Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120123617 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DATA COMMUNICATIONS - Systems and methods for controlling rail vehicle data communication are provided. In one embodiment, a multiple-unit rail vehicle system includes a first rail vehicle including a first wireless network device to detect a wireless network. The wireless network is provided by a wayside device. The rail vehicle further comprises a first communication management system to send, through the wireless network, a data communication to a second rail vehicle of the multiple-unit rail vehicle system. | 05-17-2012 |
20120136514 | COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR A RAIL VEHICLE CONSIST AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING WITH A RAIL VEHICLE CONSIST - A communication system for a rail vehicle consist includes antenna modules, routing modules, and an arbitration module. The antenna modules are disposed at spaced apart locations along the consist and receive network data from an off-board device. The routing modules are communicatively coupled with the antenna modules and receive the network data from the antenna modules. The routing modules are communicatively coupled with a network connection extending along the rail vehicle consist. The arbitration module is communicatively coupled with the network connection. The arbitration module forms a message represented by the network data. One or more of the routing modules transmits the network data received from the off-board device to the arbitration module over the network connection. The arbitration module receives the network data to form the message and transmits the message to one or more powered units of the rail vehicle consist through the network connection. | 05-31-2012 |
20120136515 | COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR A RAIL VEHICLE CONSIST AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING WITH A RAIL VEHICLE CONSIST - A communication system for a rail vehicle consist includes antenna modules, routing modules, and an arbitration module. The antenna modules are disposed at spaced apart locations and receive a trip profile from an off-board device. The trip profile is related to tractive and/or braking effort supplied by one or more powered units of the rail vehicle consist. The routing modules are disposed on the powered units and are communicatively coupled with the antenna modules. The routing modules are communicatively coupled with a network connection extending along the rail vehicle consist between the powered units. The arbitration module is communicatively coupled with the routing modules by the network connection. The routing modules transmit the received trip profile to the arbitration module. The arbitration module reconstitutes the trip profile into a message that is transmitted to a propulsion subsystem of one or more of the powered units. | 05-31-2012 |
20120277941 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A MARINE VESSEL THROUGH A WATERWAY - A system for controlling a marine vessel includes a processor, a propulsion system, and a directional system. The processor is disposed onboard the marine vessel and obtains a trip plan that includes designated operational settings of the marine vessel for a trip along a waterway. The propulsion system is communicatively coupled with the processor and generates propulsion to move the marine vessel according to the designated operational settings of the trip plan. The directional system is communicatively coupled with the processor and steers the marine vessel according to the designated operational settings of the trip plan. Operating the propulsion system and the directional system according to the designated operational settings of the trip plan reduces at least one of fuel consumed or emissions generated by the marine vessel relative to the marine vessel being propelled or steered according to one or more plans other than the trip plan. | 11-01-2012 |
20120325980 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING WITH A WAYSIDE DEVICE - A communication system includes an electronic component located at a wayside device positioned along a route of a rail vehicle and a router transceiver unit operably coupled to the electronic component. The router transceiver unit is conductively coupled to a power supply conductor that supplies electric current to power at least one of the electronic component of the wayside device or an electronic apparatus other than the electronic component. The router transceiver unit is configured to communicate network data with a remote location through the power supply conductor. | 12-27-2012 |
20130022054 | COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A RAIL VEHICLE - A method of communicating data signals includes receiving data from one or more data sources disposed on board a rail vehicle and allocating different portions of a data communication bandwidth to data signals that include the data based on categories of the data. The categories represent at least one of the one or more data sources that provided the data or contents of the data. The data communication bandwidth includes a bandwidth that is available on a communication pathway of the rail vehicle. The method also includes transmitting the data signals through the communication pathway using the portions of the bandwidth that are assigned to the data signals. | 01-24-2013 |
20140046513 | Route Examining System And Method - A route examining system includes an application device, a control unit, a detection unit, and an identification unit. The application device is onboard a first vehicle of a first vehicle system traveling along a route. The control unit controls supply of electric current from a power source to the application device in order to electrically inject an examination signal into the route via the application device. The detection unit is off-board of the first vehicle and monitors electrical characteristics of the route in response to the examination signal being injected into the route. The identification unit is off-board of the first vehicle and examines the one or more electrical characteristics of the route in order to determine whether a section of the route extending between the first vehicle and the detection unit is potentially damaged based on the one or more electrical characteristics. | 02-13-2014 |
20140151460 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MAINTAINING SENSOR PERFORMANCE - A system for use with a vehicle includes at least one nozzle and an fluid reservoir capable of holding a volume of pressurized gas or other fluid. The air reservoir is in fluid communication with the at least one nozzle and the at least one nozzle is selectively operable to direct the pressurized gas or other fluid at a surface of an optical inspection sensor assembly to remove contaminants from the sensor assembly. | 06-05-2014 |
20140151512 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INSPECTION OF WAYSIDE RAIL EQUIPMENT - An inspection system for use with a rail vehicle includes a sensor configured to be deployed onboard the rail vehicle for inspection of wayside rail equipment to determine operability or alignment of the equipment. | 06-05-2014 |
20140180499 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DATA COMMUNICATIONS - A communication system includes a first wireless communication device disposed onboard a vehicle system having two or more propulsion-generating vehicles that are mechanically interconnected with each other. The communication system also includes a controller configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle system and operatively connected with the first wireless communication device in order to control operations of the device. The controller is configured to direct the first wireless communication device to switch between operating in an off-board communication mode and an onboard communication mode. When the first wireless communication device is operating in the off-board communication mode, the device is configured to receive remote data signals from a location that is disposed off-board of the vehicle system. When the first wireless communication device is operating in the onboard communication mode, the device is configured to communicate local data signals between the propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicle system. | 06-26-2014 |
20140222971 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DATA PROCESSING - Methods and systems are provided for processing data generated in a vehicle group. One example embodiment comprises selectively off-boarding a data set generated at a first vehicle in the vehicle group for storage purposes, the first data set off-boarded to one or more of a second vehicle in the vehicle group and a remote storage device. | 08-07-2014 |
20140371959 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING EFFECTIVENESS OF A FRICTION MODIFIER ALONG A ROUTE SEGMENT - A method including obtaining creep measurements and tractive/braking measurements from at least one vehicle system at different locations along a route segment while the at least one vehicle system moves through the route segment. The method also includes calculating tribology characteristics of the route segment at the different locations. The tribology characteristics are based on the creep measurements and the tractive/braking measurements from the at least one vehicle system. The tribology characteristics are indicative of a friction coefficient of the route segment at the different locations. The method also includes determining an effectiveness of a friction modifier applied to the route segment based on the tribology characteristics. | 12-18-2014 |
20150033864 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACOUSTICALLY IDENTIFYING DAMAGED SECTIONS OF A ROUTE - A method for acoustically examining a route includes sensing passively excited residual sounds of a vehicle system during travel over a route, examining the passively excited residual sounds to identify one or more changes of interest in the passively excited residual sounds, and identifying a section of the route as being damaged responsive to the one or more changes of interest in the passively excited residual sounds that are identified. | 02-05-2015 |
20150081214 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING DAMAGED SECTIONS OF A ROUTE - A method and system for examining velocity differences in a vehicle speed of a vehicle and the angular speed of the axles and/or wheels of the vehicle system traveling along a route to determine if the route is damaged and/or to identify the location of the potentially damaged section of the route. The differences may represent wheel creeps of the vehicle system. | 03-19-2015 |