System, method, and computer software code for optimizing speed regulation of a remotely controlled powered system

• US 8,295,993 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2008
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• 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): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peche, Jorge
• Application Number:
  US12/126,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20080312775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,613 Days
• Field of Search: 701/19, 701/20, 701/33, 701/36, 701/117, 701/204, 701/211, 701/213, 701/2, 701/100, 701/121, 701/427, 701/430, 701/448, 701/468, 340/993, 340/995.19, 340/995.12, 340/825.69
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0058 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/026 Relative localisation, e.g. using odometer

Abstract

A system for operating a remotely controlled powered system, the system including a feedfoward gains element configured to provide information to the remotely controlled powered system to establish a velocity, and a feedback gains element configured to provide information from the remotely controlled powered system to the feedforward gains element. A method and a computer software code are further disclosed for operating the remotely controlled powered system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving terrain information at an operator control unit that is disposed off-board a vehicle system traveling along a route, the terrain information representative of terrain over which the route extends;

presenting the terrain information on the operator control unit to an operator of the operator control unit;

transmitting commands from the operator control unit to the vehicle system to control a velocity of the vehicle system, wherein the commands are based on the terrain information that is presented to the operator;

receiving the commands from the operator that is disposed remote from the vehicle system in order to control the velocity of the vehicle system in response to the terrain information that is received from the vehicle system;

wherein receiving the terrain information includes receiving the terrain information from the vehicle system, and

wherein the terrain information is received from a memory disposed onboard the vehicle system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the terrain information presented to the operator at least one of visually or audibly.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle system comprises at least one of a railway transportation system, a marine vessel, an off-highway vehicle, a transportation vehicle, or an agricultural vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the terrain information represents upcoming terrain of the route that the vehicle system is traveling toward.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the terrain information and transmitting the commands is wirelessly performed using a wireless communication system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands are motoring commands transmitted to the vehicle system to control the velocity of the vehicle system based on the terrain information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands are braking commands transmitted to the vehicle system to control the velocity of the vehicle system based on the terrain information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the terrain information and transmitting the commands is performed in a closed-loop feedback cycle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the operator control unit is a mobile device configured to be held by a single human operator.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the terrain information represents at least one of grade or curvature of the terrain.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the terrain information and transmitting the commands are performed when the vehicle system is moving along the route.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer software code for operating within a processor for operating a remotely controlled vehicle system from an operator control unit disposed off-board the vehicle system, the computer software code comprising one or more computer software modules for:

receiving terrain information at the operator control unit that is representative of a terrain over which a route extends that the vehicle system is traveling along;

presenting the terrain information on the operator control unit to an operator of the operator control unit;

transmitting commands from the operator control unit to control a velocity of the vehicle system, wherein the commands are based on the terrain information;

wherein the one or more computer software modules are configured to receive the terrain information from the vehicle system in order to control the velocity of the vehicle system;

wherein the one or more computer software modules are configured to communicate the terrain information from the vehicle system to the operator control unit, and

wherein the terrain information is received from a memory disposed onboard the vehicle system.

13. The computer software code according to claim 12, wherein the one or more computer software modules present the terrain information to the operator at least one of visually or audibly.

14. The computer software code according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle system comprises at least one of a railway transportation system, a marine vessel, an off-highway vehicle, a transportation vehicle, or an agricultural vehicle.

15. The computer software code of claim 12, wherein the terrain information represents upcoming terrain of the route that the vehicle system is traveling toward.

16. The computer software code of claim 12, wherein the one or more computer software modules are configured to wirelessly receive the terrain information and wirelessly transmit the commands.

17. The computer software code of claim 12, wherein the terrain information represents at least one of grade or curvature of the terrain.

18. The computer software code of claim 12, wherein the one or more computer software modules are configured to receive the terrain information and transmit the commands when the vehicle system is moving along the route.

19. A system comprising:

an operator control unit disposed off-board a powered vehicle system moving along a route, the operator control unit for receiving terrain information that is representative of terrain over which a route extends that the vehicle system is traveling along;

wherein the operator control unit is configured to present the terrain information to an operator of the operator control unit;

wherein the operator control unit is configured to formulate and transmit commands to control a velocity of the vehicle system that are based on the terrain information;

Wherein the vehicle system is configured to receive the commands from the operator that is disposed remote from the vehicle system in order to control the velocity of the vehicle system in response to the terrain information that is received from the vehicle system;

Wherein the operator control unit configured to receive the terrain information includes receiving the terrain information from the vehicle system, and

Wherein the terrain information is received from a memory disposed onboard the vehicle system.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the operator control unit includes a display for visually presenting the terrain information to the operator.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the terrain information that is received by the operator control unit represents upcoming terrain of the route that the vehicle system is traveling toward.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising a wireless communication system for wirelessly receiving the terrain information from the vehicle system and for wirelessly transmitting the commands to the vehicle system from the operator control unit to the vehicle system.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the operator control unit is configured to transmit motoring commands to the vehicle system to control the velocity of the vehicle system based on the terrain information.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the operator control unit is configured to transmit braking commands to the vehicle system to control the velocity of the vehicle system based on the terrain information.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the operator control unit is configured to receive the terrain information from the vehicle system and to transmit the commands to the vehicle system in a closed-loop feedback cycle.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the operator control unit is a mobile device for being held by a single human operator.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the operator control unit is configured to transmit the commands to control movement of a rail vehicle as the vehicle system.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the terrain information represents at least one of grade or curvature of the terrain.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the operator control unit is configured to receive the terrain information from the vehicle system and to transmit the commands to control the velocity of the vehicle system when the vehicle system is moving along the route.