227results about "Track side maintainance" patented technology

A diagnosis and repair recommendation system for a railroad locomotive is disclosed. The system uses generalized repair recommendations and instantiates them to a specific repair process for a unique road number locomotive. In addition to repair steps to be executed by the technician, the method and system remotely provides supporting documentation specifically tailored for each step in the repair process. As the repair is being conducted, feedback information is entered by the technician. The repair recommendations and the supporting documents are available to the technician via a remote unit, thereby allowing the technician to access the repair steps and supporting documentation while the repair is in progress.

Method and system for managing a plurality of remote assets, such as a fleet mobile assets is provided. The method allows for collecting data regarding each of a plurality of remote assets. The collected data is used to develop historical information regarding actual usage of each remote asset. The information is distributed via a global information network.

A system for controlling a railroad train over a segment of track. The system comprises a first element for determining a location of the train on the segment of track; a second element for providing track characterization information for the segment of track; the track characterization information related to physical conditions of the segment of track; and a processor for controlling applied tractive forces and braking forces of the train responsive to the location of the train and the track characterization information to reduce at least one of wheel wear and/or track wear during operation of the train over the segment of track.

An automated fault reporting system for a train includes a controller that gathers information concerning malfunctioning wayside status devices and automatically reports the information to an appropriate party. In one embodiment, the control module uses a positioning system and a database including device locations in order to determine when the train is near a device. If no status information is received from the device as the train approaches, or the status information indicates a problem, the train is allowed to continue at a reduced speed to allow the operator to visually confirm that it is safe to proceed. If an area monitored by the device has been passed, or if the operator indicates that there is no problem, or the device fails to respond, the controller records and reports the malfunction.

A locomotive (10) is operable in two or more distinct configurations, with the change in configuration being response to a configuration input signal (35). A locomotive configuration is represented by the set of end use device control signals (13) that are generated by the locomotive control systems (22) in response to the respective set of operational input values (27). For a given set of operational input values, a first set of end use device control signals is generated when a configuration input has a first value, and a second set of end use device control signals is generated when a configuration input has a second value. The configuration input variable is responsive to an emission profile associated with the locomotive location. A value of a locomotive emission parameter corresponding to the emission profile is monitored and saved in a storage device (e.g., 104).

The system for real time train disaster vulnerability assessment and rescue guidance using multi layered video computational analytics comprises digital video cameras mounted on train, video cameras mounted at fixed locations on rail route; unmanned aerial monitoring vehicle; train on-broad computer system mounted on train and centralized system centrally located in railway network. The digital video cameras capture video images of railways track and adjacent structure from running train and automatically compute degree of disaster vulnerability from collective analysis of output from all video cameras. In case degree of disaster vulnerability exceeds predetermined threshold value a disaster alert is triggered to take immediate precautionary measures while simultaneously activating On Board Rescue and Response System. In case degree of disaster vulnerability is below predetermined threshold value, the analytics output is transmitted to higher level modules for in-depth advanced analytics by combining real-time train data or real-time geographic and environmental data contributing to a potential disaster.

Computerized method and system for identification and evaluation of a repair likely to prevent a failure of a mobile asset is provided. The method allows collecting data indicative of an incipient malfunction in the mobile asset (e.g., 1006). The method further allows collecting usage data indicative of usage of the mobile asset (e.g., 1002). The usage data is processed relative to historical data collected from a fleet of corresponding mobile assets to generate a usage profile for that asset (e.g., 1004). The data indicative of incipient malfunctions is processed to generate a prediction of a failure in the mobile asset and at least one repair likely to prevent the failure of the mobile asset (e.g., 1010). A repair weight indicative of a probability that the repair will prevent the predicted failure is determined (e.g., 466). The repair weight is adjusted based on the usage profile of the asset (e.g., 1014), and the adjusted repair weight is used to evaluate the repair, for example, to evaluate whether or not the repair should be performed (e.g., 1016).

Track and track/vehicle analyzers for determining geometric parameters of tracks, determining the relation of tracks to vehicles and trains, analyzing the parameters in real-time, and communicating corrective measures to various control mechanisms are provided. In one embodiment, the track analyzer includes a track detector and a computing device. In another embodiment, the track/vehicle analyzer includes a track detector, a vehicle detector, and a computing device. In other embodiments, the track/vehicle detector also includes a communications device for communicating with locomotive control computers in lead units, locomotive control computers in helper units, and a centralized control office. Additionally, methods for determining and communicating optimized control, lubrication, and steering strategies are provided. The analyzers improve operational safety and overall efficiency, including fuel efficiency, vehicle wheel wear, and track wear, in railroad systems.

The present invention is directed to the use of mobile sensors to collect temperature information used to control, inter alia, rail vehicle speed, acceleration, or scheduling.

A wireless communication device of a vehicle system includes one or more antennas configured to be disposed onboard a first vehicle of the vehicle system, a first modem configured to be disposed onboard the first vehicle and to communicate a first wireless signal to one or more of a second vehicle of the vehicle system or an off-board device using the one or more antennas, and a second modem configured to be disposed onboard the first vehicle and to communicate a second wireless signal to the one or more of the second vehicle or the off-board device using the one or more antennas. The first modem is configured to communicate the first wireless signal via a first type of wireless communication link and the second modem is configured to communicate the second wireless signal via a different, second type of wireless communication link.

