SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING OPERATION OF VEHICLES

• US 20100174576A1
• Filed: 01/04/2010
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New Flyer Industries Canada ULC (NFI Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: New Flyer Industries Canada ULC (NFI Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Naylor, David Glen
• Granted Patent: US 8,548,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/30 Transportation; Communications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

Systems, methods, devices, and computer programming products useful for the gathering and use of data relating to structural loading and other operational use of transit and other vehicles, and their systems. Systems according to the invention can, for example, comprise one or more data acquisition devices such as strain gauges, accelerometers, or other sensors; data processors; memories; and communications systems. Such systems, methods, and programming are useful in a wide variety of ways, including, for example, monitoring the structural status and use of vehicles and their systems, including fatigue other operational analyses; gathering and applying data useful in the maintenance of such vehicles and the routes they travel; monitoring the use/abuse of such vehicles by operators and other individuals; reporting traffic events or anomalies; and routing transit and other vehicles around such events or anomalies. Rainflow, level-crossing and other peak-counting or event-counting algorithms are applied to advantage, such that required data storage is greatly reduced, and life-long monitoring is feasible.

Claims

1. A device for acquiring data related to structural loading of a transit or other vehicle, the device attachable to the vehicle and comprising:

one or more sensors configured for sensing structural events experienced by the vehicle, and for providing corresponding output signals;

at least one data processor configured for using said output signals to generate data useful in determining structural response of the vehicle to the structural events;

memory usable by the at least one data processor for storing the generated data useful in determining structural response of the vehicle.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more accelerometers.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more strain gauges.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the using said output signals to generate data useful in determining structural response of the vehicle to structural events comprises counting reversals in peaks in said output signals of more than at least one predetermined threshold.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the at least one predetermined threshold is programmable.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein using said output signals to generate data useful in determining structural response of the vehicle to the structural events comprises application by said at least one data processor of a peak- or level-crossing algorithm.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the post-processed peak or level-crossing data is stored in said memory, for retrieval at any time during vehicle life.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein using said output signals to generate data useful in determining structural response of the vehicle to the structural events comprises application by said at least one data processor of a rainflow algorithm.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the post-processed rainflow count data is stored in said memory, for retrieval at any time during the vehicle life

10. The device of claim 1, wherein data stored in said memory is accessible by at least one other data processor via a data bus installed in the transit vehicle.

11. The device of claim 1, a power mode of the device is controllable using a vehicle ignition input signal.

12. A system for acquiring data related to structural loading of a transit or other vehicle, the system installable in the vehicle and comprising a plurality of data acquisition devices, at least one data processor, an on-board data communication system, and memory accessible by the at least one data processor:

each of the plurality of data acquisition devices comprising one or more sensors configured for sensing structural events experienced by the vehicle, and for providing corresponding output signals;

the at least one data processor configured for processing said output signals to generate data useful in determining structural response of the vehicle to the structural events, and to store the generated data in the memory accessible by the at least one data processor;

the on-board data communication system configured for communication of the output signals and the data useful in determining structural response of the vehicle between the plurality of data acquisition devices, the at least one data processor, and the memory usable by the at least one data processor.

13. A system for acquiring data related to structural loading of a transit or other vehicle, the system installable in the vehicle and comprising a plurality of data acquisition devices, at least one controller, and an on-board data communication system;

each of the plurality of data acquisition devices comprising one or more sensors configured for sensing structural events experienced by the vehicle, and for providing corresponding output signals;

at least one data processor configured for using said output signals to generate data useful in determining structural response of the vehicle to the structural events; and

memory usable by the at least one data processor for storing the data useful in determining structural response of the vehicle;

the at least one controller configured to control at least one of acquisition, processing, and storage of the data useful in determining structural response of the vehicle;

the on-board data communication system configured for communication of the data useful in determining structural response of the vehicle between the plurality of data acquisition devices and the controller.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a data input/output port configured for communicating the same or other data useful in determining structural response of the vehicle to an external maintenance or diagnostic tool.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a data input/output port configured for communicating the same or other data useful in determining structural response of the vehicle to a remote data processing system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the data input/output port comprises wireless communications means.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising memory usable by the controller for storing data processed by the controller.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) for providing data accessible by the controller relating to the location of the vehicle.

19. A method of scheduling repair or maintenance of a transit path, the method performed by a data processor and comprising:

receiving signals representing data generated aboard at least one transit vehicle, the signals useful for determining the location of a structural event experienced by the vehicle;

determining the location of the structural event experienced by the vehicle on a path traveled by the vehicle;

storing in volatile or persistent memory signals representing the determined location;

using the stored signals representing the determined location, generating signals useful for scheduling a path repair or maintenance activity to be conducted at the determined location; and

outputting the generated signals useful for scheduling a path repair or maintenance activity to be conducted at the determined location in a form useful in performing the repair or maintenance activity.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data useful for determining the location of a structural event experienced by the vehicle is generated using input provided by at least one data acquisition device and at least one global positioning system aboard the vehicle.

21. A method of scheduling repair or maintenance of at least one transit vehicle, the method performed by a data processor and comprising:

receiving signals representing data generated aboard at least one transit vehicle, the data generated using signals provided by one or more sensors attached to the vehicle in response to structural events experienced by the vehicle;

storing the received signals in volatile or persistent memory;

using the stored signals, generating signals useful for scheduling repair or maintenance activities to be performed on the vehicle; and

outputting the generated signals useful for scheduling repair or maintenance activities to be performed on the vehicle in a form useful in performing the repair or maintenance activity.

22. A method of processing data useful for monitoring the performance of an operator of a transit vehicle, the method performed by a data processor and comprising:

receiving signals representing data generated aboard at least one transit vehicle, the signals useful for determining the time and location of a structural event experienced by the vehicle;

determining the time and location of the structural event experienced by the vehicle on a path traveled by the vehicle;

storing in volatile or persistent memory signals representing the determined time and location;

using the stored signals representing the determined time and location to generate signals useful for creating a report pertaining to the performance of an operator of the vehicle at the time and location of the structural event.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the data useful for determining the time and location of a structural event experienced by the vehicle is generated using input provided by at least one data acquisition device, at least one clock, and at least one global positioning system aboard the vehicle.

24. The method of claim 22, comprising providing for the operator of the vehicle a message comprising at least one of an alert and an instruction related to the structural event.

25. A method of processing data useful for routing of transit vehicles, the method performed by a data processor and comprising:

receiving signals representing data generated aboard at least one transit vehicle, the signals useful for determining the time and location of a traffic event experienced by the vehicle;

determining the time and location of the traffic event experienced by the vehicle on a path traveled by the vehicle;

storing in volatile or persistent memory signals representing the determined time and location;

using the stored signals representing the determined time and location to generate signals useful for routing the same or other transit vehicles to avoid the traffic event.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the data useful for determining the time and location of a traffic experienced by the vehicle is generated using input provided by at least one data acquisition device, at least one clock, and at least one global positioning system aboard the vehicle.

27. A device for acquiring data related to operation of a vehicle system, the device attachable to the vehicle and comprising:

one or more sensors configured for sensing one or more operating conditions experienced by the system, and for providing corresponding output signals;

at least one data processor configured for using said output signals to generate data useful in recording operational use of the system, the output signals generated using at least one peak-counting or level-crossing algorithm to identify relevant operating history parameters;

memory usable by the at least one data processor for storing the generated data useful in determining the recording operational of the system and a duty-cycle to which it has been exposed.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the algorithm used to identify operating history parameters comprises a rainflow counting algorithm.

29. The device of claim 27, wherein the algorithm used to identify operating history parameters comprises a level-crossing algorithm, such that a complete duty cycle of the system is recorded.

30. The device of claim 28, wherein the post-processed rainflow count data is stored in said memory, for retrieval at any time during the vehicle life

31. The device of claim 29, wherein the post-processed level-crossing data is stored in said memory, for retrieval at any time during vehicle life.

32. A system for acquiring data related to operation of a vehicle system, data acquisition system comprising a plurality of data acquisition devices, at least one data processor, an on-board data communication system, and memory accessible by the at least one data processor;

each of the plurality of data acquisition devices comprising one or more sensors configured for sensing operating conditions of at least one vehicle system, and for providing corresponding output signals;

the at least one data processor configured for using said output signals to generate data useful in recording operational use of the system, the output signals generated using at least one peak-counting algorithm to identify relevant operating history parameters;

the on-board data communication system configured for communication of the output signals and the data useful in recording operational use of the system between the plurality of data acquisition devices, the at least one data processor, and the memory usable by the at least one data processor.

33. A method of processing data useful for monitoring use of a system of a transit or other vehicle, the method performed by a data processor and comprising:

receiving signals representing data generated aboard at least one transit vehicle, the signals useful for recording an operational history of the vehicle system;

storing in volatile or persistent memory signals representing the operational history of the vehicle system;

using the stored signals representing the operational history of the vehicle system to generate signals useful for creating a report pertaining to the use of the vehicle system.

34. The method of claim 33, comprising providing for an operator of the vehicle a message comprising at least one of an alert and an instruction related to the operational history.