UnfoldIPThemes

Company patents

BNSF Railway Company

BNSF Railway Company, surprisingly for a railway, has a significant focus on software and data-driven innovation, with Business Methods & Fintech comprising 17.0% of its portfolio and Image Processing at 13.4%. While categories like Radar / Sonar / Lidar showed rapid growth of +60.0% in 2025, many computing-related areas like Computer Vision and Machine Learning & AI have seen a sharp decline in patenting activity so far in 2026, indicating a potential shift in priorities.

Patent Trend by Technology Area

Yearly patent publications since 2023

Product themes

Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.

283 US filings (since 2023) · 12 categories · 14 themes

Automated Visual Inspection

Systems that employ imaging and image processing to automatically detect defects, verify states, or ensure quality control in manufactured goods, printed materials, or industrial processes.

Machine TestingPictorial / Video Communications
Who else files here? →
25since 2023
-36.4%YoY
Specialized Data Integration

Methods and systems for integrating, transforming, and managing complex or domain-specific data from disparate sources into a unified structure, often for specific applications like social networks, genomics, or business forms.

Databases & Information Retrieval
Who else files here? →
18since 2023
-33.3%YoY
Electric Parking Brake Control

Systems and methods for controlling electric parking brakes, including their actuators, redundancy features, and diagnostic capabilities for ensuring reliable operation.

Vehicle Brake Systems
Who else files here? →
13since 2023
0.0%YoY
Video Enhancement & Object Tracking

Methods and systems for improving the quality of video streams, generating intermediate frames, or continuously locating and following objects within a sequence of images, even under occlusion.

Image Processing
Who else files here? →
12since 2023
+150.0%YoY
Advanced Level Sensing Technologies

Techniques utilizing various physical principles (e.g., radar, capacitance, ultrasound, thermal, optical, force) to accurately determine the fill level or presence of substances in containers, often under challenging conditions.

Flow / Volume Measurement
Who else files here? →
10since 2023
+60.0%YoY
Advanced Braking Control & ADAS

Software-driven control strategies, sensor integration, and diagnostic methods for enhancing braking performance, driver assistance systems (ADAS), and autonomous vehicle braking functions.

Vehicle Brake Systems
Who else files here? →
9since 2023
0.0%YoY
Precision Dosing & Targeted Spraying

Systems and methods for accurately controlling the volume, location, and characteristics of sprayed fluids, often involving sensors, feedback, or specific nozzle geometries for precise application.

Flow / Volume Measurement
Who else files here? →
6since 2023
+33.3%YoY
Flowmeter Design & Diagnostics

Innovations in the construction, integration, and operational verification of flow measurement devices, including methods for calibration, fault detection, and structural integrity monitoring.

Flow / Volume Measurement
Who else files here? →
6since 2023
+33.3%YoY
Damage Detection & Structural Assessment

Automated systems using image processing and artificial intelligence to identify, classify, and assess the extent of damage to structures or objects, supporting maintenance or insurance claims.

Image Processing
Who else files here? →
6since 2023
n/a
Precise Positioning & Localization

Methods and systems for accurately determining the absolute or relative position of an object or device, often integrating satellite navigation (GNSS), inertial measurement units (IMU), and local ranging or wireless communication technologies.

Radar / Sonar / Lidar
Who else files here? →
5since 2023
+100.0%YoY
Video Quality & Encoding Optimizationfiltered

Methods and apparatus for improving the visual fidelity, resolution, or compression efficiency of video signals, often through advanced processing, up-scaling, or neural network-based filters.

Computer Vision
Who else files here? →
4since 2023
0.0%YoY
Multiphase Fluid Measurement

Technologies for measuring the flow rate, level, or composition of mixtures containing multiple fluid phases (e.g., liquid-liquid, liquid-gas, liquid-solid suspensions), often employing specialized sensing principles to differentiate components.

Flow / Volume Measurement
Who else files here? →
1since 2023
new
Location-Aware Mobile Services

Mobile applications and systems leveraging wireless communication and location data (e.g., GPS, RFID, geo-fencing) to provide context-specific services, transactions, or user interactions.

Wireless Networks
Who else files here? →
1since 2023
n/a
Leak and Seal Integrity Testing

Methods and systems for detecting fluid or gas leaks, or assessing the quality and continuity of seals in containers, systems, or structures. This often involves pressure changes, electrical properties, or acoustic analysis.

