System for controlling or monitoring a vehicle system along a route

• US 10,279,823 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2016
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Sharma, Ankit, Eldredge, David Allen, Thiyagarajan, Saravanan, Schoonmaker, William Cherrick, Wakeman, Joseph Daniel, Hrdlicka, Kaitlyn Ann, Paritosh, Prakarsh
• Primary Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US15/231,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20180037241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 701 20
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0058 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0062 On-board target speed calculation or supervision
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/14 Following schedules
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/02 at selected places along the route, e.g. intermittent control simultaneous mechanical and electrical control

Abstract

A method includes generating a trip plan that dictates operational settings to be implemented by a vehicle system moving along a route. The trip plan is based on a temporary work order issued for a restricted segment of the route. The work order provides a maximum speed through the restricted segment for a limited time period that is expressed using a time standard. One or more of the operational settings of the trip plan specify movement of the vehicle system through the restricted segment at a vehicle speed that is less than or equal to the maximum speed. In response to determining that the temporary work order has expired, the method includes at least one of prompting an operator of the vehicle system to confirm that the work order has expired or generating a new trip plan in which the vehicle system exceeds the maximum speed through the restricted segment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a control system that is disposed onboard a vehicle system, the control system including one or more processors, the control system configured to;

generate a trip plan that dictates operational settings to be implemented by the vehicle system moving along a route, the trip plan being based on a temporary work order issued for a restricted segment of the route, the temporary work order providing a maximum speed through the restricted segment for a limited time period that is expressed using a designated time standard, wherein one or more of the operational settings of the trip plan specify movement of the vehicle system through the restricted segment at a vehicle speed that is less than or equal to the maximum speed;

control the vehicle system in accordance with the trip plan as the vehicle system moves along the route;

determine a current time as the vehicle system approaches the restricted segment or moves through the restricted segment, the current time being expressed using the designated time standard or a different time standard that is a function of the designated time standard; and

determine that the temporary work order has expired based on the current time and the limited time period of the temporary work order, wherein, in response to determining that the temporary work order has expired, the control system is configured to at least one of prompt an operator of the vehicle system to confirm that the temporary work order has expired, generate a new trip plan in which the vehicle system exceeds the maximum speed through the restricted segment, or modify the operational settings of the trip plan such that the vehicle system exceeds the maximum speed through the restricted segment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the trip plan has a first predicted trip duration and a first predicted fuel consumption and wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate the new trip plan, the new trip plan configured to have at least one of (a) a second predicted trip duration that is essentially equal to the first predicted trip duration or (b) a second predicted fuel consumption that is less than the first predicted fuel consumption.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a system clock that is independent of the designated time standard, the trip plan being executed by the vehicle system using the system clock.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system includes first and second embedded systems, the first embedded system including one or more of the processors and memory and the second embedded system including one or more of the processors and memory, the first embedded system being communicatively coupled to an antenna and being configured to receive input information from an off-board system, the first embedded system configured to generate the trip plan using the input information, the second embedded system configured to control the vehicle system in accordance with the trip plan as the vehicle system moves along the route.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the current time is a local time along the restricted segment, the first embedded system configured to determine the local time using a location of the vehicle system as the vehicle system approaches the restricted segment or moves through the restricted segment, the first embedded system configured to communicate the local time to the second embedded system, the second embedded system configured to determine that the temporary work order has expired based on the local time and the limited time period of the temporary work order, wherein each of the first and second embedded systems has a system clock that is independent from the other.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a rail vehicle of the vehicle system having the control system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the temporary work order specifies an expiration time of the temporary work order in the designated time standard, the designated time standard being a regional time standard of the geographical region that includes the restricted segment.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured, in response to determining that the temporary work order has expired, to prompt the operator of the vehicle system, onboard the vehicle system, to confirm that the temporary work order has expired, and responsive to the operator confirming that the temporary work order has expired, to at least one of generate the new trip plan in which the vehicle system exceeds the maximum speed through the restricted segment or modify the operational settings of the trip plan such that the vehicle system exceeds the maximum speed through the restricted segment.

