Computerized railroad track mapping methods and systems

• US 10,643,500 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cattron North America, Inc. (Cattron Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cattron North America, Inc. (Cattron Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jovenall, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Frejd, Russell
• Application Number:
  US15/851,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20190197923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/04 for monitoring the mechanical state of the route
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/028 Determination of vehicle position and orientation within a train consist, e.g. serialisation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/40 Handling position reports or trackside vehicle data
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/003 Kinematic accelerometers, i.e. measuring acceleration in relation to an external reference frame, e.g. Ferratis accelerometers G01P15/001, G01P15/16, G01P15/165 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods

Abstract

A system includes at least one train having one or more sensors and a device remote from the at least one train. The device is configured to communicate with the at least one train via one or more networks, collect data from the one or more sensors of the at least one train at a plurality of different locations in a defined area, and generate a map of the one or more tracks based on the data collected from the one or more sensors of the at least one train at the plurality of different locations in the defined area. Other example systems and computer-implemented methods of mapping one or more railroad tracks in a defined area are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more sensors positionable onboard each of a plurality of trains; and

a device positionable remote from the plurality of trains, the device configured to communicate with the plurality of trains via one or more networks, collect data from the one or more sensors at a plurality of different locations in a defined area, compare the data collected from the one or more sensors of one of the plurality of trains with the data collected from the one or more sensors of one or more other trains of the plurality of trains, and generate or update a map of one or more tracks based on the data from the one or more sensors of said one of the plurality of trains if the comparison indicates a variation less than a defined threshold between the data collected from said one of the plurality of trains and said one or more other trains of the plurality of trains.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a computer server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to average the data collected from the one or more sensors and generate or update the map based on the average of the data collected.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to collect data from the one or more sensors over a period of time, generate the map based on the data collected in a first portion of the period of time, and update the map based on the data collected in a second portion of the period of time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to generate an alarm when the comparison indicates a variation greater than the defined threshold between the data collected from said one of the plurality of trains and said one or more other trains of the plurality of trains.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the device is configured to collect data from at least one of the plurality of trains a plurality of times over a period of time, validate the data by comparing the data from the at least one of the plurality of trains over the period of time, and provide one or more signals to the at least one of the plurality of trains to calibrate the one or more sensors if the data collected is not validated.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to collect data from the one or more sensors onboard at least one of the plurality of trains a plurality of times over a period of time and validate the data by comparing the data from the one or more sensors onboard the at least one of the plurality of trains over the period of time.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the device is configured to provide one or more signals to the at least one of the plurality of trains to calibrate the one or more sensors if the data collected is not validated.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to collect data from the one or more sensors of the plurality of trains periodically or continuously.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one control unit onboard at least one of the plurality of trains the control unit configured to filter data collected from the one or more sensors.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors includes at least one kinematic sensor.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the map includes at least one of an elevation grade along the one or more tracks and an angle of a curve along the one or more tracks.

13. A computer-implemented method of mapping one or more railroad tracks in a defined area, the method comprising:

collecting data from one or more sensors onboard each of a plurality of trains at a plurality of different locations in the defined area;

comparing the data collected from the one or more sensors of one of the plurality of trains with the data collected from the one or more sensors of one or more other trains of the plurality of trains; and

generating or updating a map of the one or more railroad tracks based on the data collected from the one or more sensors of said one of the plurality of trains if the comparison indicates a variation less than a defined threshold between the data collected from said one of the plurality of trains and said one or more other trains of the plurality of trains.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising averaging the data collected from the one or more sensors of the plurality of trains, and wherein generating or updating the map includes generating or updating the map based on the average of the data collected.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein collecting data includes collecting data from the plurality of trains over a period of time, and wherein generating the map includes generating the map based on the data collected in a first portion of the period of time, the method further comprising updating the map based on the data collected in a second portion of the period of time.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating an alarm when the comparison indicates a variation greater than the defined threshold between the data collected from said one of the plurality of trains and said one or more other trains of the plurality of trains.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein collecting data includes collecting data from at least one of the plurality of trains over a period of time, the method further comprising comparing the data from the at least one of the plurality of trains over the period of time to validate the data.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing one or more signals to the at least one of the plurality of trains to calibrate the one or more sensors if the data collected is not validated.

19. One or more computer servers having one or more processors configured to perform the method of claim 13.

20. A system comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage media including computer-executable instructions for mapping one or more railroad tracks in a defined area, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

collect data from one or more sensors onboard each of a plurality of trains at a plurality of different locations in the defined area;

compare the data collected from the one or more sensors of one of the plurality of trains with the data collected from the one or more sensors of one or more other trains of the plurality of trains; and

generate or update a map of the one or more railroad tracks based on the data collected from the one or more sensors of said one of the plurality of trains if the comparison indicates a variation less than a defined threshold between the data collected from said one of the plurality of trains and said one or more other trains of the plurality of trains.