Vehicle Routing Control via Onboard Switch Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing routing devices, such as switches and traffic lights, often have unknown locations or states, leading to safety risks as vehicles may continue moving in incorrect directions or need to stop to correct their path, posing hazards due to unverified switch positions or health statuses.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle system equipped with onboard sensors that identify and communicate the location and state of routing devices to an off-board database, allowing for real-time monitoring and control of vehicle operations, including speed adjustments or maintenance scheduling based on switch conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If routing devices (switches, traffic lights) are deployed to direct vehicles along routes, then vehicle routing control is improved, but the locations and states of these routing devices become unknown, creating safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by having vehicles detect routing devices and communicate their locations and states to a central server, which then provides this information back to approaching vehicles. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that routing device information is continuously updated and distributed to relevant vehicles, resolving the information loss problem while maintaining routing control.
Solution Approach 2:
A central server acts as an intermediary between routing devices and vehicles. The server receives location and state data from routing devices (or detections by vehicles) and distributes this information to vehicles that need it. This intermediary architecture solves the information asymmetry problem without requiring direct communication between vehicles and routing devices.
2Productivity
If vehicles continue moving at normal speed, then productivity is maintained, but safety risks increase when routing devices have incorrect states or unknown positions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by providing routing device information to vehicles before they reach the routing devices. This advance notice allows vehicles to prepare for upcoming switches or traffic lights, adjusting their routing decisions proactively rather than reactively, thereby maintaining speed while ensuring safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The real-time feedback loop continuously monitors routing device states and communicates them to vehicles, enabling dynamic adjustments to vehicle routing decisions. This allows the system to maintain high productivity when conditions are safe while automatically reducing speed or changing routes when safety risks are detected.
3Measurement precision
If vehicles stop to verify switch positions, then routing accuracy is improved, but time loss increases and safety risks remain due to stopping on the route
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the verification function in advance by detecting routing devices before vehicles reach them and providing this information to the vehicles. This eliminates the need for vehicles to stop and verify switch positions manually, as the information is already available ahead of time, thus maintaining both accuracy and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical verification process (vehicles stopping to physically check switch positions) with an electronic information delivery system. Sensors and communication systems substitute for the physical verification action, providing accurate routing device state information without requiring vehicles to halt their movement.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and a method may include one or more sensors disposed onboard a vehicle that may sense one or more characteristics of the vehicle. The system may include one or more processors configured to determining an identification of a switch on a route along which a vehicle moves using one or more sensors onboard the vehicle. A location of the switch is identified with the one or more sensors. A state of the switch is determined with the one or more sensors. The identification of the switch, location of the switch, and the state of the switch are communicated with an off-board database.