Train navigation system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9616905-B2
Application number	US-201514728758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2015
Priority date	Jun 2, 2015
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A navigation system for a train having at least one locomotive or control car and, optionally, at least one railroad car, operating in a track network, wherein an on-board computer determines or receives location data and communicates or causes the communication of the location data and/or railway data to another locomotive or control car, another train, a remote server, or the like. A train navigation method is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A navigation system for a train having at least one locomotive or control car and, optionally, at least one railroad car, operating in a track network, the system comprising:
on the at least one locomotive or control car:
(i) an on-board computer programmed or configured to implement or facilitate at least one train action;
(ii) a communication device in communication with the on-board computer and programmed or configured to receive, transmit, and/or process data signals;
(iii) at least one database in communication with the on-board computer with railway data stored therein; and
(iv) at least one inertial sensor programmed or configured to generate inertial data;

wherein the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
(a) determine or receive location data representing at least one of the following: the location or position of the train in the track network, the location or position of the at least one locomotive or control car in the track network, or any combination thereof;
(b) after traversing at least one non-linear track section and/or at least one switch, generate route signature data based at least partially on at least a portion of the inertial data; and
(c) communicate or cause the communication of at least a portion of the location data and/or railway data to at least one of the following: at least one other locomotive or control car of the train, at least one other train operating in the track network, at least one remote server, a central controller, a central dispatch server, a switch, a wayside device, a wayside interface unit, a signal device, or any combination thereof.

2. The navigation system of claim 1 , wherein, prior to step (a), the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to communicate at least a portion of the railway data to at least one other locomotive or control car in the train.

3. The navigation system of claim 2 , wherein the railway data comprises at least one of the following: consist data, position data, locomotive or control car data, railroad car data, identification data, length data, weight data, track data, or any combination thereof.

4. The navigation system of claim 2 , wherein the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
receive location data from the at least one second locomotive or control car; and
based at least partially on the received location data and the railway data, determine the intended or actual direction of travel of the train.

5. The navigation system of claim 2 , wherein the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
receive location data from the at least one second locomotive or control car; and
based at least partially on the received location data and the railway data, validate at least a portion of the railway data.

6. The navigation system of claim 5 , wherein the railway data that is validated comprises at least one of the following: consist data, position data, locomotive or control car data, railroad car data, identification data, length data, weight data, track data, or any combination thereof.

7. The navigation system of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises at least one of the following:
(i) determining at least a portion of the location data based at least partially on railway data in the at least one database;
(ii) determining at least a portion of the location data based at least partially on data received from at least one of the following: at least one other locomotive or control car of the train, at least one other train operating in the track network, at least one remote server, a central controller, a central dispatch server, a switch, a wayside device, a wayside interface unit, a signal device, or any combination thereof;
(iii) determining at least a portion of the location data based at least partially on route data in the at least one database;
(iv) determining at least a portion of the location data based at least partially on data input by or at least partially derived from input by at least one user;
(v) determining at least a portion of the location data based at least partially on inertial sensor data in the at least one database;
(vi) receiving at least a portion of the location data from at least one of the following: at least one other locomotive or control car of the train, at least one other train operating in the track network, at least one remote server, a central controller, a central dispatch server, a switch, a wayside device, a wayside interface unit, or any combination thereof,
or any combination thereof.

8. The navigation system of claim 1 , wherein the train comprises a first locomotive or control car having an on-board computer and at least one second locomotive or control car having an on-board computer, and wherein step (b) comprises communicating or causing the communication of at least a portion of the location data and/or at least a portion of the railway data from the first locomotive or control car to the at least one second locomotive or control car.

9. The navigation system of claim 8 , wherein the location data comprises or is at least partially derived from at least one of the following: track data; route data; signal data; switch alignment data; railway data; sensor data; transponder data; track circuit data; vehicle camera data; crew input; switch position monitor data; positioning system data; sensor data, inertial sensor data; switch alignment data based at least partially on direct or indirect communication with at least one of the following: a switch, a wayside device, a wayside interface unit, a signal device, or any combination thereof; switch alignment data based at least partially on direct or indirect user input; or any combination thereof.

10. The navigation system of claim 8 , wherein an on-board computer of the at least one second locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
determine location data based at least partially on the received location data and/or the received railway data; and
based at least partially on the determined location data, at least one of:
generate at least one independent navigation solution for the at least one train;
determine route data for the at least one second locomotive or control car as a locomotive or control car in a train traversing the track in a second direction;
verify at least a portion of the location data determined by the first locomotive or control car,
or any combination thereof.

11. The navigation system of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the location data is communicated to the at least one second locomotive or control car on at least one of the following bases: periodically, at a specified time, at a specified location, prior to traversing at least one switch, after traversing at least one switch, prior to stopping the train, after stopping the train, prior to initialization of an on-board computer of at least one locomotive or control car, after initialization of an on-board computer of at least one locomotive or control car, or any combination thereof.

12. The navigation system of claim 8 , wherein, prior to traversing the track in a second direction, an on-board computer of at least one of the locomotives or control cars is further programmed or configured to determine that at least one of the first locomotive or control car or the at least one second locomotive or control car is in a controlling state.

13. The navigation system of claim 12 , wherein the determination is based at least partially on a

Assignees

• Westinghouse Air Brake Tech Corp

Inventors

• Kernwein Jeffrey D
• Gawne Kendrick W

Classifications

• B61L25/021 Primary

  Measuring and recording of train speed · CPC title

• B61L1/02

  Electric devices associated with track {, e.g. rail contacts} · CPC title

• B61L25/026

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

• B61L15/0027

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

• B61L11/08 Primary

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