Vehicle control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12286145-B2
Application number	US-202117221039-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2021
Priority date	Apr 2, 2021
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

A control system is provided that may include a first sensor configured to detect a vehicle system. The control system may also include one or more processors in communication with the first sensor. The one or more processors may be configured to receive communication related to entry of the vehicle system into an area, and operate the first sensor to begin monitoring the vehicle system in response to entry of vehicle system into the area. The one or more processors may also be configured to record movement data related to the vehicle system, and determine movement of the vehicle system within the area based on the movement data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system comprising:
a first sensor configured to detect a vehicle system;
one or more processors in communication with the first sensor and configured to:
receive communication related to entry of the vehicle system into an area;
operate the first sensor to begin monitoring the vehicle system in response to entry of the vehicle system into the area;
record movement data related to the vehicle system; and
determine future movement of the vehicle system within the area based on the movement data; and
wherein the first sensor has a first sensor field of view, and the one or more processors are also configured to vary the first sensor field of view based on the movement data, movement data of a second vehicle system, and the future movement of the vehicle system, wherein the second vehicle system is different from the vehicle system, and wherein the vehicle system and the second vehicle system are within the first sensor field of view.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are also configured to vary the first sensor field of view by moving the first sensor from a first position to a second position.

3. The control system of claim 1 , further comprising a second sensor configured to detect the vehicle system and having a second sensor field of view that is different than the first sensor field of view.

4. The control system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors are also configured to vary the second sensor field of view based on one of entry of the vehicle system into the area or the movement data.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors also are configured to monitor two or more routes within the area, and wherein the movement data is related to the two or more routes.

6. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the communication related to location data of the vehicle system is received from a global navigation satellite system receiver of the vehicle system.

7. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is positioned adjacent to a route of the vehicle system.

8. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are also configured to communicate the movement data related to the vehicle system to a remote device.

9. A method comprising:
receiving, at a transceiver, location data related to a vehicle system into an area;
detecting, within a first sensor field of view of a first sensor, a first movement characteristic of the vehicle system on a first route in response to receiving the location data;
determining, with one or more processors, future movement of the vehicle system within the area based on the first movement characteristic and the future movement of the vehicle system;
varying the first sensor field of view of the first sensor based on the first movement characteristic detected, movement data of a second vehicle system, and the future movement of the vehicle system, wherein the second vehicle system is different from the vehicle system, and wherein the vehicle system and the second vehicle system are within the first sensor field of view; and
recording, in a storage device, movement data related to the vehicle system obtained from the first sensor.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining, with one or more processors, movement of the vehicle system within the area based on the movement data; and
communicating the movement determined to the vehicle system.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: detecting, within a second sensor field of view of a second sensor, a second movement characteristic of the vehicle system on the first route.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising: varying the second sensor field of view based on the first sensor field of view and the first movement characteristic.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first movement characteristic is one of presence on a route, movement direction, movement speed, or movement variance.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising: communicating the movement data recorded to a remote device.

15. A control system comprising:
a camera configured to detect a vehicle system and an area;
a controller including one or more processors in communication with the camera and configured to:
receive communication related to location data of the vehicle system;
operate the camera to begin obtaining at least one of movement data related to the vehicle system or area data related to the area in response to receiving the communication related to the location data of the vehicle system;
log the at least one of the movement data or the area data; and
communicate the at least one of the movement data or the area data logged related to the vehicle system and two or more routes;
determine future movement of the vehicle system within the area based on the movement data; and
vary a first sensor field of view of a first sensor based on the movement data detected, movement data of a second vehicle system, and the future movement of the vehicle system, wherein the second vehicle system is different from the vehicle system, and wherein the vehicle system and the second vehicle system are within the first sensor field of view.

16. The control system of claim 15 , wherein to communicate the at least one of the movement data or the area data logged, the one or more processors are configured to display the at least one of the movement data or the area data logged on an output of the controller or sending the data logged to a remote device.

17. The control system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is a depot controller.

18. A control system comprising:
a first sensor configured to detect a vehicle system;
one or more processors in communication with the first sensor and configured to:
receive communication related to entry of the vehicle system into an area;
operate the first sensor to begin monitoring the vehicle system in response to entry of the vehicle system into the area;
record movement data related to the vehicle system;
determine future movement of the vehicle system within the area based on the movement data; and
wherein the first sensor has a first sensor field of view, and the one or more processors are also configured to:
vary the first sensor field of view based on the movement data, movement data of a second vehicle system, and the future movement of the vehicle system, wherein the second vehicle system is different from the vehicle system; and
vary the first sensor field of view based on prioritization of the vehicle system, wherein the prioritization is based on at least one of time of entry to the area, maintenance requirements, data requirements, or preventing an overlap of the field of view between the first sensor and a second sensor.

19. A method comprising:
receiving, at a transceiver, location data related to a vehicle system into an area;
detecting, within a first sensor field of view of a first sensor, a first movement characteristic of the vehicle system on a first route in response to receiving the location data;
determining, with one or more processors, future movement of the vehicle system within the area based on the first movement characteristic and the future movement of the vehicle system;
varying the first sensor field of view of the first sensor based on the first movement characteristic detected, movement data of a second vehicle system, and the future movement of the vehicle system, wherein the second vehicle system is different from the vehicle s

Assignees

• Transp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Mathur Ankit
• Karunaratne Milan
• Paul Anthony D
• Dirnberger Jeremiah

Classifications

• G06V20/54

  of traffic, e.g. cars on the road, trains or boats · CPC title

• G07C5/0825

  using optical means · CPC title

• G07C5/0866 Primary

  the electronic data carrier being a digital video recorder in combination with video camera · CPC title

• B61L17/02

  Details, e.g. indicating degree of track filling · CPC title

• B61L1/163

  Detection devices · CPC title