Method and system for data redundancy storage

• US 9,410,870 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Miller, Marc David, Fanara, Mark Alan, Humphrey, Stephen Harold, Goergen, Todd Charles, Bressler, Gregory Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jamie
• Application Number:
  US14/500,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20160091396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/19, 701/20, 701/32.2, 701/33.3, 701/33.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/00 Arrangement or disposition of parts; Details or accessories not otherwise provided for; Use of control gear and control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/08 Railway vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes a first controller configured to receive and record operational data associated with operation of a locomotive, process, via a processor, the operational data, and determine, using the processor, a data storage plan for the operational data. The data storage plan can dynamically change based on the operational data. The system may be further configured to store the operational data with a second controller associated with a second locomotive according to the data storage plan.

Claims

1. An event recorder system, comprising:

a first controller configured to;

receive and record operational data associated with operation of a locomotive, the operational data including video data in connection with physical surroundings of the locomotive;

process, via a processor, the operational data;

identify one or more potential hazards in response, at least in part, to the video data;

determine, using the processor, a data storage plan for the operational data, wherein the data storage plan can dynamically change based on the operational data, the data storage plan based, at least in part, on identifying the one or more potential hazards; and

store the operational data with a second controller associated with a second locomotive according to the data storage plan.

2. The event recorder system of claim 1 wherein the data storage plan includes providing the operational data to the second controller when a probable event is detected.

3. The event recorder system of claim 2, wherein the data storage plan for the second controller is based on its proximity to the first controller.

4. The event recorder system of claim 2, wherein one or more controllers may be selected based on their proximity with respect to a point of hazard.

5. The event recorder system of claim 1, wherein the data storage plan is further is based on one or more of an alarm status, and an alert status.

6. The event recorder system of claim 1, wherein the data storage plan further includes processing the video data to a different resolution based, at least in part, on the operational data.

7. The event recorder system of claim 1, wherein the data storage plan includes storing the operational data at different resolutions at the first controller and the second controller.

8. The event recorder system of claim 1, wherein the first controller and the second controller are operably connected through a communication network.

9. The event recorder system of claim 1 wherein the first controller and the second controller are in direct communication with each other.

20. The event recorder system of claim 1, wherein the data storage plan is further is based on one or more of a velocity of the locomotive, a time information, a geographic information, and traffic information.

10. A computer-implemented method for operating an event recorder system via a first controller comprising:

receiving and recording operational data associated with operation of a locomotive, the operational data including at least one of an alarm status and an alert status;

processing, via a processor, the operational data;

determining, using the processor, a data storage plan for the operational data, wherein the data storage plan can dynamically change based on the operational data, and the data storage plan is based, at least in part, on the at least one of the alarm status and the alert status; and

storing the operational data with a second controller associated with a second locomotive according to the data storage plan.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the data storage plan includes providing the operational data to the second controller when a probable event is detected.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the data storage plan for the second controller is based on its proximity to the first controller.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein one or more controllers may be selected based on their proximity with respect to a point of hazard.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein determining the data storage plan further includes:

receiving video data in connection with physical surroundings of the locomotive,

identifying one or more potential hazards; and

determining the data storage plan based, at least in part, on the one or more potential hazards.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the data storage plan is further is based on one or more of a velocity of the locomotive, a time information, a geographic information, and traffic information.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the data storage plan further includes processing the video data to a different resolution based, at least in part, on the operational data.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the data storage plan includes storing the operational data at different resolutions at the first controller and the second controller.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the first controller and the second controller are operably connected through a communication network.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code operable to cause a processor of a first controller located on a first locomotive to, when executed:

receive and record operational data associated with operation of the first locomotive;

process, via the processor, the operational data;

identify a point of hazard based on the operational data;

determine the proximity of each of multiple controllers to the point of hazard, each of the multiple controllers located on a locomotive different than the first locomotive;

determine, using the processor, a data storage plan for the operational data, wherein the data storage plan can dynamically change based on the operational data, and wherein the data storage plan is based, at least in part, on the proximity of each of the multiple controllers to the point of hazard; and

store the operational data with a second controller associated with a second locomotive according to the data storage plan, the second controller selected from the multiple controllers based, at least in part, on the proximity of the second controller to the point of hazard.