Locomotive Assistant

• US 20100185472A1
• Filed: 01/20/2009
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Klineman, Jared Cooper, Goodermuth, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 8,386,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

There is provided a system for managing information comprising a network, a hand-held mobile device, and a central server computer. The network is established between the central server computer and the hand-held mobile device to communicate computer readable information between the central server computer and the hand-held mobile device. In an embodiment, the computer-readable information is human interface information related to operation of a train.

Claims

1. A system for managing information comprising:

a network;

a hand-held mobile device; and

a central server computer;

wherein the network is established between the central server computer and the hand-held mobile device to communicate computer readable information between the central server computer and the hand-held mobile device; and

wherein the computer-readable information is human interface information related to operation of a train.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable information comprises a user-fillable form to be completed by a user on the hand-held mobile device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the user-fillable form is at least one of an inspection report, a track restriction, a track authority, a signal report, or a failure report.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable information comprises at least one of reference materials related to operation of the train or a time table comprising information for scheduling operation of the train.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable information comprises at least one of a wheel report comprising real-time or near real-time inventory information for the train or a switch list comprising information for regulating switching activities.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wired or wireless network access point for the mobile device configured to synchronize the computer-readable information between the central server computer and the hand-held mobile device.

7. A method for managing information comprising:

transmitting computer-readable information from a central server computer to a hand-held mobile device over a network, wherein the computer-readable information is human interface information related to operation of a train; and

displaying the computer-readable information on a display of the hand-held mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable information comprises a user-fillable document, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the user-fillable document to be completed by a user on the hand-held mobile device;

at the central server computer, receiving a completed version of the user-fillable document from the hand-held mobile device; and

storing the completed version of the user-fillable document in a data storage medium.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user-fillable document is at least one of an inspection report, a track restriction, a track authority, or a failure report.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable information comprises a plurality of computer-readable documents defining a train operations kit, and wherein the method comprises compiling the plurality of computer-readable documents into the train operations kit at the central server computer.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable information comprises at least one of reference materials related to operation of the train or a time table comprising information for scheduling operation of the train.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the reference materials comprise one or more of a manual, a rulebook, an authority, or a track restriction for operating the train.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable information comprises at least one of a wheel report comprising real-time or near real-time inventory information for the train or a switch list comprising information for regulating switching activities.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the computer-readable information to the hand-held mobile device based upon a detection of wireless connectivity with the central server computer.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising synchronizing the computer-readable information between the central server computer and the hand-held mobile device via at least one of a docking station for the hand-held mobile device, a wired network access point for the hand-held mobile device, or a wireless network access point for the hand-held mobile device.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the train comprises a global positioning system in communication with the central server computer and/or the hand-held mobile device, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting the computer-readable information to the hand-held mobile device based upon a position of the train as determined by the global positioning system.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein the central server computer further comprises safety interlocking logic to be executed by the central server computer, wherein the computer readable information comprises data representing limits of movement authority and speed limits for the train, and wherein the safety interlocking logic transmits the data representing limits of movement authority and speed limits to the hand-held mobile device.

18. A method for managing information comprising:

transmitting a user-fillable document used for operating a train from a central server computer to a hand-held mobile device over a network;

receiving a completed version of the user-fillable document at the central server computer transmitted from the hand-held mobile device over the network; and

storing the completed version of the user-fillable document on at least one of the central server computer and/or a portable memory device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising storing a plurality of completed user-fillable documents into a single database.

20. A method for managing information comprising:

compiling a plurality of computer-readable documents used for operating a train to form a train operations kit at a central server computer;

transmitting one or more of the plurality of computer-readable documents of the train operations kit from the central server computer to a hand-held mobile device over a network; and

displaying the one or more computer-readable documents on a display of the hand-held mobile device.