The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 09, 2019
Filed:
Nov. 07, 2016
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Jeffrey Michael Fries, Grain Valley, MO (US);
Joseph Forrest Noffsinger, Grain Valley, MO (US);
Richard Lee Lawson, Melbourne, FL (US);
Aric Albert Weingartner, Lee's Summit, MO (US);
Curtis Doyle Mechling, Jacksonville, FL (US);
Aaron Richard Mitti, Atlanta, GA (US);
Martin Paget, Saint Johns, FL (US);
William David Shields, Grain Valley, MO (US);
GE GLOBAL SOURCING LLC, Norwalk, CT (US);
Abstract
A monitoring method and system monitor a transmitted current that is injected into conductive components of a route traveled by vehicle systems, monitor a received current that represents a portion of the transmitted current that is conducted through the conductive components of the route, examine changes in the transmitted and/or received current over time to determine when the vehicle systems are on the route between a first location where the transmitted current is injected into the conductive components and a second location where the received current is monitored, and examine the changes in the transmitted and/or received currents. The changes are examined to identify (a) a contaminated portion of a surface on which the route is disposed, (b) a foreign object other than the vehicle systems that is contacting the route, and/or (c) a damaged or broken portion of at least one of the conductive components of the route.