Event recorder with configurable alarm/event monitoring

• US 9,908,542 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Miller, Marc David, Bessler, Gregory Richard, Humphrey, Stephen Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US15/097,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20170297592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0063 Multiple on-board control systems, e.g. "2 out of 3"-systems
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0072 On-board train data handling
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0094 Recorders on the vehicle
• 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 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/57 for vehicles or trains, e.g. trackside supervision of train conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/70 Details of trackside communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A event recorder system carried on-board a locomotive may include a controller configured to receive data from one or more of a train management system, a cab signaling system, an energy management system, an exhaust aftertreatment monitoring system, a braking system, a communications management system, and an operator fatigue or distraction monitoring system. The data may include one or more of video data, audio data, sensor output data, GPS map data, scanned image data of an operator in a cab of the locomotive, and operational data associated with operation of the locomotive during a trip. The controller may be configured to synchronize the data based on a common attribute associated with all of the data received by the controller, receive from a user one or more customizable parameters predetermined to be indicative of one or more of a system-related characteristic or behavior associated with any one or more of the systems from which the controller receives data, and generate a system notification based on an indication of one or more of a system-related characteristic or behavior that one of falls outside of a predetermined range of system-determinable parameters, or indicates a trend in one or more system-determinable parameters that deviates from an expected trend in the one or more system-determinable parameters.

Claims

1. An event recorder system carried on-board a locomotive, the system comprising:

a controller configured to;

receive data from one or more of a train management system, a cab signaling system, an energy management system, an exhaust aftertreatment monitoring system, a braking system, a communications management system, and an operator fatigue or distraction monitoring system, wherein the data comprises one or more of video data, audio data, sensor output data, GPS map data, scanned image data of an operator in a cab of the locomotive, and operational data associated with operation of the locomotive during a trip;

synchronize the data based on a common attribute associated with all of the data received by the controller;

receive from a user one or more customizable parameters predetermined to be indicative of one or more of a system-related characteristic or behavior associated with any one or more of the systems from which the controller receives data;

generate a system notification based on an indication of one or more of a system-related characteristic or behavior that one of falls outside of a predetermined range of system-determinable parameters, or indicates a trend in one or more system-determinable parameters that deviates from an expected trend in the one or more system-determinable parameters;

receive from the user a change to the one or more customizable parameters;

determine whether the changed one or more customizable parameters warrants generation of another system notification based on an indication of one or more of a system-related characteristic or behavior of a different one of the one or more systems; and

allow the user to prioritize the one or more systems such that a system notification associated with one of the customizable parameters associated with one of the systems takes priority over a system notification associated with one of the customizable parameters associated with another of the systems.

2. The event recorder system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to synchronize the data received from a plurality of the systems by using tagged metadata comprising a universal time stamp associated with the data to synchronize the data.

3. The event recorder system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to synchronize the data received from a plurality of the systems by using tagged metadata comprising information on location of the locomotive relative to a landmark.

4. The event recorder system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to include an application programming interface (API) that comprises one or more routines, protocols, and tools for interfacing with one or more third-party applications.

5. The event recorder system of claim 4, wherein the API is configured to facilitate sharing of the data received from one or more of the systems with the one or more third-party applications.

6. The event recorder system of claim 1, wherein the system notification is an alarm.

7. The event recorder system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to evaluate at least two of the one or more customizable parameters received from a user and associated with at least two different ones of the one or more systems from which the controller receives data and determine an effect that a change to one of the at least two customizable parameters associated with a first system has on a second of the at least two customizable parameters associated with a second system.

8. The event recorder system of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to transmit a system notification associated with the second system if the effect on the second system caused by the change to one of the at least two customizable parameters associated with the first system exceeds a threshold.

