Train parking or movement verification and monitoring system and method

• US 10,173,702 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Huchrowski, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Cass, Jean Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/849,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20170066458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 701 96
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0063 Multiple on-board control systems, e.g. "2 out of 3"-systems
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0072 On-board train data handling
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/009 On-board display devices

Abstract

A parking verification system and method, a movement verification system and method, and a monitoring system and method for a train, or other transit vehicle.

Claims

1. A parking verification system for a train having a braking system including at least one manually-operated parking assembly arranged on at least one of a locomotive and a railcar of the train, the system comprising:

at least one on-board computer arranged on the train and programmed to;

(a) when the train is not moving, generate braking system test data related to at least one braking system parameter of the braking system;

(b) based at least partially on the braking system test data, determine between generating alarm data and initiating a non-parked mode for the train;

(c) after determining to initiate the non-parked mode for the train and movement of the train, determine whether the train has subsequently stopped moving; and

(d) in response to determining that the train has subsequently stopped moving, repeat steps (a) and (b).

2. The parking verification system of claim 1, further comprising at least one operator interface programmed or configured to receive operator input.

3. The parking verification system of claim 2, wherein the on-board computer is further programmed or configured to generate at least one query requesting the input of train data.

4. The parking verification system of claim 3, wherein the train data comprises at least one of the following:

operator name, operator identification, identification data, contact data, locomotive data, consist data, railcar data, location data, weight data, speed data, time data, grade data, payload data, braking system data, or any combination thereof.

5. The parking verification system of claim 2, wherein the on-board computer is further programmed or configured to generate at least one query requesting the input of braking system data.

6. The parking verification system of claim 5, wherein the braking system test data is at least partially based on at least a portion of the braking system data.

7. The parking verification system of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the alarm data is visually displayed on the at least one operator interface.

8. The parking verification system of claim 1, wherein the alarm data comprises at least one of the following:

visual data, aural data, tactile data, braking system test data, braking system data, train data, braking system parameter data, or any combination thereof.

9. A parking verification method for a train having a braking system including at least one manually-operated parking assembly arranged on at least one of a locomotive and a railcar of the train, the method comprising:

(a) when the train is not moving, generating braking system test data related to at least one braking system parameter of the braking system;

(b) based at least partially on the braking system test data, determining between generating alarm data and initiating a non-parked mode for the train;

(c) after determining to initiate the non-parked mode for the train and movement of the train, determining whether the train has subsequently stopped moving; and

(d) in response to determining that the train has subsequently stopped moving, repeating steps (a) and (b).

10. The parking verification method of claim 9, further comprising receiving operator input through at least one operator interface.

11. The parking verification method of claim 10, further comprising generating at least one query requesting the input of train data.

12. The parking verification method of claim 11, wherein the train data comprises at least one of the following:

operator name, operator identification, identification data, contact data, locomotive data, consist data, railcar data, location data, weight data, speed data, time data, grade data, payload data, braking system data, or any combination thereof.

13. The parking verification method of claim 10, further comprising generating at least one query requesting the input of braking system data.

14. The parking verification method of claim 13, wherein the braking system test data is at least partially based on at least a portion of the braking system data.

15. The parking verification method of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the alarm data is visually displayed on the at least one operator interface.

16. The parking verification method of claim 9, wherein the alarm data comprises at least one of the following:

visual data, aural data, tactile data, braking system test data, braking system data, train data, braking system parameter data, or any combination thereof.