Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation

Transportation IP Holdings, LLC

Stuart John Barr

Andrew Ryan Staats

Keith E Smith

Jeffrey Donald Kernwein

James Allen Oswald

Joseph W Gorman

Derek Kevin Woo

Ann K Grimm

Karen Ann Shaw

Matthew Vrba

Kendrick W Gawne

Rebecca W Dreasher

Francois P Pretorius

Phillip A Burgart

Janmejay Tripathy

Jerrid D Chapman

Adam Charles Hausmann

Craig Karl Green

Edward J Kuchar

Tania Lindsley

Scott Sollars

Shannon K Struttmann

Brian James Langstraat

Stephen Craven

James Lucas

Irwin Morris

A controller may be configured to receive one or more measured rotational speeds of a wheel of a vehicle. The controller may be configured to determine whether the one or more measured rotational speeds are unreliable relative to one or more previous rotational speeds of the wheel of the vehicle. The controller may be configured to calculate a replacement rotational speed of the wheel and use the replacement rotational speed of the wheel to control or restrict movement of the vehicle using or based on the replacement rotational speed in place of the one or more measured rotational speeds.

Vehicle control system

A weight profile determination system may be provided that includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor may be disposed along a route and configured to generate a plurality of force measurements of a vehicle system moving on the route relative to the sensor. The force measurements may be obtained at different times and correspond to different locations along a length of the vehicle system. The controller may determine a weight profile for the vehicle system based on the force measurements generated by the sensor. The weight profile can represent a distribution of weight along the length of the vehicle system. The controller may communicate the weight profile to one or more of the vehicle system or an offboard device for controlling movement of the vehicle system based on the weight profile.

Weight profile determination system

Reports of traction-altering events between vehicle systems and surfaces of routes being traveled upon by the vehicle systems are received, and one or more areas of interest associated with increased likelihood of one or more additional traction-altering events are identified based on the reports that are received. Signals are communicated to one or more other vehicle systems to one or more of warn the one or more other vehicle systems of the traction-altering events or control movement of the one or more other vehicle systems to avoid the one or more additional traction-altering events.

Vehicle network monitoring system

A computer-implemented method is provided that includes obtaining a first secret and a first public key, and obtaining a second secret a second public key. The method may also include authenticating the first public key of the first vehicle based on a first private key associated with the first vehicle, and authenticating the second public key of the second vehicle based on a second private key associated with the second vehicle. The method may also include preventing a man-in-the-middle attack, by securing at least one of a first vehicle-to-central office communication, a central office-to-first vehicle communication, or a first vehicle-to-second vehicle, wherein the first vehicle-to-central office communication and the central office-to-first vehicle communication are authenticated based on a determined private key associated with a respective first vehicle on-board computer, and sending a message, with the central office server, to a vehicle associated with a conditional movement authority.

Secure vehicle to vehicle PTC communication

A system and method include a control unit configured to detect a presence of a vehicle within a route area based on sensor signals output by an observer device that monitors the route area. The control unit is configured to determine a distance of the vehicle from the observer device and to determine a vehicle location of the vehicle based on the distance and a predetermined location of the observer device. The system and method include a communication device configured to communicate the vehicle location to at least one of the vehicle or a remote control device that is off-board the vehicle prior to the vehicle starting to move along a route occupied by the vehicle.

Vehicle location determining system and method

A system includes a phase break input unit, one or more vehicle location detectors, and one or more processors. The phase break input unit is configured to obtain phase break location information indicating a location of a phase break along a route to be traversed by a vehicle. The one or more vehicle location detectors are configured to obtain vehicle location information indicating at least one of location of the vehicle or movement of the vehicle. The one or more processors are configured to determine an estimated arrival time of the vehicle at the phase break using the phase brake location information and the vehicle location information, and send a phase break control signal to a control system of the vehicle responsive to the estimated arrival time satisfying a threshold.

Systems and methods for controlled traversal of phase breaks

A system and method for determining the location of a vehicle when GNSS signals are not available use triangulation between one or two radio transmitters and, respectively, two or one radio receivers mounted on the vehicle. The distance between each radio transmitter and/or each radio receiver can be determined according a phase difference between received radio signals. The radio signals can have the geographical location of the radio transmitter included therein. Utilizing the demodulated geographical location of each radio transmitter and the distance between the radio transmitter and each radio receiver, triangulation can be used to determine the geographical location of the vehicle.

System and method for determining vehicle position by triangulation

A system and method for automatically communicating an identification signal from a vehicle controller of a vehicle that may include receiving trip data from a dispatch controller based on the identification signal that is communicated. Software of the vehicle controller may be updated at a determined time based on the trip data that is received, and movement of the vehicle may be controlled based on movement allowance signals received by the vehicle controller and used by the software of the vehicle controller during the movement of the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle is permitted to enter into segments of one or more routes.

System and method for preparing a vehicle for a trip

In accordance with one or more embodiments described herein, a method is provided. The method includes receiving a request to assume control of a vehicle generated by a candidate operator via a first communication pathway. The method obtains a key from an onboard controller of the vehicle and communicates the key to the candidate operator via a second communication pathway that is different from the first communication pathway. The method determines the candidate operator to be a confirmed operator based at least in part on obtaining the key from the candidate operator via the first communication pathway.

Operator authentication with a vehicle using different pathways

A weight profile determination system includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor is disposed along a route and configured to generate a plurality of force measurements of a vehicle system moving on the route relative to the sensor. The force measurements are obtained at different times and correspond to different locations along a length of the vehicle system. The controller is configured to determine a weight profile for the vehicle system based on the force measurements generated by the sensor. The weight profile represents a distribution of weight along the length of the vehicle system. The controller is configured to communicate the weight profile to one or more of the vehicle system or an offboard device for controlling movement of the vehicle system based on the weight profile.

In a method of train deceleration, a train computer: (a) causes brakes of the train to be set according to a target deceleration curve, profile, or braking model estimated to decelerate the train from a present speed at a present location to a target speed at a target location; (b) during deceleration of the train according to the target deceleration curve, profile, or braking model of step (a), determines an actual deceleration curve of the train; (c) in response to determining from the actual deceleration curve that the train will overshoot the target speed at the target location, determines another target deceleration curve, profile, or braking model estimated to decelerate the train to the target speed at the target location; and (d) causes the brakes of the train to be set according to the other target deceleration curve, profile or braking model of step (c).

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Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America

Stuart John Barr