/08
G01N 27/90

Abstract:

A rail vehicle includes a truck having wheels for engaging a railroad track, a bolster supported by the truck, and a tank supported by the bolster for storing a lading. A measurement system measures the level of the lading within the tank and includes gauges and a controller. The gauges are disposed at selected points on the bolster for sensing at least one of lateral and longitudinal localized displacement experienced by the bolster during motion of the rail vehicle. The controller calculates the level of the lading within the tank and compensates for changes in the level of the lading during motion of the rail vehicle in response to signals generated by the gauges.

US Patent:

20210302461, Sep 30, 2021

Filed:

Jun 11, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/345949

Inventors:

- Fort Worth TX, US
- Livonia MI, US
Matthew Fleming - Ypsilanti MI, US
Paul Harris - Canton MI, US
Corey D. Wills - Berryton KS, US
Corey T. Pasta - Topeka KS, US
Paul K. Gabler - Lenexa KS, US
Dennis W. Morgart - Topeka KS, US

International Classification:

G01P 5/14
B61L 15/00

Abstract:

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a controller, one or more signals from the one or more pressure transducers. The one or more pressure transducers are coupled to one or more pressure lines, the one or more pressure lines are coupled to one or more probes, and the one or more probes coupled to a vehicle. The method also includes converting, by the controller, the one or more signals to one or more digital signals. The method further includes calculating, by the controller, a wind velocity relative to the vehicle using the one or more digital signals.

US Patent:

20210165015, Jun 3, 2021

Filed:

Feb 15, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/176128

Inventors:

- Fort Worth TX, US
- Livonia MI, US
Matthew Fleming - Ypsilanti MI, US
Paul Harris - Canton MI, US
Corey D. Wills - Berryton KS, US
Corey T. Pasta - Topeka KS, US
Paul K. Gabler - Lenexa KS, US
Dennis W. Morgart - Topeka KS, US

International Classification:

G01P 5/06

Abstract:

In one embodiment, a method includes determining, by a controller, a first wind pressure associated with a first port of a first probe, determining, by the controller, a second wind pressure associated with a second port of the first probe, and determining, by the controller, a reference wind pressure associated with an end portion of the first probe. The method also includes calculating, by the controller, a first reference differential using the first wind pressure and the reference wind pressure, calculating, by the controller, a first rotational differential using the first wind pressure and the second wind pressure, and calculating, by the controller, an angular coefficient using the first reference differential and the first rotational differential. The method further includes calculating, by the controller, a wind velocity using the first reference differential and the angular coefficient. The wind velocity represents a wind velocity relative to a vehicle.

US Patent:

20210165016, Jun 3, 2021

Filed:

Feb 15, 2021

Appl. No.:

17/176121

Inventors:

- Fort Worth TX, US
- Livonia MI, US
Matthew Fleming - Ypsilanti MI, US
Paul Harris - Canton MI, US
Corey D. Wills - Berryton KS, US
Corey T. Pasta - Topeka KS, US
Paul K. Gabler - Lenexa KS, US
Dennis W. Morgart - Topeka KS, US

International Classification:

G01P 5/14
G01P 13/02
B61L 23/00
B61L 27/00

Abstract:

In one embodiment, a probe includes a first facet associated with a first pressure port operable to measure a first wind pressure, a second facet associated with a second pressure port operable to measure a second wind pressure, and a third facet associated with a third pressure port operable to measure a third wind pressure. The second facet is adjacent to the first facet and the third facet adjacent to the second facet. The probe further includes a fourth facet adjacent to the third facet and a fifth facet adjacent to the fourth facet and to the first facet. The first facet, the second facet, the third facet, the fourth facet, and the fifth facet are located between a first end portion and a second end portion of the probe.