System and Method For Pacing A Powered System Traveling Along A Route

• US 20090266943A1
• Filed: 08/14/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair, Shaffer, Glenn Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,922,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 246/28.R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0058 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/16 Trackside optimisation of vehicle or train operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/006 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation track-side optimisation of operation B61L27/16

Abstract

A system is provided for pacing a powered system traveling along a route separated into a plurality of block regions. Each block region has a respective signal. The system includes a controller configured to receive a status of the signal in an adjacent block region to a current block region of the powered system. The controller is configured to determine a time duration between a change in the status of the signal in an adjacent block region. The controller is further configured to determine an expected status of the signal to be experienced by the powered system in the plurality of block regions, based upon the time duration and a route parameter of the plurality of block regions.

Claims

1. A system for pacing a powered system traveling along a route separated into a plurality of block regions, each block region having a respective signal, the system comprising:

a controller configured to receive a status of the signal in a block region adjacent to a current block region of the powered system;

said controller being configured to determine a time duration relating to a change in the status of the signal in the adjacent block region; and

said controller being configured to determine an expected status of each of one or more of the signals to be experienced by the powered system in the plurality of block regions, based upon the time duration and at least one route parameter of one or more of the plurality of block regions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said powered system is one of an off-highway vehicle, a marine propulsion vehicle, or a rail vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a memory configured to store the at least one route parameter of the one or more of the plurality of block regions.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller receives the status of the signal in the adjacent block region from a camera positioned on the powered system, an input provided by an operator of the powered system, and/or a communication received from a remote center.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said determination of the expected status of each of the one or more signals in the plurality of block regions includes a determination of an expected movement of a leading powered system on the route in said adjacent block region.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said determination of the expected movement of the leading powered system on the route is based upon:

a first change in the status of the signal in the adjacent block region being indicative of the leading powered system entering said adjacent block region; and

a second change in the status of the signal in the adjacent block region being indicative of the leading powered system leaving said adjacent block region;

wherein the time duration relating to a change in status is based on the time difference between the first change and the second change in the status.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said controller is configured to determine an estimated speed of the leading powered system in the adjacent block region based upon the time duration and a route parameter of the adjacent block region stored in the memory.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said route parameter of the adjacent block region is one of a length of the adjacent block region, or a grade of the adjacent block region.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said controller is configured to determine a characteristic of the leading powered system based upon said estimated speed of the leading powered system in the adjacent block region;

and said controller is configured to further determine an expected movement of the leading powered system in a plurality of block regions subsequent to the adjacent block region, based upon said characteristic of the leading powered system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said controller is configured to determine the expected status of each of the one or more signals to be experienced by the powered system in the plurality of block regions, based on the expected movement of the leading powered system in the plurality of block regions subsequent to the adjacent block region.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller is coupled to an engine and a braking system of the powered system, and said controller is configured to selectively modify one of a power output of the engine and a level of the braking system, based on the expected status of each of one or more of the signals in the plurality of block regions, so to minimize a total amount of fuel consumed by the powered system while traveling through the plurality of block regions.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said controller is in an automatic mode to determine a predetermined power output of the engine and/or a predetermined level of the braking system at incremental locations along the route prior to the commencement of a trip along the route;

and said controller is configured to modify said predetermined power output and/or said predetermined level of the braking system based upon the expected status of each of the one or more signals in the plurality of block regions.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said controller is configured to determine an earliest arrival time and a latest arrival time at each of the plurality of block regions based upon the expected status of each of the one or more signals in the plurality of block regions;

and said controller is coupled to an engine and a braking system to selectively modify a power output of the engine and/or a level of the braking system such that said powered system arrives at each block region within an arrival time range defined by said earliest arrival time and said latest arrival time.

14. The system of claim 3, wherein said memory is further configured to store a characteristic of a leading powered system traveling on the route in said adjacent block region;

and said controller is configured to determine an expected movement of the leading powered system in a plurality of block regions subsequent to the adjacent block region based upon said stored characteristic of the leading powered system and one or more of the at least one route parameter of said plurality of block regions.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said controller is configured to determine an expected status of each of the one or more signals to be experienced by the powered system in the plurality of block regions, based on the expected movement of the leading powered system in the plurality of block regions.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said controller is coupled to an engine and a braking system of the powered system;

and said controller is configured to selectively modify one of a power output of the engine and a level of the braking system, based on the expected status of each of the one or more signals in the plurality of block regions, so to minimize a total amount of fuel consumed by the powered system in the plurality of block regions.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said controller is configured to determine an earliest arrival time and a latest arrival time at each of the plurality of block regions based upon the expected statuses of the signals in the plurality of block regions;

and said controller is coupled to an engine and a braking system to selectively modify one of a power output of the engine and a level of the braking system such that said powered system arrives at each block region within an arrival time range defined by said earliest arrival time and said latest arrival time.

18. A system for pacing at least one powered system traveling along a route separated into a plurality of block regions, each block region having a respective signal, the system comprising:

a control center positioned remotely from the route, said control center is in wireless communication with said at least one powered system; and

said control center includes a controller to determine an arrival time range for said at least one powered system to travel to a respective block region, such that a performance characteristic of the powered system is maximized;

said at least one powered system includes a respective controller configured to receive the arrival time range for the powered system to travel to the respective block region.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said control center includes a transceiver in communication with a transceiver coupled to said at least one powered system;

and said powered system controller is coupled to said powered system transceiver to receive said arrival time range for the powered system to travel to the respective block region.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said at least one powered system further includes a position determination device coupled to the controller to provide location information of the powered system to the controller;

and said powered system controller includes a memory configured to store a parameter of the powered system and a parameter of the route.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein a plurality of powered systems are traveling along the route;

said powered system transceiver is configured to transmit the stored powered system parameter, the stored route parameter, and the location information of the respective powered system to the control center transceiver; and

said control center controller is configured to determine said arrival time range for the respective powered systems to travel to the respective block region.

22. A method for pacing a powered system traveling along a route separated into a plurality of block regions, each block region having a respective signal, the method comprising:

storing one or more route parameters of the plurality of block regions;

measuring a time duration relating to a change in the status of the signal in a block region adjacent to a current block region of the powered system; and

determining an expected status of the signal to be experienced by the powered system in the adjacent block region, based upon the time duration and a stored route parameter of the adjacent block region.