Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc.

Progress Rail Locomotive Inc.

James David Seaton

Alexander Shubs, Jr

David Matthew Roenspies

Ola Tannous

Isaac Suwa Traylor

Evan Paul Sevel

Curtis Montgomery

Russell Kubycheck

Guilherme Martini

Fernando D Belo

Alex Shubs

Sidarta F Beltramin

Venkata Swamy Reddy Gajulapalli

The preset disclosure provides a control system for operating one or more locomotives in a train, the control system including a first communication unit located on-board a first locomotive of a first consist in the train; and an off-board remote controller interface located remotely from the train, the off-board remote controller interface being configured to receive or generate a locomotive control command, store the received or generated locomotive control command in a shared ledger, and relay the locomotive control command to the first communication unit. The first communication unit is configured to receive the locomotive control command from the off-board remote controller interface.

Blockchain remote command verification

A monitoring system for a train is provided. The monitoring system includes an image capturing device configured to capture a video feed of a designated area associated with the train. The monitoring system also includes a controller coupled to the image capturing device. The controller is configured to receive the video feed from the image capturing device. The controller is configured to analyze the video feed to determine if a predefined triggering event has occurred. The controller is configured to record and store a predefined length of the video feed based on the determination. The controller is configured to provide a notification of the recorded video feed to a user through a user interface. The controller is configured to allow the user to access at least a portion of the recorded video feed through the notification.

Monitoring system for train

A railcar hatch control system and method for operating railcar hatches of a multi-railcar train is disclosed. A multi-railcar train may have a locomotive and a plurality of railcars having railcar hatches that can be opened and closed. The system and method may include displaying railcar identification information for the railcars on an operator display device, and receiving selections of railcars from an operator that will have a railcar hatch operation performed thereon, such as opening or closing the hatches. The railcar hatch operation is input, and the system and method control the railcar hatch operation being performed only on the selected railcars, and not on the railcars that have not been selected by the operator. The system and method may have operator interfaces devices at an operator station of the train, or at a remote location or on a remote device that communicates wirelessly with the train.

Remotely operated railcar hatches

A control system for remotely configuring a locomotive includes a plurality of operational control devices located on-board the locomotive, the plurality of operational control devices being configured to implement a change to a designated configuration of the locomotive. A controller located on-board the locomotive is configured to activate the plurality of operational control devices to change the designated configuration of the locomotive upon receipt of a configuration command signal. An off-board remote user interface located remotely from the locomotive is configured to receive a single input from a user commanding a change in configuration of the locomotive, the single input being implemented by activation of a single input device on the remote user interface, and selectively send a configuration command signal to the on-board controller to activate the plurality of operational control devices to change the designated configuration of the locomotive.

Control system enabling remote locomotive configuration setting

A visual diagnostic system for a railroad network is disclosed. The visual diagnostic system may have a sensor associated with a train asset in the railroad network and configured to generate a signal indicative of an operational status of the train asset, and a user interface associated with the train asset. The visual diagnostic system may also have a controller in communication with the sensor and the user interface. The controller may be configured to display on the user interface a graphical representation of the train asset in response to the signal.

Visual diagnostic system for railroad network

A detection system for a locomotive may include a plurality of sensors. An electronic control module may be in communication with, at least, the plurality of sensors and the locomotive. The control module may be configured to: monitor the plurality of sensors; receive an alert from one of the sensors of the plurality of sensors when one of the corresponding sensors is triggered; determine if the alert is a security concern; and operatively respond to the security concern by at least one of removing tractive effort to the locomotive, apply braking force to the locomotive, locking a door of the locomotive, locking a window of the locomotive, and transmitting a notification.

Remote locomotive access detection

A system for pacing a train having a plurality of locomotives is disclosed. The system may include an signaling system onboard component configured to receive a signal indicative of a requested time of arrival (RTA) of the train, a locomotive health system configured to output one or more health signals indicative of a health status of each of the plurality of locomotives, and an energy management system in electronic communication with the signaling system onboard component and the locomotive health system. The energy management system may be configured to generate driving command signals based on the RTA and the one or more health signals, generate an RTA confirmation signal based on the one or more health signals, the RTA confirmation signal being indicative of whether the train will achieve the RTA, and communicate the RTA confirmation signal to a train signaling system via the signaling system onboard component.

Locomotive health-based train pacing system

A system is disclosed for use with a machine having an engine with at least one cylinder. The system may have at least one injector configured to inject fuel into the at least one cylinder, and a controller in communication with the at least one injector. The controller may be configured to determine an injection duration of the at least one injector. The controller may also be configured to calculate a fuel consumption value for the machine based on the injection duration.

