System, method and computer readable media for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive
First Claim
1. A system for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive, the locomotive traveling at a locomotive speed and comprising a plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels, the system comprising:
- at least one speed inferring system coupled to each of said plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels for detecting rotation of each axle and generating at least one detection signal based upon detecting rotation of each axle, said at least one detection signal comprising at least one speed signal indicative of locomotive speed and at least one non-rotating signal indicative of a non-rotating axle; and
a main controller coupled to each of said at least one speed inferring system and responsive to said at least one detection signal, said main controller for identifying said at least one non-rotating signal and for initiating at least one alert signal of said at least one non-rotating axle of said plurality of axles based upon identifying said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal;
wherein said at least one speed inferring system involves comparing said locomotive speed with the rotational speed of each of said plurality of axles, wherein the rotational speed of said non-rotating axle is based on said locomotive speed reduced by at least a threshold differential.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive is provided for a locomotive including a plurality of axles. The system includes one or more speed inferring systems coupled to each axle to detect rotation of each axle and generate detection signals based upon detecting rotation of each axle. The detection signals include one of speed signals indicative of locomotive speed and non-rotating signals indicative of a non-rotating axle. More particularly, a main controller is coupled to each speed inferring system and is responsive to each detection signal. The main controller identifies non-rotating signals of the detection signals to initiate one or more alert signals of one or more respective non-rotating axles of the plurality of axles. Additionally, the main controller is coupled to an operator panel to alert a locomotive operator of an applied status of a locomotive parking brake in response to the alert signal.
13 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A system for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive, the locomotive traveling at a locomotive speed and comprising a plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels, the system comprising:
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at least one speed inferring system coupled to each of said plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels for detecting rotation of each axle and generating at least one detection signal based upon detecting rotation of each axle, said at least one detection signal comprising at least one speed signal indicative of locomotive speed and at least one non-rotating signal indicative of a non-rotating axle; and a main controller coupled to each of said at least one speed inferring system and responsive to said at least one detection signal, said main controller for identifying said at least one non-rotating signal and for initiating at least one alert signal of said at least one non-rotating axle of said plurality of axles based upon identifying said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal; wherein said at least one speed inferring system involves comparing said locomotive speed with the rotational speed of each of said plurality of axles, wherein the rotational speed of said non-rotating axle is based on said locomotive speed reduced by at least a threshold differential. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive, the locomotive traveling at a locomotive speed and comprising a plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels, the system comprising:
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at least one speed inferring system coupled to each of said plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels for detecting rotation of each axle and generating at least one detection signal based upon detecting rotation of each axle, said at least one detection signal comprising at least one speed signal indicative of locomotive speed and at least one non-rotating signal indicative of a non-rotating axle; and a main controller coupled to each of said at least one speed inferring system and responsive to said at least one detection signal, said main controller for identifying said at least one non-rotating signal and for initiating at least one alert signal of said at least one non-rotating axle of said plurality of axles based upon identifying said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal; wherein said main controller is coupled to an operator panel within an operator cabin of said locomotive, and wherein said operator panel is responsive to said at least one alert signal for alerting a locomotive operator of an applied status of a locomotive parking brake; and wherein said main controller initiates said at least one alert signal to said operator panel at an increasing frequency based upon an increasing locomotive distance traveled while identifying said non-rotating signal beyond a predetermined distance from an initial starting point. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A system for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive, the locomotive traveling at a locomotive speed and comprising a plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels, the system comprising:
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at least one speed inferring system coupled to each of said plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels for detecting rotation of each axle and generating at least one detection signal based upon detecting rotation of each axle, said at least one detection signal comprising at least one speed signal indicative of locomotive speed and at least one non-rotating signal indicative of a non-rotating axle; and a main controller coupled to each of said at least one speed inferring system and responsive to said at least one detection signal, said main controller for identifying said at least one non-rotating signal and for initiating at least one alert signal of said at least one non-rotating axle of said plurality of axles based upon identifying said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal; wherein said main controller is coupled to an operator panel within an operator cabin of said locomotive, and wherein said operator panel is responsive to said at least one alert signal for alerting a locomotive operator of an applied status of a locomotive parking brake; and wherein said at least one alert signal further includes at least one audible alarm signal, and wherein said operator panel includes an audible indicator responsive to said at least one audible alarm signal for audibly instructing said locomotive operator of said applied status of the locomotive parking brake.
