Energy management system and method for vehicle systems
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- at least one of directing an operator to control or autonomously controlling a vehicle system according to a current trip plan as the vehicle system travels along a route during a trip, the current trip plan designating operational settings of the vehicle system, wherein the operational settings that are designated by the current trip plan include one or more throttle settings, brake settings, accelerations, or speeds of the vehicle system as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route;
determining a current, actual operation of the vehicle system using one or more sensing devices, wherein, during movement of the vehicle system along the route, the current, actual operation of the vehicle system differs from the current trip plan by at least a designated threshold amount; and
revising the current trip plan into a revised trip plan responsive to the current, actual operation of the vehicle system differing from the current trip plan by at least the designated threshold amount, wherein the revised trip plan designates operational settings of the vehicle system, the operational settings designated by the revised trip plan including an initial designated operational setting that matches the current, actual operation of the vehicle system.
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Abstract
An energy management system and method for a vehicle system operate the vehicle system according to a current trip plan as the vehicle system travels along a route during a trip. The current trip plan designates operational settings of the vehicle system. The system and method also revise the current trip plan into a revised trip plan responsive to current, actual operation of the vehicle system differing from the current trip plan by at least a designated threshold amount. The revised trip plan designates operational settings of the vehicle system and includes an initial designated operational setting that matches the current, actual operation of the vehicle system.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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at least one of directing an operator to control or autonomously controlling a vehicle system according to a current trip plan as the vehicle system travels along a route during a trip, the current trip plan designating operational settings of the vehicle system, wherein the operational settings that are designated by the current trip plan include one or more throttle settings, brake settings, accelerations, or speeds of the vehicle system as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route; determining a current, actual operation of the vehicle system using one or more sensing devices, wherein, during movement of the vehicle system along the route, the current, actual operation of the vehicle system differs from the current trip plan by at least a designated threshold amount; and revising the current trip plan into a revised trip plan responsive to the current, actual operation of the vehicle system differing from the current trip plan by at least the designated threshold amount, wherein the revised trip plan designates operational settings of the vehicle system, the operational settings designated by the revised trip plan including an initial designated operational setting that matches the current, actual operation of the vehicle system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system comprising:
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one or more processors configured to at least one of direct an operator to control or autonomously control a vehicle system according to a current trip plan as the vehicle system travels along a route during a trip, the current trip plan designating operational settings of the vehicle system, wherein the operational settings designated by the current trip plan include one or more throttle settings, brake settings, accelerations, or speeds of the vehicle system as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route; and one or more sensing devices configured to determine a current, actual operation of the vehicle system, wherein, during movement of the vehicle system along the route, the current, actual operation of the vehicle system differs from the current trip plan by at least a designated threshold amount, and wherein the one or more processors also are configured to revise the current trip plan into a revised trip plan responsive to the current, actual operation of the vehicle system differing from the current trip plan by at least the designated threshold amount, the revised trip plan designating operational settings of the vehicle system, the operational settings of the revised trip plan including an initial designated operational setting that matches the current, actual operation of the vehicle system. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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at least one of directing an operator to control or autonomously controlling a vehicle system according to a first trip plan that designates operational settings of the vehicle system as a function of one or more of time or distance along a route, the operational settings including one or more throttle settings, brake settings, accelerations, or speeds of the vehicle system; determining an actual operational setting of the vehicle system using one or more sensing devices; based at least in part on the actual operating setting, changing the operational settings designated by the first trip plan into revised operational settings of a revised trip plan, wherein the revised trip plan includes a first operational setting of the revised operational settings that matches a current operational setting of the vehicle system during a time period that the revised trip plan is implemented in place of the first trip plan; and operating the vehicle system according to the operational settings designated by the revised trip plan. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification