Locomotive ride-through control system and method

• US 9,738,294 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Locomotive Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Electro-Motive Diesel Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shubs, Jr., Alexander, Seaton, James David, Roenspies, David Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US14/935,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20170129514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/14 automatically operated
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/04 Automatic systems, e.g. controlled by train; Change-over to manual control

Abstract

A ride-through control system for operating locomotives in a train includes a geographic position sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a geographic position of a locomotive of a train, and a controller configured to receive the signal indicative of the geographic position of a locomotive and compare the geographic position of the locomotive with one or more pre-determined geographical locations or regions previously identified as geo-fences. The controller may also be configured to receive one or more locomotive operational signals indicative of at least one of an operational parameter, a fault, and a maintenance request associated with the locomotive, determine whether the geographic position of the locomotive coincides with a geo-fence characterized by conditions that may affect the ability of the locomotive to meet a trip objective if the locomotive were to slow below a threshold speed within the geo-fence, and generate a ride-through control command signal to prevent the locomotive from slowing below the threshold speed within the geo-fence based on at least one of the one or more locomotive operational signals and a user permission level.

Claims

1. A ride-through control system for operating locomotives in a train, the ride-through control system comprising:

a geographic position sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a geographic position of a locomotive of a train; and

a controller configured to;

receive the signal indicative of the geographic position of a locomotive;

compare the geographic position of the locomotive with one or more pre-determined geographical locations or regions previously identified as geo-fences;

receive one or more locomotive operational signals indicative of at least one of an operational parameter, a fault, and a maintenance request associated with the locomotive;

determine whether the geographic position of the locomotive coincides with a geo-fence characterized by conditions that may affect an ability of the locomotive to meet a trip objective if the locomotive were to slow below a threshold speed within the geo-fence; and

generate a ride-through control command signal to prevent the locomotive from slowing below the threshold speed within the geo-fence based on at least one of the one or more locomotive operational signals and a user permission level,

wherein the ride-through control command signal is generated by one of an automatic or a manual selection of one of a plurality of ride-through control levels on a GUI associated with the controller, and wherein the controller is further configured to generate the ride-through control command signal to include information that may be used to direct the locomotive to a geo-fence with a more favorable stop zone.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the geo-fence is characterized by a train track grade in excess of a predetermined threshold value.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the geo-fence is one of a plurality of geo-fences including a first geo-fence associated with a length of track characterized as a no-stop zone, a second geo-fence associated with a length of track characterized as an unfavorable-stop zone, and a third geo-fence associated with a length of track characterized as a favorable-stop zone.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ride-through control levels include a ride-through control level associated with a normal threshold level of asset protection, a ride-through control level associated with decreased asset protection functionality, and a ride-through control level associated with a disablement of asset protection.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein asset protection may include one or more of derating or otherwise reducing certain asset operations based on threshold levels of operational parameters, and one of reducing or stopping certain operations based on or more of the number, frequency, or timing of maintenance operations or faults detected by various sensors.

6. The control system of claim 4, wherein the GUI is configured to allow for editing and saving of at least one of the plurality of ride-through control levels and at least one of the plurality of geo-fences.

7. The control system of claim 1, further including:

a cab electronics system comprising at least one integrated display computer configured to;

receive and display data from outputs of one or more of machine gauges, indicators, sensors, and controls;

process and integrate the received data;

receive one or more control command signals from an off-board remote controller interface, wherein the one or more control command signals include the ride-through control command signal; and

communicate commands based on the data and the received one or more control command signals; and

a locomotive control system, wherein the locomotive control system is configured to receive commands communicated from the cab electronics system and control operation of at least one operational control device on-board the locomotive.

8. The control system of claim 7, wherein the locomotive control system is configured to control one or more of circuit breakers, throttle settings, dynamic braking, and pneumatic braking on an associated locomotive in accordance with the commands received from the cab electronics system.

18. The control system of claim 7, wherein the at least one operational control device is comprised of at least one of engine run/isolation switch, a generator switch, an automatic brake handle, an independent brake handle, a lockout device, and at least one circuit breaker.

