Techniques and associated systems and methods for determining train motion characteristics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021129881-A1
Application number	US-202017090661-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 5, 2020
Priority date	Nov 6, 2019
Publication date	May 6, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Described herein are techniques for determining motion characteristics (e.g., position, velocity, acceleration, etc.) of one or more trains traveling along a train track, such that train control systems may have the information needed to safely operate the trains at higher speeds and with shorter separation between trains. In accordance with various embodiments, systems and methods described herein may be configured to determine a position, velocity, and/or acceleration of a train traveling along a train track. In some embodiments, the motion characteristics may be determined one or more radio frequency antennas onboard the train, such as in communication with one or more anchor nodes positioned adjacent the train track. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments motion characteristics may be determined using one or more one or more inertial measurement units (IMUs) onboard the train.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for determining a velocity of a train traveling along a train track, the system comprising:
at least one RF antenna configured to receive RF signals from at least one anchor node positioned proximate the train track; and at least one processor configured to:
determine at least one distance between the at least one RF antenna and the at least one anchor node; and
determine the velocity of the train using the at least one distance.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine, using the at least one distance, an estimate of uncertainty for the determined velocity of the train.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine a position and/or an acceleration of the train using the at least one distance.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor comprises:
a first processor configured to determine the at least one distance; and a second processor configured to determine the velocity of the train.

5 . The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
at least one circuit board having the second processor thereon, wherein the first processor is wired to the at least one circuit board and packaged with the at least one antenna; and a memory disposed on the at least one circuit board, wherein the at least one processor is configured to store the at least one distance in the memory.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one RF antenna is configured to receive the RF signals having a center frequency between 3-10 GHz and a bandwidth of at least 500 MHz.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the velocity using a graph-based optimization algorithm.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one anchor node has a known position.

9 . A method of determining a velocity of a train traveling along a train track, the method comprising:
receiving, via at least one RF antenna, RF signals from at least one anchor node positioned proximate the train track; and determining, by at least one processor:
at least one distance between the at least one RF antenna and the at least one anchor node; and
the velocity of the train using the at least one distance.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:
determining the at least one distance is performed by a first processor of the at least one processor; and determining the velocity is performed by a second processor of the at least one processor.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the RF signals have a center frequency between 3-10 GHz and a bandwidth of at least 500 MHz.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining, by the at least one processor, the velocity using a graph-based optimization algorithm.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining, by the at least one processor, the velocity using a Bayesian estimation algorithm.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one anchor node has a known position.

15 . A system for determining a velocity of a train traveling along a train track, the system comprising:
at least one inertial measurement unit (IMU) configured to generate IMU data responsive to motion of the train along the train track; and at least one processor configured to determine velocity of the train using the IMU data.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine, using the IMU data, an estimate of uncertainty for the determined velocity of the train.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine a position, acceleration, and/or orientation of the train using the IMU data.

18 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
at least one circuit board having the at least one processor thereon, wherein the at least one IMU is disposed on the at least one circuit board; and a memory disposed on the at least one circuit board, wherein the at least one processor is configured to store the IMU data in the memory.

19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one IMU includes a plurality of IMUs.

20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the velocity using a graph-based optimization algorithm.

Assignees

• Humatics Corp

Inventors

• Senna Joshua
• Kinsey James Campbell
• Lunawat Arihant
• Einhorn Mike
• Clark Devon Reed

Classifications

• B61L27/70

  Details of trackside communication · CPC title

• B61L25/021 Primary

  Measuring and recording of train speed · CPC title

• B61L25/026

  Relative localisation, e.g. using odometer · CPC title

• B61L15/0027

  Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R · CPC title

• B61L25/028

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