Rail Car Monitoring Deployment System

Abstract

Systems, methods, and non-transitory machine-readable media for configuring a device remote monitoring and for detecting railcar events are disclosed. In one or more example embodiments, a device for detecting railcar events includes a controller having one or more processors, a data array, an accelerometer, and memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller receive, from a server, a cryptographic authentication key, determine an electronic mailbox associated with a device configuration for the device, obtain, based on periodically checking the electronic mailbox, the device configuration, authenticate; using the cryptographic authentication key, the device configuration; and perform, based on the device configuration, an update to the device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for updating a railcar monitoring device, the method comprising:
 determining, based on an event trigger, to wake from a sleep state;   establishing communication with an electronic mailbox associated with a predetermined device identifier for the railcar monitoring device;   downloading a device configuration from the electronic mailbox; and   updating, using the device configuration, the railcar monitoring device.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising authenticating the railcar monitoring device. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the event trigger comprises a detection of railcar monitoring data. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic mailbox comprises an FTP site. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic mailbox comprises an IP address. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising periodically checking, by the railcar monitoring device, the electronic mailbox for the device configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the railcar monitoring device comprises at least one of a handbrake sensor or an impact sensor. 
     
     
         8 . A device for railcar monitoring, the device comprising:
 a controller comprising one or more processors; and   memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:
 determine, based on event trigger, to wake from a sleep state; 
 receive, from a server, authentication data; 
 obtain, from an electronic mailbox associated with a predetermined device identifier for the device, a device configuration; 
 perform, based on the device configuration, an update to the device; and 
 detect, based on the device configuration, one or more railcar events. 
   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed while the device is attached to the railcar, further cause the controller to:
 authenticate, based on the authentication data, the device configuration.   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the authentication data comprises a part of a security key pairing. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic mailbox comprises an FTP site. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic mailbox comprises an IP address. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed while the device is attached to the railcar, further cause the controller to obtain the device configuration by periodically checking, by the device, the electronic mailbox for the device configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the performing the update comprises configuring the device as at least one of a handbrake sensor or an impact sensor. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions for configuring a railcar monitoring device, wherein the instructions, when executed by the railcar monitoring device, configure the railcar monitoring device to:
 determine, based on detecting a railcar monitoring event, to wake from a sleep state;   obtain, based on periodically checking an electronic mailbox associated with a predetermined device identifier for the railcar monitoring device, a device configuration;   authenticate; using authentication data, the device configuration; and   perform, based on the device configuration, an update to the railcar monitoring device.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the railcar monitoring device, further configure the railcar monitoring device to detect, based on the device configuration, one or more railcar events. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the wherein the authentication data comprises a cryptographic authentication key. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the electronic mailbox comprises at least one of an FTP site or an IP address. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the detecting the railcar monitoring event comprises detecting data indicating at least one of a handbrake event or an impact event. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the performing the update comprises configuring the railcar monitoring device as at least one of a handbrake sensor or an impact sensor.