Autonomous railroad monitoring and inspection device
OwnerGary Vivianiinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, a railroad scout vehicle system includes a scout vehicle and a processing unit. The scout vehicle may include at least two wheels configured to engage a set of railroad tracks, a motor mechanically coupled to at least one of the wheels, a speed controller, an electromagnetic sensor aimed at the set of railroad tracks, a positioning receiver, a local speed sensing device and a transceiver. The speed controller may be coupled to the motor and configured to control the speed of the scout vehicle in order to maintain an appropriate distance between the scout vehicle and a train traveling behind. The processing unit may be configured to transmit the track status information via the transceiver, receive train speed and position signals from the train via the transceiver.
Claims20
A railroad scout vehicle system comprising:
- (a) a scout vehicle comprising:
- at least two wheels configured to engage a set of railroad tracks;
- a motor mechanically coupled to at least one of the wheels;
- a speed controller coupled to the motor and configured to control a speed of the railroad scout vehicle;
- an electromagnetic sensor aimed at the set of railroad tracks, the electromagnetic sensor configured to collect track status information related to the physical condition of the railroad tracks;
- a positioning receiver configured to determine a position of the railroad scout vehicle;
- a local speed sensing device configured to determine a speed of the railroad scout vehicle;
- a transceiver configured to communicate with a bi-directional communication system of a train, the train traveling on the railroad tracks behind the railroad scout vehicle;
- wherein the scout vehicle is unmanned;
- and
- (b) a processing unit configured to:
- transmit the track status information via the transceiver;
- receive gain speed and position signals from the train via the transceiver;
- and
- modulate the speed controller based at least in part on the train speed and position signals.
A method of monitoring a set of railroad tracks, the method comprising:
- (a) collecting track status information related to the physical condition of the tracks via an electromagnetic sensor, the electromagnetic sensor being mounted on an unmanned scout vehicle, the scout vehicle comprising:
- at least two wheels configured to engage the tracks;
- a motor mechanically coupled to at least one of the wheels;
- a speed controller coupled to the motor and configured to control a speed of the unmanned railroad scout vehicle;
- a positioning receiver configured to determine a position of the unmanned railroad scout vehicle;
- a local speed sensing device configured to determine a speed of the unmanned railroad scout vehicle;
- a transceiver configured to communicate with a bi-directional communication system of a train, the train traveling on the railroad tracks behind the unmanned railroad scout vehicle;
- (b) transmitting the track status information to the train via the transceiver;
- (c) receiving train speed and position signals from the train via the transceiver;
- and
- (d) modulating the speed controller based at least in part on the train speed and position signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.