Integrated data system for railroad freight traffic

• US 20090299623A1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Greenbrier Management Services LLC (Greenbrier Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Greenbrier Management Services LLC (Greenbrier Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Weiler, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/203
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/14 Following schedules

Abstract

A system for modifying CLM-based statistical data using received GPS data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) receiving from a GPS transmitter a location along a route between a first fixed site and a second fixed site, respectively associated with each other by a statistically calculated parameter; and

(b) modifying the parameter based upon the received location.

2. The method of claim 1 where the parameter is an estimated time to arrive at a destination, from the first fixed site, for a vehicle traveling the route.

3. The method of claim 2 where the destination is the second fixed site.

4. The method of claim 3 where the first fixed site is a location of an AEI reader along a railroad track, and the estimated time to arrive at the second fixed site is based on the historical average travel time of a statistically significant population of rail cars between the first and second fixed sites.

5. The method of claim 4 where the received location is expressed in latitude and longitude coordinates and the parameter is modified by the steps of:

(a) respectively retrieving the latitude and longitude coordinates for the first fixed site and the second fixed site;

(b) using the Great Distance Formula and the received location, calculating the fractional distance the vehicle has yet to travel between the first and second fixed sites; and

(c) multiplying the fractional distance by the estimated time to arrive at the second fixed site.

6. The method of claim 4 where the route includes a third fixed site between the first and second fixed sites, the third site being associated with the second fixed site by a statistically calculated second estimated time to arrive at the second fixed site, where the received location is expressed in latitude and longitude coordinates and the parameter is modified by the steps of:

(a) respectively retrieving the latitude and longitude coordinates for the first fixed site and the second fixed site;

(b) using the Great Distance Formula and the received location, calculating the fractional distance the vehicle has yet to travel between the first and second fixed sites multiplied by the difference between the estimated time to arrive at the second fixed site from the first fixed site and the second estimated time to arrive at the second fixed site from the first fixed site; and

(c) adding the calculation of step (b) to the estimated time to arrive at the second fixed site from the third fixed site.

7. The method of claim 4 where the route includes a third fixed site between the first and second fixed sites, the third site being associated with the second fixed site by a statistically calculated second estimated time to at the second fixed site, where each of the statistically calculated estimated time to arrive at the second fixed site and the second estimated time to arrive at the second fixed site have an associated standard deviation, where the received location is expressed in latitude and longitude coordinates, and where the parameter is modified by the steps of:

(a) if the received location is after the third fixed site along the route;

(i) respectively retrieving the latitude and longitude coordinates for the third fixed site and the second fixed site;

(ii) using the Great Distance Formula and the received location, calculating the fractional distance the vehicle has yet to travel between the third and second fixed sites; and

(iii) multiplying the fractional distance by the estimated time to arrive at the second fixed site from the third fixed site;

(b) if the received location is prior to the third fixed site along the route, and if the standard deviation associated with the statistically calculated time to arrive at the second fixed site is greater than the standard deviation associated with the statistically calculated second time to arrive at the second fixed location;

(iv) respectively retrieving the latitude and longitude coordinates for the first fixed site and the second fixed site;

(v) using the Great Distance Formula and the received location, calculating the fractional distance the vehicle has yet to travel between the first and second fixed sites multiplied by the difference between the estimated time to arrive at the second fixed site from the first fixed site and the second estimated time to arrive at the second fixed site from the first fixed site; and

(vi) adding the calculation of step (b) to the estimated time to arrive at the second fixed site from the third fixed site; and

(c) otherwise;

(vii) respectively retrieving the latitude and longitude coordinates for the first fixed site and the second fixed site;

(viii) using the Great Distance Formula and the received location, calculating the fractional distance the vehicle has yet to travel between the first and second fixed sites; and

(ix) multiplying the fractional distance by the estimated time to arrive at the second fixed site.

8. The method of claim 4 where the historical travel time of a statistically significant population of rail cars between the first and second fixed sites is represented by a probability distribution with an average and a standard deviation, and where the received location is used to filter the probability distribution.

9. The method of claim 8 where the received location is used to calculate a rate of progress of a rail car traveling the route and the probability distribution is filtered to include only those rail cars having a similar rate of progress.

10. The method of claim 9 where the determination of whether a railcar in the probability distribution has a similar rate of progress is based on at least one of:

(a) the difference between the time of arrival at a third fixed site along said route and the time of arrival at the first fixed site; and

(b) the difference between the time of reporting at a variable location by a GPS transmitter and the time of arrival at the second fixed site.

11. A method of automatically modifying a statistical database respectively associating actual arrival times of each of a plurality of railroad freight cars at a destination with a location representative of an area along a route of travel of the plurality of railroad freight cars, using respectively received first time information sent from a one of the plurality of railroad freight cars while present in the area and second time information received at the arrival at the destination, said method comprising:

(a) receiving first time information for a respective one of the plurality of railroad freight cars and associating that respective first time information with second time information received for the respective one of the plurality of railroad freight cars when it arrives at the destination;

(b) repeating step (a) for a threshold number of respective ones of the plurality of railroad freight cars sending respective first time information within the area;

(c) after the threshold number has been reached, subdividing the area along the route of travel into a plurality of new sub-areas, each represented by a location within the respective new sub-area to be associated in the database with actual arrival times of the plurality of railroad freight cars at the destination; and

(d) repeating steps (a) to (c) with respect to each new, subdivided sub-area.

12. The method of claim 11 where the location representative of the area along a route of travel is co-extensive with that area.

13. The method of claim 11 where at least one location representative of an area is a CLM data point.

14. The method of claim 11 where the threshold number is calculated to achieve statistical significance.

15. The method of claim 11 where a CLM data point either bounds the area or is included in the area.

16. The method of claim 11 where the step of subdividing the area along the route of travel is conditioned on a sufficient statistical correlation between a first distribution of associated arrival times at the destination from the location within the area and a second distribution of associated arrival times at the destination from a selected one of:

(a) a second distribution of associated arrival times at the destination from the CLM data point;

or

(b) a second distribution of associated arrival times at the destination from a location associated with a second area, from which the area was subdivided.

17. The method of claim 16 where the statistical correlation is a selected one of:

(a) the respective variances about a mean of the first and second distribution are within a threshold; and

(b) the respective standard deviations of the first and second distribution are within a threshold.

18. The method of claim 11 where the first time information is received from a GPS transmitter.

19. The method of claim 18 where the statistical database is used to estimate a projected arrival time at the destination of a railroad freight car that sends the first time information from within the area.

20. The method of claim 19 where the projected arrival time is calculated by modifying an estimated arrival time from a CLM data point using prior first time information received from said plurality of railroad freight cars.