System and method for inspecting a route during movement of a vehicle system over the route

• US 9,650,059 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kraeling, Mark Bradshaw, Smith, Eugene, McManus, Brian Joseph, Szewczyk, Keith, Noffsinger, Joseph Forrest, Cooper, Jared Klineman, Corry, James Glen, McKay, David Lowell
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torchinsky, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/864,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20160009300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/08 Measuring installations for surveying permanent way applications of measuring apparatus or devices for track building purposes E01B35/00; measuring techniques G01
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/10 for detecting cracks in rails or welds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0018 Communication with or on the vehicle or train
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0036 Conductor-based, e.g. using CAN-Bus, train-line or optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2201/00 Control methods
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/02 Global system for mobile communication - railways [GSM-R]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/04 for monitoring the mechanical state of the route
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/042 Track changes detection
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/044 Broken rails
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/045 Rail wear
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/021 Measuring and recording of train speed
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/121 using magnetic induction
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A sensing system includes a leading sensor, a trailing sensor, and a route examining unit. The leading sensor is onboard a first vehicle of a vehicle system that is traveling along a route. The leading sensor measures first characteristics of the route as the vehicle system moves along the route. The trailing sensor is disposed onboard a second vehicle of the vehicle system. The trailing sensor measures second characteristics of the route as the vehicle system moves along the route. The route examining unit is disposed onboard the vehicle system and receives the first characteristics of the route and the second characteristics of the route to compare the first characteristics with the second characteristics. The route examining unit also identifies a segment of the route as being damaged based on a comparison of the first characteristics with the second characteristics.

Claims

1. A sensing system comprising:

a leading sensor configured to be coupled to a leading rail vehicle of a rail vehicle system that travels along a track, the leading sensor also configured to acquire first inspection data indicative of a condition of the track in an examined section of the track as the rail vehicle system travels over the track;

a trailing sensor configured to be coupled to a trailing rail vehicle of the rail vehicle system and to acquire additional, second inspection data indicative of the condition of the track subsequent to the leading rail vehicle passing over the examined section of the track and the leading sensor acquiring the first inspection data; and

a route examining unit configured to be disposed onboard the rail vehicle system, the route examining unit also configured to direct the trailing sensor to acquire the second inspection data in the examined section of the track when the first inspection data indicates damage to the track such that both the leading sensor and the trailing sensor acquire the first inspection data and the second inspection data, respectively, of the examined section of the track during a single pass of the rail vehicle system over the examined section of the track,

wherein the leading sensor is configured to acquire the first inspection data at a first resolution level and the trailing sensor is configured to acquire the second inspection data at a second resolution level that is greater than the first resolution level such that the second inspection data includes a greater amount of data than the first inspection data at least one of per unit time, per unit distance, or per unit area.

2. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the route examining unit or the trailing sensor is configured to select the second resolution level, from among a plurality of available sensor resolution levels, based on at least one of a current speed of the vehicle system, a category of the damage, or a degree of the damage.

3. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the leading rail vehicle and the trailing rail vehicle are locomotives mechanically interconnected with each other by one or more railcars in the vehicle system.

4. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the first inspection data acquired by the leading sensor and the second inspection data acquired by the trailing sensor are different types of inspection data, with at least one of the types of inspection data being non-optical inspection data.

5. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the trailing sensor is configured to acquire the second inspection data responsive to the route examining unit determining that the first inspection data indicates the damage to the track.

6. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the route examining unit is configured to direct a controller of the vehicle system to at least one of autonomously control the rail vehicle system or direct an operator of the rail vehicle system to decrease slack in one or more coupler devices that couple the trailing rail vehicle with one or more other vehicles in the vehicle system when the first inspection data indicates the damage to the track and prior to the trailing sensor traveling over the damage to the track.

7. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein the route examining unit is configured to identify the damage to the route by comparing a first inspection signature representative of changes in magnitudes of the first inspection data with respect to one or more of time or distance along the route with a second inspection signature representative of changes in magnitudes of the second inspection data with respect to the one or more of time or distance along the route.

8. The sensing system of claim 7, wherein the route examining unit is configured to compare the first inspection signature with the second inspection signature to identify the damage to the route by normalizing one or more of the first inspection signature or the second inspection signature by one or more of expanding or contracting one or more of a time scale or a distance scale of the one or more of the first inspection signature or the second inspection signature, dividing two or more of the first inspection signature, the second inspection signature, or the one or more of the first inspection signature or the second inspection signature that is normalized into smaller signature portions, temporally or spatially correlating the smaller signature portions obtained from the two or more of the first inspection signature, the second inspection signature, or the one or more of the first inspection signature or the second inspection signature that is normalized with each other, and comparing the smaller signature portions obtained from at least one of the first inspection signature, the second inspection signature, or the one or more of the first inspection signature or the second inspection signature that is normalized with the smaller signature portions obtained from at least another one of the first inspection signature, the second inspection signature, or the one or more of the first inspection signature or the second inspection signature that is normalized.

