Train and rail yard management system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A rail yard management system comprising:
- a rail yard-based mesh network comprising;
one or more powered wireless gateways deployed in said rail yard as nodes, wherein the one or more powered wireless gateways are configured to transmit a roaming network ID (RNID) associated with the rail yard-based mesh network;
a railcar-based mesh network comprising at least one railcar equipped with a communication management unit mounted to the at least one railcar and one or more wireless sensor nodes having one or more sensors for sensing an operational parameter of the at least one railcar, wherein the at least one railcar is connected to the rail yard-based mesh network using the RNID, andsaid system configured for performing the functions of;
(a) logically assembling a train consist comprising the at least one railcar by instructing the at least one railcar to disconnect from the rail yard-based mesh network and join a train-based mesh network associated with the train consist;
(b) validating assembled train consists; and
(c) logically disassembling train consists.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A rail yard management system and method that takes advantage of infrastructure installed in rail yards and on train consists to allow the management of the assembly, disassembly and validation of train consists in the rail yard. A train management system and method is also provided.
-
Citations
27 Claims
-
1. A rail yard management system comprising:
-
a rail yard-based mesh network comprising; one or more powered wireless gateways deployed in said rail yard as nodes, wherein the one or more powered wireless gateways are configured to transmit a roaming network ID (RNID) associated with the rail yard-based mesh network; a railcar-based mesh network comprising at least one railcar equipped with a communication management unit mounted to the at least one railcar and one or more wireless sensor nodes having one or more sensors for sensing an operational parameter of the at least one railcar, wherein the at least one railcar is connected to the rail yard-based mesh network using the RNID, and said system configured for performing the functions of; (a) logically assembling a train consist comprising the at least one railcar by instructing the at least one railcar to disconnect from the rail yard-based mesh network and join a train-based mesh network associated with the train consist; (b) validating assembled train consists; and (c) logically disassembling train consists. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A rail yard management system comprising:
-
(a) a rail yard-based mesh network comprising one or more land-based powered wireless gateways, said rail yard-based mesh network broadcasting a roaming network ID; (b) one or more railcars, each having a railcar-based mesh network overlaid thereon comprising a communication management unit; and (c) one or more locomotives, each having a powered wireless gateway thereon; wherein each communication management unit on said one or more railcars acts as a node in said rail yard-based mesh network when not logically part of a train consist; and wherein each communication management unit on said one or more railcars acts as a node in a train-based mesh network controlled by a powered wireless gateway on one of said one or more locomotives when logically part of a train consist; and wherein said system is configured to perform the following functions; (a) logically assembling train consists by instructing the one or more railcars to disconnect from the rail yard-based mesh network and join a train-based mesh network that is associated with a train network ID; (b) validating assembled train consists; and (c) logically disassembling train consists. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A train management system comprising:
-
a rail yard-based mesh network comprising one or more powered wireless gateways deployed in said rail yard as nodes, wherein the one or more powered wireless gateways are configured to transmit a roaming network ID (RNID) associated with the rail yard-based mesh network; one or more railcar-based mesh networks, each comprising one or more communications management units mounted on one or more railcars, said one or more communications units each having one or more sensors for sensing an operational parameter of one or more of the railcars; a train-based mesh network comprising a powered wireless gateway and said one or more communication management units; wherein each of said communications management units collects data regarding said one or more railcar operational parameters; analyzes said collected data for trends or events indicative of an anomalous operational condition; and communicates an alert to a remote receiver when said trend or event is detected, wherein the system is configured to logically assemble a train consist comprising at least one of the railcars by instructing the at least one of the railcars to disconnect from the rail yard-based mesh network and join the train-based mesh network. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
-
Specification