System for analyzing health of train

• US 9,718,486 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Locomotive Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Electro-Motive Diesel Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shubs, Jr., Alexander, Roenspies, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US15/012,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20170217458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0027 Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/40 Handling position reports or trackside vehicle data
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/08 Railway vehicles

Abstract

A system for analyzing health of assets in train is provided. The system includes a sensing unit configured to generate health data of sub-assets. The system also includes a controller in communication with the sensing unit to receive the health data. The controller is configured to display, in a graphical user interface (GUI), a list of assets configurable to allow selection of one asset therefrom. The controller is configured to receive an input command, in the GUI, to select a desired asset from the list of assets for requesting information about health of the desired asset. The controller is configured to display, in the GUI, a visual representation of the desired asset, along with the sub-assets, in response to the input command. The controller is configured to flag, in the GUI, the sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on the health data of the sub-assets.

Claims

1. A system for analyzing health of assets in a train, each of the asset having one or more sub-assets, the system comprising:

a sensing unit having a plurality of sensors associated with the one or more sub-assets, the sensing unit configured to generate health data of the one or more sub-assets; and

a controller in communication with the sensing unit to receive the health data, the controller configured to;

display, in a graphical user interface (GUI), a list of assets, the list of assets configurable to allow selection of one asset therefrom;

receive an input command, in the GUI, to select a desired asset from the list of assets, the input command configurable to request information about the health of the desired asset;

display, in the GUI, a visual representation of the desired asset, along with the one or more sub-assets, in response to receipt of the input command; and

flag, in the GUI, the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on the health data of the one or more sub-assets.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a malfunction of the one or more sub-assets based on the health data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to flag the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on the determined malfunction of the one or more sub-assets, using a first color scheme.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a possibility of a malfunction of the one or more sub-assets in a predefined upcoming time period based on the health data.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to flag the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on the determined possibility of a malfunction of the one or more sub-assets, using a second colour scheme.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit is further configured to determine operation data of the one or more sub-assets, the operation data comprising one or more of an in-service distance, an in-service time, a maintenance distance, and a maintenance time.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to flag the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on the operation data, using a fourth colour scheme.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a manual flag command pertaining to the one or more sub-assets, and wherein the controller is further configured to flag the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset in response to receiving the manual flag command, using a fifth colour scheme.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a flag reset command pertaining to one or more sub-assets, and wherein the controller is further configured to remove the flag, in the GUI, from the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset in response to receiving the flag reset command.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to remove the flag, in the GUI, from the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on predefined rules, the predefined rules based on one or more of a pre-set time period, a service schedule, and a geo-fence.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to display, in the GUI, a list of sub-assets, and the list of sub-assets configurable to sort the sub-assets based at least in part on the health data thereof.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to generate a custom list of sub-assets to be delivered as a text message to a service personnel, the custom list of sub-assets configurable to sort the sub-assets based at least in part on a profile of the service personnel.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to display, in the GUI, a visual representation of the train, the controller further configured to flag the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the train based on the health data of the one or more sub-assets.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a health score of the desired asset based on the health data of the one or more sub-assets thereof, and wherein the controller is further configured to display, in the GUI, the health score.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller and the GUI are configured to integrally form part of a computing device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is one of a laptop, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet device, and a smartphone.

17. A computer-implemented method for analyzing health of assets in a train, each of the asset having one or more sub-assets, the method comprising:

generating overall health data of the train;

displaying a list of assets, the list of assets configurable to allow selection of one asset therefrom;

receiving an input command to select a desired asset from the list of assets;

displaying a visual representation of the desired asset, along with the one or more sub-assets, in response to receipt of the input command; and

flagging the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on the health data of the one or more sub-assets.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising:

determining a malfunction of the one or more sub-assets based on the health data;

determining a possibility of a malfunction of the one or more sub-assets in a predefined upcoming time period based on the health data; and

flagging the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on the determination of the malfunction and the possibility of a malfunction of the one or more sub-assets.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising:

displaying a visual representation of the train; and

flagging the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the train based on the health data of the one or more sub-assets.

20. A computing device having a medium to store sequences of instructions which when executed analyze health of assets in a train, each of the asset having one or more sub-assets, the computing device comprising:

a display unit configured to provide a graphical user interface (GUI); and

a controller configured to;

display, in the GUI, a list of assets, the list of assets configurable to allow selection of one asset therefrom;

receive an input command, in the GUI, to select a desired asset from the list of assets, the input command configurable to request information about health of the desired asset;

display, in the GUI, a visual representation of the desired asset, along with the one or more sub-assets, in response to receipt of the input command; and

flag, in the GUI, the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on health data of the one or more sub-assets.