# US 12,110,046 B2 · Vehicle control system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,110,046 B2 - Document ID: US12110046B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/722,116 - Filed: 2019-12-20 - Published: 2021-06-24 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-20 - Assignees: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC - Applicants: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC - Inventors: James Brooks; Kaitlyn A. Hrdlicka; Joseph Wakeman; Matthew Price - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110046B2 ## CPC - B61L 15/0058: {On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation} - B61L 15/0081: {On-board diagnosis or maintenance} - B60W 40/08: related to drivers or passengers - B61L 27/04: Automatic systems, e.g. controlled by train; Change-over to manual control - G05D 1/0061: {for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa} - G05D 1/021: {specially adapted to land vehicles} - G05D 1/43: Control of position or course in two dimensions [2D] - G05D 1/81: Handing over between on-board automatic and on-board manual control - B60W 2040/0818: {Inactivity or incapacity of driver} - B60W 2050/143: {Alarm means} - B60W 2540/26: Incapacity - B61L: GUIDING RAILWAY TRAFFIC; ENSURING THE SAFETY OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC (brakes or auxiliary equipment B61H, B61K; point or crossing construction E01B) - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract System includes a controller comprising one or more processors configured to generate alertness requests to an operator of a vehicle system during a trip. The alertness requests are generated according to a determined routine. The controller is further configured to receive reactive inputs from the operator that are responsive to the alertness requests. The controller is further configured to determine whether the trip includes a permissible route segment for suspending the determined routine. The permissible route segment has a route characteristic of one or both of: a reduced likelihood of operator-required events occurring or a predicted workload for the operator that is less than a defined workload threshold. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a controller comprising one or more processors configured to generate alertness requests to an operator of a vehicle system during a trip, the alertness requests being generated according to a determined routine, the controller further configured to receive reactive inputs from the operator that are responsive to the alertness requests; and the controller is further configured to receive a suspension request and, responsive to receiving the suspension request, determine whether the trip includes a permissible route segment for suspending the determined routine, the permissible route segment having a route characteristic of at least one of: a reduced likelihood of operator-required events occurring, a predicted workload for the operator that is less than a defined workload baseline, or a predicted workload for the operator that is greater than a defined workload threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to one or both of: suspend the determined routine for the permissible route segment or announce a suspension of the determined routine for the permissible route segment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to detect an attentive quality of the operator that indicates alertness of the operator while operating the vehicle system, wherein, responsive to detecting the attentive quality, the determined routine delays generating a subsequent alertness request, wherein the attentive quality includes at least one of a direct action taken by the operator for controlling the vehicle system or a physiological feature of the operator indicating alertness. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the trip includes the permissible route segment includes determining that the trip includes a plurality of permissible route segments, wherein the controller is configured to select one of the plurality of permissible route segments or receive an input for selecting one of the plurality of permissible route segments. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to reinstate the determined routine in response to at least one of determining that a designated time period has elapsed, determining that a designated event has occurred, receiving a designated input from the operator, determining that the permissible route segment has been completed or is near completion, receiving a signal from an off-board system, determining that another vehicle is approaching, determining that proximate weather conditions have changed, determining that traffic proximate to the permissible route segment has changed, or determining that the vehicle system is traveling along the permissible route segment during a local time period associated with traffic. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to one or both of: suspend the determined routine for the permissible route segment or announce the suspension of the determined routine for the permissible route segment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the trip includes the permissible route segment for suspending the determined routine based on task-specific data for a single member crew. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to modify at least one of tractive efforts or braking efforts of the vehicle system to adjust a time at which the vehicle system will arrive at the permissible route segment. ### Claim 9 A method comprising: generating alertness requests to an operator of a vehicle system during a trip according to a determined routine; receiving reactive inputs from the operator that are responsive to the alertness requests; and responsive to receiving a suspension request, determining whether the trip includes a permissible route segment for suspending the determined routine, the permissible route segment having a route characteristic of at least one of: a reduced likelihood of operator-required events occurring, a predicted workload for the operator that is less than a defined workload baseline, or a predicted workload for the operator that is greater than a defined workload threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises one of: suspending the determined routine for the permissible route segment; or announcing a suspension of the determined routine for the permissible route segment. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises detecting an attentive quality of the operator that indicates alertness of the operator while operating the vehicle system, wherein, responsive to detecting the attentive quality, the determined routine delays generating a subsequent alertness request. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises one or both of: suspending the determined routine for the permissible route segment or announcing the suspension of the determined routine for the permissible route segment. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the trip includes the permissible route segment for suspending the determined routine based on task-specific data for a single member crew. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises modifying at least one of tractive efforts or braking efforts of the vehicle system to adjust a time at which the vehicle system will arrive at the permissible route segment. ### Claim 15 A vehicle control system comprising: an alertness monitoring system configured to generate alertness requests to an operator of a vehicle system and receive reactive inputs from the operator that are responsive to the alertness requests, the alertness monitoring system further configured to detect an attentive quality of the operator that indicates alertness of the operator while operating the vehicle system, a controller configured to communicate the alertness requests to the alertness monitoring system according to a determined routine, wherein, responsive to receiving the reactive inputs or detecting the attentive quality, the determined routine delays generating a subsequent alertness request; the controller further configured to receive a suspension request for suspending the determined routine and, responsive to receiving the suspension request, the controller is further configured to determine whether a trip includes a permissible route segment for suspending the determined routine. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the trip includes the permissible route segment for suspending the determined routine based on task-specific data for a single member crew. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to one or both of: suspend the determined routine for the permissible route segment or announce a suspension of the determined routine for the permissible route segment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the suspension request is submitted by the operator, an onboard controller, or by a remote station. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the alertness monitoring system is further configured to switch between a first mode with a first set of alertness requests and a second mode with a second set of alertness requests that differ from the first set of alertness requests, wherein the second set of alertness requests require a higher degree of associated cognitive processing by the operator than the first set of alertness requests. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive the suspension request from at least one of the operator, an onboard controller, or a remote station. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to suspend the determined routine for the permissible route segment and, after suspending the determined routine, the controller is further configured to reinstate the determined routine, wherein the alertness requests would have been generated by the controller according to the determined routine along the permissible route segment if not for the suspension of the determined routine.