MXPA06009561A - Rail car tracking system - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and system for tracking a rail car (22) having an on-board communication system (12) including a location determining system (24, 33) and a transceiver (26) for receiving and transmitting rail car data. The communication system including a processor (28) responsive to an executable program for enabling operation of the transceiver (26) to transmit rail car data during a reporting event and having a memory for storing data and instructions. The processor (28) memory includes a remotely addressable software database accessible by the executable program for establishing a reporting event in response to at least one of a selected time, a change in geographical location, an extended time in a geographical location, an approach to a specified geographical location, a coupling/decoupling of the rail car with a particular locomotive and a command to report. The rail car (22) includes an AEI reader (33) attached to the rail car for reading AEI tags (33) on other rail vehicles passing by the reader, the reader being in communication with the rail car message system (12) for transmitting data indicating at least a location of the other rail vehicles.

Description

TRACKING SYSTEM OF MOTORWAY SPECIFIC DATA RELATED TO THE INVENTION This Request claims the benefit of the provisional application of E.U.A. do not. 60 / 547,513 filed on February 24, 2004.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention generally relates to the track transportation field, and more particularly to highway tracking locations within a transportation system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Rail shippers need to be able to track the location of highways within a road transportation system. Improvements in supply chain management and high safety issues have increased the need to track and signal highway locations at all times, if the highway is stationary at a grading or detour station, or moves through the highway. track system by a locomotive. Currently, highways can be equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags such as Automatic Equipment Identification (AEI) tags that can be read by a hard shoulder tag reader placed at known locations within the track system and configured to recognize and report when a highway labeled AEI passes. Such reports are known as Auto Location Messages (CLM's). Therefore, a location and a time of passage of the highway of the label reader of hard shoulder to a centralized database can be reported that can be accessed by shippers or the companies of routes to track the last reported locations or their lanes labeled. However, such AEI system can only provide location information of the highway at the time when the car passes to the reader. In that way, the exact location of a highway at moments after it happened in the AEI label reader, such as in an industrial plant, is known through the use of the AEI label system. In addition, with only a relatively limited number of AEI tag readers available, a significant length of trail (and thus a large number of possible highway locations) may exist between adjacent AEl tag readers. The highways were also equipped with location equipment, such as a global positioning satellite receiver (GPS), coupled to an on-board transmitter to transmit highway location information to a central site for highway tracking purposes. However, as described below, these systems typically transmit a large body of information in long messages to fully identify the location of the highways and do so at regularly scheduled time intervals, so that battery life proves unacceptably short. In some trains known as dedicated "unit" trains, LANs were also deployed to link cars on the train to train locomotives.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be more apparent from the following description in view of the single figure showing a functional block diagram of an illustrative system for tracking highways in a track transportation system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention novelly integrates cumulative information from multiple track IT systems to provide a highway tracking system that operates at extended life intervals. The present invention allows a highway tracking system that provides location reporting accuracy that is improved on existing AE label systems that are limited by shoulder spacing. The present invention also allows a highway tracking system that provides high value information transfer with low auto energy requirements when using event driven report and reduced message lengths. In one modality, the capabilities of AEL labeling systems, locomoiora communication systems and highway GPS systems are integrated with the train of roads, channeled and programmed dams bases to provide an effecíivo stitching and effecíiva energy solution to the problem of roadway grading. In the past, roads were typically not equipped with a means of generating independent electric power to power on-board electrical equipment. While techniques are proposed such as with air energy, or generators with shaft rotation energy, such systems only work when the highway is coupled to a source of compressed air, like a locomotive, or when the highway is moving. Consequently, batteries are typically used as the primary source of energy for on-highway electric equipment. However, batteries, if not recharged, can not power equipment indefinitely. In addition, the more the use of energy of the bath, the more the life of the bath will run. While the batteries may be suitable for the energy needs of limited road