U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
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`contra num er.
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`I 037659.00050 UTL
`Attorney Docket No.
`UTILITY
`I Andrew Martin
`First Inventor
`PATENT APPLICATION
`TRANSMITTAL
`
`Title System and Method for Monitoring Railcar Performance
`
`PTO/AIA/15 (07-12)
`
`(ONLY FOR NEW NONPROVISIONAL APPL/CATIONS UNDER
`37 CFR 1.53(8))
`
`Express Mail Label No. I
`
`APPLICATION ELEMENTS
`See MPEP chapter 600 concerning utility patent application contents.
`
`1. □ Fee Transmittal Form.
`(PTO/SB/17 or equivalent)
`2. □ Applicant claims small entity status.
`3. 0 Specification.
`See 37 CFR 1.27.
`4. 0 Drawing(s). (35 U.S.C. 113)
`
`[ Total Sheets
`
`30
`[ Total Pages
`Both the claims and abstract must start on a new page
`(For information on the preferred arrangement, see MPEP § 608.0t{a))
`7
`l
`- - -
`
`l
`
`l
`5. Inventor's Oath or Declaration.
`[ Total Sheets
`- - -
`(including substitute statements under 37 CFR 1.64 and assignments serving as an
`oath or declaration under 37 CFR 1.63/e))
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`a. D Newly executed (original or copy)
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`b. DA copy from a prior application (37 CFR 1.63(d))
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`Commissioner for Patents
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`*Note:
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`(1) Benefit claims under 37 CFR 1.78 and foreign priority claims under 1.55 must be included in an Application Data Sheet (ADS).
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`0 The address associated with Customer Number: I
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`/Kenneth Ma 63,839/
`Kenneth Ma
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`I State I
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`Date
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`March 15, 2013
`63,839
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`PTO/AIN14 (03-13)
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`Application Data Sheet 37 CFR 1.76
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`Attorney Docket Number
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`P36736A US
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`Application Number
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`Title of Invention
`
`System and Method for Monitoring Railcar Performance
`
`The application data sheet is part of the provisional or nonprovisional application for which it is being submitted. The following form contains the
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`1
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`Legal Name
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`I Remove I
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`Middle Name
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`Family Name
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`Suffix
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`Andrew
`Martin
`Residence Information (Select One) (!) US Residency 0 Non US Residency O Active US Military Service
`I State/Province I PA
`I Country of Residence i I US
`City West Chester
`
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`506 Oak Circle
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`Address 1
`Address 2
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`ipdocket@foxrothschild.com
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`Title of the Invention
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`Attorney Docket Number P36736A US
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`System and Method for Monitoring Railcar Performance
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`Application Type
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`Subject Matter
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`Nonprovisional
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`Utility
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`Application Data Sheet 37 CFR 1.76
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`Attorney Docket Number
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`P36736A US
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`Application Number
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`Title of Invention
`
`System and Method for Monitoring Railcar Performance
`
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`D Request Early Publication (Fee required at time of Request 37 CFR 1.219)
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`PTO/AIN14 (03-13)
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`Application Data Sheet 37 CFR 1.76
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`P36736A US
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`Application Number
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`Title of Invention
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`System and Method for Monitoring Railcar Performance
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`PTO/AIN14 (03-13)
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`Application Data Sheet 37 CFR 1.76
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`Attorney Docket Number
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`P36736A US
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`Application Number
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`Title of Invention
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`System and Method for Monitoring Railcar Performance
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`PTO/AIN14 (03-13)
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`Application Data Sheet 37 CFR 1.76
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`Attorney Docket Number
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`P36736A US
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`Application Number
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`Title of Invention
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`System and Method for Monitoring Railcar Performance
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`System and Method for Monitoring Railcar Performance
`
`Related Applications
`
`[0001] The application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional filing serial number 61/661661, filed
`
`June 19, 2012 and is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. patent application serial number 12/861713,
`
`filed August 23, 2010, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
`
`Field of the Invention
`
`[0002] This invention relates to a real-time monitoring and analysis system for railcars, and, more
`
`particularly, to a system that gathers data regarding various operating parameters and conditions from
`
`remote sensors and applies heuristics to analyze the data to detect and/or predict operational failures.
`
`Specific uses for monitoring temperatures on a railcar are also disclosed.