9. A computer-implemented method of operating an event recorder system on-board a locomotive, the method comprising:

receiving data at a controller of the event recorder system from one or more of a train management system, a cab signaling system, an energy management system, an exhaust aftertreatment monitoring system, a braking system, a communications management system, and an operator fatigue or distraction monitoring system, wherein the data comprises one or more of video data, audio data, sensor output data, GPS map data, scanned image data of an operator in a cab of the locomotive, and operational data associated with operation of the locomotive during a trip;

synchronizing the data using the controller based on a common attribute associated with all of the data received by the controller;

receiving at the controller from a user one or more customizable parameters predetermined to be indicative of one or more of a system-related characteristic or behavior associated with any one or more of the systems from which the controller receives data;

generating a system notification using the controller based on an indication of one or more of a system-related characteristic or behavior that one of falls outside of a predetermined range of system-determinable parameters, or indicates a trend in one or more system-determinable parameters that deviates from an expected trend in the one or more system-determinable parameters;

receiving at the controller from the user a change to the one or more customizable parameters;

determining with the controller whether the changed one or more customizable parameters warrants generation of another system notification based on an indication of one or more of a system-related characteristic or behavior of a different one of the one or more systems; and

receiving input from the user to prioritize the one or more systems such that a system notification associated with one of the customizable parameters associated with one of the systems takes priority over a system notification associated with one of the customizable parameters associated with another of the systems.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further including synchronizing the data received from a plurality of the systems by using tagged metadata comprising a universal time stamp associated with the data to synchronize the data.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further including synchronizing the data received from a plurality of the systems by using tagged metadata comprising information on location of the locomotive relative to a landmark.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further including providing the controller with an application programming interface (API) that comprises one or more routines, protocols, and tools for interfacing with one or more third-party applications.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the API is configured to facilitate sharing of the data received from one or more of the systems with the one or more third-party applications.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein generating the system notification includes generating an alarm.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further including:

evaluating at least two of the one or more customizable parameters received from a user and associated with at least two different ones of the one or more systems from which the controller receives data;

determining an effect that a change to one of the at least two customizable parameters associated with a first system has on a second of the at least two customizable parameters associated with a second system; and

transmitting a system notification associated with the second system if the effect on the second system caused by the change to one of the at least two customizable parameters associated with the first system exceeds a threshold.

16. An event recorder system carried on-board a locomotive, the system comprising:

a controller configured to;

receive data from one or more of a train management system, a cab signaling system, an energy management system, an exhaust aftertreatment monitoring system, a braking system, a communications management system, and an operator fatigue or distraction monitoring system, wherein the data comprises one or more of video data, audio data, sensor output data, GPS map data, scanned image data of an operator in a cab of the locomotive, and operational data associated with operation of the locomotive during a trip;

receive from a user one or more customizable parameters predetermined to be indicative of one or more of a system-related characteristic or behavior associated with any one or more of the systems from which the controller receives data;

generate a system notification based on an indication of one or more of a system-related characteristic or behavior that one of falls outside of a predetermined range of system-determinable parameters, or indicates a trend in one or more system-determinable parameters that deviates from an expected trend in the one or more system-determinable parameters;

communicate the system notification to one or more different systems from the one or more systems associated with the user customizable parameters;

synchronize video data, audio data, sensor output data, GPS map data, scanned image data of an operator in a cab of the locomotive, and operational data associated with operation of the locomotive during a trip based on a common attribute associated with all of the recorded data; and

receive input from the user to prioritize the one or more systems such that a system notification associated with one of the customizable parameters associated with one of the systems takes priority over a system notification associated with one of the customizable parameters associated with another of the systems.

17. The event recorder system of claim 16, further including:

the controller being further configured to;

evaluate at least two of the one or more customizable parameters received from a user and associated with at least two different ones of the one or more systems from which the controller receives data;

determine an effect that a change to one of the at least two customizable parameters associated with a first system has on a second of the at least two customizable parameters associated with a second system; and

transmit a system notification associated with the second system if the effect on the second system caused by the change to one of the at least two customizable parameters associated with the first system exceeds a threshold.