equipment, the maintenance of the battery and replacement will increase the operation costs for the road. In roadway applications that use a GPS receiver and transmitter, the transmission of highway information, and, in particular, the transmission of messages that contain relatively large amounts of information, can quickly reduce a battery, especially if the messages are received. Transmit on a relatively frequent periodic basis. Therefore, it is desired to reduce the energy requirement required by the on-board electric vehicle equipment, such as road location equipment, while still providing improved highway tracing and reporting capacity. The inventors recognize that by innovatively combining different highway tracking techniques and assimilating track information acquired from a variety of pre-exisphenised sources, improved roadway imagery can be achieved enhanced by the unique presence of the most comprehensive information and programming informants. in a condescending way with the user, June with reduced energy consumption by the scratch equipment and report on the highway. In addition, the life of the roadway can be extended, and they can be reduced by maintenance and replacement of the road compared to conventional techniques of providing road location information. The figure is a functional block diagram of an illusive system 10 for scratching streets in a track transposition system. The system 10 generally includes highway location / transceiver equipment 12 that forms a wireless message system mounted on a highway 22. The location / transceiver equipment of highway 12 may include a location de-thermal device, such as a GPS receiver. , a transceiver 26, a processor 28, and a memory 30 for storing processor instructions. The highway 22 can also be equipped with a series of sensor 32 to perceive operating conditions of the highway 22, and a power source, such as a battery 34, to power the sensor series 32 and the location equipment / Highway transceiver 12. The sensor series 32 may include sensors such as an accelerometer for deviating movement of the highway 22, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a door position sensor, a charge idenification sensor, and a load seal condition sensor. The highway 22 can also be equipped with an AEL 33 label to identify only the car 22 for an AIC reader on the shoulder 36 that passes the 22. The preferable way is an effective method that includes a processor that allows the system to operate. read as it is read and communicate the results of the lecture of the exíernas ííiqueías íal as those in markers of hard shoulder or in other vehicles of track (highways and locomotives, for example) to the equipment 12 so that the location of the exile labels can be communicated to a moniioreo operation and rasiereo of the track system. Esío allows the comparison of damages to the difference to determine the location of valuations of track. The motorway may perceive august of the freight charged in the highway. For example, an RFID legend (not shown) can communicate with the processor 28 to receive RFID freight on the highway 22. Such information can be provided to customers on the route from the shipper's entrance 56. In one aspect of the invention, the location / transceiver equipment of highway 12 can be in communication with a highway drainage system 16 controlled by a central processor 19 that has access to a centralized area and base of damage to runway 18. of track 16 of road 16 was not on board the highway and removed from the transceiver equipment at the location of highway 12 as indicated by the 20 punched line. The subway track 16 may include a transceiver for communication to and from one or more channels, a processor, a memory, and a communication interface, such as a LAN or Internet connection, for communication with the central processor 19. The highway location / transceiver equipment 12 can communicate with the highway tracking interface 16 on an appropriate wireless highway radio link 14, such as a satellite or cellular network. The highway 26 transceiver may be configured for bi-directional operation so that the highway 22 may transmit highway damage and receive instructions, for example, from the roadway signal of highway 16. Information, such as road location damage, Speed data, header data, sensor data, and battery power data can be transmitted from the highway 22 according to scheduled instructions, with request for the railroad track below 16, and / or with the occurrence of an exceptional event. In addition, information from the residence hall, which indicates, for example, that the highway has been without movement for a period of time, can also be transferred from highway 22 on a periodic basis or with request. The damage of residence arsenal can be obtained by the processor 28 monitoring the time and GPS position of GPS 24. Even in another aspect, the information "geographically enclosed", as a time when the route 22 opened a predefined geographical limit, was It can be traversed by Highway 22 when the Highway 22 crosses the borderline. Therefore, configurable geographic fences can be used to stimulate AEL readers by providing CLM messages when the highway passes a certain location. In one embodiment of the invention, the highway location / transceiver equipment 12 can be configured to communicate with a locomotive 38 over a locomotive communication link 40 as a wireless local area network (LAN), for example, when the Highway 22 is connected in an energetic way by Locomotive 38. Locomotive 38 can include locomotive communication equipment 42 for communication with Highway 22 over the