Railway train data recorder with parallel remote online incident data storage

Abstract

Incident, data of the type stored in a railway train crash hardened memory module (CHMM) and/or other information acquired by a railway train data recorder are transmitted to a remote data storage site. Beneficially the remotely stored information transmitted from the train's onboard recorder may be monitored and/or otherwise analyzed without having to wait for a scheduled periodic download of the CHMM. Parallel transmission and remote storage of incident data during train operation eliminates the need to carry a CHMM onboard the train or schedule dedicated incident data downloads while the train is stationary or otherwise out of service. Existing communications equipment for wireless data transmission already onboard the train may be used for the incident data transmission to the remote data storage device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A railway train data recording system, comprising:
 a data recorder onboard a train, for acquiring train incident data;   an onboard communications system for wireless data transmission that is communicatively coupled to the data recorder, for transmitting the acquired incident data from the train;   an off-train communications system for wireless data transmission, s, for receiving the acquired incident data transmitted by the transmitter; and   a remote data storage device coupled to the wireless receiver.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an onboard data storage device coupled to the data recorder, for real-time parallel storage of the incident data acquired by the data recorder therein. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the onboard data storage device is a crash hardened memory module (CHMM) storing incident data acquired by the data recorder and both the type of incident data and the type of CHMM device are mandated by train regulatory authorities. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the incident data are selected from the group consisting of train speed and position, brake and throttle application, sub-system status and diagnostics, train crew and track-to-train communications, or driver actions. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein acquired incident data received by the off-train communications system are monitored in real time and railway operational decisions are made based thereon. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data recorder acquires information in addition to incident data that is accumulated for subsequent transmission by the onboard communications system. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein incident data are transmitted by the onboard communications system in formats selected from the group consisting of communications data security, sender authentication, encryption and data integrity features. 
     
     
         8 . A method for acquiring and remotely storing train incident data, comprising:
 acquiring train incident data in real time with a data recorder located onboard a train;   transmitting the acquired incident data from the train with an onboard communications system for wireless data transmission that is communicatively coupled to the data recorder;   receiving the acquired incident data transmitted by the onboard communications system with an off-train communications system for wireless data transmission; and   storing the received acquired incident data in a remote data storage device coupled to the wireless receiver.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising storing the incident data acquired by the data recorder in real time in an onboard data storage device that is coupled to the data recorder. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the onboard data storage device is a crash hardened memory module (CHMM) storing incident data acquired by the data recorder and both the type of incident data and the type of CHMM device are mandated by train regulatory authorities. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the incident data are selected from the group consisting of train speed and position, brake and throttle application, sub-system status and diagnostics, train crew and track-to-train communications, or driver actions. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising monitoring in real time the acquired incident data received, by the receiver an off-train communications system and making railway operational decisions based thereon. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 acquiring information in addition to incident data with the data recorder; and   accumulating the additional information with the data recorder for subsequent transmission by the onboard communications system.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising transmitting the accumulated additional information with the onboard communications system. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein incident data are transmitted by the onboard communications system in formats selected from the group consisting of communications data security, sender authentication, encryption and data integrity features. 
     
     
         16 . A computer software storage medium apparatus, comprising:
 non-transient software stored in a non-volatile storage medium for operating a railway train data recording system that is controlled by a processor coupled to a memory device, the data recording system capable of retrieving and storing a copy of said software from said medium and causing said processor to execute said software to:   acquire train incident data from a train in real time with an onboard data recording system running the software;   transmit the acquired incident data from the train with an onboard communications system for wireless data transmission communicatively coupled to the data recorder to an off-train communications system for wireless data transmission that receives the acquired incident data, wherein the received acquired incident data are stored in a remote data storage device coupled to the wireless receiver.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the executed software causes the data recording system to store the incident data acquired thereby in real time in an onboard data storage device that is coupled to the data recording system 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the onboard data storage device is a crash hardened memory module (CHMM) storing incident data acquired by the data recording system. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the executed software causes the data recording system to acquire information in addition to incident data and accumulate the additional information for subsequent transmission by the onboard communications system. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the executed software causes the data recorder to format the incident data formats selected from the group consisting of communications data security, sender authentication, encryption and data integrity features.