`
`Background of the Invention
`
`[0003] To prevent incidents and improve efficiency, railcar owners and operators need an
`
`understanding of how their assets are performing. With heavier cars in service, there is a greater need
`
`to identify "bad actors" ( cars which can damage track infrastructure and lead to derailments) as soon as
`
`their performance becomes unacceptable. There is also a need to increase average train speed by
`
`improving high speed performance and reducing unplanned service interruptions through mechanical
`
`failures. Car owners increasingly seek to implement preventative maintenance programs to predict and
`
`avoid mechanical failures in the field and to efficiently schedule repairs at a facility and time of their
`
`choice. Finally, with more automation of rail operations and increasing regulation to improve safety,
`
`the railroad industry needs new ways to monitor the performance of trains, cars and railcar trucks.
`
`[0004] Even minor mechanical failures could lead very quickly to a catastrophic failure, not only of a
`
`PHl 3460553v7 03/15/13
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`single railcar, but of the entire train. Thus it is desirable to detect and report deviations from
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`operational norms or predictions of impending failure to the locomotive or to a central data handling
`
`facility as quickly as possible, allowing for timely human intervention.
`
`[0005] One approach in use in North America is the use of wayside defect detectors at fixed locations
`
`throughout the railroad network. Detectors measuring bearing temperature (hotbox detectors) are
`
`common, while other wayside detectors to measure wheel impacts, bearing condition (from acoustical
`
`signatures) and lateral forces are gradually being introduced. However, while one detector can monitor
`
`many freight cars as they pass, they can only provide a spot check on performance. It is quite possible
`
`that defects will only become apparent and escalate to a critical level between detectors.
`
`[0006] Another approach to railcar performance monitoring has been to use on-board instrumentation.
`
`One such prominent system has been developed for the Federal Railroad Administration. In this and
`
`other similar systems, a number of instruments on different areas of a freight car are used to make
`
`discrete measurements before being communicated to a central hub on the freight car. While providing
`
`a superior solution to that provided by wayside monitors, wiring, complexity and costs increase the
`
`investment required to monitor the cars and decrease efficiency and reliability.
`
`[0007]
`
`The current systems, however, lack the ability to apply heuristics to act on data gathered from
`
`more than one sensor or to detect operational deviations or trends which show deviations from nominal
`
`operating parameters. Furthermore, current systems are limited in that they lack the ability to apply
`
`such heuristics at multiple levels, for example, at the individual sensor level, at the railcar level, and at
`
`the train level. Lastly, current systems lack the ability for sensors to efficiently and reliably
`
`communicate their data to a central data gathering facility using a wireless communications
`
`infrastructure that has multiple redundancies and which allows communication of data between
`
`individual sensors.
`
`[0008]
`
`Therefore, it would be desirable to have a system which addresses these current deficiencies
`
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`and which improves (1) the ability to reliably collect and utilize data from multiple sensors on each
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`railcar; (2) the ability to analyze collected data by the application of heuristics to detect and predict
`
`operational deficiencies; and (3) the ability to determine the severity of detected conditions to determine
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`if immediate alarms should be raised to facilitate human intervention.
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`Summary of the Invention
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`[0009] The present invention has the objective of providing means for monitoring the output from a
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`variety of sensors attached to a railcar and determining the behavior and condition of the railcar and its
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`various components based on an analysis of this data. This provides regular assurance of proper
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`performance and condition as well as necessary warnings of impending or actual failure in a timely and
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`useful manner to the operators and owners of the train.
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`[0010]
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`Some of the performance criteria that is useful to monitor, for example, include roller bearing
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`temperature, temperature of the commodity being carried, position of the hand brake, roller bearing
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`adapter displacement, wheel condition, truck hunting/warp/binding, brake status and performance, load
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`status and load amount, whether a partial derailment has occurred and potentially problematic track
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`conditions.
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`[0011] Given the demanding environment in which railroad trains operate, any monitoring system
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`must be rugged, reliable and able to operate for long periods with little or no maintenance. In addition,
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`to be cost effective, it should not add significant cost to install, maintain or operate the system. Because
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`there are more than 1.5 million freight cars in North America alone, a system of monitoring all cars in
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`use is highly desirable and, as such, the system needs to be able to deal with a very large number of
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`potential devices.
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`[0012]
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`In one embodiment of the invention, sensing units or devices, herein referred to as "motes",
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`are deployed at various locations around the railcar. The motes can include a sensor, a power source,
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`circuitry to read the sensor and convert the readings to a digital form, and communication circuitry
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`which allows the mote to wirelessly transmit the sensor readings to an external receiver. In some
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`instances, a mote may also have the capability to perform low-level analysis of the data to determine if
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`an alarm needs to be raised, and the ability to communicate the alarm to an external receiver.
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`[0013] Each railcar also can be equipped with a communication management unit (CMU) which
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`communicates with each of the motes deployed on the railcar. The CMU is capable of wirelessly
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`collecting data from each of the motes and performing higher-level analysis of the data to detect
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`imminent or actual failures. During such data analysis, heuristics may be applied to determine potential
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`failures based on statistical models and empirical data. The CMU is also capable of communicating
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`both the data and the results of any analysis to a receiver remote from the railcar.
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`[0014] The remote receiver may be located on the locomotive or other central location on the train, or
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`may be off-train. The remote receiver may also be able to perform higher-level analysis of the condition
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`of the train by applying heuristics and statistical models to data collected from a plurality of CMUs,
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`located on different railcars in the train. The analysis of the data collected can be carried out at any of
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`the different event engines distributed among the various components in the present invention,
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`including the sensor units, CMU, and mobile or land base stations.
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`[0015]
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`It is therefore an objective of this invention to provide a comprehensive system which allows
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`the wireless collections of data and the analysis of that data to predict operational failures and to
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`provide adequate warning of those failures to allow for human intervention before a catastrophic failure
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`occurs.
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`[0016]
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`It is another object to provide specific sensor applications, such as temperature sensors that can
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`monitor the temperature of various components and items on the railcar.
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`[0017] The discussion which follows describes the system as in the context of a freight car, however,
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`it will be understood by one of skill in the art that the same methods are applicable to any railroad
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`vehicle. Furthermore, while the description which follows features a freight car with two trucks ( or
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`bogies), it is applicable to any configuration with more or less trucks or axles.
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`Brief Description of the Drawings
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`[0018]
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`Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a mote in accordance with the present invention;
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`[0019]
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`Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the mote shown in Figure 1 ;
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`[0020]
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`Figures 3 and 3A are views of the mote of Figure 1 shown mounted on a railcar bearing
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`adapter;
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`[0021]
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`Figure 4 is view of a mote, configured as a temperature sensor, mounted on a railcar to obtain
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`ambient air temperature readings;
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`[0022]
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`Figure S is a view of an alternative temperature sensor mote;
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`[0023]
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`Figure SA is an exploded view of the sensor mote of Figure S shown with components for
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`mounting to the railcar;
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`[0024]
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`Figure SB is a schematic view of the sensor mote of Figure S shown in use with a tank railcar;
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`and
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`[0025]
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`Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the communications pathways in accordance with the
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`primary embodiment of the invention.
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`Detailed Description of the Embodiments
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`[0026]
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`In broad terms, a novel means for monitoring the performance and operation of a railcar is
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`provided. This includes a system for monitoring the railcar and sensors mounted on the railcars for use
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`with the system. These sensors communicate with a communication management unit preferably
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`mounted on the railcar. The sensors monitor and/or collect data on particular parameters and conditions
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`of the railcar. If a problem is detected, alarms can be forwarded for further action. The sensors are
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`describe below with an exemplary sensor directed to monitoring temperature. This is followed by a
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`detailed description of the monitoring system using the sensors.
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`[0027]
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`In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensors are contained and deployed in a self(cid:173)
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`contained housing which generally includes the sensor, long-life batteries, a processor board and
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`communications unit. As previously mentioned, these remote units are referred to herein as "motes".
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`The motes can be configured for the parameter or condition to be monitored, and can be placed on the
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`train in the location chosen for such monitoring.
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`[0028] With reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 3A, an exemplary mote 10 is now described. In this
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`particular embodiment, the mote 10 is configured to be mountable to the surf ace of bearing adapter 12
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`of a railcar for monitoring the temperature of the wheel bearing. The mote 10 has a housing 14
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`having a first or lid section 16 and a second or base section 18. Preferably, the housing sections 16 and
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`18 are composed of a hard plastic resistant to environmental damage, such as a UV rated polymer, e.g.,
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`a polycarbonate/ABS blend, and when fully assembled is we