A method for monitoring and diagnosing components of a rail vehicle, as a singular rail vehicle or as part of a rail vehicle train consisting of a plurality of rail vehicles, with regard to the necessary repair or maintenance, as appropriate, of at least one component, in which at least one measuring device captures at least one measurement variable, which is relevant to an assessment of a necessary repair or maintenance, as appropriate, of the component, is performed in which supplementation, extension, modification or adaptation of evaluation software implemented in an evaluation device is performed based on instructions, data and/or software modules sent from a control center to the evaluation device.

A locomotive air brake control system that responds to penalty braking requests from external systems by applying a varying amount of train brake level based on monitored and calculated parameters in order to enforce a defined train condition. The system may include a minimum acceptable train braking, a condition to be achieved to prevent further application of train brakes, and a maximum train brake level to be applied in response to the request. Alternatively, the system may apply braking in stepped levels according defined thresholds for a train behavior variable of interest such as speed or deceleration. The system may be configured to incrementally apply and release train brakes during the adaptive penalty, and may also adjust the level of braking according to calculated braking capacity of the train.

An engineer recertification assistant that utilizes a real-time data acquisition and recording system (DARS), a DARS viewer, and a video analytics system for mobile assets. DARS includes a data recorder, an onboard data manager, and at least one local memory module. The video analytics system processes video data from at least one camera and operational data from the data recorder for critical events and regulatory requirements based on a mobile asset operator's operational performance. The processed video data and operational data is display, along with episodes, exceptions, and user comments, on a display device featuring a web portal. The engineer recertification assistant can further determine an automated score-based recommendation for certification or decertification of the mobile asset operator or can directly certify or decertify the mobile asset operator for gross non-compliance.

An engineer recertification assistant that utilizes a real-time data acquisition and recording system (DARS), a DARS viewer, and a video analytics system for mobile assets. DARS includes a data recorder, an onboard data manager, and at least one local memory module. The video analytics system processes video data from at least one camera and operational data from the data recorder for critical events and regulatory requirements based on a mobile asset operator's operational performance. The processed video data and operational data is display, along with episodes, exceptions, and user comments, on a display device featuring a web portal. The engineer recertification assistant can further determine an automated score-based recommendation for certification or decertification of the mobile asset operator or can directly certify or decertify the mobile asset operator for gross non-compliance.

Various embodiments of methods and systems are provided for enhancing engine operation through data-sharing among vehicles. In one embodiment, a method includes determining whether a first value of a first operating parameter produced by a first vehicle is corrupted or unavailable; receiving a second value of the first operating parameter produced by a second vehicle that is proximate to the first vehicle; adjusting the second value by a first adjustment factor, the first adjustment factor based on a first value of a global positioning system (GPS) position of the first vehicle produced by the first vehicle and a second value of a GPS position of the second vehicle produced by the second vehicle; and in response to determining that the first value is corrupted or unavailable, controlling operation of an engine of the first vehicle based on the adjusted second value of the first operating parameter.

A portable stop determining device 10 includes an acceleration sensor 115 and a state grasp unit 143 in order to detect that a vehicle such as a train stops, with an adequate degree of accuracy, even when position information of a user and time information are not available. The state grasp unit 143 outputs an alarm signal when detecting deceleration in a direction of travel of the vehicle based on a measured value from the acceleration sensor, and detecting that posture of the portable stop determining device carried by a person riding on the vehicle inclines in the direction of travel and then returns to a basic state.

A system that can automatically measure, track, and/or report train emissions for complying with geographic environmental restrictions. An emissions module determines the amount of emissions emitted by a train over time. A location module tracks the location of the locomotive of the train relative geographic locations having emission regulations. A compliance module records the amount of emissions emitted by the train in the geographic location.

A track monitoring system (and a method thereof) for mounting to a vehicle on a track comprising at least one rail is provided. The track monitoring system comprises a position and attitude measurement unit configured to determine a geographical position and attitude of the system during at least one pass of the vehicle on the track, a storage medium for storing track geometry data, a laser imaging and/or scanning unit configured to determine a position of the at least one rail relative to the track monitoring system, and a position of the at least one rail and surroundings relative to the track monitoring system during the at least one pass, a processor configured to determine, in the at least one pass, a first geographically referenced rail position based on the geographical position and attitude of the rail monitoring system and the position of the at least one rail relative to the system, determine, in the at least one pass, a second geographically referenced rail position based on the geographical position and attitude of the rail monitoring system and the position of the at least one rail and surroundings relative to the rail monitoring system, determine a third geographically referenced rail position based on the first and the second geographically referenced rail positions, and corresponding geographically referenced track geometry data, acquire, in a further pass, track geometry data associated with each position of the rail relative to the rail monitoring system, and the output of the position and attitude measurement unit, update, based on the third geographically referenced position of the rail, the track geometry data acquired in the further pass, and store updated track geometry data to the storage medium.

A railroad car location, speed and heading sensor system including at least one self-powered, tie-mounted sensor node that is applicable universally to different railroad settings without using track circuits, inductive loops, radar systems, and wheel counters and associated disadvantages. Reliable and relatively low cost deterministic and redundant car presence detection is realized when multiple sensor nodes are arranged in a network, which may be a wireless mesh network, that is not affected by environmental conditions.

A vehicle has a detection device for detecting a route-side transmitter device. The detection device has at least two receiving antennas which are suitable for receiving a magnetic field component, oriented in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, of electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by the route-side transmitter device. The at least two receiving antennas are arranged with an offset in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.