System and method of multi-generation positive train control system

• US 20080065282A1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wills, Mitchell Scott, Daum, Wolfgang, Hershey, John, Julich, Paul, Markley, Randall
• Granted Patent: US 8,082,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/16 Trackside optimisation of vehicle or train operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/18 Crew rosters; Itineraries

Abstract

A method of scheduling the movement of trains as a function of the predicted crew behavior and predicted rail conditions.

Claims

1. A method of predicting the performance of the movement of trains over a rail network comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a movement plan for a first train;

(b) assigning a crew to operate the first train;

(c) monitoring the performance of the movement of the first train against the movement plan as a function of the assigned crew;

(d) monitoring conditions of the railway;

(e) storing information related to the monitored performance and the monitored conditions of the railway;

(f) predicting the performance of the movement of a second train as a function of the stored information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of scheduling the movement of the second train as a function of the predicted performance of the second train.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of monitoring the performance of the first train includes comparing the actual movement of the first train with the movement plan of the first train.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the rail network is divided into a plurality of track elements and wherein the step of monitoring the performance of the first train includes comparing the actual movement of the first train with the movement plan of the first train over each track element that the first train traverses.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the railway conditions include at least one of traffic conditions, weather conditions, time of day, seasonal variances, physical characteristics of the train and dispatcher efficiency.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the stored information is repeatedly adjusted with each crew assignment to build a statistical database of crew performance.

7. A method of scheduling the movement of plural trains over a rail network, each train having an assigned crew to operate the train comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining a database of information related to the past performance of the movement of a first train as a function of the crew assigned to operate the first train; and

(b) scheduling the movement of a second train as a function of the information in the database.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of maintaining a database of information related to the past performance of the movement of a first train includes comparing the actual movement of the first train with the movement plan of the first train.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of scheduling the movement includes:

(i) assigning a second crew to operate the second train;

(ii) predicting a behavior of the second crew as a function of the information maintained in the database;

(iii) predicting the performance of the movement of the second train as a function of the predicted behavior of the crew.

(iv) scheduling the second train as a function of the predicted performance.