9. The sensing system of claim 7, wherein the route examining unit is configured to combine the first inspection signature with the second inspection signature to form a net inspection signature of the route, wherein the route examining unit is configured to identify the damage to the route based on the net inspection signature.

10. The sensing system of claim 9, wherein the route examining unit is configured to combine the first inspection signature with the second inspection signature such that the net inspection signature represents sums of the first characteristics in the first inspection signature and the second characteristics in the second inspection signature.

11. The sensing system of claim 9, wherein the route examining unit is configured to combine the first inspection signature with the second inspection signature such that the net inspection signature represents differences between the first characteristics in the first inspection signature and the second characteristics in the second inspection signature.

12. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the leading sensor or the trailing sensor include an acoustic pick up device configured to measure acoustics of the route as one or more of the first characteristics of the first inspection signature or the second characteristics of the second inspection signature.

13. The sensing system of claim 12, wherein the route examining unit is configured to determine one or more of the first inspection signature or the second inspection signature as a frequency spectrum of the acoustics of the route.

14. The sensing system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the leading sensor or the trailing sensor include a receiver configured to receive light reflected off of the route and the route examining unit is configured to determine one or more of the first inspection signature or the second inspection signature based on the light that is received by the receiver.

15. A sensing system comprising:

a leading sensor configured to be coupled to a leading rail vehicle of a rail vehicle system that travels along a track, the leading sensor also configured to automatically acquire first inspection data indicative of a condition of the track in an examined section of the track as the rail vehicle system travels over the track, wherein the first inspection data is acquired at a first resolution level;

a trailing sensor configured to be coupled to a trailing rail vehicle of the rail vehicle system and to automatically acquire additional, second inspection data indicative of the condition of the track subsequent to the leading rail vehicle passing over the examined section of the track and the leading sensor acquiring the first inspection data, wherein the second inspection data is acquired at a second resolution level that is greater than the first resolution level such that the second inspection data includes a greater amount of data than the first inspection data at least one of per unit time, per unit distance, or per unit area, and wherein the leading rail vehicle and the trailing rail vehicle are directly or indirectly mechanically connected in the rail vehicle system; and

a route examining unit configured to be disposed onboard the rail vehicle system, the route examining unit also configured to automatically direct the trailing sensor to acquire the second inspection data in the examined section of the track when the first inspection data indicates damage to the track such that both the leading sensor and the trailing sensor acquire the first inspection data and the second inspection data, respectively, of the examined section of the track during a single pass of the rail vehicle system over the examined section of the track.

16. The sensing system of claim 15, wherein the leading rail vehicle and the trailing rail vehicle are locomotives mechanically interconnected with each other by one or more railcars in the vehicle system.

17. The sensing system of claim 15, wherein the first inspection data acquired by the leading sensor and the second inspection data acquired by the trailing sensor are different types of inspection data, with at least one of the types of inspection data being non-optical inspection data.

18. The sensing system of claim 15, wherein the trailing sensor is configured to acquire the second inspection data responsive to the route examining unit determining that the first inspection data indicates the damage to the track.

19. The sensing system of claim 15, wherein the route examining unit is configured to direct a controller of the vehicle system to at least one of autonomously control the rail vehicle system or direct an operator of the rail vehicle system to decrease slack in one or more coupler devices that couple the trailing rail vehicle with one or more other vehicles in the vehicle system when the first inspection data indicates the damage to the track and prior to the trailing sensor traveling over the damage to the track.

20. A sensing system comprising:

a leading sensor configured to be disposed onboard a first vehicle of a vehicle system that travels along a route, the leading sensor also configured to measure first characteristics of the route as the vehicle system travels along the route;

a trailing sensor configured to be disposed onboard a second vehicle of the vehicle system that is directly or indirectly, mechanically coupled with the first vehicle, the trailing sensor also configured to measure second characteristics of the route as the vehicle system moves along the route; and

a route examining unit configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle system, wherein the route examining unit is configured to receive the first characteristics of the route and the second characteristics of the route and to compare a first inspection signature with a second inspection signature, the first inspection signature representative of changes in magnitudes of the first characteristics at different first times, the second inspection signature representative of changes in magnitudes of the second characteristics at different second times, the route examining unit configured to combine the first inspection signature with the second inspection signature to form a net inspection signature of the route, wherein the route examining unit also is configured to identify a segment of the route as being damaged based on the net inspection signature of the route.

21. The sensing system of claim 20, wherein the route examining unit is configured to combine the first inspection signature with the second inspection signature to form the net inspection signature of the route such that the net inspection signature represents sums of the first characteristics in the first inspection signature and the second characteristics in the second inspection signature.

22. The sensing system of claim 20, wherein the route examining unit is configured to combine the first inspection signature with the second inspection signature to form the net inspection signature of the route such that the net inspection signature represents differences between the first characteristics in the first inspection signature and the second characteristics in the second inspection signature.

23. The sensing system of claim 20, wherein one or more of the leading sensor or the trailing sensor include a receiver configured to receive light reflected off of the route and the route examining unit is configured to determine one or more of the first inspection signature or the second inspection signature based on the light that is received by the receiver.