Vehicle control system and method
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a controller onboard a rail vehicle system having at least one locomotive, the controller configured to obtain one or more of a route parameter or a rail vehicle parameter from discrete examinations of one or more of a route or the rail vehicle system, the route parameter indicative of a health of the route over which the rail vehicle system travels, the rail vehicle parameter indicative of a health of the rail vehicle system, the discrete examinations of the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system separated from each other by one or more of location or time, the controller configured to examine the one or more of the route parameter or the rail vehicle parameter to determine whether the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system is damaged; and
examination equipment onboard the rail vehicle system configured to continually monitor the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system, wherein the rail vehicle system is configured to switch from the discrete examinations of the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system to continuous examinations of the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system responsive to determining that the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system is damaged during the discrete examinations,wherein the controller is configured to change movement of the rail vehicle system based on at least one or more of the controller or the examination equipment determining that the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system is damaged.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for examining a route and/or vehicle system obtain a route parameter and/or a vehicle parameter from discrete examinations of the route and/or the vehicle system. The route parameter is indicative of a health of the route over which the vehicle system travels. The vehicle parameter is indicative of a health of the vehicle system. The discrete examinations of the route and/or the vehicle system are separated from each other by location and/or time. The route parameter and/or the vehicle parameter are examined to determine whether the route and/or the vehicle system is damaged and, responsive to determining that the route and/or the vehicle is damaged, the route and/or the vehicle system are continually monitored, such as by examination equipment onboard the vehicle system.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a controller onboard a rail vehicle system having at least one locomotive, the controller configured to obtain one or more of a route parameter or a rail vehicle parameter from discrete examinations of one or more of a route or the rail vehicle system, the route parameter indicative of a health of the route over which the rail vehicle system travels, the rail vehicle parameter indicative of a health of the rail vehicle system, the discrete examinations of the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system separated from each other by one or more of location or time, the controller configured to examine the one or more of the route parameter or the rail vehicle parameter to determine whether the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system is damaged; and examination equipment onboard the rail vehicle system configured to continually monitor the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system, wherein the rail vehicle system is configured to switch from the discrete examinations of the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system to continuous examinations of the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system responsive to determining that the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system is damaged during the discrete examinations, wherein the controller is configured to change movement of the rail vehicle system based on at least one or more of the controller or the examination equipment determining that the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system is damaged. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method comprising:
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obtaining one or more of a route parameter or a rail vehicle parameter from discrete examinations of one or more of a route or a rail vehicle system, the rail vehicle system having at least one locomotive, the route parameter indicative of a health of the route over which the rail vehicle system travels, the rail vehicle parameter indicative of a health of the rail vehicle system, the discrete examinations of the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system separated from each other by one or more of location or time; examining the one or more of the route parameter or the rail vehicle parameter to determine whether the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system is damaged; responsive to determining that the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system is damaged during the discrete examinations, continually monitoring the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system, wherein the rail vehicle system is configured to switch from the discrete examinations of the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system to continuous examinations of the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system; and changing movement of the rail vehicle system based at least on whether one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system is damaged; wherein continually monitoring the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system includes continually monitoring the one or more of the route parameter or the rail vehicle parameter from examination equipment disposed onboard the rail vehicle system. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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one or more processors onboard a rail vehicle system having at least one locomotive, the one or more processors configured to obtain one or more of a route parameter or a rail vehicle parameter from discrete examinations of one or more of a route or the rail vehicle system, the route parameter indicative of a health of the route over which the rail vehicle system travels, the rail vehicle parameter indicative of a health of the rail vehicle system, the one or more processors also configured to examine the one or more of the route parameter or the rail vehicle parameter to determine whether the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system is damaged; and examination equipment configured to continually monitor the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system, wherein the rail vehicle system is configured to switch from discrete examinations of the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system to continuous examinations of the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system responsive to the one or more processors determining that the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system is damaged based on the one or more of the route parameter or the rail vehicle parameter, wherein the controller is configured to change movement of the rail vehicle system based on at least one or more of the controller or the examination equipment determining that the one or more of the route or the rail vehicle system is damaged. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification