Vehicle control system

Abstract

A vehicle control system is provided and may include a sensor that may measure an acceleration and a displacement of a vehicle during movement of the vehicle. The system may include one or more processors that can examine the acceleration and the displacement to identify an abnormal condition of the vehicle that includes an instability condition and/or a derailment condition of the vehicle. The processors may identify the instability condition responsive to the acceleration that is measured being no greater than an acceleration threshold and the displacement that is measured being no greater than a displacement threshold. The processors may identify the derailment condition responsive to the acceleration that is measured being greater than the acceleration threshold and the displacement that is measured being greater than the displacement threshold.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a sensor configured to measure an acceleration and a displacement of a vehicle during movement of the vehicle; and   one or more processors configured to examine the acceleration and the displacement to identify an abnormal condition of the vehicle that includes one or more of an instability condition or a derailment condition of the vehicle, the one or more processors configured to identify the instability condition responsive to the acceleration that is measured being no greater than an acceleration threshold and the displacement that is measured being no greater than a displacement threshold, the one or more processors configured to identify the derailment condition responsive to the acceleration that is measured being greater than the acceleration threshold and the displacement that is measured being greater than the displacement threshold.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to change movement of the vehicle responsive to identifying the instability condition. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to measure the displacement as a linear displacement of the vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to measure the displacement as an angular displacement of the vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the displacement is a linear displacement, the displacement threshold is a linear displacement threshold, and the sensor is configured to measure an angular displacement of the vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify the instability condition responsive to the acceleration that is measured being no greater than the acceleration threshold, the linear displacement that is measured being no greater than the displacement threshold, and the angular displacement being no greater than an angular displacement threshold. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify the derailment condition responsive to the acceleration that is measured being greater than the acceleration threshold, the linear displacement that is measured being greater than the displacement threshold, and the angular displacement being greater than the angular displacement threshold. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an enclosure in which the sensor and the one or more processors are disposed, the sensor and the one or more processors separated from the enclosure by a low pass filter.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the low pass filter is a resin disposed between the enclosure and each of the sensor and the one or more processors. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 measuring an acceleration of a vehicle during movement of the vehicle using a sensor;   measuring a displacement of the vehicle during the movement of the vehicle using the sensor; and   identifying one or more of an instability condition or a derailment condition of the vehicle using one or more processors, the instability condition identified responsive to the acceleration that is measured being no greater than an acceleration threshold and the displacement that is measured being no greater than a displacement threshold, the derailment condition identified responsive to the acceleration that is measured being greater than the acceleration threshold and the displacement that is measured being greater than the displacement threshold.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 changing movement of the vehicle responsive to identifying the instability condition.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the displacement is measured by the sensor as a linear displacement of the vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the displacement is measured by the sensor as an angular displacement of the vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the displacement is measured by the sensor as a linear displacement, the displacement threshold is a linear displacement threshold, and further comprising:
 measuring an angular displacement of the vehicle using the sensor.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the instability condition is identified responsive to the acceleration that is measured being no greater than the acceleration threshold, the linear displacement that is measured being no greater than the displacement threshold, and the angular displacement being no greater than an angular displacement threshold. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the derailment condition is identified responsive to the acceleration that is measured being greater than the acceleration threshold, the linear displacement that is measured being greater than the displacement threshold, and the angular displacement being greater than the angular displacement threshold. 
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 a sensor means configured to measure an acceleration, a linear displacement, and an angular displacement of a vehicle during movement of the vehicle; and   one or more processors configured to examine the acceleration, the linear displacement, and the angular displacement to identify one or more of an instability condition or a derailment condition of the vehicle, the one or more processors configured to identify the instability condition responsive to the acceleration that is measured being no greater than an acceleration threshold, the linear displacement that is measured being no greater than a linear displacement threshold, and the angular displacement that is measured being no greater than an angular displacement threshold,   the one or more processors configured to identify the derailment condition responsive to the acceleration that is measured being greater than the acceleration threshold, the linear displacement that is measured being greater than the linear displacement threshold, and the angular displacement that is measured being greater than the angular displacement threshold.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to change movement of the vehicle responsive to identifying the instability condition. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 an enclosure in which the sensor means and the one or more processors are disposed, the sensor means and the one or more processors separated from the enclosure by a low pass filter.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the low pass filter is a resin disposed between the enclosure and each of the sensor means and the one or more processors.