System and method for remote bus diagnosis and control

• US 6,611,739 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: New Flyer Industries Canada ULC (NFI Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: New Flyer Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Harvey, Lee, Pachet, Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/722,822
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/33, 701/30, 455/457, 455/423, 455/419, 455/418, 455/517, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/213, 709/244, 370/241, 370/245
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/13 the indicator being in the form of a map

Abstract

A system and method allow for remote control of a bus or other vehicle and for collection of bus operating and diagnostic data collected from an bus onboard data collection and control system. The system allows for wireless communication between the bus and a local bus operating center. The bus operating center may include an Internet web site and an Internet server that receives the data from the bus. The data may be aggregated for several buses, or may be retained on an individual bus basis. The system and method provides for non-intrusive diagnosis of the bus or other vehicle. The system includes an onboard computer that contains vehicle operating and diagnosis programs. The computer may be interfaced locally at the bus, or remotely from another location. Parameter values of bus components may be displayed using human to machine interfaces. The interfaces may include virtual objects that represent actual bus components or that are used to display component parameters in a readily readable fashion.

Claims

1. A system for controlling and diagnosing operation of a bus,

comprising:

a central control station;

one or more local bus operating centers coupled to the central control station, a local bus operating center comprising;

a web site, and

an Internet server; and

one or more buses, wherein a bus is coupled to one of the one or more local bus operating centers using a wireless communications network, wherein the bus provides data to the web site and receives control signals from the web site, wherein the central control station accesses the web site to receive the bus data, and wherein the bus comprises;

one or more input/output (I/O) blocks coupled to the bus components;

a data bus coupled to the I/O blocks;

a scanner card coupled to the data bus, the scanner card reading data signals off the data bus and providing signals to the I/O blocks using the data bus;

a computer coupled to the scanner card and controlling operation of the scanner card, wherein the computer comprises;

diagnostics modules that determine a status of bus components, and

a control module that provides control functions to the bus components;

an interface coupled to the computer, wherein the interface comprises;

a display that displays human to machine interfaces indicative of the bus components, and

a user input that provides commands from a user to the computer; and

a database that stores parameter values for the bus components.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the central control station provides the control signals to the bus.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the local bus operating center provides the control signal s to the bus.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control signals include an engine stop command.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data are provided in real-time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data are provided in near real-time.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the database further comprises virtual objects, each of the virtual objects corresponding to a component of the bus, wherein the virtual objects are displayed to indicate real-time-variation of a parameter of the bus component.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein a virtual object is displayed as part of a human to machine interface.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control module comprises one or more ladder programs, and wherein a ladder program comprises one or more features required to operate a bus component.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the ladder program comprises a remote operation function that permits remote control of the one or more features.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the local bus operating center and the central control station communicate using a wired communications network.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the local bus operating center and the central control station communicate using a wireless communications network.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the data provided to the web site includes historical data.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the data provided to the web site includes averaged data.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the web site aggregates selected data for the one or more buses, and provides the aggregated data to the central control station.

16. A method for operating a fleet of buses, comprising:

collecting operating data from one or more buses in the fleet of buses, wherein the operating data comprises a status of bus components;

transmitting the collected operating data to a local bus operating center, the local bus operating center including an Internet web site;

posting the data on the web site;

sending the posted data from the web site to a central control station;

determining a status of the bus components using diagnostics modules located in a bus, wherein the bus comprises;

one or more input/output (I/O) blocks coupled to the bus components;

a data bus coupled to the I/O blocks;

a scanner card coupled to the data bus, the scanner card reading data signals off the data bus and providing signals to the I/O blocks using the data bus;

a computer coupled to the scanner card and controlling operation of the scanner card;

an interface coupled to the computer, wherein the interface comprises;

a display that displays human to machine interfaces indicative of the bus components, and

a user input that provides commands from a user to the computer; and

a database that stores parameter values for the bus components; and

providing control functions to the bus components using a control module located in the bus.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising, sending bus operating control signals to a bus.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising sending the bus operating control signals from the central control station.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising sending the bus operating control signals from the local bus operating center.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the bus operating control signals and the operating data are sent using a wireless communications network.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing the operating data in real-time.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing the operating data in near real-time.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the bus operating data comprises diagnostic data.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the bus operating data are displayed on a human-to-machine interface.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

aggregating bus operating data for more than one bus; and

providing the aggregated bus data.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of aggregating is performed at the local bus operating center, and wherein the aggregated bus data is provided to the central control station.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of aggregating is performed at the central control station.