Vehicle brake cylinder monitoring system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10960870-B2
Application number	US-201816127762-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2018
Priority date	Sep 11, 2018
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring air pressure applied to a brake cylinder of a braking assembly of a railway vehicle, including an empty-load device, and an RFID transducer in communication with the empty-load device, wherein the RFID transducer is configured to measure the air pressure delivered to the brake cylinder of the braking assembly, and generate data on the air pressure delivered to the brake cylinder of the braking assembly; and a remote data monitor configured to read data from the RFID transducer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for monitoring an air pressure applied to a brake cylinder of a braking assembly of a vehicle, the system comprising:
an empty-load device;
a radio frequency identification (RFID) transducer configured to:
measure the air pressure that is applied to the brake cylinder of the braking assembly, wherein the air pressure is measured in a location that is downstream of the empty-load device, and
generate pressure data representative of the air pressure applied to the brake cylinder of the braking assembly; and

a remote data monitor configured to read the pressure data from the RFID transducer by communicating a first radio-frequency (RF) signal to the RFID transducer, and the RFID transducer is configured to use the first RF signal received from the remote data monitor to power communication of a second RF signal, the second RF signal including the pressure data that is generated by the RFID transducer and identification data that identifies one or more of the RFID transducer, the vehicle, the empty-load device, or the brake cylinder.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the remote data monitor comprises an RFID reader configured to read the pressure data from the RFID transducer as the vehicle passes the remote data monitor.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the empty-load device comprises:
a braking assembly input configured to receive a delivered air pressure,
a regulation arrangement configured to regulate the delivered air pressure to form a regulated air pressure, and
a braking assembly output configured to discharge the regulated air pressure to represent the air pressure that is applied to the brake cylinder.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the remote data monitor comprises a transmitter configured to transmit the pressure data from the RFID transducer to a remote database.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the RFID transducer comprises a passive RFID system that lacks a power source.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the RFID transducer further comprises an active RFID system in wired connection with a power source.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the RFID transducer is disposed on the empty-load device.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the RFID transducer is disposed on the brake cylinder.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure data is first pressure data and the system further comprises a second RFID transducer configured to:
measure an air pressure that is applied to the empty-load device, wherein the air pressure applied to the empty-load device is measured upstream of the empty-load device; and
generate second pressure data representative of the air pressure that is applied to the empty-load device.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the remote data monitor is configured to read the second pressure data from the second RFID transducer.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the second RFID transducer is disposed on a control valve of the system.

12. A method for monitoring air pressure applied to a brake cylinder of a braking assembly of a vehicle, the method comprising:
delivering a delivered air pressure to an empty-load device;
regulating the delivered air pressure with a regulation arrangement of the empty-load device to result in a regulated air pressure;
delivering the regulated air pressure from the empty-load device to the brake cylinder;
generating a measurement of the regulated air pressure downstream of the empty-load device with a radio frequency identification (RFID) transducer; and
reading the measurement from the RFID transducer with a remote data monitor by communicating a first radio-frequency (RF) signal to the RFID transducer from the remote data monitor, and using the first RF signal, by the RFID transducer, to power communication of a second RF signal, the second RF signal including the measurement of the regulated air pressure that is generated by the RFID transducer and identification data identifying one or more of the RFID transducer, the vehicle, the empty-load device, or the brake cylinder.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the remote data monitor comprises one or more of a handheld RFID reader or a stationary RFID reader configured to read the measurement from the RFID transducer as the vehicle passes the remote data monitor.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the RFID transducer comprises a passive RFID system that lacks a power source.

15. The method according to claim 12 ,
further comprising transmitting the measurement from the remote data monitor to a remote database.

16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the RFID transducer is disposed on the empty-load device.

17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the RFID transducer is disposed on the brake cylinder.

18. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the measurement of the regulated air pressure downstream of the empty-load device is a first measurement, and the method further comprises:
generating a second measurement of the delivered air pressure upstream of the empty-load device with a second RFID transducer in communication with the delivered air pressure; and
reading the second measurement of the delivered air pressure from the second RFID transducer with the remote data monitor.

19. A vehicle comprising:
a braking assembly for braking at least one wheel of the vehicle;
a radio frequency identification (RFID) transducer in communication with the braking assembly, wherein the RFID transducer is configured to:
measure an air pressure at a point in the braking assembly, and
generate pressure data representative of the air pressure; and
at least one remote data monitor configured to read the pressure data from the RFID transducer by communicating a first radio-frequency (RF) signal, and the RFID transducer is configured to use the first RF signal received from the at least one remote data monitor to power communication of a second RF signal, the second RF signal including the pressure data that is generated by the RFID transducer and identification data identifying one or more of the RFID transducer, the vehicle, or the braking assembly.

Assignees

• Westinghouse Air Brake Tech Corp

Inventors

• Gaughan Edward W
• Potter William John
• Troiani Vincent F

Classifications

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• G01L19/086

  for remote indication · CPC title

• B60T13/365

  for railway vehicles · CPC title

• H04Q2209/47

  using RFID associated with sensors · CPC title

• B60T13/24

  the fluid being gaseous · CPC title