# US 12,112,628 B2 · Vehicle network monitoring system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,112,628 B2 - Document ID: US12112628B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/471,334 - Filed: 2021-09-10 - Published: 2023-03-16 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2021-09-10 - Assignees: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC - Applicants: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC - Inventors: Andrew Staats; Stuart Barr - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12112628B2 ## CPC - G08G 1/0112: {from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]} - G08G 1/096791: {where the origin of the information is another vehicle} - B60W 30/18172: {Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels} - G08G 1/0129: {for creating historical data or processing based on historical data} - G08G 1/0141: {for traffic information dissemination} - G08G 1/096716: {where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control} - G08G 1/096741: {where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle} - G08G 1/096775: {where the origin of the information is a central station} - G08G 1/096725: {where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control} - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) - 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 ## Abstract 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving reports of traction-altering events between first vehicle systems and surfaces of routes being traveled upon by the first vehicle systems; identifying first drivers of the first vehicle systems during the traction-altering events that are received; identifying one or more areas of interest associated with increased likelihood of one or more additional traction-altering events based on the reports that are received; communicating first signals to second vehicle systems to one or more of warn the second vehicle systems of the traction-altering events or control movement of the second vehicle systems to avoid the one or more additional traction-altering events; and communicating second signals to the first vehicle systems or third vehicle systems being controlled by the first drivers, the second signals limiting increases in torque applied to wheels of the first vehicle systems or the third vehicle systems while driven by the first drivers that are identified from the traction-altering events. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the traction-altering events include one or more of a wheel slip or a wheel slide. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more areas of interest are identified as locations where more of the traction-altering events have been reported than other locations. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first signals that are communicated to the second vehicle systems include a speed restriction that prohibits the second vehicle systems from moving faster than a speed limit while moving through the one or more areas of interest. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving characteristics of the second vehicle systems; and selecting a subset of the second vehicle systems to send the second signals to based on the characteristics, wherein the second signals are communicated only to the second vehicle systems in the subset. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the characteristics include identifications of the second drivers of the second vehicle systems. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether more of the traction-altering events are reported from the first vehicle systems controlled by the first drivers than the second vehicle systems controlled by the second drivers, wherein the second signals are communicated to the first vehicle systems or the third vehicle systems that are controlled by the first drivers and not to the second vehicle systems controlled by the second drivers. ### Claim 8 A system comprising: a controller configured to receive reports of traction-altering events between first vehicle systems and surfaces of routes being traveled upon by the first vehicle systems, the controller configured to identify one or more areas of interest associated with increased likelihood of one or more additional traction-altering events based on the reports that are received, the controller configured to identify first drivers of the first vehicle systems during the traction-altering events, the controller configured to communicate first signals to second vehicle systems controlled by second drivers to one or more of warn the second vehicle systems of the traction-altering events or control movement of the second vehicle systems to avoid the one or more additional traction-altering events, the controller configured to communicate second signals to the first vehicle systems or to third vehicle systems to restrict increases in torque applied to wheels of the first vehicle systems or the third vehicle systems while driven by the first drivers that are identified from the traction-altering events. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the traction-altering events include one or more of a wheel slip or a wheel slide. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to identify the one or more areas of interest as locations where more of the traction-altering events have been reported than other locations. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to communicate the first signals to include a speed restriction that prohibits the second vehicle systems from moving faster than a speed limit while moving through the one or more areas of interest. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to determine characteristics of the second vehicle systems, and to select a subset of the second vehicle systems to send the first signals to based on the characteristics, wherein the controller is configured to communicate the first signals only to the second vehicle systems in the subset. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the characteristics include identifications of the second drivers of the second vehicle systems. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether more of the traction-altering events are reported from the first vehicle systems controlled by the first drivers than the second vehicle systems controlled by the second drivers, wherein the controller is configured to communicate the second signals to the second vehicle systems or the third vehicle systems that are controlled by the first drivers and not to the second vehicle systems controlled by the second drivers. ### Claim 15 A method comprising: receiving reports of traction-altering events between vehicle systems and surfaces of routes being traveled upon by the vehicle systems; determining whether more of the traction-altering events are reported from the vehicle systems controlled by first drivers than the vehicle systems controlled by second drivers; and communicating signals to the vehicle systems that are controlled by the first drivers and not to the vehicle systems controlled by the second drivers, responsive to a determination that more of the traction-altering events are reported from the vehicle systems controlled by first drivers than the vehicle systems controlled by second drivers, the signals communicated to control movement of the vehicle systems controlled by the first drivers to avoid one or more additional traction-altering events. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: identifying one or more areas of interest associated with increased likelihood of one or more additional traction-altering events based on the reports that are received, wherein the signals that are communicated also warn the vehicle systems of the traction-altering events. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more areas of interest are identified as locations where more of the traction-altering events have been reported than other locations. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the traction-altering events include one or more of a wheel slip or a wheel slide. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the signals that are communicated to the vehicle systems include a speed restriction that prohibits the vehicle systems from moving faster than a speed limit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the signals are first signals, and further comprising: communicating one or more second signals to one or more supervisors of the first drivers to notify the one or more supervisors of the traction-altering events experienced by the first drivers; changing schedules of the first drivers to avoid the first drivers controlling the vehicle systems in locations where the traction-altering events were detected; and communicating one or more third signals to a maintenance crew to repair or clean routes in the locations where the traction-altering events were detected.