Trusted Train Derailment Avoidance Control System and Method

Abstract

A trusted train derailment avoidance control system supported on a train operable to travel a fixed track, and comprising an inertial measurement unit. The IMU estimates a current position of the train based on initial position and movement data measured by the IMU. One or more aiding systems are operable to generate supplemental position data. An error correction component corrects drift in the IMU and generates an updated estimated current position based on the positon solutions from the IMU and the one or more aiding systems. A velocity management component determines whether a current velocity of the train exceeds a predetermined threshold velocity for the updated estimated current position, and initiates a derailment avoidance measure in accordance with a determination that the threshold velocity is exceeded. The trusted train derailment avoidance control system is self-contained to the train, not relying on outside sources to generate any estimated current positions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A trusted train derailment avoidance control system comprising:
 an inertial measurement unit (IMU) supported on a train operable to travel a fixed track, the IMU being operable to estimate a current position of the train based on an initial position and movement data measured by the IMU, and to output estimated current position data;   an aiding system supported on the train and operable to generate aiding information to be communicated to the IMU to reduce error in the IMU; and   an error correction component operable to generate, based on the estimated current position from the IMU and the aiding information from the aiding system, an updated estimated current position.   
     
     
         2 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 1 , further comprising a velocity management component operable to determine, based on the updated estimated current position, whether a current velocity of the train exceeds a predetermined threshold velocity corresponding to the updated estimated current position, and to initiate a derailment avoidance measure in accordance with a determination that the current velocity of the train exceeds the predetermined threshold velocity 
     
     
         3 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 1 , wherein the IMU obtains the movement data, and the aiding system generates the aiding information, in a trusted manner to ensure the integrity of the estimated current position, the aiding information, and the updated estimated current position. 
     
     
         4 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 1 , wherein the error correction component comprises a Kalman filter incorporated into the IMU. 
     
     
         5 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 1 , wherein the aiding information comprises supplemental position data. 
     
     
         6 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 1 , wherein the aiding system comprises one or more sensors operable to detect and measure one or more characteristics of the fixed track to facilitate generation of the aiding information based on the measured characteristics of the fixed track. 
     
     
         7 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 1 , wherein the aiding system comprises:
 at least one sensor operable to detect and identify a tag embedded in the fixed track, the tag being associated with predetermined tag identification data and tag location data;   a location determination component operable to generate the aiding information for use by the error correction component by determining a current position of the train based on the detection and identification of one or more tags by the at least one sensor; and   a tag database comprising predetermined tag identification data and associated tag location data for a plurality of tags associated with one of a plurality of fixed tracks.   
     
     
         8 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 7 , wherein the location determination component is in communication with and operable to access the tag database and match the tag identification data of each of the one or more detected and identified tags to corresponding tag identification data from the tag database, and, upon at least a partial match, to retrieve the location data associated with the one or more detected tags, the location determination component further being operable to communicate the retrieved location data to the error correction component as supplemental position data to facilitate generation of the updated estimated current position. 
     
     
         9 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 1 , wherein the aiding system comprises:
 at least one sensor operable to detect one or more insulated joints in the fixed track the insulated joints being associated with predetermined insulated joint data and insulated joint location data;   a location determination component in the form a track analysis component operable to determine a pattern of detected insulated joints over time, and to generate the aiding information for use by the error correction component; and   a path feature database comprising the predetermined insulated joint data and associated insulated joint location data for a plurality of insulated joints associated with one of a plurality of fixed tracks.   
     
     
         10 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 9 , wherein the track analysis component is in communication with and operable to access the path feature database and match the pattern of detected insulated joints to corresponding predetermined insulated joint data from the path feature database, and, upon at least a partial match, to retrieve the stored, predetermined insulated joint location data associated with the stored, predetermined insulated joint data, and to provide the predetermined insulated joint location data to the error correction component as supplemental position data to facilitate generation of the updated estimated current position. 
     
     
         11 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 1 , wherein the aiding system comprises:
 one or more sensors operable to detect track characteristics based on one or more turns in the fixed track;   a location determination component in the form of a track correlation component operable to determine a pattern of detected track characteristics based on the one or more turns in the fixed track, and to generate the aiding information for use by the error correction component; and   a correlation database comprising predetermined track characteristic data and associated location data for a plurality of track characteristics associated with one of a plurality of fixed tracks.   
     
     
         12 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 11 , wherein the track correlation component is in communication with and operable to access the correlation database and match the detected track characteristics to the predetermined track characteristic data from the correlation database, and, upon at least a partial match, to retrieve the stored, predetermined location data associated with the stored, predetermined track characteristic data, and to provide the predetermined location data to the error correction component as supplemental position data to facilitate generation of the updated estimated current position. 
     
     
         13 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 11 , wherein the detected pattern of track characteristics comprise at least one of a pattern of detected heading changes based on detected changes in a heading of the train over time, the interrelationship between two or more turns, or a pattern of detected movement-based parameters based on movements of the train over time. 
     
     
         14 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 13 , wherein the pattern of detected movement-based parameters comprises a pattern of velocity independent parameters represented by the value 1/R derived by the track correlation component, where R is representative of the radius of a curve at a point of measurement. 
     
     
         15 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 1 , wherein the aiding system comprises:
 one or more cameras operable to capture image data corresponding to various landmarks visible from the train;   a location determination component in the form of a landmark determination component operable to identify one or more landmarks in the image data over time, and to generate the aiding information for use by the error correction component; and   a landmark database comprising predetermined landmark data associated with known landmarks, and associated landmark location data for a plurality of landmarks associated with one of a plurality of fixed tracks.   
     
     
         16 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 15 , wherein the landmark determination component is in communication with and operable to access the landmark database and match the image data to the predetermined landmark data from the landmark database, and, upon at least a partial match, to retrieve the stored, predetermined landmark location data associated with the stored, predetermined landmark data, and to provide the predetermined landmark location data to the error correction component as supplemental position data to facilitate generation of the updated estimated current position. 
     
     
         17 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 1 , wherein the aiding system comprises a location determination component in the form of a tachometer operable with a wheel of the train, and operable to generate position information by counting a number of counts corresponding to at least partial revolutions of a wheel of the train, wherein the position information generated by the tachometer comprises the aiding information in the form of supplemental position data received by the error correction component. 
     
     
         18 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 1 , wherein the aiding component comprises a jerk detection sensor operable to detect jerk-based differential inertial accelerations, and wherein the system is further operable to determine whether the detected jerk based differential inertial acceleration exceeds a predetermined differential inertial acceleration threshold. 
     
     
         19 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 1 , wherein the aiding information comprises a zero-velocity train condition as detected by at least one of a tachometer or the IMU. 
     
     
         20 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 1 , further comprising a threshold velocity database comprising predetermined track section data associated with a plurality of respective track sections of the fixed track, each respective track section representing a portion of the fixed track, the track section data comprising track section identifier data and threshold velocity associated with the track section identifier data for operation of the train across the respective track sections of the fixed track. 
     
     
         21 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 20 , wherein the error correction component correlates a current position of the train and a corresponding current track section of the fixed track on which the train is traveling, based on the updated estimated current positon of the train on the fixed track, with the predetermined track section data to identify the threshold velocity for the current track section. 
     
     
         22 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 21 , wherein a velocity management component is further operable to receive the predetermined threshold velocity for the current track section of the fixed track. 
     
     
         23 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 22 , further comprising data corresponding to the current velocity of the train received by the velocity management component, wherein the velocity management component correlates the predetermined threshold velocity for the current section of the fixed track, associated with the updated estimated current position, with the current velocity of the train to determine whether the current velocity of the train exceeds the predetermined threshold velocity. 
     
     
         24 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 2 , wherein the velocity management component is in communication with one or more train operator notification systems, and wherein the derailment avoidance measure comprises a notification to an operator that the current velocity exceeds the predetermined threshold velocity. 
     
     
         25 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 24 , wherein the notification comprises at least one of a visual notification, an auditory notification, or a haptic notification. 
     
     
         26 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 2 , wherein the velocity management component is in communication with a train control system, and is operable to send an automatic velocity reduction command to the train control system, wherein the derailment avoidance measures comprises an automatic reduction in the current velocity of the train to below the predetermined threshold velocity. 
     
     
         27 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 18 , wherein the derailment avoidance measure initiated is based on a determination that the jerk based differential inertial acceleration exceeds the predetermined differential inertial acceleration threshold. 
     
     
         28 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 20 , wherein the predetermined track section data in the threshold velocity database for some of the track sections is based, at least in part, on a radius of at least one turn on the fixed track, the at least one turn being comprised of one or more track sections of the fixed track. 
     
     
         29 . The trusted train derailment avoidance control system of  claim 20 , wherein the threshold velocity database comprises track section data for a plurality of respective fixed tracks at various geographical locations. 
     
     
         30 . The trusted train derailment avoidance system of  claim 1 , wherein the error correction component is further operable to send the updated estimated current position to the IMU to reduce error in subsequent current estimated position determinations. 
     
     
         31 . The trusted train derailment avoidance system of  claim 1 , wherein the aiding system is one of a plurality of aiding systems of the trusted train derailment avoidance system, the plurality of aiding systems each being operable to generate aiding information to be communicated to the IMU to reduce error in the IMU, and wherein the error correction component is operable to generate, based on the estimated current position from the IMU and the aiding information from the plurality of aiding systems, the updated estimated current position. 
     
     
         32 . A train comprising:
 at least one rail car operable to travel on a fixed track, the at least one rail car having a plurality of wheels;   a train control component operable to facilitate control of the train, including a velocity of the train;   a plurality of sensors operable to gather information associated with the movement of the train; and   a trusted train derailment avoidance control system supported on the train, comprising:
 an inertial measurement unit (IMU) operable to estimate a current position of the train based on an initial position and movement data measured by the IMU, and to output estimated current position data; 
 at least one aiding system operable to generate aiding information to be communicated to the IMU to reduce error in the IMU; and 
 an error correction component operable to generate, based on the estimated current position from the IMU and the aiding information from the at least one aiding system, an updated estimated current position. 
   
     
     
         33 . The train of  claim 32 , further comprising a velocity management component operable to determine, based on the updated estimated current position, whether a current velocity of the train exceeds a predetermined threshold velocity corresponding to the updated estimated current position, and to initiate a derailment avoidance measure in accordance with a determination that the current velocity of the train exceeds the predetermined threshold velocity. 
     
     
         34 . A computer-implemented method for trusted positive train control for reducing the potential for derailment of a train operating about a fixed track, the method comprising:
 estimating, using an inertial movement unit (IMU), a current position of a train on a fixed track based on an initial position and movement data of the train along the fixed track as measured by the IMU;   generating aiding information, at least some of which comprises supplemental position data, from one or more aiding systems; and   calculating an updated estimated current position based on the estimated current position and the supplemental position data.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 determining, based on the updated estimated current position, whether a current velocity of the train exceeds a predetermined threshold velocity corresponding to the updated estimated current position; and   initiating a derailment avoidance measure in accordance with a determination that the current velocity of the train exceeds the predetermined threshold velocity.   
     
     
         36 . A trusted train derailment avoidance control system for reducing the potential for derailment of a train operating about a fixed track, the system comprising:
 an inertial measurement unit (IMU) supported on a train operable to travel a fixed track, the IMU being operable to estimate a current position of the train based on an initial position and movement data measured by the IMU, and to output estimated current position data;   an aiding system supported on the train and operable to generate aiding information to be communicated to the IMU to reduce error in the IMU;   one or more processors; and   one or more memories operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the system to:   generate, based on the estimated current position from the IMU and the aiding information from the aiding system, an updated estimated current position.   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the one or more memories operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, further cause the system to:
 determine, based on the updated estimated current position, whether a current velocity of the train exceeds a predetermined threshold velocity corresponding to the updated estimated current position; and   initiate a derailment avoidance measure in accordance with a determination that the current velocity of the train exceeds the predetermined threshold velocity.   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the aiding system is operable with the one or more processors, and wherein the one or more memories further comprises instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the system to generate the aiding information.