An imaging system for generating landmark correlated images taken from a rail vehicle including a camera mounted proximate an end of a rail vehicle for imaging an environment in a vicinity proximate the end of the rail vehicle, the camera transmitting imaging data indicative of images acquired, and a communication system for transmitting the image data from the camera to at least one of a user on-board the rail vehicle, a storage device, and to a user located remote the rail vehicle. The image data provides information indicative of at least one of a track condition behind the rail vehicle and a direction in which the rail vehicle is moving.

The vehicles (12) of at least one fleet of rail vehicles are provided with on-board sensors (22) and rail vehicle positioning means (23). The rail infrastructure on which the rail vehicles circulate is provided with fixed rail infrastructure sensors (18). The rail infrastructure-related sensor data is merged with the rail vehicle-related sensor data, with location data representative of the location of the rail infrastructure-related sensors and with the rail vehicle position data for generating series of categorized event data representative of the occurrence of categorized events at a given location on the rail infrastructure over time and/or on a given rail vehicle of the fleet over time. The series of categorized events data representative of at least one category of events can be compared over any predetermined period of time to identify any location of the rail infrastructure and/or any rail vehicle which exhibits a series of events data that is significantly different from the other locations of the rail infrastructure and/or rail vehicles of the fleet over said predetermined period of time.

A system and method for vehicle-centric infrastructure monitoring system includes an inspection system mountable on a vehicle configured to travel over an expanse of rail track having a plurality of track blocks. The inspection system acquires track data for at least some track blocks along the expanse of rail track. The monitoring system also includes a positioning system to determine a location of the vehicle and generate location data indicative of an associated track block location, a communications device to transmit the track/location data to a remote location, and a centralized computing system positioned at the remote location to receive the transmitted track/location data. The centralized computing system is programmed to determine a current probability of a track condition for a track block and combine the current track condition probability with a previously determined cumulative track condition probability to provide an updated track condition probability for the track block.

A sensor node configured to acquire sensor data on one or more properties of a railroad environment, wirelessly transmit data related to the property(ies), and generate sufficient power to operate the sensor node without access to any additional power sources is provided. The sensor node can be deployed as part of a group of sensor nodes, which provide data for use by a railroad system in monitoring and/or controlling the railroad environment. In this manner, various properties of the railroad environment can be monitored without requiring significant wiring to the various sensor nodes.

A system and method for examining a route and/or vehicle system obtain a route parameter and/or a vehicle parameter from discrete examinations of the route and/or the vehicle system. The system includes a controller and route examination equipment. The route examination equipment obtains a route parameter indicative of a condition of a route over which a vehicle system travels. The controller receives the route parameter, and examines the route parameter to determine the condition of the route. The controller can control at least one operational aspect of the vehicle system in response to the determined condition of the route.

System includes a controller configured to obtain one or more of a route parameter or a vehicle parameter from discrete examinations of one or more of a route or a vehicle system. The route parameter is indicative of a health of the route over which the vehicle system travels. The vehicle parameter is indicative of a health of the vehicle system. The discrete examinations of the one or more of the route or the vehicle system separated from each other by one or more of location or time. The controller is configured to examine the one or more of the route parameter or the vehicle parameter to determine whether the one or more of the route or the vehicle system is damaged. The system also includes examination equipment configured to continually monitor the one or more of the route or the vehicle system responsive to determining that the one or more of the route or the vehicle is damaged.

A system for monitoring railcar and tram consist operational parameters and detecting anomalies in the operation and condition thereof using sensors to feed data to a distributive complex event processing engine.

A network configuration method of a sensor network configured to collect sensed data from a plurality of sensor nodes comprising: arranging linearly a path of respective node so as to enable all sensor nodes except for a sink node and a terminal node to have respectively a predecessor and a successor; and setting the time synchronization of whole network by fixing the each node take its own time synchronization on the basis of an operation section of the predecessor.

Computerized method and system for graphically identifying replacement parts for selected equipment and a selected system thereof is provided. The method allows to provide a database comprising detailed parts data about the replacement parts for each assembly of the selected equipment, with the detailed data identifying each part in a selected assembly by providing a series of linked schematic representations of the selected assembly and any subassemblies thereof and respective parts. The method further allows to provide a respective identifier for uniquely identifying the selected equipment. An input/output device for communicating with the database is provided. The method allows to access the database to interface with the detailed parts data, and retrieve from the database detailed data about the selected equipment using the respective identifier for the equipment, wherein service personnel graphically progresses from the selected assembly to any relevant subassembly and replacement parts by following any appropriate links.

A system for analyzing linear data is provided. The system comprises a datastore of linear data correlated by distance; a library of functions that may be performed on the linear data; computer executable code stored on a computer readable medium for performing an analysis of the sets of linear data based on the functions in the library.

A rail yard management system that takes advantage of infrastructure installed in rail yards and on railcars to allow the management of the railcars within a rail yard. The invention is also applicable to yard management for vehicles other than railcars.