9. A method comprising:

generating a trip plan that dictates operational settings to be implemented by a vehicle system moving along a route, the trip plan being based on a temporary work order issued for a restricted segment of the route, the temporary work order providing a maximum speed through the restricted segment for a limited time period that is expressed using a designated time standard, wherein one or more of the operational settings of the trip plan specify movement of the vehicle system through the restricted segment at a vehicle speed that is less than or equal to the maximum speed;

controlling the vehicle system in accordance with the trip plan as the vehicle system moves along the route;

determining a current time as the vehicle system approaches the restricted segment or moves through the restricted segment, the current time being expressed using the designated time standard or a different time standard that is a function of the designated time standard; and

determining that the temporary work order has expired based on the current time and the limited time period of the temporary work order, wherein, in response to determining that the temporary work order has expired, the method includes at least one of prompting an operator of the vehicle system to confirm that the temporary work order has expired, generating a new trip plan in which the vehicle system exceeds the maximum speed through the restricted segment, or modifying the operational settings of the trip plan such that the vehicle system exceeds the maximum speed through the restricted segment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the trip plan has a first predicted trip duration and a first predicted fuel consumption and wherein the method includes generating the new trip plan, the new trip plan configured to have at least one of (a) a second predicted trip duration that is essentially equal to the first predicted trip duration or (b) a second predicted fuel consumption that is less than the first predicted fuel consumption.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle system includes an embedded system that is disposed onboard the vehicle system and performs the step of generating the trip plan, the method further comprising receiving, at the embedded system, the temporary work order that is applied to the restricted segment.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the embedded system is a first embedded system and the vehicle system includes a second embedded system disposed onboard the vehicle system, the first embedded system generating the trip plan, the second embedded system controlling the vehicle system to execute the trip plan.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the current time is a local time along the restricted segment, the first embedded system determining the local time using a location of the vehicle system as the vehicle system approaches the restricted segment or moves through the restricted segment, the first embedded system communicating the local time to the second embedded system, the second embedded system determining that the temporary work order has expired based on the local time and the limited time period of the temporary work order.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle system includes a system clock that is independent of the designated time standard, the trip plan being executed by the vehicle system using the system clock.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the temporary work order is one of plural temporary work orders and the trip plan is based on each of the plural temporary work orders, each of the temporary work orders being applied to a separate restricted segment along the route, wherein at least two of the restricted segments are located in different time zones.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the temporary work order specifies an expiration time of the temporary work order in the designated time standard, the designated time standard being a regional time standard of the geographical region that includes the restricted segment.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle system includes a rail vehicle.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein, in response to determining that the temporary work order has expired, the method includes prompting the operator of the vehicle system, onboard the vehicle system, to confirm that the temporary work order has expired, and in response to the operator confirming that the temporary work order has expired, at least one of generating the new trip plan in which the vehicle system exceeds the maximum speed through the restricted segment or modifying the operational settings of the trip plan such that the vehicle system exceeds the maximum speed through the restricted segment.

19. A method comprising:

generating a trip plan at a first embedded system that is disposed onboard a vehicle system, the trip plan providing operational settings to be implemented by the vehicle system moving along a route, the trip plan being based on a temporary work order issued for a restricted segment of the route, the temporary work order providing a maximum speed through the restricted segment for a limited time period that is expressed using a designated time standard, wherein one or more of the operational settings of the trip plan specify movement of the vehicle system through the restricted segment at a vehicle speed that is less than or equal to the maximum speed;

controlling the vehicle system in accordance with the trip plan as the vehicle system moves along the route, the vehicle system being controlled by a second embedded system;

determining a current time, at the first embedded system, as the vehicle system approaches the restricted segment or moves through the restricted segment, the current time being expressed using the designated time standard or a different time standard that is a function of the designated time standard; and

determining, at the second embedded system, that the temporary work order has expired based on the current time and the limited time period of the temporary work order, wherein, in response to determining that the temporary work order has expired, the method includes at least one of prompting an operator of the vehicle system to confirm that the temporary work order has expired, generating a new trip plan in which the vehicle system exceeds the maximum speed through the restricted segment, or modifying the operational settings of the trip plan such that the vehicle system exceeds the maximum speed through the restricted segment.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first embedded system includes one or more processors and memory and the second embedded system includes one or more processors and memory, the first embedded system including an antenna and being configured to receive input information from an off-board system for generating the trip plan, the second embedded system configured to control one or more traction motors of the vehicle system.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the trip plan has a first predicted trip duration and a first predicted fuel consumption and wherein the method includes generating the new trip plan, the new trip plan configured to have at least one of (a) a second predicted trip duration that is essentially equal to the first predicted trip duration or (b) a second predicted fuel consumption that is less than the first predicted fuel consumption.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the current time is a local time along the restricted segment, the first embedded system determining the local time using a location of the vehicle system as the vehicle system approaches the restricted segment or moves through the restricted segment, the first embedded system communicating the local time to the second embedded system, the second embedded system determining that the temporary work order has expired based on the local time and the limited time period of the temporary work order.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein, in response to determining that the temporary work order has expired, the method includes prompting the operator of the vehicle system, onboard the vehicle system, to confirm that the temporary work order has expired, and responsive to the operator confirming that the temporary work order has expired, at least one of generating the new trip plan in which the vehicle system exceeds the maximum speed through the restricted segment or modifying the operational settings of the trip plan such that the vehicle system exceeds the maximum speed through the restricted segment.