Locomotive including operator fatigue monitoring system

• US 9,902,414 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Locomotive Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Electro-Motive Diesel Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Roenspies, David Matthew, Seaton, James David, Shubs, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US15/047,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20170240192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 701 20, 3404255, 600300, 600529
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0009 Testing for drug or alcohol abuse
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/22 Motor vehicles operators, e.g. drivers, pilots, captains
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/665 the systems being specially adapted for transferring two or more command signals, e.g. railway systems B60T13/662 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/228 for railway vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/14 operated upon collapse of driver deadman's devices for electrically propelled vehicles B60L3/02
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 3/00 Electric locomotives or railcars characterised by power transmission B61C9/00; electrical features B60L; H02
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/00 Indicators provided on the vehicle or train for signalling purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/04 Automatic systems, e.g. controlled by train; Change-over to manual control

Abstract

A locomotive is disclosed. The locomotive includes a car body, including an operator cabin, a power source, and an operator health monitor within the operator cabin, the operator health monitor configured to monitor at least one health condition associated with the operator and configured to generate an operator health signal associated with the at least one condition. The locomotive includes an operator warning system within the operator cabin, configured to present the operator with an operator warning in response to an operator warning signal, and an electronic controller. The electronic controller may be configured to determine an operator fatigue score based on, at least, the operator health signal, determine if the operator fatigue score exceeds a warning threshold, and transmit the operator warning signal to the operator warning system if the operator fatigue score exceeds the warning threshold.

Claims

1. A locomotive operated by an operator and configured to move along a track, the locomotive comprising:

a car body including an operator cabin;

a power source for generating electricity for the locomotive;

an operator health monitor within the operator cabin, the operator health monitor configured to monitor at least one health condition associated with the operator and configured to generate an operator health signal associated with the at least one condition;

an operator warning system within the operator cabin configured to present the operator with an operator warning in response to an operator warning signal;

an electronic controller operatively associated with the operator health monitor and the operator warning system, the controller configured to receive the operator health signal, determine an operator fatigue score based on, at least, the operator health signal, determine if the operator fatigue score exceeds a warning threshold, and transmit the operator warning signal to the operator warning system if the operator fatigue score exceeds the warning threshold; and

a braking system configured to reduce speed or halt motion of the locomotive as it moves along the track, and wherein the electronic controller is further configured to direct the braking system to reduce speed or halt motion of the locomotive as it moves along the track if the operator fatigue score exceeds a braking threshold.

2. The locomotive of claim 1, wherein the operator health monitor includes a wearable health monitor to be worn by the operator during operation of the locomotive.

3. The locomotive of claim 2, wherein the operator health monitor includes one or more of a heart rate monitor, a blood alcohol concentration monitor, a galvanic skin response sensor, a sweat analyzing sensor, and a blood pressure monitor.

4. The locomotive of claim 2, wherein the operator health signal includes one or more of heart rate information, blood alcohol concentration information, blood pressure information, and body temperature information.

5. The locomotive of claim 1, further comprising a visual sensor disposed within the operator cabin, operatively associated with the controller, and configured to generate a visual operator fatigue signal and wherein determining the operator fatigue score, by the electronic controller, is further based on the visual operator fatigue signal.

6. The locomotive of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to analyze the visual operator fatigue signal to determine one or more of operator motion, operator facial characteristics, and operator eye conditions and wherein determining the operator fatigue score, by the electronic controller, is further based on one or more of the operator motion, the operator facial characteristics, and the operator conditions.

7. The locomotive of claim 1, further comprising a motion sensor disposed within the operator cabin, operatively associated with the controller, and configured to generate an operator motion signal and wherein determining the operator fatigue score, by the electronic controller, is further based on the operator motion signal.

8. The locomotive of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to analyze the operator motion signal to determine if a lack of motion, by the operator, exists and wherein determining the operator fatigue score, by the electronic controller, is further based on whether or not the lack of motion, by the operator, exists.

9. The locomotive of claim 1, wherein the operator warning system includes one or more of an audio warning device, a visual warning device, and a vibratory warning device.

10. A system for monitoring fatigue of an operator of a locomotive, the locomotive including a car body having an operator cabin, the system comprising:

an operator health monitor within the operator cabin, the operator health monitor configured to monitor at least one health condition associated with the operator and configured to generate an operator health signal associated with the at least one condition;

an operator warning device configured to present the operator with an operator warning in response to an operator warning signal; and

a controller operatively associated with, at least, the operator health monitor, the controller configured to receive the operator health signal, determine an operator fatigue score based on, at least, the operator health signal, determine if the operator fatigue score exceeds a warning threshold, and transmit the operator warning signal to the operator warning signal if the operator fatigue score exceeds the warning threshold,

a braking system configured to reduce speed or halt motion of the locomotive as it moves along a track, and wherein the controller is further configured to direct the braking system to reduce speed or halt motion of the locomotive as it moves along the track if the operator fatigue score exceeds a braking threshold.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the operator warning device is a visual warning device configured to present the operator with a visual warning in response to the operator warning signal.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the operator warning device is an audio warning device configured to present the operator with an audio warning in response to the operator warning signal.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a wireless connectivity link and wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the operator fatigue score to an information center via the wireless connectivity link.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the operator health monitor includes a wearable health monitor to be worn by the operator during operation of the locomotive the operator health signal includes one or more of heart rate information, blood alcohol concentration information, blood pressure information, and body temperature information.

15. A method for monitoring fatigue of an operator of a locomotive, the method comprising:

monitoring, by an operator health monitor within an operator cabin of the locomotive, at least one health condition of the operator;

generating, by the operator health monitor, an operator health signal associated with the at least one condition;

receiving, by an electronic controller, the operator health signal;

determining, by the electronic controller, an operator fatigue score based on, at least, the operator health signal;

determining, by the electronic controller, if the operator fatigue score exceeds a warning threshold;

presenting, using an operator warning device, the operator with an operator warning if the operator fatigue score exceeds the warning threshold; and

decreasing speed of the locomotive, utilizing a braking system, if the operator fatigue score exceeds a braking threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating a visual operator fatigue signal, by a camera, and wherein determining the operator fatigue score is further based on the visual operator fatigue signal.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating an operator motion signal, by a motion sensor, and wherein determining the operator fatigue score is further based on the operator motion signal.