Train safety system
AssigneeVia Rail Canada Inc.
InventorsClaude Perras, Leigh Thorpe, Francois Blouin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for assisting the safe operation of a train adapted to be operated by a locomotive operating crew comprises generating GPS-located critical information at a central location, the GPS-located critical information being based at least in part on one or more railroad maps and one or more train dispatcher information systems; monitoring the real-time location of the train with a GPS device on-board the train; and generating alerts for the locomotive operating crew based on the GPS-located critical information and the real time location of the train, so that the crew is alerted as to upcoming changes to be implemented.
Claims17
A safety system for a train having a locomotive operating crew, said system comprising:
- a database containing one or more railroad maps and one or more train dispatcher information systems;
- a central server adapted to be at least intermittently coupled to said database to generate GPS-located critical information;
- a GPS device on-board the train to monitor the real-time location of the train;
- and
- a computer on-board the train and adapted to be at least intermittently coupled to said central server and said GPS device for executing an application utilizing said GPS-located critical information and said real-time location of the train;
- wherein said application
- generates alerts for said locomotive operating crew based on the GPS-located critical information and the real time location of the train, so that the crew is alerted as to upcoming changes to be implemented, and
- identifies a maximum permissible speed for said train at each point along a predetermined route for the train based at least in part on said GPS-located critical information, and
- at least one of said application and said central server is adapted to detect a type of equipment included in a consist, and to generate a maximum permissible speed based on said type of equipment.
A method of assisting the safe operation of a train adapted to be operated by a locomotive operating crew, said method comprising
- generating GPS-located critical information at a central location, said GPS-located critical information being based at least in part on one or more railroad maps and one or more train dispatcher information systems;
- monitoring a real-time location of the train with a GPS device on-board the train;
- generating alerts for said locomotive operating crew based on the GPS-located critical information and the real time location of the train, so that the crew is alerted as to upcoming changes to be implemented,
- identifying a maximum permissible speed for said train at each point along a predetermined route for the train based at least in part on said GPS-located critical information,
- combining said maximum permissible speed with speed limits entered into said on-board computer by said crew, to establish an allowed speed at a selected GPS location, and
- at least one of said application and said central server detects a type of equipment included in a consist, and generates a maximum permissible speed based on said type of equipment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.