Integrated Rail Efficiency and Safety Support System

• US 20150185090A1
• Filed: 03/11/2015
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Concaten Inc.
• Original Assignee: Concaten Inc.
• Inventors: Groeneweg, Kevin K., Rennie, Christopher J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,989,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/042 Track changes detection
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/53 for trackside elements or systems, e.g. trackside supervision of trackside control system conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

Embodiments of an integrated rail efficiency and safety support system and method are shown comprising a server operable to receive a plurality of sets of collected information, each of the sets of collected information comprising a consist physical location and weather conditions and rail temperatures in an area of the respective consist and to process a predictive rail temperature algorithm for predicting a rail temperature and/or a trend in rail temperature for a selected section of track; and wherein the predictive rail temperature algorithm factors the information provided to it and provides a predicted rail temperature and/or trend in rail temperature for the selected section of track.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a server configured for communication with a plurality of moving consists, each consist comprising at least one rail vehicle, wherein the server;

(a) receives over a network, from the plurality of consists, a plurality of sets of collected information, each of the sets of collected information comprising a consist physical location and observed weather conditions and rail temperatures in an area of the respective consist;

(b) wherein the server is operable to process a predictive rail temperature algorithm for predicting a rail temperature and/or a trend in rail temperature for a selected section of track;

(c) wherein the predictive rail temperature algorithm factors the information provided to it and determines an instruction calculated to influence the rail temperature for the selected section of track; and

(d) wherein the server sends, over the network, the instruction to a user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is a cellular network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is a consist operator.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sets of collected information are sent to the server over a first network, and the instruction are sent to the consist over a second network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is a supervisor.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the supervisor is not located in a consist.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the supervisor relays the instruction to an operator of one of the plurality of consists.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the supervisor relays the instruction orally via a radio signal.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the supervisor relays the instruction electronically via a text message.

3. The system of claim wherein the network is a radio network.

11. A method, comprising:

(a) receiving over a network, from a plurality of moving consists, each consist comprising at least one rail vehicle, and by a server, a plurality of sets of collected information, each of the sets of collected information comprising a consist physical location and observed weather conditions and rail temperatures in an area of the respective consist;

(b) processing, by the server a predictive rail temperature algorithm for predicting a rail temperature and/or a trend in rail temperature for a selected section of track;

(c) wherein the predictive rail temperature algorithm factors the information provided to it and determines an instruction calculated to influence the rail temperature for the selected section of track; and

(d) sending, by the server and over the network, the instruction to a user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the network is a cellular network.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the network is a radio network,

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the user is a consist operator.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sets of collected information are sent to the server over a first network, and the instruction are sent to the consist over a second network.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the user is a supervisor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the supervisor is not located in a consist.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the supervisor relays the instruction to an operator of one of the plurality of consists.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the supervisor relays the instruction orally via a radio signal.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the supervisor relays the instruction electronically via a text message.