Vehicle location determining system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022250649-A1
Application number	US-202117174065-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2021
Priority date	Feb 11, 2021
Publication date	Aug 11, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method include a control unit configured to detect a presence of a vehicle within a route area based on sensor signals output by an observer device that monitors the route area. The control unit is configured to determine a distance of the vehicle from the observer device and to determine a vehicle location of the vehicle based on the distance and a predetermined location of the observer device. The system and method include a communication device configured to communicate the vehicle location to at least one of the vehicle or a remote control device that is off-board the vehicle prior to the vehicle starting to move along a route occupied by the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a control unit configured to detect a presence of a vehicle within a route area based on sensor signals output by an observer device that monitors the route area, the control unit configured to determine a distance of the vehicle from the observer device and to determine a vehicle location of the vehicle based on the distance and a predetermined location of the observer device; and a communication device communicatively connected to the control unit and configured to communicate the vehicle location to at least one of the vehicle or a remote control device that is off-board the vehicle prior to the vehicle starting to move along a route occupied by the vehicle.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication device is configured to communicate the vehicle location within an initialization message directed to the remote control device, wherein the initialization message is communicated to establish communications between the vehicle and the remote control device.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to be onboard the vehicle, the control unit comprises a portion of a vehicle control system configured to prevent the vehicle from moving along the route unless the control unit receives a signal from the remote control device, responsive to receiving the vehicle location, that indicates that a segment of the route occupied by the vehicle is unoccupied by other vehicles.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine the vehicle location of the vehicle without using a signal from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the route area encompasses multiple routes, and the control unit is configured to identify which of the multiple routes is occupied by the vehicle based on the sensor signals output by the observer device.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to detect the presence of the vehicle within the route area and determine the distance of the vehicle from the observer device by analyzing image data output by a camera of the observer device.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine the distance of the vehicle from the observer device by comparing a size of a graphical representation of at least a portion of the vehicle depicted in the image data to reference data stored in a memory device.

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to analyze the image data output by the camera to identify the vehicle relative to one or more other vehicles based on at least one of a graphical indicium displayed on the vehicle or a shape of the vehicle.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine the distance of the vehicle from the observer device by analyzing the sensor signals output by at least one of an ultrasonic distance sensor or an optical distance sensor of the observer device.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the observer device is a first observer device, and the control unit is configured to receive second sensor signals from at least a second observer device that is spaced apart from the first observer device to monitor a second route area that at least partially overlaps the route area monitored by the first observer device,
wherein the control unit is configured to analyze second sensor signals generated by the second observer device to determine a second distance of the vehicle from the second observer device, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the vehicle location of the vehicle based on the distance of the vehicle from the first observer device, the predetermined location at which the first observer device is mounted, the second distance of the vehicle from the second observer device, and a second predetermined location at which the second observer device is mounted.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the route occupied by the vehicle comprises a track and the vehicle is a rail vehicle configured to travel on the track.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to determining the vehicle location of the vehicle, the control unit is configured to compare the vehicle location that is determined to a last known location of the vehicle stored in a memory device.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to determining that the vehicle is not present within the route area and signals from a GNSS receiver are not available, the control unit is configured to select a last known location of the vehicle stored in a memory device as the vehicle location, and the communication device is configured to communicate the last known location to the at least one of the vehicle or the remote control device with a notification that the last known location includes a positional uncertainty.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to determining that the vehicle is not present within the route area and signals from a GNSS receiver are not available, the control unit is configured to select a last known location of the vehicle stored in a memory device as the vehicle location and is configured to restrict at least one of a speed or a distance that the vehicle moves along the route until at least one of the vehicle is present within the route area or the signals from the GNSS receiver are available.

15 . A method comprising:
receiving sensor signals output by an observer device that monitors a route area; detecting a presence of a vehicle within the route area based on an analysis of the sensor signals; determining a distance of the vehicle from the observer device based on the analysis of the sensor signals; determining a vehicle location of the vehicle based on the distance and a predetermined location at which the observer device is mounted; and generating a message, comprising the vehicle location, to be communicated to at least one of the vehicle or a remote control device that is off-board the vehicle prior to the vehicle starting to move along a route occupied by the vehicle.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising determining that signals from a GNSS receiver onboard the vehicle are not available, wherein the message is generated to include the vehicle location that is determined in response to the determination that the signals from the GNSS receiver are not available.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the route area encompasses multiple routes, and the method further comprises identifying which of the multiple routes is occupied by the vehicle based on the sensor signals generated by the observer device, wherein the vehicle location of the vehicle is determined based also on the route that is identified as occupied by the vehicle.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein receiving the sensor signals output by the observer device comprises receiving image data generated by a camera of the observer device.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising identifying the vehicle relative to one or more other vehicles based on one or both of a graphical indicium displayed on the vehicle in the image data or a shape of the vehicle in the image data.

20 . A system comprising:
a camera configured to be mounted on a structure proximate to at least one route and oriented to monitor a route area including the at least one route; a control unit comprising one or more processors and configured to be communicatively connected to the camera, the control unit configured

Assignees

• Westinghouse Air Brake Tech Corp

Inventors

• Staats Andrew Ryan
• Gorman Joseph
• Kernwein Jeffrey D
• Barr Stuart J

Classifications

• B61L2205/04

  Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] · CPC title

• B61L27/40

  Handling position reports or trackside vehicle data · CPC title

• B61L27/20

  Trackside control of safe travel of vehicle or train, e.g. braking curve calculation · CPC title

• B61L25/026

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

• B61L23/041

  Obstacle detection · CPC title