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20. A system for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive, the locomotive traveling at a locomotive speed and comprising a plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels, the system comprising:
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at least one speed inferring system coupled to each of said plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels for detecting rotation of each axle and generating at least one detection signal based upon detecting rotation of each axle, said at least one detection signal comprising at least one speed signal indicative of locomotive speed and at least one non-rotating signal indicative of a non-rotating axle; and a main controller coupled to each of said at least one speed inferring system and responsive to said at least one detection signal, said main controller for identifying said at least one non-rotating signal and for initiating at least one alert signal of said at least one non-rotating axle of said plurality of axles based upon identifying said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal; wherein said locomotive speed is less than a threshold speed; and
wherein said main controller initiates;at least one counteracting signal to at least one brake system of said locomotive based upon receiving said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal, said at least one counteracting signal comprising at least one stop signal to one of said at least one brake system of said locomotive to stop said locomotive, and at least one alert signal to an operator panel within an operator cabin of said locomotive for instructing a locomotive operator to release a locomotive parking brake upon stopping said locomotive. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A system for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive, the locomotive traveling at a locomotive speed and comprising a plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels, the system comprising:
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at least one speed inferring system coupled to each of said plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels for detecting rotation of each axle and generating at least one detection signal based upon detecting rotation of each axle, said at least one detection signal comprising at least one speed signal indicative of locomotive speed and at least one non-rotating signal indicative of a non-rotating axle; and a main controller coupled to each of said at least one speed inferring system and responsive to said at least one detection signal, said main controller for identifying said at least one non-rotating signal and for initiating at least one alert signal of said at least one non-rotating axle of said plurality of axles based upon identifying said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal; wherein said locomotive speed is less than a threshold speed; and
wherein said main controller initiates at least one counteracting signal to at least one brake system of said locomotive based upon receiving said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal, said at least one counteracting signal comprising;at least one stop signal to one of said at least one brake system of said locomotive to stop said locomotive, and at least one parking brake signal to a parking brake system of said locomotive to release a locomotive parking brake upon stopping said locomotive for preventing the formation of a flat spot on said at least one respective pair of wheels for said at least one non-rotating axle. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A system for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive, the locomotive traveling at a locomotive speed and comprising a plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels, the system comprising:
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at least one speed inferring system coupled to each of said plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels for detecting rotation of each axle and generating at least one detection signal based upon detecting rotation of each axle, said at least one detection signal comprising at least one speed signal indicative of locomotive speed and at least one non-rotating signal indicative of a non-rotating axle; and a main controller coupled to each of said at least one speed inferring system and responsive to said at least one detection signal, said main controller for identifying said at least one non-rotating signal and for initiating at least one alert signal of said at least one non-rotating axle of said plurality of axles based upon identifying said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal; wherein said detection signal includes temporally spaced-apart peaks, each of said peaks based upon said at least one speed inferring system detecting rotation of said plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A system for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive, the locomotive traveling at a locomotive speed and comprising a plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels, the system comprising:
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at least one speed inferring system coupled to each of said plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels for detecting rotation of each axle and generating at least one detection signal based upon detecting rotation of each axle, said at least one detection signal comprising at least one speed signal indicative of locomotive speed and at least one non-rotating signal indicative of a non-rotating axle; and a main controller coupled to each of said at least one speed inferring system and responsive to said at least one detection signal, said main controller for identifying said at least one non-rotating signal and for initiating at least one alert signal of said at least one non-rotating axle of said plurality of axles based upon identifying said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal; wherein said locomotive speed is less than a threshold speed; and
wherein said main controller initiates at least one counteracting signal to at least one brake system of said locomotive based upon receiving said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal, said at least one counteracting signal comprising;at least one brake reduction signal for a predetermined time to at least one of an airbrake system and a dynamic brake system of said locomotive to reduce the respective output of said airbrake system and dynamic brake system, at least one stop signal to one of said at least one brake system of said locomotive to stop said locomotive, and at least one parking brake signal to a parking brake system of said locomotive to release a locomotive parking brake upon stopping said locomotive for preventing the formation of a flat spot on said at least one respective pair of wheels for said at least one non-rotating axle.
