SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RAIL TRANSPORT OF TRAILERS

• US 20110153470A1
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canadian Pacific Railway Company (Canadian Pacific Railway Limited)
• Original Assignee: Canadian Pacific Railroad
• Inventors: WEBTER, Earl, PARRY, Alan O., VENSLOVAITIS, Ed, TIEN, Hao, MILLER, Douglas J., LEUNG, Philip C., LEFEBVRE, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 8,612,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/00 Central railway traffic control systems; Trackside control; Communication systems specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/40 Handling position reports or trackside vehicle data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A trailer transport system for tracking trains having a plurality of rail cars, wherein each rail car can transport a trailer, is described. The system includes a computer system having a trailer tracking program, wherein the trailer tracking program receives information regarding a trailer to be transported and stores the information in a record and a plurality of terminals, wherein each terminal includes a terminal management system communicatively connected to the computer system, wherein the terminal management system pulls up the record corresponding to the trailer to be transported when the trailer arrives at the terminal and modifies the record to reflect the trailer'"'"'s transportation status.

Claims

1. A trailer transport system for tracking trains having a plurality of rail cars, wherein each rail car can transport a trailer, the system comprising:

a computer system having a trailer tracking program, wherein the trailer tracking program receives information regarding a trailer to be transported and stores the information in a record; and

a plurality of railway terminals, wherein each railway terminal includes means for receiving a train having a plurality of rail cars and means for receiving trailers to be loaded on the rail cars and wherein each railway terminal includes a railway terminal management system communicatively connected to the computer system, wherein the railway terminal management system pulls up the record corresponding to the trailer to be transported when the trailer arrives at the terminal and modifies the record to reflect the trailer'"'"'s transportation status.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein each terminal includes a track and a loading pad crossing the track to facilitate rapid loading and unloading of trailers from the train.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer system includes a reservation system for reserving a slot on a train, wherein the reservation system operates in conjunction with the trailer tracking program to ensure that a trailer to be transported is placed on its assigned train.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal management system includes a trailer tracking system connected to the computer system over a network.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the trailer tracking system includes a terminal interface coupled to the network.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the computer system includes a network and wherein the trailer tracking system includes a terminal interface coupled to the network and a hand held computer unit wirelessly coupled to the terminal interface.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein the trailer tracking system comprises a portable computer.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal management system includes a trailer tracking device, wherein the trailer tracking device is a handheld computer connected to the computer system over a wireless communications channel.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal management system includes an access restriction system which restricts access to physical locations within the railway terminal.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the access restriction system includes a gate and a gate controller, wherein the gate controller operates in conjunction with the computer system to restrict access to the terminal.

11. In a trailer transport system having a computer system and a plurality of railway terminals, including a first and a second railway terminal, wherein each railway terminal is configured to receive trains having a plurality of rail cars and to receive trailers to be loaded on the rail cars, a system for tracking movement of a trailer, comprising:

a network;

a computer system communicatively coupled to the network, wherein the computer system includes a data storage system used to store information identifying the trailer;

a first terminal management system associated with the first railway terminal, wherein the first terminal management system is communicatively coupled to the network and communicates through the network to the computer system; and

a second terminal management system associated with the second railway terminal, wherein the second terminal management system is communicatively coupled to the network and communicates through the network to the computer system;

wherein trailers enter and exit each railway terminal; and

wherein each terminal management system tracks arrivals and departures of the trailers from each railway terminal and modifies the information stored in the data storage system as a function of said arrivals and departures.

12. The trailer transport system of claim 11, wherein the network comprises a token ring network.

13. The trailer transport system of claim 11, wherein the terminal management system comprises an access restriction system which restricts access to physical locations within the railway terminal.

14. The trailer transport system of claim 13, wherein the access restriction system comprises an access controller coupled to an access server, wherein the access server is coupled to the network.

15. In a trailer transport system having a computer system and a plurality of railway terminals, including a first and a second railway terminal, wherein each railway terminal is configured to receive trains having a plurality of rail cars and to receive trailers to be loaded on the rail cars, a system for tracking movement of a trailer, comprising:

a network;

a computer system communicatively coupled to the network, wherein the computer system includes a data storage system used to store information identifying the trailer;

a first access restriction system associated with the first railway terminal, wherein the first access restriction system is communicatively coupled to the network and communicates through the network to the computer system; and

a second access restriction system associated with the second railway terminal, wherein the second access restriction system is communicatively coupled to the network and communicates through the network to the computer system;

wherein trailers enter and exit each railway terminal; and

wherein each access restriction system tracks arrivals and departures of the trailers from the railway terminal and modifies the information stored in the data storage system as a function of said arrivals and departures.

16. The trailer transport system of claim 15, wherein the network comprises a token ring network.

17. The trailer transport system of claim 15, wherein the access restriction system comprises an access controller coupled to an access server, wherein the access server is coupled to the network.

18. The trailer transport system of claim 15, wherein the computer system includes a web server connected through a firewall to the network, wherein the web server is used by trucking companies to reserve a slot on a selected train.

19. The trailer transport system of claim 15, wherein the computer system includes a web server connected through a firewall to the network, wherein the web server is used by trucking companies to enter trailer information to be stored to the data storage system.

20. The trailer transport system of claim 15, wherein the computer system comprises a main frame and an application server, wherein the mainframe and the application server are communicatively coupled to the network.

21. The trailer transport system of claim 15, wherein the access restriction system comprises a hand held computer unit wirelessly coupled to the network.

22. In a trailer transport system having a computer system and a plurality of railway terminals, including a first and a second railway terminal, wherein each railway terminal is configured to receive trains having a plurality of rail cars and to receive trailers to be loaded and transported on the rail cars and wherein the computer system includes a data storage system used to store information identifying the trailers being transported, a terminal management system, comprising:

a network interface;

an access restriction system which restricts access to physical locations within the railway terminal;

a terminal management computer communicatively coupled to the network interface and to the access restriction system, wherein the terminal management computer includes;

means for transferring information about trailers being transported from the railway terminals through the network interface to the computer system; and

means for receiving information about trailers being transported from the railway terminals from the computer system through the network interface.

23. The trailer transport system of claim 22, wherein the access restriction system comprises a hand held computer unit wirelessly coupled to the network.

24. The system according to claim 22, wherein the access restriction system includes a gate and a gate controller, wherein the gate controller operates in conjunction with the computer system to restrict access to its respective railway terminal.