# US 2021/0276526 A1 · Brake monitoring system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0276526 A1 - Document ID: US20210276526A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/191,493 - Filed: 2021-03-03 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-04 - Assignees: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation - Applicants: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation - Inventors: Edward Gaughan; Karen Carriere; William Potter; Vincent Troiani; Frank Huchrowski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210276526A1 ## CPC - B60T 13/665: {the systems being specially adapted for transferring two or more command signals, e.g. railway systems (B60T13/662 takes precedence)} - B60T 17/228: {for railway vehicles} - B60T 17/221: {Procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning condition of brake systems (hydraulic pressure systems in general F15B19/00, F15B21/04; testing structures or apparatus G01M)} - B60T 2270/404: Brake-by-wire or X-by-wire failsafe - B60T 2270/88: Pressure measurement in brake systems - B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES ## Abstract A brake monitoring system monitors pressures in a brake system of a vehicle system at different locations in the vehicle system. Decreases in the pressures are determined at two or more of the different locations. The times at which the decreases in the pressures occurred are determined. A location of interest of a leak in the brake system is determined by comparing the times at which the decreases in the pressures occurred. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: monitoring pressures in a brake system of a vehicle system at different locations in the vehicle system; determining decreases in the pressures that are monitored at two or more of the different locations; determining times at which the decreases in the pressures occurred; and determining a location of interest of a leak in the brake system by comparing the times at which the decreases in the pressures occurred. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the pressures that are monitored are air pressures. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the brake system is an air brake system that extends through and fluidly couples multiple vehicles of the vehicle system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the pressures are monitored onboard each of two or more vehicles in the vehicle system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the times of the decreases in pressure are determined by measuring a first decrease of the decreases in the pressures at a first location of the locations, determining a first timestamp associated with measurement of the first decrease, and confirming that the first decrease indicates a brake application by measuring the pressure at the first location after a time delay from measurement of the first decrease. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying one or more of the times at which the decreases in the pressures occurred based on one or more clock drifts of one or more clock devices located at one or more of the locations where the pressures are measured. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the location of interest of the leak in the brake system is determined by identifying an earliest time of the times at which the decreases in pressure occurred and determining the location associated with the decrease in the pressure associated with the earliest time. ### Claim 8 A system comprising: plural sensor assemblies configured to monitor pressures in a brake system of a vehicle system at different locations in the vehicle system, two or more of the sensor assemblies at the different locations configured to determine decreases in the pressures that are monitored and to determine times at which the decreases in the pressures occurred; and a system controller configured to determine a location of interest of a leak in the brake system by comparing the times at which the decreases in the pressures occurred. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor assemblies are configured to monitor air pressures of the brake system as the pressures. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the brake system is an air brake system that extends through and fluidly couples multiple vehicles of the vehicle system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor assemblies are configured to be disposed onboard each of two or more vehicles in the vehicle system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor assemblies are configured to determine the times of the decreases in pressure by measuring a first decrease of the decreases in the pressures at a first location of the locations, determining a first timestamp associated with measurement of the first decrease, and confirming that the first decrease indicates a brake application by measuring the pressure at the first location after a time delay from measurement of the first decrease. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the system controller is configured to modify one or more of the times at which the decreases in the pressures occurred based on one or more clock drifts of one or more clock devices located at one or more of the locations where the pressures are measured. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the system controller is configured to determine the location of interest of the leak in the brake system by identifying an earliest time of the times at which the decreases in pressure occurred and determining the location associated with the decrease in the pressure associated with the earliest time. ### Claim 15 A system comprising: plural sensor assemblies configured to be disposed onboard different non-propulsion-generating vehicles of a multi-vehicle system, the sensor assemblies including pressure sensors configured to measure air pressures in an air brake system of the vehicle system, the sensor assemblies including clock devices and assembly controllers configured to determine decreases in the pressures that are monitored and to determine times at which the decreases in the pressures occurred from the clock devices; and a system controller configured to receive the times from the sensor assemblies and to determine a location of interest of a leak in the brake system by comparing the times at which the decreases in the pressures occurred. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the multi-vehicle system is a rail vehicle system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the system controller is configured to modify one or more of the times from one or more of the sensor assemblies due to clock drift of one or more of the clock devices. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the system controller is configured to determine the location of interest of the leak in the brake system by identifying an earliest time of the times from the sensor assemblies. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the system controller is configured to determine the location of interest as the location associated with the sensor assembly that provided the earliest time to the system controller. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the sensor assemblies are configured to confirm the decreases in the pressures by repeating measurement of the pressures following determining the times at which the decreases in the pressures are determined.