Operator location tracking for remote control rail yard switching

• US 7,239,943 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2005
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Peltz, David Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli; Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US11/057,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20050209777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 17/00 Switching systems for classification yards
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/127 for remote control of locomotives remote control of locomotives within a train consist B61C17/12

Abstract

A system (10) for generating a rail yard switch list (e.g., 30) of switch positioning activities for efficient movement of a railyard operator (12). The system includes a first operator control unit (14) (OCU) having a locator (16) for determining a location of the OCU and an associated operator using the OCU during rail yard switching activities. The system also includes a first processor (28) for correlating the rail yard switching activities with a respective location of the OCU in the rail yard to establish a knowledge base of respective preferred locations in the rail yard, and a memory (e.g. 26) for storing the knowledge base of preferred locations in the railyard. The system further includes a second processor (27) for receiving a request (32) for a switch list, accessing the memory, and processing the request based on the knowledge base to generate a switch list.

Claims

1. A system for generating a rail yard switch list of switch positioning activities for efficient movement of a railyard operator, the system comprising:

a first operator control unit (OCU) having a locator for determining a location of the OCU and an associated operator using the OCU during rail yard switching activities;

a first processor for correlating the rail yard switching activities with a respective location of the OCU in the rail yard to establish a knowledge base of respective preferred locations in the rail yard;

a memory for storing said knowledge base of preferred locations in the railyard for a library of the switching activities; and

a second processor for receiving a request for a switch list, accessing the memory and processing the request based on the knowledge base to generate a switch list having a sequence of switching activities organized to consider the physical movement required of an operator to implement the switch list.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first OCU further comprises a transmitter for transmitting OCU location data to the first processor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first OCU further comprises a transmitter for transmitting switch positioning activities to the first processor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processor is on the first OCU and the first OCU further comprises a transmitter for transmitting correlated data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second processor communicates with a transmitter for transmitting the switch list.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a second OCU having a receiver for receiving the switch list.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first OCU constitutes the second OCU.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processor, the second processor and the memory are on the first OCU.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processor constitutes the second processor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second processor is separate from and spaced apart from the first OCU.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an OCU tilt sensor for sensing an inclination of the OCU;

a transmitter, coupled to the tilt sensor and the locator for transmitting a signal indicative of the location of the OCU at times associated with when the inclination of the OCU exceeds a predetermined value.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a timer for measuring the period of time the inclination of the OCU exceeds the predetermined value.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the OCU transmits a signal when the inclination of the OCU exceeds the predetermined value for a predetermined period of time.

14. A method for generating a rail yard switch list of switch positioning activities for efficient movement of a railyard operator, the method comprising:

tracking locations of a first operator control unit (OCU) and an associated operator during rail yard switching activities;

correlating each switching activity with a respective location of the operator to establish a knowledge base of respective preferred locations in a rail yard for a library of the switching activities;

storing the knowledge base in memory;

receiving a switch list request;

accessing the knowledge base; and

processing the request based on the knowledge base to generate a switch list having a sequence of switching activities organized to consider physical movement of an operator implementing the switch list.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting the switch list to a second OCU.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first OCU constitutes the second OCU.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting data indicative of the tracked locations and the railyard switching activities.

18. A computer readable medium having software code for generating a rail yard switch list of switch positioning activities for efficient movement of a railyard operator, the computer readable medium comprising:

a software code module associated with an operator control unit (OCU) for tracking locations of a first OCU and an associated operator during rail yard switching activities;

a software code module associated with a first processor for correlating each switching activity with a respective location of the operator to establish a knowledge base of respective preferred locations in a rail yard for a library of the switching activities;

a software code module associated with memory for storing the knowledge base; and

a software code module associated with a second processor for accessing memory and generating a switch list having a sequence of switching activities organized to consider physical movement of an operator implementing the switch list.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, further comprising a software code module for requesting the switch list.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising a software code module for transmitting the switch list.