LAN, and to communicate with a Locomotive 48 on a radio link. The wireless communication device 14. The locomotive communication equipment 42 can perceive and report on the locomotive system status on board 44. The locomotive communication equipment 42 can be configured to transfer the locomotive location of several fueníes as the AEL lecler and GPS receiver 45, speed, header, residence information, geographic fencing information, and information In an aspect of the invention, the operation of locomotion indicating a decoupling maneuver can be transmitted to the locomotion of locomotive for a possible uncoupling of roads 22 of a road pushed by the highway. Locomotive 38. Locomotive engine 48 may include a transceiver for communication with one or more locomotives, a processor, a memory, and a communication interface, such as a LAN or Internet interface, for communication with the center processor 19. The system 10 may further include a system signal 50 for receiving additional messages that may be useful for You can also use channels to communicate with other systems, such as a wireless communications system, a Wide Area Network (WAN), or an Internet connection.; a processor; a memory; and an exit communication interface; It is like a LAN or Innernei signal, for communication with the central processor 19. In one aspect of the invention, system 10 can be configured to receive damage from one or more lenses AE 36. Through communication with a database of scratch 52 which, for example, contains locations of lecters A 36 through which a track system, in turn 50, upon receiving an indication of a motorway perceived from one of the AEl readers, such as in a wireless link AEl 54, it can be configured to provide a location of a highway 22 at the same time as the highway 22 goes to the 36th legend. The presence of system 10 can use reader dailies to recognize an assembly of highways as a train and to associate that train with one or more locomotives. In this way, the locomotive position data received from the locomotive interface 48 can be applied to all railcars on the train to update highway position information without the need for any transmission of data specific data. The system interface 50 may also include inputs for track order information (RR), estimated RR time of arrival information (ETA), weather information, train schedule information, track circuit information and dissipation information. aided by computer (CAD). Such information acquired from various sources can be assimilated and used to provide more comprehensive damage associated with highway locations 22 in a condescending presentation with the individual user and in a more efficient form of energy. In one aspect of the invention, the rail road surface 16, the locomotive interface 48, the system interface 50 and the tracking database 52 may be in communication with each other and the central processor 19 and database of tracking and launching 18, such as over a suitable network, such as a LAN or Internet connection, to allow information to be collected from foreign sources. The base of landings of land and water 18, or portion of the base of damages 18, can also be provided, for example, through the central processor 19, to a landing stage 56 or a railroad company interface ( RR) 60 that can be accessed by shippers, such as over a secure communication link, to allow jetties to locate their roads in the road system. The information gathered from the sources of information from airports 16, 48, 50 can be used to provide real-time travel location, speed of departure, departure heading, noifications when an arrival arrives in a predefined location, noification. when the loading conditions change, such as an opening or closing of the seal, pressure readings that exceed predefined values, and ETA in a desino. In one modality, operating conditions based on road parameters such as road signs, rail schedules, and freight forwarding by road 22 and generated by the rail and road data base, can be provided to a roadway. 22, for example, through the wireless transmission of instructions from the railroad station of highway 16. The highway receives the operating information and can store the information in the memory 30 as processor instructions to control the operation of the location equipment. / Transceptor of Highway 12 to conserve battery power. Such information may be provided to highway 22 at any time, or in response to a change in condition of the highway, such as when the highway is connected to or disconnected from a train, or in response to changing parameters within the track system, such as a change in weather or scratch conditions. One can appreciate that if the position information is still being updated on the basis of a definition of rail assembly and railroad locomotive position daemons, it is important for system 10 to recognize when the highway is being associated with or disassociating from a particular train. In order to reduce energy use on board the highway, system 10 can be configured to transmit as little data as possible of the highway, while at the same time ensuring that the higher value information is transmitted in a puniual way. Damages that may be incurred directly or indirectly from other sources were not required to be generated in the highway (and thus do not need to be transmitted from the highway), such as the example described above of car location derived from train location reported. as locomotive location. The central processor 19, based on the input information provided by the interfaces 16, 48, 50, and information stored in the scratch data base of year and year 18, can generate instructions for transmission of a highway 22 to reduce a frequency of transmission and / or information of information transmitted by highway 22 to conserve battery power. The frequency of data transmission can be a function of variables other than time, such as a destination's dysfunction, start of movement, location, etc. Typically, only data that is new or revised (or otherwise unavailable from another source) would be transmitted. An innovative method of achieving reduced energy consumption by a highway may include limiting the transmission of information in occurrences of an exception to an expected operating profile, instead of transmitting, at a fixed periodic rate, information that may not be changing or is not changing. varying within a predetermined range of desired values. The location / transceiver equipment of highway 12 and sensor units 32 can be configured to remain in a state of minimum energy until an exception occurs, such as when a condition determined by a sensor changes or exceeds a predefined value. The processor 28 may then transmit an exception signal to the highway tracking trace interface 16. Such an exception signal may be formatted as a message having a limited length to contain only the minimum amount of information necessary to report the exception condition. In one aspect of the invention, the highway tracking interface 16 can be configured to send a response signal to the highway 22 from which an exception signal was received. The response signal may contain new instructions for the location / transceiver equipment of highway 12 based on the origin of the exception, or the response may contain an acknowledgment indication verifying that the exception signal was received. The location / transceiver equipment of highway 12 can be configured to transmit emergency signals at a periodic speed when exception occurs until a response is received from the highway grading stream 16 to verify that the exception signal was received. The processor 28 can be programmed with instructions that allow it to recognize conditions that indicate that it is not linked to a locomotive. When a motorway is in a slider and is not moved, the processor 28 can be programmed to report that it is being addressed and then no longer provide any feedback to it, or it has to move past a known location as an A location. . During periods of sleep, programmed messages can be prepared through the system input 50 and stored in a virtual tray on the road. The road team can be scheduled to wake up periodically to check their mailbox for messages, such as revised reporting schedule instructions. For example, if an item exceeds a predefined value, an exception signal that reads an item perceived to be exorbitant may be transferred to the rail yard of highway 16 and report to the rail and rail rate base. 22 It has refrigeration capacity on board, the rail and water base of June 18 can recognize this and provide an insight to be sent to the highway 22 through the railroad track of highway 16 to remedy the condition of exception, such as by controlling the refrigeration unit. on board to provide additional cooling. Once the exception occurred, they were able to change the exception reporting parameters, for example, by providing new parameters through the track 16 track, to more closely monitor the exception condition. In another example, if a door sensor detects that a door was opened on highway 22, an exception signal may be transmitted that would indicate a condition of service. The location information can be provided in the exception signal to allow the maintenance personnel to locate the highway 22 and correct the perceived condition, such as by closing the open door. Even in another example, if an accelerometer sensor on the highway senses a movement pattern that indicates uncoupling of roads, an exception signal identifying the condition can be transmitted, including location information. Even in another aspect, an accelerometer signal can be generated if a change from a movement condition to a condition is perceived, or vice versa. For example, if a highway 22 was disconnected and left idle in a slipway or yard, and the accelerometer said movement of highway 22, an exception signal, which may include location information, may be generated to indicate the highway 22 that was moved. Similarly, if an error 22 has been moved, as in an event, and a warning condition is defined, an exception signal, which may include location information, may be transmitted to indicate an unexpected stoppage. In another mode, a mercury switch can be used to perceive acceleration or deceleration. Other signals of exception can be generated to report the health of the equipment of rasíreo on board the highway, as when there is a condition of low power battery, if a GPS link fails, or if any of the equipment on board of the road fails or not it is operating in the desired specifications. Even in another aspect, if a highway 22 remained stationary for a certain amount of time, the location / transceiver equipment of highway 12 can be programmed to periodically "loosen" to identify its location and / or accept new information from the grading area. Highway 16. Even in another aspect of the invention, instead of sending location damage on a fixed periodic basis as information is sent conveniently, energy conservation in the highway can be achieved by limiting the frequency of highway transmissions. , as location information, depending on a discrepancy of a preferred target. For example, a shipper may only wish to know the location of a 22-kilometer highway, and the 22-year-old approaches his desino. If a traveler 22 travels on a trip of a known distance, it is like a trip of a thousand miles, and an average speed of the trip is known, as can be inferred from the locomotive information or estimated as an average speed of the trip. In historical damage and road conditions, the highway 22 can be instructed to transmit its location when it is projected to be at a predetermined time, such as 10 hours, far from its destination, seen as a geographic fence, and may increase its frequency of transferring location information after reaching your target. The central processor 19 can perform calculations of speed, time and dissonance to project when a highway needs to report its location. The lack of such an expected one can stimulate a question that is sent to the "tray" of the road to drive the highway to repopulate its location / current condition. In another aspect, the conservation of energy in highway 22 can be achieved by calling the frequency of highway transmissions that use the concept of geographic fences, or elecronic areas that are limited to the operation of roads. For example, you can define an electronic border around a city to indicate an area that crosses the border that the island left or entered the surroundings, depending on your travel direction. The travel address can be determined from the train programming or locomotive data daas available in the system 10. The travel address can also be provided by developed GPS data header information. This concept can be implemented by defining a geographical location of the boundary so that when a train that has auto-location equipment crosses the boundary, the boundary can be configured to recognize that it crossed the boundary by correlating its current location with the defined geographic location of the boundary. limit For example, a highway 22 could be provided with appropriate geographic fence locations by the track channel of highway 16 at the start of a trip, as when the highway 22 is coupled to the highway, based on the destination of the highway. Then, instead of transmitting location information on a periodic basis, highway 22 may be instructed to limit sending location information on an occurrence of the highway that traverses a geographic fence boundary. For example, the highway may compare its current location, fai as derived from received GPS position data, to near geographic boundary information stored in memory 30 to determine if the highway crossed a geographical close limit, and, if a crossing occurred. At the limit, the highway 22 can transmit an indication that crossed the border. Another innovative method of reducing energy consumption can include decreasing a frequency of damage transmission when location information using other means can be inferred, such as by using locomotive position information AEl to infer a highway location when highway 22 is operating. in a train attached to the locomotive 38. Typically the locomotive information can be provided on a relatively frequent basis because of the power consumption by the locomotive communication equipment 42 is not an issue. Accordingly, when the highway 22 joins a train pulled by a locomotive 38 that is in communication with the locomotive interface 48, highway location information can be inferred from a locomotive location 38 instead of requiring the highway to independently report. its location In addition, information on the state of the motorway can be inferred from the locomotive action, such as when the locomotive information provided to the locomotive interface 48 indicates that the locomotive is performing make / break maneuvers, which indicate uncoupling of roads. If locomotion maneuvers were to be carried out, the tracking interface of highway 16 may instruct highway 22 to identify its location to determine if Highway 22 was uncoupled or still traveling with the train. In yet another aspect, highway 22 can be moni-roared to determine the life of the battery in past use by the location / transceiver equipment of highway 12. For example, the remaining battery life can be modeled based on the nu and / or length of messages transmitted by the location / transceiver equipment of highway 12. If a cumulative nu and / or accumulative length of messages transmitted by the highway 22 exceed a predetermined nu and the longitude indicating the battery power can be rapidly depleted, the highway 22 can be instructed to transmit its location and then refrain from transmitting until the battery 34 is replaced or recharged. Service personnel can also be alerted at the same time to the need to replace or recharge the battery on board the highway. The location / transceiver equipment of highway 12 can be configured to perform this battery monitoring function, or the function can be performed remotely, such as by the highway tracking interface 16, based on the number and length of transmissions received for the highway 22. Even in another mode, the locomotive can be equipped with a reader AEl and can function as a track locator for motorways. The locomotive can be configured to identify cars inside your train. The locomotive can also be configured to locate other passing cars, such as stationary cars in a slid, by reading the labels of those cars and by providing the corresponding tag and location information to the locomotive interface 28 for processing by the processor. central 19. While the preferred embodiments of the present invention were shown and described here, it will be obvious that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitions will occur for those experts in the art without becoming part of this invention.

Claims (18)

1. A roadway grading system (10) comprising: a road location equipment (12) monial to a highway (22), the equipment (12) includes a transmitter (26) to transmit road location data to a receiver. Removed (21) and that also includes a legible electronic label (33) linked to the highway (22) to ideníificar the highway (22) to a reader of label of hard shoulder (36); and locomotion communication equipment (42) moníado in a locomoiora (38) and adapted for communication with the location team of the highway (12) when the highway (22) and the locomoiora (38) are coupled in a common, the locomotive communication equipment (42) being operative to identify the coupled dual carriageway (22) and including a transmitter (48) to transmit damage to the removed receiver (22), the damage includes road damage so that the required damage transmission is reduced of the transmission equipment of the highway (26).

2. The roadway grading system according to claim 1 and including a LAN (40) for the transmission of data between the highway (22) and the locomotive (38).

3. The highway tracking system according to claim 2 and including a plurality of status sensors (32) coupled to the highway, each of the sensors (32) providing data to the auto location equipment transmitter. (26) for the transmission through the LAN (40) to the locomotive transmitter (42).

4. The motorway tracking system according to claim 3 and including locomotive systems that monitor equipment (44) coupled in communication with the locomotive communication equipment (42) for transmitting locomotive damage to the remote receiver (21) .

5. The highway tracking system according to claim 4, wherein the remote receiver (21) includes a highway tracking interface (16) for receiving damage transmission from the highway communication equipment (12), an infa of locomotive tracking (48) to receive damage from the locomotion communication equipment (42), a system error (50) to ideníificar aulovías that pass to the lecíor (36) and a central processing unit (19) to excercise daíos of all the information to identify the location of a highway.

6. An integrated highway tracking system (10) comprising; a plurality of readers (36) ideníificación of equipment auíomáíico of hard shoulder (AEl) spaced at predetermined locations along a railroad to read identification data of some labels of AEl (33) on highways (22) that pass along the railroad track; a locomotive tracking system (42) which includes an on-board GPS system (45) and which provides data indicative of the location of the locomotive (38) and a transmitter (42) to transmit the location damage to a retrieved receiver (19); a wireless highway message system (12) linked to a highway (22) to send periodic messages indicative of the location of the highway (22), the message system includes a GPS system (24) to generate location indicative data highway; and a local area network (LAN) established between the highway (22) and an associated locomotive (38) with which the road location damage is transferred to the locomotive system (42) for transmission to the receiving facility (19). ).

7. The integrated road system (10) according to claim 6 and including a remounted damage processor (19) to process data received by the removed receiver (21) and to extract from the data information it identifies the location, speed and direction of the journey of the associated highway (22).

8. The integrated highway tracking system according to claim 7 and including a plurality of status sensors (32) mounted on the highway (22), the sensors (32) that provides data to the message system of freeway (12) for transmission to the remote receiver.

9. The integrated road marking system according to claim 8, wherein the survey sensors (32) include one or more door opening / closing sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors and load identification sensors.

10. The roadway grading system as set forth in claim 8 and including operable programming in an on-board processor (28) for time of reading and GPS location (24) to indicate residence time without sub-surface movement.

11. The roadway grading system in accordance with claim 7 and including data storage (52) in the remote processor (19) for storing dams that represented motorway programming, the processor (19) comparing road data with Highway programming to provide indicative damages for deviations from programming.

12. The integrated highway tracking system according to claim 7 and including programming means operable in the highway message system (12) for transmitting periodic messages to the removed receiver (21) and for transmitting status change messages to the remote receiver (21) after detection of a state change.

13. The roadway grading system in accordance with claim 7 and including locomotive state sensors (44) mounted on the locomotive (38) coupled to the locomotive communication system (42) to provide data indicative of locomotive status to the remote receiver (21). The integrated highway tracking system according to claim 12, wherein one of the state change messages comprises a message indicating movement through a predetermined geographical boundary. 15. The roadway grading system in accordance with claim 7 and which includes a highway savings function to reduce highway transmissions when the highway is coupled to the road. 16. The highway drainage system in accordance with claim 7 and including a highway battery saving function to reduce highway transmissions when the highway remains esiacionaria. 17. A method for shaping a highway (22) having an on-board communication system (12) that includes a location determination system (24, 33) and a transceiver (26) for receiving and transmitting road data; The system includes a processor (28) in response to an executable program to allow the operation of the transceiver (26) to transmit highway data during a reporting event, the method comprising providing a database of easily navigable sofíware accessible by the executable program. to establish a report event in response to at least one of a selected time, a change in geographical location, an extended time in a geographic location, an approach to a specific geographic location, a coupling / uncoupling of the highway with a particular locomotive and a command to report. 18. The integrated highway tracking system according to claim 7 and including a legend AEl (33) linked to the highway to read AEl tags in other track vehicles passing through the reader, the reader being in communication with the highway message system (12) for transmitting data indicating at least one location of the other track vehicles.