Machine system having fuel consumption monitoring

A control system for remotely configuring a locomotive may include an operational control device located on-board the locomotive, wherein the operational control device may be configured in a run configuration when the locomotive is ready for travel. An on-board controller located on-board the locomotive may be configured to switch the operational control device to the run configuration upon receipt of a configuration command signal. An off-board remote controller interface located remotely from the locomotive may be configured to receive a configuration failure signal, wherein the configuration failure signal may be indicative of the operational control device being in a configuration other than the run configuration. The off-board remote controller interface may selectively send the configuration command signal to the on-board controller to switch the operational control device to the run configuration.

System and method for remotely configuring locomotives

A locomotive is disclosed. The locomotive includes a car body, including an operator cabin, a power source, and an operator health monitor within the operator cabin, the operator health monitor configured to monitor at least one health condition associated with the operator and configured to generate an operator health signal associated with the at least one condition. The locomotive includes an operator warning system within the operator cabin, configured to present the operator with an operator warning in response to an operator warning signal, and an electronic controller. The electronic controller may be configured to determine an operator fatigue score based on, at least, the operator health signal, determine if the operator fatigue score exceeds a warning threshold, and transmit the operator warning signal to the operator warning system if the operator fatigue score exceeds the warning threshold.

Locomotive including operator fatigue monitoring system

A method for managing train assets increases the time between required maintenance of the train assets, improves the future availability of the train assets, or increases the likelihood that the train assets will successfully complete future missions. A controller may receive from a sensor on a train asset a real-time signal indicative of at least one of a measured operational characteristic or a maintenance activity associated with the train asset, receive from a memory prognostic data providing information on a likelihood the train asset will complete a mission, and simulate a hypothetical operational scenario (HOS) based at least in part on the prognostic data and involving one or more train assets. Predictive data associated with the HOS may provide information on a likely benefit to a train asset from a change in at least one of an operational parameter, designated operational configuration for the train assets, or maintenance-related activity.

Train asset availability and reliability management system

A control system for remotely facilitating a lead change among a plurality of locomotives in a train is disclosed. The control system may include a user input device, a display device, a communicating device configured to exchange information with the plurality of locomotives, and a controller in electronic communication with the user input device, the display device, and the communicating device. The controller may be configured to generate on the display device a graphical user interface configured to receive a plurality of user inputs in conjunction with the user input device, wherein the plurality of user inputs includes an isolation switch selection, a distributed power selection, and a lead/trail selection. The controller may also be configured to generate configuration commands communicable to the plurality of locomotives via the communicating device based on the user inputs.

Train control system having remote configuration interface

A ride-through control system for operating locomotives in a train includes a geographic position sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a geographic position of a locomotive of a train, and a controller configured to receive the signal indicative of the geographic position of a locomotive and compare the geographic position of the locomotive with one or more pre-determined geographical locations or regions previously identified as geo-fences. The controller may also be configured to receive one or more locomotive operational signals indicative of at least one of an operational parameter, a fault, and a maintenance request associated with the locomotive, determine whether the geographic position of the locomotive coincides with a geo-fence characterized by conditions that may affect the ability of the locomotive to meet a trip objective if the locomotive were to slow below a threshold speed within the geo-fence, and generate a ride-through control command signal to prevent the locomotive from slowing below the threshold speed within the geo-fence based on at least one of the one or more locomotive operational signals and a user permission level.

Locomotive ride-through control system and method

A braking system includes a brake pipe, a pressure sensor and a pressure valve, each operatively associated with the brake pipe. The pressure valve is directed to reduce a pressure in the brake pipe in response to data from the pressure sensor, and a secondary pressure sensor is operatively associated with the brake pipe, wherein a pressure in the brake pipe is reduced in to data from the secondary pressure sensor.

Automatic braking system

An asset management system for a machine is disclosed. The asset management system may include a sensor associated with an asset of the machine and configured to generate a signal indicative of an operational status of a system associated with the asset. The asset management system may further include a user interface associated with the machine and a controller in communication with the sensor and the user interface. The controller may be configured to display on the user interface a graphical representation of the asset, receive via the user interface a user selection of the system from a plurality of systems associated with the asset, and display on the graphical representation of the asset a visual indicator of the system in response to the user selection. The visual indicator of the system may indicative of the operational status of the system.

Growing community of inventors

Westmont, IL, United States of America

James David Seaton