US 11,697,443 B2 · Apparatus for locating a mobile railway asset

Abstract

In one aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus for locating a mobile railway asset is provided that includes a power source, GNSS circuitry configured to utilize electrical power from the power source to receive GNSS data, and a controller operatively coupled to the power source and the GNSS circuitry. The controller has a power saving mode wherein the controller inhibits the GNSS circuitry from receiving GNSS data and a standard accuracy mode wherein the controller permits the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for a first time period. The controller has a higher accuracy mode wherein the controller permits the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for a second time period longer than the first time period, and subsequently across multiple instances, in order to collect more GNSS data that can be qualified, filtered, sorted, and averaged to produce a more accurate result.

Claims60

Dependent claims

An apparatus for locating a mobile railway asset, the apparatus comprising:

a limited power source;
global navigation satellite system (GNSS) circuitry configured to utilize electrical power from the limited power source to receive GNSS data from satellites of a GNSS;
a controller operatively coupled to the limited power source and the GNSS circuitry, wherein the controller has:
a power saving mode wherein the controller inhibits the GNSS circuitry from receiving GNSS data;
a standard accuracy mode wherein the controller permits the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for a first time period;
and
a higher accuracy mode wherein the controller permits the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for a second time period longer than the first time period;
the controller configured to enter the higher accuracy mode and permit the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for the second time period in response to a determination of a mobile railway asset event;
communication circuitry operatively coupled to the controller;
and
the controller configured to, in response to the determination of the mobile railway asset event, control the communication circuitry to communicate to a remote computing device data indicative of a location of the mobile railway asset based at least in part on the GNSS data received during the second time period of the higher accuracy mode.

8 more elements

An apparatus for locating a mobile railway asset, the apparatus comprising:

a limited power source;
global navigation satellite system (GNSS) circuitry configured to utilize electrical power from the limited power source to receive GNSS data from satellites of a GNSS;
a controller operatively coupled to the limited power source and the GNSS circuitry, wherein the controller has:
a power saving mode wherein the controller inhibits the GNSS circuitry from receiving GNSS data;
a standard accuracy mode wherein the controller permits the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for a first time period;
and
a higher accuracy mode wherein the controller permits the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for a second time period longer than the first time period;
the controller configured to enter the higher accuracy mode and permit the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for the second time period in response to a determination of a mobile railway asset event;
communication circuitry operatively coupled to the controller and configured to communicate data indicative of a location of the mobile railway asset based at least in part on the GNSS data received during the second time period;
wherein the controller, in the higher accuracy mode thereof, permits the GNSS circuitry to receive a first portion of the GNSS data in a first portion of the second time period and a second portion of the GNSS data in a second portion of the second time period after the first portion;
and
the controller is further configured to determine a location of the mobile railway asset utilizing the second portion of the GNSS data but not the first portion of the GNSS data.

9 more elements

An apparatus for locating a mobile railway asset, the apparatus comprising:

a limited power source;
global navigation satellite system (GNSS) circuitry configured to utilize electrical power from the limited power source to receive GNSS data from satellites of a GNSS;
a controller operatively coupled to the limited power source and the GNSS circuitry, wherein the controller has:
a power saving mode wherein the controller inhibits the GNSS circuitry from receiving GNSS data;
a standard accuracy mode wherein the controller permits the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for a first time period;
and
a higher accuracy mode wherein the controller permits the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for a second time period longer than the first time period;
the controller configured to enter the higher accuracy mode and permit the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for the second time period in response to a determination of a mobile railway asset event;
and
communication circuitry operatively coupled to the controller and configured to communicate data indicative of a location of the mobile railway asset based at least in part on the GNSS data received during the second time period;
wherein the controller is configured to:
sort the GNSS data received during the second time period based on a measure of accuracy to form a sorted array of GNSS data;
discard a portion of the sorted GNSS data to form a final GNSS data;
and
calculate the location of the mobile railway asset based on the final GNSS data.

12 more elements

An apparatus for locating a mobile railway asset, the apparatus comprising:

a limited power source;
global navigation satellite system (GNSS) circuitry configured to utilize electrical power from the limited power source to receive GNSS data from satellites of a GNSS;
a controller operatively coupled to the limited power source and the GNSS circuitry, wherein the controller has:
a power saving mode wherein the controller inhibits the GNSS circuitry from receiving GNSS data;
a standard accuracy mode wherein the controller permits the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for a first time period;
and
a higher accuracy mode wherein the controller permits the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for a second time period longer than the first time period;
the controller configured to enter the higher accuracy mode and permit the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for the second time period in response to a determination of a mobile railway asset event;
and
communication circuitry operatively coupled to the controller and configured to communicate data indicative of a location of the mobile railway asset based at least in part on the GNSS data received during the second time period;
wherein the controller is configured to categorize the accuracy of each of the GNSS data based at least in part on satellite count, horizontal dilution of precision, or a combination thereof;
and
the controller further configured to determine the location of the railway asset by utilizing GNSS data obtained during the second time period and having accuracy greater than a threshold accuracy.

10 more elements

A system comprising:

a mobile railway asset;
a limited power source;
global navigation satellite system (GNSS) circuitry configured to utilize electrical power from the limited power source to receive GNSS data from satellites of a GNSS;
a controller operatively coupled to the limited power source and the GNSS circuitry, the controller having:
a power saving mode wherein the controller inhibits the GNSS circuitry from receiving GNSS data;
a standard accuracy mode wherein the controller permits the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for a first time period;
and
a higher accuracy mode wherein the controller permits the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for a second time period longer than the first time period;
the controller configured to enter the higher accuracy mode and permit the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for the second time period in response to a determination of a mobile railway asset event;
communication circuitry operatively coupled to the controller;
and
the controller configured to, in response to the determination of the mobile railway asset event, control the communication circuitry to communicate to a remote computing device data indicative of a location of the mobile railway asset based at least in part on the GNSS data received during the second time period of the higher accuracy mode.

9 more elements

A system comprising:

a mobile railway asset;
a limited power source;
global navigation satellite system (GNSS) circuitry configured to utilize electrical power from the limited power source to receive GNSS data from satellites of a GNSS;
a controller operatively coupled to the limited power source and the GNSS circuitry, the controller having:
a power saving mode wherein the controller inhibits the GNSS circuitry from receiving GNSS data;
a standard accuracy mode wherein the controller permits the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for a first time period;
and
a higher accuracy mode wherein the controller permits the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for a second time period longer than the first time period;
the controller configured to enter the higher accuracy mode and permit the GNSS circuitry to receive GNSS data for the second time period in response to a determination of a mobile railway asset event;
and
communication circuitry operatively coupled to the controller and configured to communicate data indicative of a location of the mobile railway asset based at least in part on the GNSS data received during the second time period;
wherein the controller, in the higher accuracy mode thereof, permits the GNSS circuitry to receive a first portion of the GNSS data in a first portion of the second time period and a second portion of the GNSS data in a second portion of the second time period after the first portion;
the controller further configured to determine a location of the mobile railway asset utilizing the second portion of the GNSS data but not the first portion of the GNSS data.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for locating a mobile railway asset

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Apparatus for locating a mobile railway asset

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims60