METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPTIMIZING A TRAIN TRIP USING SIGNAL INFORMATION

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention includes a system for operating a railway network comprising a first railway vehicle (400) during a trip along track segments (401/412/420). The system comprises a first element (65) for determining travel parameters of the first railway vehicle (400), a second element (65) for determining travel parameters of a second railway vehicle (418) relative to the track segments to be traversed by the first vehicle during the trip, a processor (62) for receiving information from the first (65) and the second (65) elements and for determining a relationship between occupation of a track segment (401/412/420) by the second vehicle (418) and later occupation of the same track segment by the first vehicle (400) and an algorithm embodied within the processor (62) having access to the information to create a trip plan that determines a speed trajectory for the first vehicle (400), wherein the speed trajectory is responsive to the relationship and further in accordance with one or more operational criteria for the first vehicle (400).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more particular description of the aspects of the inventions described herein will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary illustration of a flow chart of one embodiment of the present inventions;

FIG. 2 depicts a simplified model of the train that may be employed;

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary embodiment of elements of the present invention;

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a fuel-use/travel time curve;

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary embodiment of segmentation decomposition for trip planning;

FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a segmentation example;

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary flow chart of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary illustration of a dynamic display for use by the operator;

FIG. 9 depicts another exemplary illustration of a dynamic display for use by the operator;

FIG. 10 depicts another exemplary illustration of a dynamic display for use by the operator; and

FIGS. 11A and 11B depict track blocks and signals and a locomotive speed trajectory as related to the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A system for operating a railway network comprising a first railway vehicle during a trip along track segments, the system comprising: a first element for determining travel parameters of the first railway vehicle;a second element for determining travel parameters of a second railway vehicle relative to the track segments to be traversed by the first vehicle during the trip;a processor for receiving information from the first and the second elements and for determining a relationship between occupation of a track segment by the second vehicle and later occupation of the same track segment by the first vehicle; andan algorithm embodied within the processor having access to the information to create a trip plan that determines a speed trajectory for the first vehicle, wherein the speed trajectory is responsive to the relationship and further in accordance with one or more operational criteria for the first vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the relationship comprises a probability that the second vehicle will occupy the track segment when the first vehicle reaches an entry point for the track segment.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the probability indicates whether the second vehicle's occupation of a track segment will affect the first vehicle's occupation of the same track segment according to the trip plan.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the probability determines a time at which the first vehicle's speed is reduced to avoid occupying a track segment concurrent with occupation of the same track segment by the second vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein a rate at which the first vehicle's speed is reduced allows the first vehicle to attain a desired speed at a later time.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the speed trajectory comprises a speed reduction time and a rate of speed reduction, wherein a later speed reduction time or a greater speed reduction rate are responsive to a relationship comprising a lower probability and an earlier speed reduction time or a smaller speed reduction rate are responsive to a relationship comprising a higher probability.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the relationship determines a track location where the first vehicle's speed is reduced to avoid occupying the track segment concurrent with occupation of the same track segment by the second vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein a rate at which the first vehicle's speed is reduced allows the first vehicle to attain a desired speed at an entry point for the track segment occupied by the second vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the travel parameters comprise one or more of location, speed, trip plan, type, time of arrival, travel direction and priority.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the relationship comprises a probability that the second vehicle will occupy the track segment when the first vehicle reaches an entry point for the track segment, and wherein for a probability less than a predetermined probability threshold the speed trajectory is determined as if occupation of a track segment by the second vehicle will not interfere with occupation of the same segment by the first vehicle.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is aboard the first vehicle and the second element supplies the travel parameters of the second vehicle by wired, wireless, radio location, radio frequency, acoustic, power line carrier, optical and manual processes.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the speed trajectory comprises a speed trajectory for a track segment immediately rearward of a track segment currently occupied by the second vehicle.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the speed trajectory is modified with time responsive to time-variant changes in the relationship.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the relationship is further responsive to previous operation of vehicles over the track segments.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the relationship is further responsive to track conditions and an operating condition of each of the first and the second vehicles.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the relationship is further responsive to track signals indicating vehicle occupancy of a track segment.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the probability is further responsive to a most probable indication for the track signals.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the speed trajectory is further responsive to a relative priority between the first and the second vehicles.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the second element determines a real time location of the second vehicle relative to the track segments and the processor determines a predicted location of the second vehicle responsive to a real time location and travel parameters of the second vehicle.

20. The system of claim 1 further comprising a controller element for autonomously directing the vehicle to follow the speed trajectory.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein an operator directs the vehicle in accordance with the speed trajectory.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the algorithm autonomously determines the probability and updates the speed trajectory responsive to the information received from the first and the second elements.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the track segments comprise one of more track blocks, and wherein the second element determines a location of the second vehicle relative to the track blocks, and wherein the algorithm optimizes performance of the first vehicle responsive to the presence of the second vehicle in track blocks that comprise track segments of the first vehicle's trip.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the algorithm optimizes performance of the first vehicle responsive to predicted future locations of the second vehicle relative to the track blocks that comprise track segments of the first vehicle's trip.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the algorithm optimizes performance of the first vehicle responsive to a probability associated with predicted future locations of the second vehicle.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the speed trajectory provides for proper control of the first vehicle if an actual future location of the second vehicle is different than predicted.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the predicted future locations are responsive to past locations of the second vehicle during previous trips over the track segments.

28. The system of claim 24 wherein the predicted future locations of the second vehicle are responsive to one or more of current and future track conditions and current and future operating parameters of the second vehicle.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein the speed trajectory comprises an exit speed for the first vehicle for exiting each track segment.

30. The system of claim 1 wherein the second element determines the location of the second vehicle responsive to location information provided from a remote site or from wayside equipment.

31. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and the second railway vehicles comprise a respective first train further comprising a first locomotive and first railcars and a second train further comprising a second locomotive and second railcars.

32. A system for operating a railway network comprising a railway vehicle during a trip by the vehicle along track segments responsive to a location of other vehicles relative to the track segments, the system comprising: a first element for determining travel parameters of the vehicle;a second element for determining travel parameters of the other vehicles;a processor operable to receive information from the first and the second elements; andan algorithm embodied within the processor having access to the information to create a trip plan that optimizes performance of the vehicle responsive to the travel parameters of the vehicle and the travel parameters of the other vehicles and in accordance with one or more operational criteria for the vehicle.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein one of the travel parameters of the other vehicles comprises a location of the other vehicles, the system further comprising signals indicating an occupancy status of the track segments responsive to the location of the other vehicles relative to the track segments, and wherein the second element determines the location of the other vehicles responsive to the signals.

34. The system of claim 32 wherein the travel parameters of the vehicle comprises a location of the vehicle or a time since the vehicle began the trip, and wherein travel parameters of the other vehicles comprise speed, location, direction of travel and relative priority.

35. The system of claim 32 wherein the processor determines a probability that one or more of the other vehicles will occupy a track segment affecting the vehicle's occupation of the same track segment according to the trip plan.

36. The system of claim 32 wherein the processor determines a time at which the vehicle's speed is reduced to avoid occupying a track segment concurrent with occupation of the same track segment by one of the other vehicles.

37. The system of claim 32 wherein the processor determines a rate at which the vehicle's speed is reduced to allow the vehicle to attain a desired speed at a later time.

38. The system of claim 32 wherein the trip plan comprises a time or track location at which a speed reduction begins and a rate of speed reduction for the vehicle.

39. The system of claim 32 wherein the processor determines a probability that one of the other vehicles will occupy a track segment affecting the vehicle's occupation of the same track segment according to the trip plan, and wherein the processor modifies the trip plan responsive to the probability.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the trip plan comprises a time at which the vehicle is to begin a speed reduction and a rate of the speed reduction, and wherein a later time at which the speed reduction begins or a greater speed reduction rate are responsive to a first probability and an earlier time at which the speed reduction begins or a smaller speed reduction rate are responsive to a second probability less than the first probability.

41. The system of claim 32 wherein the processor determines a track location where or time when the vehicle's speed is reduced to avoid entering a track segment occupied by one of the other vehicles.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein a rate at which the vehicle's speed is reduced allows the vehicle to attain a desired speed at an entry point for a track segment occupied by one of the other vehicles.

43. The system of claim 32 wherein the processor is aboard the vehicle and the second element supplies the travel parameters of the other vehicles by wired, wireless, radio location, radio frequency, acoustic, power line carrier, optical and manual processes.

44. The system of claim 32 wherein the processor modifies the trip plan with time responsive to time varying travel parameters of the other vehicles.

45. The system of claim 32 wherein the travel parameters of the vehicle and the travel parameters of the other vehicles comprise a relative priority between the vehicle and the other vehicles.

46. The system of claim 32 wherein the second element determines a real time location of the other vehicles responsive to the travel parameters of the other vehicles and the processor determines a predicted location of the other vehicles responsive to travel parameters of the other vehicles.

47. The system of claim 32 wherein the vehicle comprises a train further comprising a first locomotive and first railcars and wherein each of the other vehicles comprises a locomotive.

48. A method for operating a railway vehicle during a trip along track segments of a rail network, the method comprising: determining travel parameters of the vehicle;determining travel parameters of other vehicles traversing the network; andexecuting an algorithm responsive to the travel parameters of the vehicle and the travel parameters of the other vehicles to optimize performance of the vehicle in accordance with one or more operational criteria for the vehicle.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein the travel parameters of the vehicle comprise a location of the vehicle or a time since the vehicle began the trip, and wherein the travel parameters of the other vehicles comprise one or more of location relative to track segments, speed, trip plan, type, time of arrival, travel direction and priority.

50. The method of claim 48 wherein the rail network further comprises signals indicating a status of track segments responsive to the location of the other vehicles relative to the track segments, and wherein the step of determining travel parameters of the other vehicles further comprises determining a condition of the signals to determine a location of the other vehicles.

51. The method of claim 48 wherein the step of executing determines a probability that occupation of a track segment by one of the other vehicles will affect occupation of the same track segment by the vehicle and optimizes performance of the vehicle further in accordance with the probability.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein one or more of a speed of the vehicle, a time or track location where the vehicle's speed is reduced and a speed reduction rate is responsive to the probability.

53. The method of claim 48 wherein the step of executing further comprises determining a speed trajectory for the vehicle responsive to the travel parameters of the other vehicles.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein the step of executing further comprises determining a predicted future location of the other vehicles, and wherein the speed trajectory for the vehicle is responsive thereto.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein the step of executing further comprises determining a real time location of the other vehicles and modifying the speed trajectory if the real time location is different from the predicted location.

56. The method of claim 48 wherein the step of executing further comprises determining predicted future locations of the other vehicles, determining a probability that a predicted future location of the other vehicles relative to a track segment will affect occupation of the same track segment by the vehicle, and optimizing performance of the vehicle in accordance with the probability.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein the predicted future locations of the other vehicles are responsive to past locations of the other vehicles during previous trips over the track segments.

58. The method of claim 48 wherein the vehicle comprise a train further comprising a locomotive and railcars.

59. A computer software code for operating a railway vehicle during a trip along track segments of a rail network, the software code comprising: a software module for determining travel parameters of the vehicle;a software module for determining travel parameters of other vehicles traversing the network; anda software module for executing an algorithm responsive to the travel parameters of the vehicle and the travel parameters of the other vehicles to optimize performance of the vehicle in accordance with one or more operational criteria for the vehicle.

60. The computer software code of claim 59 further comprising a software module for determining a probability that occupation of a track segment by one of the other vehicles will affect occupation of track segments by the vehicle during the trip and for optimizing performance of the vehicle further in accordance with the probability.

61. The computer software code of claim 60 further comprising a software module for determining a speed trajectory of the train responsive to the probability.

62. The computer software code of claim 61 wherein parameters of the speed trajectory comprise a rate of speed reduction and a time or track location where the speed reduction begins.

63. The computer software code of claim 61 wherein the software module for executing the algorithm further predicts a future location of the other vehicles and develops a trip plan for the vehicle responsive thereto.

64. The computer software code of claim 63 wherein the software module for executing the algorithm determines a real time location of the other vehicles, determines any differences between the future location and the real time location and modifies the trip plan accordingly.

65. The computer software code of claim 63 wherein the trip plan comprises a speed trajectory for the vehicle.