System and method for controlling a vehicle system to achieve different objectives during a trip

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9862397-B2
Application number	US-201615058772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2016
Priority date	Mar 4, 2015
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A system (e.g., a control system) includes a sensor configured to monitor an operating condition of a vehicle system during movement of the vehicle system along a route. The system also includes a controller configured to designate one or more operational settings for the vehicle system as a function of time and/or distance along the route. The controller is configured to operate in a first operating mode responsive to the operating condition of the vehicle system being at least one of at or above a designated threshold, and in a second operating mode responsive to the operating condition of the vehicle system being below the designated threshold. The controller designates operational settings to drive the vehicle system toward achievement of a first objective when in the first operating mode and toward achievement of a different, second objective when in the second operating mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a sensor configured to monitor an operating condition of a vehicle system during movement of the vehicle system along a route for a trip; and
a controller including one or more processors, the controller configured to designate one or more operational settings for the vehicle system as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route, the one or more operational settings designated to drive the vehicle system toward achievement of one or more objectives for the trip, the controller being operable in at least two operating modes including a first operating mode and a second operating mode based on at least a designated threshold,
wherein the controller operates in the first operating mode responsive to the operating condition of the vehicle system being at least one of at or above the designated threshold, the controller in the first operating mode being configured to designate operational settings to drive the vehicle system during the trip toward achievement of a first objective during movement of the vehicle system along the route, the first objective including one or more of a reduction in fuel consumption or a reduction in emissions generation by the vehicle system relative to the vehicle system traveling along the route according to operational settings that differ from the one or more operational settings designated by the controller,
wherein the controller operates in the second operating mode responsive to the operating condition of the vehicle system being below the designated threshold, the controller in the second operating mode being configured to designate operational settings to drive the vehicle system during the trip toward achievement of a different, second objective during movement of the vehicle system along the route, and
wherein the operating condition of the vehicle system is a proximity of the vehicle system to a designated location along the route for the trip, and the designated threshold is a threshold proximity.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operating condition of the vehicle system is a speed of the vehicle system along the route, and the designated threshold is a threshold speed.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the sensor is a speed sensor configured to determine the speed of the vehicle system along the route, the speed sensor configured to communicate the speed of the vehicle system to the controller, the controller configured to compare the speed of the vehicle system to the threshold speed.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a locator device configured to determine a location of the vehicle system along the route, the locator device being configured to communicate the location of the vehicle system to the controller, the controller configured to determine the proximity of the vehicle system to the designated location and compare the proximity to the threshold proximity.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to designate one or more of speeds, throttle settings, brake settings, or accelerations for the vehicle system as the operational settings.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second objective includes moving the vehicle system to one or more locations that are within a designated threshold distance of one or more designated locations of the trip.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second objective includes stopping the vehicle system such that multiple vehicles of the vehicle system are bunched together with one or more couplers disposed between the multiple vehicles of the vehicle system in a slack state once the vehicle system is stopped.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second objective includes moving the vehicle system on the route such that one or more wheels of the vehicle system retain adhesion with the route to reduce wheel slip.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to communicate a control signal to at least one of a propulsion subsystem, a braking subsystem, or a user interface device of the vehicle system, the control signal including at least some of the operational settings designated by the controller.

10. A method comprising:
generating a trip plan for a trip of a vehicle system along a route, the trip plan designating one or more operational settings for the vehicle system as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route, the one or more operational settings designated to drive the vehicle system toward achievement of one or more objectives of the trip based on at least a designated threshold,
wherein the trip plan is generated to drive the vehicle system during the trip toward achievement of a first objective responsive to movement of the vehicle system along the route at a speed that is at least as fast as the designated threshold speed,
wherein the trip plan is generated to drive the vehicle system during the trip toward achievement of a different, second objective responsive to movement of the vehicle system along the route at a speed that is slower than the designated threshold speed; and
wherein the second objective includes moving the vehicle system to one or more locations that are within a designated threshold distance of one or more designated locations or the trip plan.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein generating the trip plan includes designating one or more of speeds, throttle settings, brake settings, or accelerations as the operational settings of the trip plan.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first objective includes one or more of a reduction in fuel consumption by the vehicle system, a reduction in emissions generation by the vehicle system, an improvement in handling of the vehicle system, or a reduction in travel time relative to the vehicle system traveling along the route for the trip according to operational settings that differ from the one or more operational settings of the trip plan.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second objective includes stopping the vehicle system at one or more locations that are within a designated threshold distance of one or more designated stopping locations of the trip plan.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second objective includes stopping the vehicle system such that multiple vehicles of the vehicle system are bunched together with one or more couplers disposed between the multiple vehicles of the vehicle system in a slack state once the vehicle system is stopped according to the trip plan.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second objective includes moving the vehicle system on the route such that one or more wheels of the vehicle system retain adhesion with the route to reduce wheel slip.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the designated threshold speed is a speed between 5 miles per hour and 15 miles per hour.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising monitoring the speed of the vehicle system as the vehicle system travels along the route during the trip and comparing the speed to the designated threshold speed.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising communicating a control signal to at least one of a propulsion subsystem, a braking subsystem, or a user interface device of the vehicle system, the control signal including at least some of the operational settings of the trip plan.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the trip plan is generated to drive the vehicle system during the trip toward achievement of at least one of the first objective or the second objective while satisfying one or more of speed limits,

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Meyer Brian Nedward
• Mathews Jr Harry Kirk
• Brooks James D
• Smith Kristopher Ryan

Classifications

• B61L2205/04

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

• B61L27/16

  Trackside optimisation of vehicle or train operation · CPC title

• B61L27/14 Primary

  Following schedules · CPC title

• B61L27/12

  Preparing schedules · CPC title

• B61L25/025

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