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27. A method for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive, the locomotive traveling at a locomotive speed and comprising a plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels, the method comprising:
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coupling at least one speed inferring system to each of said plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels for detecting rotation of said axle; coupling said at least one speed inferring system to a main controller of said locomotive; generating at least one detection signal from each of said at least one speed inferring system based upon detecting rotation of said axle, said at least one detection signal comprising at least one speed signal indicative of locomotive speed and at least one non-rotating signal indicative of a non-rotating axle; comparing said locomotive speed with a rotational speed of each of said plurality of axles, said non-rotating axle has a rotational speed of said locomotive speed reduced by at least a threshold differential; transmitting said at least one detection signal from each of said at least one speed inferring system to said main controller; identifying each of said at least one detection signal as one of said speed signal and said non-rotation signal; and initiating at least one alert signal of said at least one non-rotating axle of said plurality of axles based upon said identifying said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A system for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive, the locomotive traveling at a locomotive speed and comprising a plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels, the system comprising:
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at least one speed inferring system coupled to each of said plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels for detecting rotation of each axle and generating at least one detection signal based upon detecting rotation of each axle, said at least one detection signal comprising at least one speed signal indicative of locomotive speed and at least one non-rotating signal indicative of a non-rotating axle; and a main controller coupled to each of said at least one speed inferring system and responsive to said at least one detection signal, said main controller for identifying said at least one non-rotating signal and for initiating at least one alert signal of said at least one non-rotating axle of said plurality of axles based upon identifying said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal; wherein said at least one speed inferring system includes a speed sensor and wherein the level of said at least one non-rotating signal is less than a statistically derived value of said at least one detection signal adjusted by at least a predetermined amount; wherein said statistically derived value is one of a median or mean of said at least one detection signal, and wherein said predetermined amount is 20% of the value of said statistically derived value; wherein said locomotive speed is less than a threshold speed, and wherein said method further comprises; initiating at least one counteracting signal to at least one brake system of said locomotive based upon receiving said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal, said initiating at least one counteracting signal comprising initiating at least one stop signal to one of said at least one brake system of said locomotive to stop said locomotive, and initiating at least one alert signal to an operator panel within an operator cabin of said locomotive for instructing a locomotive operator to release a locomotive parking brake upon stopping said locomotive.
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31. A method for annunciating a non-rotating axle on a locomotive after the locomotive has traveled a predetermined distance with said non-rotating axle, the locomotive traveling at a locomotive speed and comprising a plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels, the method comprising:
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monitoring the rotational speed of each axle of said plurality of axles; monitoring said locomotive speed; integrating said locomotive speed over a time duration during which said rotational speed of at least one of said plurality of axles is lower than a non-rotation threshold and said locomotive speed is greater than a low speed threshold; and initiating at least one alert signal of said at least one non-rotating axle of said plurality of axles based upon said integrating said locomotive speed over said time duration reaching a predetermined distance threshold. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. Computer readable media containing program instructions for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive, the locomotive traveling at a locomotive speed and comprising a plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels, each of said plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels coupled to at least one speed inferring system for detecting rotation of said axle, each of said at least one speed inferring system coupled to a main controller of said locomotive, the computer readable media comprising:
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a computer program code for generating at least one detection signal from each of said at least one speed inferring system based upon detecting rotation of said axle, said computer program code for generating at least one detection signal comprising computer program code for generating at least one speed signal indicative of locomotive speed and computer program code for generating at least one non-rotating signal indicative of a non-rotating axle; a computer program code for comparing said locomotive speed with a rotational speed of each of said plurality of axles, said non-rotating axle has a rotational speed of said locomotive speed reduced by at least a threshold differential; a computer program code for transmitting said at least one detection signal from each of said at least one speed inferring system to said main controller; a computer program code for identifying each of said at least one detection signal as one of said speed signal and said non-rotation signal; and a computer program code for initiating at least one alert signal of said at least one non-rotating axle of said plurality of axles based upon said computer program code for identifying said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal.
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34. A processing system for reducing wheel sliding on a locomotive, the locomotive traveling at a locomotive speed and comprising a plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels, the processing system comprising:
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at least one speed inferring system coupled to each of said plurality of axles and respective pair of wheels for detecting rotation of each axle and generating at least one detection signal based upon detecting rotation of each axle, said at least one detection signal comprising at least one speed signal indicative of locomotive speed and at least one non-rotating signal indicative of a non-rotating axle; and at least one signal processor coupled to each of said at least one speed inferring system, each signal processor configurable to perform the steps of; generating said at least one detection signal from each speed inferring system based upon detecting rotation of each axle, comprising generating said at least one speed signal indicative of locomotive speed; and generating said at least one non-rotating signal indicative of a non-rotating axle based on comparing said locomotive speed with a rotational speed of each of said plurality of axles, said non-rotating axle having a rotational speed of said locomotive speed reduced by at least a threshold differential; transmitting said at least one detection signal from each speed inferring system to a main controller; identifying each detection signal as one of said at least one speed signal and said at least one non-rotation signal; and initiating at least one alert signal of said at least one non-rotating axle of said plurality of axles based upon identifying said at least one non-rotating signal of said at least one detection signal. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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Specification