9. A method of controlling a locomotive, the method comprising:

receiving, at a controller, a position signal transmitted from a geographic position sensor, the position signal being indicative of the geographic position of a locomotive of a train;

comparing with the controller the geographic position of the locomotive with one or more pre-determined geographical locations or regions previously identified as geo-fences;

receiving at the controller one or more locomotive operational signals indicative of at least one of an operational parameter, a fault, and a maintenance request associated with the locomotive;

determining with the controller whether the geographic position of the locomotive coincides with a geo-fence characterized by conditions that may affect the ability of the locomotive to meet a trip objective if the locomotive were to slow below a threshold speed within the geo-fence;

generating a ride-through control command signal to prevent the locomotive from slowing below the threshold speed within the geo-fence based on at least one of the one or more locomotive operational signals and a user permission level;

generating the ride-through control command signal by one of an automatic or a manual selection of one of a plurality of ride-through control levels on a GUI associated with the controller; and

generating the ride-through control command signal to include information that may be used to direct the locomotive to a geo-fence with a more favorable stop zone.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the geo-fence is characterized by a train track grade in excess of a predetermined threshold value.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the geo-fence is one of a plurality of geo-fences including a first geo-fence associated with a length of track characterized as a no-stop zone, a second geo-fence associated with a length of track characterized as an unfavorable-stop zone, and a third geo-fence associated with a length of track characterized as a favorable-stop zone.

12. The method of claim 9, further including:

selecting one of the plurality of ride-through control levels from a ride-through control level associated with a normal threshold level of asset protection, a ride-through control level associated with decreased asset protection functionality, and a ride-through control level associated with a disablement of asset protection.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein asset protection may include one or more of:

derating or otherwise reducing certain asset operations based on threshold levels of operational parameters; and

one of reducing or stopping certain operations based on one or more of the number, frequency, or timing of maintenance operations or faults detected by various sensors.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein selecting one of the plurality of ride-through control levels includes editing and saving of at least one of the plurality of ride-through control levels and at least one of the plurality of geo-fences on the GUI associated with the controller.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the controller includes a cab electronics system comprising at least one integrated display computer and a locomotive control system, the method further including:

receiving and displaying data from outputs of one or more of machine gauges, indicators, sensors, and controls at the cab electronics system;

processing and integrating the received data;

receiving one or more control command signals from an off-board remote controller interface, wherein the one or more control command signals include the ride-through control command signal;

communicating commands based on the data and the received one or more control command signals; and

receiving commands communicated from the cab electronics system at the locomotive control system and controlling operation of at least one operational control device on-board the locomotive, including controlling one or more of circuit breakers, throttle settings, dynamic braking, and pneumatic braking on the locomotive in accordance with the commands received from the cab electronics system.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one operational control device is comprised of at least one of engine run/isolation switch, a generator switch, an automatic brake handle, an independent brake handle, a lockout device, and at least one circuit breaker.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for use in controlling ride-through operations on a locomotive, the computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform a method comprising:

receiving at a controller a position signal transmitted from a geographic position sensor, the position signal being indicative of the geographic position of the locomotive;

comparing with the controller the geographic position of the locomotive with one or more pre-determined geographical locations or regions previously identified as geo-fences;

receiving at the controller one or more locomotive operational signals indicative of at least one of an operational parameter, a fault, and a maintenance request associated with the locomotive;

determining with the controller whether the geographic position of the locomotive coincides with a geo-fence characterized by conditions that may affect the ability of the locomotive to meet a trip objective if the locomotive were to slow below a threshold speed within the geo-fence;

generating a ride-through control command signal to prevent the locomotive from slowing below the threshold speed within the geo-fence based on at least one of the one or more locomotive operational signals and a user permission level;

generating the ride-through control command signal by one of an automatic or a manual selection of one of a plurality of ride-through control levels on a GUI associated with the controller;

generating the ride-through control command signal to include information that may be used to direct the locomotive to a geo-fence with a more favorable stop zone; and

selecting one of the plurality of ride-through control levels from a ride-through control level associated with a normal threshold level of asset protection, a ride-through control level associated with decreased asset protection functionality, and a ride-through control level associated with the disablement of asset protection.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform a method comprising:

identifying the one or more predetermined geographical locations or regions as a plurality of geo-fences that are each characterized by a grade of train track contained within the geo-fence; and

wherein the plurality of geo-fences include a first geo-fence associated with a length of track characterized as a no-stop zone, a second geo-fence associated with a length of track characterized as an unfavorable-stop zone, and a third geo-fence associated with a length of track characterized as a favorable-stop zone.