System and method for monitoring operation of vehicles
First Claim
1. A method of using a system for acquiring data related to service operation of a passenger bus,the system comprising:
- one or more sensors configured for sensing one or more service operating conditions experienced by at least one vehicle system of the passenger bus, and for providing corresponding output signals;
at least one data processor configured for applying an amplitude counting algorithm to count a number of times said output signals exceed at least one specified amplitude, and to generate data representing said count; and
memory usable by the at least one data processor for storing the data representing said count; and
the method performed by the same or another data processor, and comprising;
accessing, in the same or another memory, the data representing the count of the number of times the output signals exceed at least one specified amplitude, andusing the accessed data, monitoring operation of the passenger busby associating the accessed data with a road traveled by the passenger bus, scheduling maintenance for the road based on the associated data.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems, methods, devices, and computer programming products useful for the gathering and use of data relating to structural loading and other operational use of transit and other vehicles, and their systems. Systems according to the invention can, for example, comprise one or more data acquisition devices such as strain gauges, accelerometers, or other sensors; data processors; memories; and communications systems. Such systems, methods, and programming are useful in a wide variety of ways, including, for example, monitoring the structural status and use of vehicles and their systems, including fatigue other operational analyses; gathering and applying data useful in the maintenance of such vehicles and the routes they travel; monitoring the use/abuse of such vehicles by operators and other individuals; reporting traffic events or anomalies; and routing transit and other vehicles around such events or anomalies. Rainflow, level-crossing and other peak-counting or event-counting algorithms are applied to advantage, such that required data storage is greatly reduced, and life-long monitoring is feasible.
-
Citations
26 Claims
-
1. A method of using a system for acquiring data related to service operation of a passenger bus,
the system comprising: -
one or more sensors configured for sensing one or more service operating conditions experienced by at least one vehicle system of the passenger bus, and for providing corresponding output signals; at least one data processor configured for applying an amplitude counting algorithm to count a number of times said output signals exceed at least one specified amplitude, and to generate data representing said count; and memory usable by the at least one data processor for storing the data representing said count; and the method performed by the same or another data processor, and comprising; accessing, in the same or another memory, the data representing the count of the number of times the output signals exceed at least one specified amplitude, and using the accessed data, monitoring operation of the passenger bus by associating the accessed data with a road traveled by the passenger bus, scheduling maintenance for the road based on the associated data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A method of using a system for acquiring data related to service operation of a passenger bus,
the system comprising: -
one or more sensors configured for sensing one or more service operating conditions experienced by at least one vehicle system of the passenger bus, and for providing corresponding output signals; at least one data processor configured for applying an amplitude counting algorithm to count a number of times said output signals exceed at least one specified amplitude, and to generate data representing said count; and memory usable by the at least one data processor for storing the data representing said count; and the method performed by the same or another data processor, and comprising; accessing, in the same or another memory, the data representing the count of the number of times the output signals exceed at least one specified amplitude, and monitoring operation of the passenger bus by associating the accessed data with a route traveled by the passenger bus and causing the same or another bus to travel a different route to avoid a traffic event or anomaly detected on the route based on the accessed data. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method of using a system for acquiring data related to service operation of a passenger bus,
the system comprising: -
one or more sensors configured for sensing one or more service operating conditions experienced by at least one vehicle system of the passenger bus, and for providing corresponding output signals; at least one data processor configured for applying an amplitude counting algorithm to count a number of times said output signals exceed at least one specified amplitude, and to generate data representing said count; and memory usable by the at least one data processor for storing the data representing said count; and the method performed by the same or another data processor, and comprising; accessing, in the same or another memory, the data representing the count of the number of times the output signals exceed at least one specified amplitude, and monitoring operation of the passenger bus by associating the accessed data with a route traveled by the passenger bus and generating a report of a traffic event or anomaly detected on the route based on the accessed data. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A remote monitoring system for a passenger bus, the system comprising:
-
memory for storing data generated by a data acquisition system of the passenger bus, the data generated, from output signals provided by one or more sensors configured for sensing one or more service operating conditions experienced by the passenger bus, by applying an amplitude counting algorithm to count a number of times the output signals exceed at least one specified amplitude; and at least one data processor configured for accessing the data stored in the memory representing the count of the number of times the output signals exceed the at least one specified amplitude and, by associating the accessed data with a road traveled by the passenger bus, scheduling maintenance for the road based on the associated data. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A remote monitoring system for a passenger bus, the system comprising:
-
memory for storing data generated by a data acquisition system of the passenger bus, the data generated, from output signals provided by one or more sensors configured for sensing one or more service operating conditions experienced by the passenger bus, by applying an amplitude counting algorithm to count a number of times the output signals exceed at least one specified amplitude; and at least one data processor configured for accessing the data stored in the memory representing the count of the number of times the output signals exceed the at least one specified amplitude, and monitoring operation of the passenger bus by associating the accessed data with a route traveled by the passenger bus and causing the same or another bus to travel a different route to avoid a traffic event or anomaly detected on the route based on the accessed data. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A remote monitoring system for a passenger bus, the system comprising:
-
memory for storing data generated by a data acquisition system of the passenger bus, the data generated, from output signals provided by one or more sensors configured for sensing one or more service operating conditions experienced by the passenger bus, by applying an amplitude counting algorithm to count a number of times the output signals exceed at least one specified amplitude; and at least one data processor configured for accessing the data stored in the memory representing the count of the number of times the output signals exceed the at least one specified amplitude, and monitoring operation of the passenger bus by associating the accessed data with a route traveled by the passenger bus and generating a report of a traffic event or anomaly detected on the route based on the accessed data. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
-
Specification