System for analyzing health of train

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9718486-B1
Application number	US-201615012149-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 1, 2016
Priority date	Feb 1, 2016
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A system for analyzing health of assets in train is provided. The system includes a sensing unit configured to generate health data of sub-assets. The system also includes a controller in communication with the sensing unit to receive the health data. The controller is configured to display, in a graphical user interface (GUI), a list of assets configurable to allow selection of one asset therefrom. The controller is configured to receive an input command, in the GUI, to select a desired asset from the list of assets for requesting information about health of the desired asset. The controller is configured to display, in the GUI, a visual representation of the desired asset, along with the sub-assets, in response to the input command. The controller is configured to flag, in the GUI, the sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on the health data of the sub-assets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for analyzing health of assets in a train, each of the asset having one or more sub-assets, the system comprising:
a sensing unit having a plurality of sensors associated with the one or more sub-assets, the sensing unit configured to generate health data of the one or more sub-assets; and
a controller in communication with the sensing unit to receive the health data, the controller configured to:
display, in a graphical user interface (GUI), a list of assets, the list of assets configurable to allow selection of one asset therefrom;
receive an input command, in the GUI, to select a desired asset from the list of assets, the input command configurable to request information about the health of the desired asset;
display, in the GUI, a visual representation of the desired asset, along with the one or more sub-assets, in response to receipt of the input command; and
flag, in the GUI, the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on the health data of the one or more sub-assets.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a malfunction of the one or more sub-assets based on the health data.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to flag the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on the determined malfunction of the one or more sub-assets, using a first color scheme.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a possibility of a malfunction of the one or more sub-assets in a predefined upcoming time period based on the health data.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to flag the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on the determined possibility of a malfunction of the one or more sub-assets, using a second colour scheme.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensing unit is further configured to determine operation data of the one or more sub-assets, the operation data comprising one or more of an in-service distance, an in-service time, a maintenance distance, and a maintenance time.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to flag the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on the operation data, using a fourth colour scheme.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive a manual flag command pertaining to the one or more sub-assets, and wherein the controller is further configured to flag the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset in response to receiving the manual flag command, using a fifth colour scheme.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive a flag reset command pertaining to one or more sub-assets, and wherein the controller is further configured to remove the flag, in the GUI, from the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset in response to receiving the flag reset command.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to remove the flag, in the GUI, from the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on predefined rules, the predefined rules based on one or more of a pre-set time period, a service schedule, and a geo-fence.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to display, in the GUI, a list of sub-assets, and the list of sub-assets configurable to sort the sub-assets based at least in part on the health data thereof.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate a custom list of sub-assets to be delivered as a text message to a service personnel, the custom list of sub-assets configurable to sort the sub-assets based at least in part on a profile of the service personnel.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to display, in the GUI, a visual representation of the train, the controller further configured to flag the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the train based on the health data of the one or more sub-assets.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a health score of the desired asset based on the health data of the one or more sub-assets thereof, and wherein the controller is further configured to display, in the GUI, the health score.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller and the GUI are configured to integrally form part of a computing device.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the computing device is one of a laptop, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet device, and a smartphone.

17. A computer-implemented method for analyzing health of assets in a train, each of the asset having one or more sub-assets, the method comprising:
generating overall health data of the train;
displaying a list of assets, the list of assets configurable to allow selection of one asset therefrom;
receiving an input command to select a desired asset from the list of assets;
displaying a visual representation of the desired asset, along with the one or more sub-assets, in response to receipt of the input command; and
flagging the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on the health data of the one or more sub-assets.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising:
determining a malfunction of the one or more sub-assets based on the health data;
determining a possibility of a malfunction of the one or more sub-assets in a predefined upcoming time period based on the health data; and
flagging the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on the determination of the malfunction and the possibility of a malfunction of the one or more sub-assets.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising:
displaying a visual representation of the train; and
flagging the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the train based on the health data of the one or more sub-assets.

20. A computing device having a medium to store sequences of instructions which when executed analyze health of assets in a train, each of the asset having one or more sub-assets, the computing device comprising:
a display unit configured to provide a graphical user interface (GUI); and
a controller configured to:
display, in the GUI, a list of assets, the list of assets configurable to allow selection of one asset therefrom;
receive an input command, in the GUI, to select a desired asset from the list of assets, the input command configurable to request information about health of the desired asset;
display, in the GUI, a visual representation of the desired asset, along with the one or more sub-assets, in response to receipt of the input command; and
flag, in the GUI, the one or more sub-assets in the visual representation of the desired asset based on health data of the one or more sub-assets.

Assignees

• Electro Motive Diesel Inc

Inventors

• Shubs Jr Alexander
• Roenspies David M

Classifications

• G01M17/08

  Railway vehicles · CPC title

• B61L27/0077

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B61L15/0081 Primary

  On-board diagnosis or maintenance · CPC title

• B61L27/40

  Handling position reports or trackside vehicle data · CPC title

• B61L15/0027

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