The invention relates to a train control method based on mobile authorization verification, which compares driving permission sent by a vehicle-mounted device to a ground trackside device with driving permission calculated by itself, and outputs the strictest driving permission. Compared with the prior art, the invention has the advantages that the correctness of mobile authorization calculation is improved, and the safety of train stop points is ensured.

A condition monitoring system for monitoring a rolling element bearing. The system includes a signal processing unit and a vibration energy harvester. The vibration energy harvester provides an electromagnetic transducer. When vibrated, a coil moves relative to a static electromagnetic field to create power. To create a compact and efficient condition monitoring system, it uses the electromagnetic transducer also as a vibration sensor, a velocity sensor. The signal processing unit determines if the bearing has been damaged and in some embodiments also the extent of the damage. The electromagnetic transducer is attached directly or indirectly to the rolling element bearing.

A hoist communication device in a rail car of an automated material handling system in which a master communication unit and a slave communication unit perform power line communication through one power supply line provided on a belt and a rail car controller connected to the master communication unit is individually communicated with a plurality of gripper devices connected to the slave communication unit using different carrier frequencies.

Disclosed is a secured transportation control network. A distributed set of transportation network management units are spread across different functional points of the transportation network. At least one network management unit agent functionally coupled to a respective network management unit is adapted to monitor communications of the respective management unit. A behavior monitoring server is adapted to generate a behavior profile for a network management unit based on information provided by an agent functionally coupled to the network management unit. A communication policy generator generates for at least one network management unit a communication policy based on behavior profiles of network management units with which the at least one network management unit communicates; wherein the communication policy is sent to an agent application functionally coupled to the at least one network management unit.

A system and method for detecting the operational status of a brake system on a railcar. The system receives from a sensor an indication of the magnitude of a braking force applied by the braking system in response to an instruction to increase or decrease the braking force. It compares the response to possible responses of the braking system in view of the instruction provided. Based on the comparison, the system generates at least one of a message and/or an alert indicating the status of the brake system. Additional sensors, including a pressure sensor on a brake pipe of the railcar, can be added for additional functionality.

A control method for supporting dynamic coupling and uncoupling of a train includes: step A, acquiring stored coupling status information during an initialization phase; step B, loading an off-line configuration of a corresponding composition according to the stored coupling status; step C, collecting three sets of input signals related to the coupling; step D, determining whether a train coupling status is proper according to the collected signals, then turning to step E if yes and turning to step F if no; step E, determining whether a current coupling status is consistent with the off-line configuration used in step B, then performing step H if yes and performing step G if no; step F, requesting emergency braking, and reporting an alarming error; step G, requesting emergency braking, re-writing coupling status information with codes after determining that the train is stationary, and then turning to step A for re-initialization.

A rail vehicle is configured for extracting electrical energy from a power supply external to the vehicle and has at least one electrical energy storage unit. In a first operating mode, the rail vehicle travels by means of energy extracted from the power supply and without energy from the energy storage unit. In a second operating mode, the rail vehicle travels, at least in part, by means of energy from the energy storage unit and/or at reduced traction power in comparison to the first operating mode. The rail vehicle includes a controller set up for activating the first or the second operating mode, as a function of an upper consumption limit, which defines the permissible upper limit of the power that can be extracted from the power supply. The upper consumption limit is established in a variable manner so as to prevent power peaks in the power supply.

A communication system and method receive, at an energy management system disposed onboard a vehicle system formed from a lead vehicle and one or more remote vehicles, trip data that represents one or more characteristics of an upcoming trip of the vehicle system along a route. A selected portion of the trip data is communicated from the energy management system to a distributed power system disposed onboard the vehicle system. The selected portion includes identifying information and one or more orientations of the one or more remote vehicles. Using the distributed power system, communication links between the lead vehicle and the one or more remote vehicles are established using the identifying information and the one or more orientations.

A system is provided that includes a detection circuit having a first and second sensor. The first sensor is configured to measure a rotational speed of a first wheel. The second sensor is coupled to a vehicle chassis and configured to measure a position over time of the vehicle chassis. The system further includes a controller circuit configured to determine a shock frequency based on the position of the vehicle chassis. The controller circuit is further configured to determine a condition (e.g., an anomalous condition) of the first wheel based on the shock frequency and the rotational speed, and may be further configured for vehicle control based on the determined condition.

A vehicle control system includes a controller that detects a communication loss between a first vehicle and a second vehicle and/or a monitoring device in a vehicle system. The controller operationally restricts movement of the vehicle system based on the communication loss. The controller obtains or generates a transitional plan that designates operational settings for the first vehicle and/or the second vehicle based at least in part on a location of the first vehicle and/or the second vehicle. The controller selectively changes movement of the first vehicle and/or the second vehicle via the transitional plan to reduce a speed of the first vehicle and/or the second vehicle responsive to the communication loss being detected.