Machine Testing
Who else files here? →
1since 2023
n/a

Patents

Showing 1-7 of 7

Video Quality & Encoding Optimization
Page 1 of 1
US 12373930 B2GRANTED
G06T7/11

Computational heuristic encoder enhancement relay system

Filed:2022-12-06Pub:2025-07-29
Applicant:BNSF Railway Company

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 11908165 B2GRANTED
G06T7/80

Systems and methods for calibrating image capturing models

Filed:2021-11-24Pub:2024-02-20
Applicant:BNSF Railway Company

In one embodiment, a method includes capturing, by a camera of an image capturing module, a first image of a target. The image capturing module and a drum are attached to a fixture and the target is attached to the drum. The method also includes determining a number of lateral pixels in a lateral pitch distance of the image of the target, determining a lateral object pixel size based on the number of lateral pixels, and determining a drum encoder rate based on the lateral object pixel size. The drum encoder rate is programmed into a drum encoder. The method further includes capturing, by the camera, a second image of the target while the target is rotated about an axis of the drum, determining a number of longitudinal pixels in a longitudinal pitch distance of the second image, and comparing the number of lateral pixels to the number of longitudinal pixels.

US 20230410342 A1APPLICATION
G06T7/55

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RECONSTRUCTING OBJECTS USING TRANSITIONAL IMAGES

Filed:2023-08-31Pub:2023-12-21
Applicant:BNSF Railway Company

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by an object reconstruction module, a first image and a second image. The first image includes a first region of an object and the second image comprises a second region of the object. The method also includes identifying, by the object reconstruction module, a transitional image. The transitional image includes the first region of the object and the second region of the object. The method further includes determining, by the object reconstruction module, that the first region of the object in the transitional image and the first region of the object in the first image are equivalent regions and generating, by the object reconstruction module, a reconstruction of the object using the first image and the transitional image. The reconstruction of the object includes the first region of the object and the second region of the object and excludes equivalent regions.

US 20230096667 A1APPLICATION
G06T7/00

COMPUTATIONAL HEURISTIC ENCODER ENHANCEMENT RELAY SYSTEM

Filed:2022-12-06Pub:2023-03-30
Applicant:BNSF Railway Company

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 11423559 B2GRANTED
G06T7/55

Systems and methods for reconstructing objects using transitional images

Filed:2020-06-30Pub:2022-08-23
Applicant:BNSF Railway Company

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by an object reconstruction module, a first image and a second image. The first image includes a first region of an object and the second image comprises a second region of the object. The method also includes identifying, by the object reconstruction module, a transitional image. The transitional image includes the first region of the object and the second region of the object. The method further includes determining, by the object reconstruction module, that the first region of the object in the transitional image and the first region of the object in the first image are equivalent regions and generating, by the object reconstruction module, a reconstruction of the object using the first image and the transitional image. The reconstruction of the object includes the first region of the object and the second region of the object and excludes equivalent regions.

US 11270466 B2GRANTED
G06T7/80

Systems and methods for calibrating image capturing modules

Filed:2020-03-12Pub:2022-03-08
Applicant:BNSF Railway Company

In one embodiment, a method includes capturing, by a camera of an image capturing module, a first image of a target. The image capturing module and a drum are attached to a fixture and the target is attached to the drum. The method also includes determining a number of lateral pixels in a lateral pitch distance of the image of the target, determining a lateral object pixel size based on the number of lateral pixels, and determining a drum encoder rate based on the lateral object pixel size. The drum encoder rate is programmed into a drum encoder. The method further includes capturing, by the camera, a second image of the target while the target is rotated about an axis of the drum, determining a number of longitudinal pixels in a longitudinal pitch distance of the second image, and comparing the number of lateral pixels to the number of longitudinal pixels.

US 20210407118 A1APPLICATION
G06T7/55

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RECONSTRUCTING OBJECTS USING TRANSITIONAL IMAGES

Filed:2020-06-30Pub:2021-12-30
Applicant:BNSF Railway Company

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by an object reconstruction module, a first image and a second image. The first image includes a first region of an object and the second image comprises a second region of the object. The method also includes identifying, by the object reconstruction module, a transitional image. The transitional image includes the first region of the object and the second region of the object. The method further includes determining, by the object reconstruction module, that the first region of the object in the transitional image and the first region of the object in the first image are equivalent regions and generating, by the object reconstruction module, a reconstruction of the object using the first image and the transitional image. The reconstruction of the object includes the first region of the object and the second region of the object and excludes equivalent regions.

1