SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE CODE FOR OBTAINING INFORMATION FOR ROUTING A POWERED SYSTEM AND ADJUSTING A ROUTE IN ACCORDANCE WITH RELEVANT INFORMATION

• US 20090198391A1
• Filed: 02/03/2009
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Nandedkar, Vishram Vinayak, Pagano, Daniel, Lacy, Patricia Sue, Vorndran, Eric, Shanmugam, Parameswaran, Goes, Ryan, Kapp, Kevin, Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair, Shaffer, Glenn Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables

Abstract

A method for controlling a powered system, the method including operating the powered system to perform a mission based on an optimized mission plan, identifying when the powered system is approaching a location in the mission where the powered system may change from a first route to a second route, obtaining information about whether the first route or the second route will be taken, and if the second route is taken, adjusting the mission plan to optimize reduced emissions output and/or reduced fuel consumption based on the route change.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a powered system, the method comprising:

operating the powered system to perform a mission based on an optimized mission plan;

identifying when the powered system is approaching a location in the mission where the powered system may change from a first route to a second route;

obtaining information about whether the first route or the second route will be taken; and

if the second route is taken, adjusting the mission plan to optimize reduced emissions output and/or reduced fuel consumption based on the route change.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising adjusting the mission plan with information about a route divergence.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein adjusting the mission plan further comprises:

saving mission route divergence data in a mission route database;

identifying a future potential mission route divergence occurrence; and

updating the mission plan to include the future mission route divergence.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing information about a manifest associated with the powered system, wherein the information is provided from a remote location to the powered system, for use by the powered system in determining the mission plan, and wherein providing information about the manifest further comprises maintaining manifest information in a database at the remote location, and communicating manifest information to the powered system for use in determining the mission plan.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a mission route database on the powered system that is used to determine the mission plan.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising updating the mission route database with at least one change to the mission route database that is realized at a remote location.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating a temporary change against the mission plan communicated from a remote location; and

adjusting the mission plan based on the temporary change, when the temporary change affects the mission plan.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

storing the temporary change; and

evaluating the temporary change against the mission plan when the mission plan is adjusted based on the route change.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the powered system comprises an off-highway vehicle, an agricultural vehicle, a transportation vehicle, a marine vessel, and/or a rail vehicle, and wherein the first and second routes comprise a set of one or more tracks as used by a rail vehicle, water routes as used by a marine vessel, and/or land routes as used by an off-highway vehicle, a transportation vehicle, and/or an agricultural vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

soliciting an operator of the powered system for the information about whether the first route or the second route will be taken, said information being obtained from the operator.

11. A system for controlling a powered system, the system comprising:

a subsystem configured to determine a specific location of the powered system along a first mission route;

wherein the subsystem is further configured to determine, based on the determined specific location of the powered system, when the powered system is approaching a location where the powered system is able to change from the first mission route to a second, different mission route.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a controller configured to control the powered system;

a processor configured to provide control commands to at least one of the controller and an operator of the powered system; and

computer-readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to evaluate a mission route change, manifest information provided from a remote location, and a change to a mission route database, for determining a mission plan optimized to provide for reduced emissions output and/or reduced fuel consumption;

wherein the controller controls the powered system in response to a change in the mission route.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the powered system comprises an off-highway vehicle, an agricultural vehicle, a transportation vehicle, a marine propulsion vehicle, and/or a rail vehicle.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the mission route comprises a track as used by a rail vehicle, a water route as used by a marine vessel, and/or a land route as is used by a off-highway vehicle, a transportation vehicle, and/or an agricultural vehicle.

15. The system according to claim 11, further comprising a memory device to store mission route divergence information, temporary changes to the mission route information, and/or manifest information.

16. A computer software code stored on a computer readable media and executable with a processor for controlling a powered system, the computer software code comprising:

a computer software module for operating the powered system to perform a mission based on an optimized mission plan, when executed with the processor;

a computer software module for identifying when the powered system is approaching a location in the mission where the powered system may change from a first mission route to a second mission route, when executed with the processor;

a computer software module for obtaining information about whether the first mission route or the second mission route will be taken, when executed with the processor; and

a computer software module for adjusting the mission plan, if the mission second route is taken, to optimize reduced emissions output and/or reduced fuel consumption based on the mission route change, when executed with the processor.

17. The computer software code according to claim 16, further comprising a computer software module for adjusting the mission plan with information about a route divergence, when executed with the processor.

18. The computer software code according to claim 16, further comprising a computer software module for updating a route database aboard the powered system with at least one change to the route database that is realized at a remote location, when executed with the processor.

19. The computer software code according to claim 16, further comprising a computer software module for evaluating a temporary change against the mission plan communicated from a remote location and adjusting the mission based on the temporary change when the temporary change affects the mission plan, when executed with the processor.