Rail Car Sensor Network

• US 20090173840A1
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Richard H., Zhu, Xianjin, Reason, Jonathan M., Elliott, Jeffery G., Moskowitz, Paul A., Dorn, John Z.
• Granted Patent: US 8,672,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 246/1.R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0027 Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance

Abstract

A rail car sensor network, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, includes at least one rail car having a main body portion including a first and section, a second end section and an intermediate portion. The rail car network further includes a sensor assembly mounted to the rail car. The sensor assembly includes at least one sensor positioned to detect a rail car parameter, and a wireless communication device configured to transmit data corresponding to the rail car parameter. A receiver assembly, mounted remote from the at least one rail car, includes a wireless communication monitor configured to receive the data corresponding to the rail car parameter from the wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A rail car sensor network comprising:

at least one rail car including a main body portion laving a first end section, a second end section and an intermediate portion;

a sensor assembly mounted to the rail car, the sensor assembly including at least one sensor positioned to detect a rail car parameter, and a wireless communication device configured to transmit data corresponding to the rail car parameter; and

a receiver assembly mounted remote from the at least one rail car, the receiver assembly including a wireless communication monitor configured to receive the data corresponding to the rail car parameter from the wireless communication device.

2. The rail car sensor network according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rail car is a plurality of rail cars that establish a rail car system, each of the plurality of rail cars includes a corresponding sensor assembly, the wireless communication device in each of the plurality of rail cars being configured to transmit rail car parameter data to the wireless communication device arranged in others of the plurality of rail cars and the receiver assembly.

3. The rail car sensor network according to claim 2, further comprising:

a gateway device mounted to one of the plurality of rail cars, the gateway device relaying rail car parameter data from the sensor assembly in each of the plurality of rail cars to the receiver assembly.

4. The rail car sensor network according to claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly includes a plurality of sensors positioned to detect multiple rail car parameters.

5. The rail car sensor network according to claim 4, wherein rail car system includes a lead car, the sensor assembly including at least one orientation sensor configured to detect at least one of an orientation of at least one of the plurality of rail cars relative to the lead car and a position of at least one of the plurality of rail cars in the rail car system.

6. The rail car sensor network according to claim 5, wherein the orientation sensor detects at least one of a facing direction of the rail car with respect to the lead car in the rail car system.

7. The rail car sensor network according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of sensors includes a wheel bearing sensor.

8. The rail car sensor network according to claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly includes at least one analog sensor interface and at least one digital sensor interface.

9. The rail car sensor network according to claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly includes a power system.

10. The rail car sensor network according to claim 9, wherein the power system is a self-contained power supply including one of a solar power cell, a chemical power cell, and a pneumatic power cell.

11. The rail car sensor network according to claim 9, wherein the power system is a hybrid storage device including multiple distinct power storage devices.

12. The rail car sensor network according to claim 10, wherein the multiple distinct power storage devices include at least one of a super cap, a lithium ion battery, and a long-life battery.

13. A method of networking a rail car including a sensor assembly having at least one sensor and a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

sensing a parameter of the rail car to obtain rail car parameter data; and

transmitting the rail car parameter data to a remote wireless receiver.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

incorporating the rail car into a rail car system, the rail car system including a lead car;

sensing one of an orientation of the rail car relative to the lead car and a position of the rail car in the rail car system; and

transmitting the one of the orientation and the position of the rail car to the remote wireless receiver.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

designating an unassociated rail car as an associated rail car, the associated rail car being one of a yard associated rail car, an associated connected rail car and an associated disconnected rail car.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring for rail car parameter data from a rail car designated as an associated disconnected rail car;

designating the associated disconnected rail car as an associated connected rail car once rail car data is received from the associated disconnected rail car.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

incorporating the rail car into a rail car system including a plurality of rail cars, each of the plurality of rail cars including a sensor assembly including at least one sensor and a wireless communication device; and

communicating rail car parameter data between each of the plurality of rail cars and the remote wireless receiver.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

relaying rail car parameter data from at least one of the plurality of rail cars through a gateway device provided on the rail car system to the remote wireless receiver.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

sensing a rail car unassociated with the rail car system with one of the sensor assembly and the gateway device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

storing data related to the rail car unassociated with the rail car system in the gateway device; and

relaying the data related to the rail car unassociated rail with the rail car system to the wireless receiver.