System, method and computer readable memory medium for verifying track database information

• US 8,271,153 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murshed, Nagi
• Application Number:
  US12/208,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20100063657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0072 On-board train data handling
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates

Abstract

A system for verifying data in a track database comprises a track profile database stored in a memory having data relative to one or more track grades and geographic coordinates or range of coordinates associated with each of the one or more track grades. A vehicle trip plan is developed according to the track profile data that comprises a designated path of travel of the vehicle over the track system and a planned vehicle operating condition associated with each of the one or more track grades and the associated coordinates or range of coordinates of the track grades. A controller is configured to compare a stored current vehicle operating condition of the vehicle and associated geographic coordinates to the planned vehicle operating condition to verify the accuracy of the track grade data at the associated geographic coordinates.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a track profile database stored in a memory, the database having track profile data relative to one or more track grades of a track on which a powered vehicle travels and designated geographic locations associated with locations of the one or more track grades and wherein the track profile data further includes an identity of one or more wayside devices and designated geographic locations of the one or more wayside devices;

wherein the powered vehicle is operated over the track according to one or more planned vehicle operating conditions that are determined based on the one or more track grades;

a data storage device for storing one or more current operating conditions of the powered vehicle at the designated geographic locations associated with the one or more track grades as the powered vehicle travels on the track;

a controller configured to verify an accuracy of the track profile data at the designated geographic locations associated with the one or more track grades by comparing the one or more current operating conditions of the powered vehicle to the one or more planned operating conditions for the powered vehicle at the designated geographic locations; and

a camera configured to obtain images of the one or more wayside devices as the powered vehicle travels on the track.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more planned operating conditions include a planned speed of the powered vehicle and the one or more current operating conditions include a current actual speed of the powered vehicle, and wherein the controller is configured to verify the accuracy of the track profile data by comparing the current actual speed of the powered vehicle to the planned speed of the powered vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the track profile database further comprises one or more speed restrictions associated with one or more of the designated geographic locations.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a global positioning system transceiver configured to be disposed onboard the powered vehicle and to transmit vehicle location data to the data storage device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the powered vehicle is a locomotive that is configured to travel on a railroad track system and the controller is configured to be disposed onboard the locomotive.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine an actual location of the powered vehicle relative to one or more of the designated geographic locations based on a distance that the powered vehicle has traveled on the track from a reference point.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to mark the track profile data in the track profile database that has not been verified as accurate.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to verify an accuracy of the designated geographic locations of the one or more wayside devices by directing the camera to obtain the images when the powered vehicle is disposed at the designated geographic locations of the one or more wayside devices.

9. A method comprising:

providing a track profile database stored in a memory, the database having track profile data relative to one or more track grades of a track on which a powered vehicle travels and designated geographic locations associated with locations of the one or more track grades and wherein the track profile data includes an identity of one or more wayside devices and designated geographic locations of the one or more wayside devices;

monitoring one or more current operating conditions of the powered vehicle at the designated geographic locations associated with the one or more track grades as the vehicle travels on the track according to one or more planned operating conditions that are determined based on the one or more track grades;

obtaining images of the one or more wayside devices as the powered vehicle travels on the track; and

verifying an accuracy of the track profile data at the geographic locations associated with the one or more track grades by comparing the one or more current operating conditions of the powered vehicle to the planned operating conditions of the powered vehicle at the designated geographic locations.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more planned operating conditions of the powered vehicle include a planned speed of the powered vehicle and monitoring the one or more current operating conditions of the powered vehicle comprises monitoring a current actual speed of the powered vehicle, further wherein verifying the accuracy of the track profile data includes comparing the current actual speed to the planned operating speed.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the track profile database includes one or more speed restrictions associated with one or more of the designated geographic locations.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting vehicle location data from a global positioning system transceiver disposed onboard the powered vehicle to the data storage device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the powered vehicle is a locomotive that travels on a railroad track system and verifying the accuracy of the track profile data is performed onboard the powered vehicle.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein monitoring the one or more current operating conditions of the powered vehicle includes determining an actual location of the powered vehicle relative to one or more of the designated geographic locations based on a distance that the powered vehicle has traveled on the track from a reference point.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising marking the track profile data in the track profile database that has not been verified as accurate.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising verifying an accuracy of the designated geographic locations of the one or more wayside devices based on the images of the one or more wayside devices that are obtained when the powered vehicle is at the designated locations of the one or more wayside devices.

17. A system comprising:

a route profile database stored in a memory, the database having route profile data relating to one or more route grades of a route on which a powered vehicle travels and one or more designated locations associated with the one or more route grades and wherein the track profile data includes an identity of one or more wayside devices and designated geographic locations of the one or more wayside devices;

wherein the powered vehicle is operated over the route according to one or more planned vehicle operating conditions that are based on the one or more route grades;

a data storage device for storing one or more current operating conditions of the powered vehicle at the one or more designated locations associated with the one or more route grades as the powered vehicle travels on the route;

a controller configured to verify an accuracy of the route profile data by comparing the one or more current operating conditions of the powered vehicle to the one or more planned operating conditions at the one or more designated locations; and

a camera configured to obtain images of the one or more wayside devices as the powered vehicle travels on the track.

18. A method comprising:

monitoring one or more current operating conditions of a powered vehicle traveling along a route at one or more designated locations associated with one or more previously designated grades of the route, the powered vehicle traveling along the route according to one or more planned operating conditions that are based on the one or more previously designated route grades; and

verifying an accuracy of one or more previously designated route grades by comparing the one or more current operating conditions of the powered vehicle to the one or more planned operating conditions at the one or more designated locations;

wherein the one or more planned operating conditions include a planned speed of the powered vehicle and the one or more current operating conditions include a current actual speed of the powered vehicle, and wherein verifying the accuracy includes comparing the current actual speed of the powered vehicle to the planned speed of the powered vehicle.