US 12,441,378 B2
Remote engine speed control
Nathaniel W. Merry, Kansas City, MO (US)
Assigned to BNSF Railway Company, Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed by BNSF Railway Company, Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed on Nov. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/506,012.
Application 18/506,012 is a continuation of application No. 18/052,782, filed on Nov. 4, 2022, granted, now 11,851,094.
Prior Publication US 2024/0149930 A1, May 9, 2024
Int. Cl. B61L 27/10 (2022.01); B61L 25/02 (2006.01)
CPC B61L 25/021 (2013.01) [B61L 27/10 (2022.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of generating a control speed plan for vehicle in a current viewing window based on one or more control nodes, comprising:
identifying a lowest speed allowed for the vehicle within the control node within a current viewing window, wherein the control speed plan for the current viewing window includes a control speed for the vehicle at each control node of the one or more control nodes within the current viewing window based on the lowest speed allowed for the vehicle determined for each control node of the one or more control nodes within the current viewing window;
generating a speed profile of the control speed plan for the current viewing window based on the lowest speed allowed for the vehicle for each control node, wherein generating the speed profile of the control speed plan includes:
determining an acceleration curve for the current viewing window based on the lowest speed allowed for the vehicle for each control node, by instantiating an ideal deceleration capability for the vehicle and an actual acceleration capability of the vehicle and generating the acceleration curve based on the ideal deceleration and actual acceleration capabilities of the vehicle;
determining a deceleration curve for the current viewing window based on lowest speed allowed for the vehicle for each control node, by instantiating an ideal acceleration capability for the vehicle and an actual deceleration capability of the vehicle and generating the deceleration curve based on the ideal acceleration and actual deceleration capabilities of the vehicle; and
combining the acceleration curve and the deceleration curve to generate the speed profile; and
outputting the control speed plan to a speed controller of the vehicle configured to adjust the speed of the vehicle at each control node of the one or more control nodes within the current viewing window according to the speed profile of the control speed plan for the current viewing window.