Vehicle management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11142871-B2
Application number	US-201916535919-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2019
Priority date	Mar 3, 2015
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle management system communicates with monitor devices coupled with a path control device at an intersection between route segments. The path control device switches positions to connect different combinations of the route segments. The system receives signals from the monitor devices to determine which of the route segments are coupled with each other and receives an authority signal from a travel authority system that indicates which of the route segments that the vehicle is authorized to travel. The system directs the vehicle through the path control device responsive to a combination of: (a) receipt of the authority signal and (b) receipt of at least one of the monitor signals or failure to receive one or more of the monitor signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle path control system, comprising:
a first monitor device configured to communicate with a path control device and to generate at least a first signal responsive to the path control device being in a first position, the path control device coupling a first route segment with a second route segment while the path control device is in the first position;
a second monitor device configured to communicate with the path control device and to generate at least a second signal responsive to the path control device being in a different, second position, the path control device coupling the first route segment with a third route segment while the path control device is in the second position; and
a vehicle management system configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle configured to travel along a route that includes the path control device, the vehicle management system configured to communicate with a travel authority system and to direct at least one vehicle control action based at least in part on one or more of the following:
at least a portion of the first signal or an absence of the first signal from the first monitor device;
at least a portion of the second signal or an absence of the second signal from the second monitor device; or
at least a portion of a third signal received from the travel authority system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle management system is configured to direct the at least one vehicle control action responsive to one or more of:
a first combination of the absence of the first signal and receipt of the third signal from the travel authority system, or
a second combination of the absence of the second signal and receipt of the third signal from the travel authority system.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the third signal from the travel authority system indicates permission for the vehicle to enter into a route segment coupled with the path control device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first monitor device is configured to generate at least the first signal responsive to the path control device being in the first position that couples the first route segment with the second route segment but not with the third route segment.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the second monitor device is configured to generate at least the second signal responsive to the path control device being in the second position that couples the first route segment with the third route segment but not with the second route segment.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the vehicle management system is configured to direct the vehicle to stop before traveling over the path control device as the vehicle control action responsive to (a) the vehicle management system receiving the first signal from the first monitor device and (b) the third signal from the travel authority system indicating that the vehicle has authority to travel onto the third route segment.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the vehicle management system is configured to direct the vehicle to stop before traveling over the path control device as the vehicle control action responsive to (a) the vehicle management system receiving the second signal from the second monitor device and (b) the third signal from the travel authority system indicating that the vehicle has authority to travel onto the second route segment.

8. A system comprising:
a vehicle management system configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle traveling along a first route segment and to communicate with monitor devices operatively coupled with a path control device at an intersection between the first route segment, a second route segment, and a third route segment, the path control device configured to switch positions to connect different combinations of the first route segment, the second route segment, and the third route segment,
the vehicle management system configured to receive monitor signals from the monitor devices to determine which of the first route segment, the second route segment, and the third route segment are coupled with each other, the vehicle management system configured to receive an authority signal from a travel authority system that indicates which of the second route segment or the third route segment that the vehicle is authorized to travel,
the vehicle management system configured to direct control of the vehicle through the path control device responsive to a combination of: (a) receipt of the authority signal and (b) receipt of at least one of the monitor signals or failure to receive one or more of the monitor signals,
wherein the vehicle management system is configured to receive a first signal from a first monitor device of the monitor devices responsive to the path control device being in a first position to couple the first route segment with the second route segment, the vehicle management system also configured to receive a second signal from a second monitor device of the monitor devices responsive to the path control device being in a second position to couple the first route segment with the third route segment.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle management system is configured to stop the vehicle from traveling through the path control device onto the second route segment responsive to receiving the second signal from the second monitor device.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle management system is configured to stop the vehicle from traveling through the path control device onto the second route segment responsive to the vehicle management system not receiving the first signal from the first monitor device and the authority signal from the travel management system indicating that the vehicle has authority to travel on the third route segment.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle management system is configured to stop the vehicle from traveling through the path control device onto the third route segment responsive to receiving the first signal from the first monitor device.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle management system is configured to stop the vehicle from traveling through the path control device onto the third route segment responsive to the vehicle management system not receiving the second signal from the second monitor device and the authority signal from the travel management system indicating that the vehicle has authority to travel on the second route segment.

13. A system comprising:
a vehicle management system configured to communicate with monitor devices operatively coupled with a path control device at an intersection between route segments, the vehicle management system configured to receive signals from the monitor devices indicative of which of the route segments are coupled with each other by the path control device, wherein a first signal from the monitor device indicates the path control device being in a first position to couple a first route segment with a second route segment of the route segments, and a second signal from the monitor device indicates the path control device being in a second position to couple the first route segment with a third route segment of the route segments,
the vehicle management system configured to monitor for the signals from the monitor devices and to monitor for an authority signal from an off-board source indicative of which of the route segments that a vehicle has authority to travel, the vehicle management system configured to automatically control movement of the vehicle responsive to and based on receipt of the authority signal and a failure to receive the signals from one or more of the monitor devices.

Assignees

• Westinghouse Air Brake Tech Corp

Inventors

• Kernwein Jeffrey D
• Moore James H

Classifications

• B61L5/10 Primary

  Locking mechanisms for points; Means for indicating the setting of points · CPC title

• B61L27/53

  for trackside elements or systems, e.g. trackside supervision of trackside control system conditions · CPC title

• E01B7/00 Primary

  Switches; Crossings (operating mechanisms B61L) · CPC title

• B61L11/08

  using electrical or magnetic interaction between vehicle and track · CPC title

• B61L27/0088

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic