Method and apparatus to improve unmonitored switch position reporting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208130-B2
Application number	US-201816206558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2018
Priority date	Nov 30, 2018
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A switch reporting device including at least one display screen, a high resolution camera, a code reader, at least one memory and one or more processors, the switch reporting device configured to determine a position of an unmonitored switch in a railway by capturing an image of one or more portions associated with the unmonitored switch, generating switch position data based on the image of one or more portions associated with the unmonitored switch, and updating a switch position record for the unmonitored switch with the switch position data. The switch reporting device includes one or more mobile computers or an EOT device for monitoring and reporting switch position data for an unmonitored switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for determining a position of an unmonitored switch in a railway, the method comprising:
capturing an image of the unmonitored switch;
generating switch position data based on the image of the unmonitored switch, the switch position data including a switch identifier, a geographic location of the unmonitored switch, and a time that the unmonitored switch was in a first position; and
updating a switch position record for the unmonitored switch with the switch position data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image of the unmonitored switch shows a switch position indicator of the unmonitored switch, and further comprising:
generating the switch position data to include the image of the unmonitored switch that shows the switch position indicator and switch position information that is based on the image of the unmonitored switch.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring the image of the unmonitored switch for a switch code that includes embedded switch code information associated with a status of the unmonitored switch, the switch code information including information for identifying the first position of the unmonitored switch;
determining whether the switch code is accessible in the image of the unmonitored switch; and
acquiring switch code data based on the switch code.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the switch code is a first switch codes of plural switch codes that identify different positions of the unmonitored switch that include the first position of the unmonitored switch.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the switch position data includes identifying a switch code from the image, the switch code indicating the first position of the unmonitored switch.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the switch position record for the unmonitored switch further comprises:
communicating the switch position data to a wayside data management center;
receiving the switch position data;
in response to receiving the switch position data, identifying the switch position record based on at least one of the switch identifier, the geographic location, or the time;
determining the first position of the unmonitored switch based on at least one of a switch position indicator of the unmonitored switch or switch position information including parameters and conditions of the unmonitored switch;
determining a correct switch position of the switch based on the first position and a recorded switch position, the recorded switch position associated with a recorded position of the switch in the switch record; and
updating the switch record with the correct switch position.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
changing the unmonitored switch from the first position to a second position after a train has passed the unmonitored switch; and
capturing the image of the unmonitored switch after changing the unmonitored switch.

8. A switch management system comprising:
a mobile device having at least one display screen, a camera, a code reader, at least one memory, and one or more processors, the mobile device configured to:
capture an image of an unmonitored switch;
generate switch position data based on the image of the unmonitored switch, the switch position data including a switch identifier, a geographic location of the unmonitored switch, and a time that the unmonitored switch was in a first position; and
update a switch position record for the unmonitored switch with the switch position data.

9. The switch management system of claim 8 , wherein the image of the unmonitored switch shows a switch position indicator of the unmonitored switch, and the mobile device is further configured to:
identify a switch code from the image of the unmonitored switch;
generate the switch position data to include the image of the switch position indicator and the switch code.

10. The switch management system of claim 8 , wherein the mobile device is configured to:
provide one or more switch codes in one or more portions associated with the unmonitored switch, the switch code including an identifier of the first position of the unmonitored switch;
determine whether a switch code that identifies the first position of the unmonitored switch is viewable in the image; and
acquire switch code data based on the switch code.

11. The switch management system of claim 10 , wherein the switch code is a first switch code of plural switch codes that represent different positions of the unmonitored switch.

12. The switch management system of claim 11 , wherein the mobile device is configured to acquire the first switch code from the image of the unmonitored switch.

13. The switch management system of claim 8 , wherein the mobile device is configured to:
communicate the switch position data to a wayside data management center.

14. The switch management system of claim 8 , wherein the mobile device is configured to:
capture the image of the unmonitored switch after the unmonitored switch is adjusted by a wayside device from the first position to a second position.

15. A method, comprising:
issuing an electronic command to at least one device onboard a train to operate a camera for capturing an image of a switch;
generating, by the at least one device, switch position data based on the image of the switch, the switch position data including a position of the unmonitored switch; and
communicating, by the at least one device, a status update to a dispatcher, the status update including the switch position data for identifying the unmonitored switch and the position of the unmonitored switch.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving the status update at the dispatcher including one or more processors;
in response to receiving the switch position data, identifying, by the dispatcher, a switch record based on at least one of a switch identifier, a location designation, or a time stamp;
determining the position of the unmonitored switch based on the switch position data;
determining a correct switch position of the switch based on the switch position data and a recorded switch position, the recorded switch position associated with a recorded position of the unmonitored switch in the switch record; and
updating the switch record with the correct switch position.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the position of the unmonitored switch is a first position, and further comprising:
changing the unmonitored switch from the first position to a second position that is different from the first position after the train has passed the unmonitored switch; and
capturing the image of the unmonitored switch after changing the unmonitored switch from the first position to the second position.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the switch position data includes at least one of a switch position indicator of the unmonitored switch or switch position information for determining the position of the unmonitored switch, the method further comprising:
generating the switch position data based on the switch position indicator and on switch position information of a second portion of the image of the unmonitored switch.

Assignees

• Westinghouse Air Brake Tech Corp

Inventors

• Kernwein Jeffrey D
• Green Craig Karl
• Chapman Jerrid D
• Venkatasubramanian Sathya Vagheeswar

Classifications

• B61L25/028

  Determination of vehicle position and orientation within a train consist, e.g. serialisation · CPC title

• G06V20/56

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title

• B61L27/53

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

• B61L25/021

  Measuring and recording of train speed · CPC title

• B61L23/041 Primary

  Obstacle detection · CPC title