Equipment control system
First Claim
1. A rail vehicle management system comprising:
- plural rail vehicles within a facility; and
an equipment controller comprising one or more processors and a communication unit operatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the communication unit is configured to receive first signals from first sensors associated with different materials, the first signals indicative of material locations of the different materials within the facility, the communication unit also configured to receive second signals associated with the rail vehicles, the second signals indicative of one or more vehicle locations of the rail vehicles within the facility, and the communication unit is configured to receive third signals indicative of allocation requests for at least one of the materials from different remote locations,wherein the equipment controller is configured to generate a map based on the material locations and the vehicle locations,wherein the equipment controller is configured to schedule enactment of the allocation requests based on designated times associated with one or more operations involved in the enactment of the allocation requests and to monitor capacities of the rail vehicles to carry the materials within the facility while the rail vehicles enact the allocation requests, andwherein the equipment controller is configured to generate fourth signals for movement control of the rail vehicles to combine the materials for the allocation requests of the different remote locations in at least one of the rail vehicles,wherein the rail vehicles move the materials within the facility and mix the materials to create one or more component products under direction of the fourth signals for movement received from the equipment controller to enact the allocation requests according to the enactment that is scheduled,wherein the equipment controller is configured to communicate the fourth signals to one or more of the rail vehicles to remotely control the one or more of the rail vehicles to mix the materials in at least one of the rail vehicles based on one or more of a loading time for loading the materials onto the rail vehicles or an unloading time for unloading the materials from the rail vehicles, andwherein the equipment controller is configured to communicate the fourth signals to one or more of the rail vehicles to remotely control the one or more of the rail vehicles to mix the materials and create the one or more component products in at least one of the rail vehicles based on a transportation cost at the capacity of at least one of the rail vehicles.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system includes transportation vehicles within a facility, an equipment controller, and a communication unit. The communication unit receives signals indicative of component locations within the facility, vehicle locations within the facility, and/or allocation requests for at least one of the components. The equipment controller schedules enactment of the allocation requests based on designated times associated with operations involved in the enactment of the allocation requests and monitors capacities of the transportation vehicles to carry the components within the facility while the transportation vehicles enact the allocation requests. The equipment controller generates signals for movement control of the transportation vehicles in order to combine the components for the allocation requests in at least one of the transportation vehicles. The transportation vehicles move the components within the facility as combined in the at least one of the transportation vehicles to enact the allocation requests according to the enactment that is scheduled.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A rail vehicle management system comprising:
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plural rail vehicles within a facility; and an equipment controller comprising one or more processors and a communication unit operatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the communication unit is configured to receive first signals from first sensors associated with different materials, the first signals indicative of material locations of the different materials within the facility, the communication unit also configured to receive second signals associated with the rail vehicles, the second signals indicative of one or more vehicle locations of the rail vehicles within the facility, and the communication unit is configured to receive third signals indicative of allocation requests for at least one of the materials from different remote locations, wherein the equipment controller is configured to generate a map based on the material locations and the vehicle locations, wherein the equipment controller is configured to schedule enactment of the allocation requests based on designated times associated with one or more operations involved in the enactment of the allocation requests and to monitor capacities of the rail vehicles to carry the materials within the facility while the rail vehicles enact the allocation requests, and wherein the equipment controller is configured to generate fourth signals for movement control of the rail vehicles to combine the materials for the allocation requests of the different remote locations in at least one of the rail vehicles, wherein the rail vehicles move the materials within the facility and mix the materials to create one or more component products under direction of the fourth signals for movement received from the equipment controller to enact the allocation requests according to the enactment that is scheduled, wherein the equipment controller is configured to communicate the fourth signals to one or more of the rail vehicles to remotely control the one or more of the rail vehicles to mix the materials in at least one of the rail vehicles based on one or more of a loading time for loading the materials onto the rail vehicles or an unloading time for unloading the materials from the rail vehicles, and wherein the equipment controller is configured to communicate the fourth signals to one or more of the rail vehicles to remotely control the one or more of the rail vehicles to mix the materials and create the one or more component products in at least one of the rail vehicles based on a transportation cost at the capacity of at least one of the rail vehicles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system comprising:
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a communication unit; and one or more processors operatively coupled to the communication unit, wherein the communication unit is configured to receive first signals from sensors associated with different materials, the first signals indicative of material locations of the different materials within a facility, the communication unit also configured to receive second signals from sensors associated with rail vehicles, the second signals indicative of vehicle locations of the rail vehicles within the facility, and the communication unit is configured to receive third signals indicative of allocation requests for one or more component products from different remote locations, wherein the one or more processors are configured to create a map indicative of the material locations and the vehicle locations based on the first and second signals, wherein the one or more processors are configured to schedule enactment of the allocation requests based on designated times associated with one or more operations involved in the enactment of the allocation requests and to monitor capacities of the rail vehicles to carry the materials within the facility while the rail vehicles enact the allocation requests, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to direct at least one of the rail vehicles to mix the materials to create one or more component products for the allocation requests of the different remote locations in the at least one of the rail vehicles, wherein the rail vehicles move the one or more component products within the facility as created by mixing the materials in the at least one of the rail vehicles to enact the allocation requests according to the enactment that is scheduled, wherein the one or more processors are configured to communicate control signals to one or more of the rail vehicles to remotely control the one or more of the rail vehicles to mix the materials in at least one of the rail vehicles based on one or more of a loading time for loading the materials onto the rail vehicles or an unloading time for unloading the materials from the rail vehicles, and wherein the one or more processors is configured to communicate the control signals to one or more of the rail vehicles to remotely control the one or more of the rail vehicles to mix the materials and create the one or more component products in at least one of the rail vehicles based on a transportation cost at the capacity of at least one of the rail vehicles. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A rail vehicle management system comprising:
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plural rail vehicles within a facility, the plural rail vehicles including plural inbound rail vehicles and plural outbound rail vehicles; and an equipment controller comprising one or more processors and a communication unit operatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the communication unit is configured to receive first signals indicative of material locations of different materials within the facility from first sensors, second signals indicative of vehicle locations of the rail vehicles within the facility from second sensors, and third signals indicative of allocation requests for the materials from different remote locations, wherein the equipment controller is configured to create a map showing the material locations and the vehicle locations based on the first and second signals, wherein the equipment controller is configured to schedule enactment of the allocation requests based on;
the material locations;
the vehicle locations;
designated times associated with operations involved in the enactment of the allocation requests; and
monitored capacities of the rail vehicles to carry the materials to, within, and from the facility for enactment of the allocation requests,wherein the equipment controller is configured, based on the enactment that is scheduled, to generate control signals for automatic movement control of the both the inbound and outbound rail vehicles for the allocation requests, wherein the rail vehicles move the materials within the facility for the creation of one or more component products under direction of the control signals for automated movement control received from the equipment controller to enact the allocation requests according to the enactment that is scheduled, and wherein the outbound rail vehicles move the component products that are created out of the facility to destination locations under direction of the control signals for automated movement control received from the equipment controller, wherein the equipment controller is configured to communicate the control signals to one or more of the rail vehicles to remotely control the one or more of the rail vehicles for creating the one or more component products based on one or more of a loading time for loading the materials onto the rail vehicles or an unloading time for unloading the materials from the rail vehicles, and wherein the equipment controller is configured to communicate the control signals to one or more of the rail vehicles to remotely control the one or more of the rail vehicles for creating the one or more component products based on a transportation cost at the capacity of at least one of the rail vehicles.
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Specification