US 12,728,900 B2 · Handbrake and impact monitoring system

Abstract

Systems, methods, and non-transitory machine-readable media for remote monitoring and for detecting that a handbrake has been activated and an impact event may have occurred. In one or more example embodiments, a device for detecting a handbrake or impact event includes a controller having one or more processors, a data array, an accelerometer, and memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to obtain from an accelerometer acceleration data indicating longitudinal acceleration of a railcar, store the acceleration data in the data array, and provide an indication that a handbrake or impact event has occurred.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a magnetic monitoring device associated with a handbrake, wherein the magnetic monitoring device is fixably attached to a bellcrank of a rail car using a multi-piece bracket;
the multi-piece bracket, wherein the multi-piece bracket is slotted and configured to allow adjustment of a location of a magnet associated with the magnetic monitoring device;
and
a computing device associated with the rail car, the computing device comprising:
a processor;
and
a memory storing instructions that, when read by the processor, cause the computing device to:
receive, from the magnetic monitoring device, an indication of an application of the handbrake;
determine, based on applying a debouncing algorithm to the indication, that the application occurred;
and
determine, based on a distance measurement associated with the application, a magnitude of a braking event.

8 more elements

A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

determining, using a magnetic monitoring device, an indication of an application of a handbrake, wherein the magnetic monitoring device is fixably attached to a handbrake mechanism of a rail car using a slotted, multi-piece bracket configured to allow adjustment of a location of a magnet associated with the magnetic monitoring device;
determining, by a longitudinal accelerometer and based on an acceleration measurement exceeding a threshold, that an impact event occurred;
and
recording a location associated with the impact event.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

18/203,485Filed 30 May 2023 · continuation

Priority

23 Jan 2020

Published

US 2023/0415799 A128 Dec 2023

Granted

8 Sep 2026

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

B61L 15/0081
Indicators provided on the vehicle or train for signalling purposes: on-board diagnosis or maintenance
B61L 15/0027
Communication with or on the vehicle or train: radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R
B61L 15/0072
Indicators provided on the vehicle or train for signalling purposes: on-board train data handling
B61L 27/40
Central railway traffic control systems; Trackside control; Communication systems specially adapted therefor: handling position reports or…

Family

Application62/964,726Us provisional application · filed 23 Jan 2020

Application63/133,010Us provisional application · filed 31 Dec 2020

Application17/154,793Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 21 Jan 2021

Application17/566,280Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Dec 2021

US 2023/0415799 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Dec 2023

US 12,454,294 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

Application17/566,280Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 2021/0291883 A1Published application

US 2022/0119021 A1Published application

US 12,728,900 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Handbrake and impact monitoring system

Life of this patent

Handbrake and impact monitoring system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20