System and method for aggregation display and analysis of rail vehicle event information

• US 9,981,674 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc. (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Palmer, Jason, Sljivar, Slaven, Freitas, Mark, Deninger, Daniel A., Ravari, Shahriar
• Primary Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US15/346,479
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 701 29, 701 293, 701 334, 701 93, 701 1, 701 19, 434 66, 340479, 105 722, 1051991, 105 35, 105453
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/00 Railway vehicle profile gauges; Detecting or indicating overheating of components; Apparatus on locomotives or cars to indicate bad track sections; General design of track recording vehicles
• 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 15/009 On-board display devices
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2027/204 using Communication-based Train Control [CBTC]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/041 Obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/34 for indicating the distance between vehicles or trains by the transmission of signals therebetween
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/02 Indicating or recording positions or identities of vehicles or trains
• 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 25/026 Relative localisation, e.g. using odometer
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/10 Operations, e.g. scheduling or time tables
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/53 for trackside elements or systems, e.g. trackside supervision of trackside control system conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/57 for vehicles or trains, e.g. trackside supervision of train conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/24 Means for warning road traffic that a gate is closed or closing, or that rail traffic is approaching, e.g. for visible or audible warning
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/246 Signals or brake- or lighting devices mounted on the road vehicle and controlled from the vehicle or train

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a rail vehicle event analysis system configured to facilitate analysis of rail vehicle event records that correspond to rail vehicle events. The system may be configured to visually present a user with information related to operation of a rail vehicle. The user may review the information related to operation of the rail vehicle in real time, responsive to the rail vehicle being involved in a rail vehicle event, and/or at other times. The system may be configured to visually present information based on output signals generated by one or more sensors associated with the rail vehicle. The system may synchronize the presented information such that information from individual sensors may be compared and/or viewed at the same time by the user. The system may be configured to receive observations made by the user based on the user'"'"'s review of the presented visual information.

Claims

1. A rail vehicle event analysis system comprising one or more physical computer processors configured by computer readable instructions to:

receive rail vehicle operation information via output signals generated by sensors coupled with a rail vehicle, the sensors including a first sensor that generates a first output signal conveying first operation information, and a second sensor that generates a second output signal conveying second operation information, wherein the first output signal is associated with first timing information, and wherein the second output signal is associated with second timing information;

obtain rail vehicle event information defining a first rail vehicle event, the first rail vehicle event having a start time and an end time;

detect the start time of the first rail vehicle event in the first operation information, wherein the first timing information includes a first time-stamp that indicates the start time of the first rail vehicle event in the first operation information;

detect the start time of the first rail vehicle event in the second operation information, wherein the second timing information includes a second time-stamp that indicates the start time of the first rail vehicle event in the second operation information, and wherein the first time-stamp does not coincide with the second time-stamp; and

synchronize the first operation information and the second operation information based on analysis of the first time-stamp and the second time-stamp, wherein synchronizing includes identifying and correlating corresponding phenomena in the first output signal and the second output signal during the first rail vehicle event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the output signals generated by the sensors convey information regarding movement of the rail vehicle or actions performed by a vehicle operator of the rail vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured to associate the first operation information and the second operation information to create a first rail vehicle event record.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured to store the first rail vehicle event record in electronic storage.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured to present the first rail vehicle event record, via a graphical user interface, to a user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured such that synchronizing includes searching for expected phenomena in the second output signal that indicate the start time of the first rail vehicle event, wherein the first timing information indicating one or more of a time of day the information was generated, or an order in which the information was generated.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured such that the first rail vehicle event is related to one or more of a collision, a near collision, passing a red over red, passing a signal bar, a deadman, distracted operation of the rail vehicle by a rail vehicle operator, a penalty stop, slingshotting, excessive braking, an improper stop at a station, inappropriate language used by the rail vehicle operator, an intercom call, an intercom response, or activation of an ATP bypass.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein both the first sensor and the second sensor are a rail vehicle safety system sensor, a rail vehicle mechanical system sensor, a rail vehicle electrical system sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a geolocation sensor, or a radar detector.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a graphical user interface configured to present the synchronized first and second operation information to a user, wherein a view of the graphical user interface includes one or more fields that correspond to the one or more sensors and a timeline field,

wherein information presented in the one or more fields that correspond to the one or more sensors is synchronized to a common timeline displayed in the timeline field.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the graphical user interface includes one or more fields configured to receive entry and/or selection of one or more observations made by the user based on the information presented to the user,

the one or more physical computer processors configured to associate the observations with the first vehicle event record,

the one or more physical computer processors configured to filter the observations based on geo-fences, wherein geo-fences are virtual boundaries that define physical areas where one or more rail vehicle events are permissible or are not permissible.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured to cause the graphical user interface to present information to a non-rail vehicle operator user in real-time or near real-time during operation of the rail vehicle.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the graphical user interface includes a geographic map field configured to display a geographic location of the rail vehicle during the first rail vehicle event on a map.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more physical computer processor are configured such that the analysis includes a determination of a rail vehicle passenger comfort score, and

wherein the graphical user interface includes a rail vehicle passenger comfort score field configured to display the determined rail vehicle passenger comfort score.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include a video camera configured to acquire visual information that represents an environment about the rail vehicle, the environment about the rail vehicle including areas in or near an interior and an exterior of the rail vehicle, and

wherein the one or more physical computer processors are configured such that the analysis includes detecting presence of pedestrians near the exterior of the rail vehicle based on the acquired visual information.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured to:

receive rail vehicle location information that indicates a physical geographic location of the rail vehicle from one or more system location sensors that are coupled with the rail vehicle and/or one or more non-system location sensors that are not coupled with the rail vehicle, and

synchronize the rail vehicle location information with the first operation information and the second operation information.

16. A method for facilitating analysis of rail vehicle events, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more physical computer processors executing computer-readable instructions, rail vehicle operation information via output signals generated by sensors coupled with a rail vehicle, the sensors including a first sensor that generates a first output signal conveying first operation information, and a second sensor that generates a second output signal conveying second operation information, wherein the first output signal is associated with first timing information, and wherein the second output signal is associated with second timing information;

obtaining rail vehicle event information defining a first rail vehicle event, the first rail vehicle event having a start time and an end time;

detecting the start time of the first rail vehicle event in the first operation information, wherein the first timing information includes a first time-stamp that indicates the start time of the first rail vehicle event in the first operation information;

detecting the start time of the first rail vehicle event in the second operation information, wherein the second timing information includes a second time-stamp that indicates the start time of the first rail vehicle event in the second operation information, and wherein the first time-stamp does not coincide with the second time-stamp; and

synchronizing the first operation information and the second operation information based on analysis of the first time-stamp and the second time-stamp, wherein synchronizing includes identifying and correlating corresponding phenomena in the first output signal and the second output signal during the first rail vehicle event.

17. A rail vehicle event analysis system comprising one or more physical computer processors configured to store in electronic storage computer readable instructions to:

receive a first output signal generated by a first sensor coupled with a rail vehicle, wherein the first output signal conveys a first parameter pertaining to movement of the rail vehicle, wherein the first output signal is associated with first timing information;

receive a second output signal generated by a second sensor coupled with the rail vehicle, wherein the second output signal conveys a second parameter pertaining to actions performed by a vehicle operator of the rail vehicle, wherein the second output signal is associated with second timing information;

detect a first rail vehicle event based on the first parameter, wherein a first start time of the first rail vehicle event is indicated by a first time-stamp in the first timing information;

detect a second rail vehicle event based on the second parameter, wherein a second start time of the second rail vehicle event is indicated by a second time-stamp in the second timing information, wherein the first rail vehicle event is the same as the second rail vehicle event, and wherein the first time-stamp does not coincide with the second time-stamp; and

synchronize the first parameter and the second parameter based on analysis of the first time-stamp and the second time-stamp, wherein synchronizing includes identifying and correlating corresponding phenomena in the first output signal and the second output signal during the first and second rail vehicle event.