VITAL SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING LOCATION AND LOCATION UNCERTAINTY OF A RAILROAD VEHICLE WITH RESPECT TO A PREDETERMINED TRACK MAP USING A GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM AND OTHER DIVERSE SENSORS
First Claim
1. A system for determining location and location uncertainty of a railroad vehicle, said system comprising:
- a global positioning system receiver structured to determine position of said railroad vehicle;
a predetermined track map of possible coordinates of said railroad vehicle;
a plurality of motion sensors structured to determine change in location of said railroad vehicle, said motion sensors being biased to provide a positive bias error of said change in location of said railroad vehicle;
an acceleration sensor structured to determine acceleration of said railroad vehicle; and
a processor cooperating with said global positioning system receiver, said predetermined track map, said motion sensors and said acceleration sensor to vitally determine the location and the location uncertainty of said railroad vehicle on said predetermined track map, said processor being structured to verify one of said motion sensors with another one of said motion sensors, determine a slip or slide condition of said railroad vehicle from said one of said motion sensors, determine speed and position of said railroad vehicle from said acceleration sensor during said slip or slide condition, verify the position of said railroad vehicle from said global positioning system receiver based upon said predetermined track map, and correct the positive bias error of said one of said motion sensors using the position of said railroad vehicle from said global positioning system receiver.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system includes a global positioning system receiver to determine position of a railroad vehicle, a predetermined track map of possible coordinates of the vehicle, motion sensors providing a positive bias error to determine change in location of the vehicle, an acceleration sensor to determine acceleration of the vehicle, and a processor to vitally determine the location and the location uncertainty of the vehicle on the track map. The processor verifies one motion sensor with another motion sensor, determines a slip or slide condition of the vehicle from one of the motion sensors, determines speed and position of the vehicle from the acceleration sensor during the slip or slide condition, verifies the position of the vehicle from the global positioning system receiver based upon the track map, and corrects the positive bias error of the motion sensors using the position of the vehicle from the global positioning system receiver.
28 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A system for determining location and location uncertainty of a railroad vehicle, said system comprising:
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a global positioning system receiver structured to determine position of said railroad vehicle; a predetermined track map of possible coordinates of said railroad vehicle; a plurality of motion sensors structured to determine change in location of said railroad vehicle, said motion sensors being biased to provide a positive bias error of said change in location of said railroad vehicle; an acceleration sensor structured to determine acceleration of said railroad vehicle; and a processor cooperating with said global positioning system receiver, said predetermined track map, said motion sensors and said acceleration sensor to vitally determine the location and the location uncertainty of said railroad vehicle on said predetermined track map, said processor being structured to verify one of said motion sensors with another one of said motion sensors, determine a slip or slide condition of said railroad vehicle from said one of said motion sensors, determine speed and position of said railroad vehicle from said acceleration sensor during said slip or slide condition, verify the position of said railroad vehicle from said global positioning system receiver based upon said predetermined track map, and correct the positive bias error of said one of said motion sensors using the position of said railroad vehicle from said global positioning system receiver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification