Train control system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9714041-B2
Application number	US-201514882925-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2015
Priority date	Oct 14, 2015
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

A control 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 movement data and location data and generates stopping data representing an amount of force for stopping the train at a distance from a target and/or predictor data representing an estimated or predicted location or position of the train in the track network based on the movement data and the location data. A train control method is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A train control 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:
an on-board computer programmed or configured to implement or facilitate at least one train action;
a communication device in communication with the on-board computer and programmed or configured to receive, transmit, and/or process data signals; and
at least one database in communication with the on-board computer with railway data stored therein;

wherein the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
determine or receive movement data representing at least one of the following: a speed of the train, an acceleration of the train, or any combination thereof;
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, the location or position of the at least one railroad car in the track network, the location or position of a target in the track network, and the location or position of the target with respect to the location or position of the train in the track network or the location or position of the at least one locomotive or control car in the track network, or any combination thereof;
generate stopping data representing an amount of force for stopping the train at a distance from the target based on the movement data and the location data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
determine or receive force data representing an amount of force for maintaining the speed of the train.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
determine or receive throttle or braking data representing an amount of throttle application or an amount of brake application for providing the amount of force for maintaining the speed of the train.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
communicate or cause the communication of a command to apply the throttle or the brake based on the throttle or braking data.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
determine or receive movement data representing that the acceleration of the train is substantially zero, wherein the stopping data is generated based on the movement data representing that the acceleration of the train is substantially zero.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
generate braking data representing an amount of brake application for providing the amount of force for stopping the train at the distance from the target.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
communicate or cause the communication of a command to apply the brake based on the braking data.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
automatically communicate or cause the communication of a command to cancel the command to apply the brake based on the stopping data in response to a user action.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
determine or receive movement data representing a deceleration of the train in response to the command to apply the brake based on the braking data; and
generate predictor data representing where the train is estimated or predicted to stop in the track network based on the movement data representing the deceleration of the train.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
adjust the braking data representing the amount of brake application for providing the amount of force for stopping the train at the distance from the target based on the predictor data.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the on-board computer of the at least one locomotive or control car is programmed or configured to:
prevent the communication or cause the prevention of the communication of the command to apply the brake when at least one of the speed of the train violates a threshold speed and a distance of the location or position of the target with respect to the location or position of the train in the track network or the location or position of the at least one locomotive or control car in the track network violates a distance threshold.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the location data further represents a grade of the track under at least a portion of the train.

13. A computer-implemented train control method for a train having at least one locomotive or control car and, optionally, at least one railroad car, operating in a track network, the method comprising:
determining or receiving movement data representing at least one of the following: a speed of the train, an acceleration of the train, or any combination thereof;
determining or receiving 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, the location or position of the at least one railroad car in the track network, the location or position of a target in the track network, and the location or position of the target with respect to the location or position of the train in the track network or the location or position of the at least one locomotive or control car in the track network, or any combination thereof; and
generating stopping data representing an amount of force for stopping the train at a distance from the target based on the movement data and the location data.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining or receiving force data representing an amount of force for maintaining the speed of the train.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining or receiving throttle or braking data representing an amount of throttle application or an amount of brake application for providing the amount of force for maintaining the speed of the train.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
communicating or causing the communication of a command to apply the throttle or the brake based on the throttle or braking data.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining or receiving movement data representing that the acceleration of the train is substantially zero, wherein the stopping data is generated based on the movement data representing that the acceleration of the train is substantially zero.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
generating braking data representing an amount of brake application for providing the amount of force for stopping the train at the distance from the target.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
communicating or causing the communication of a command to apply the brake b

Assignees

• Westinghouse Air Brake Tech Corp

Inventors

• Oswald James A

Classifications

• B61L2205/04

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

• B61L15/0072 Primary

  On-board train data handling · CPC title

• B61L25/026

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

• B61L25/021

  Measuring and recording of train speed · CPC title

• B61L25/025

  Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates · CPC title