Systems and Methods for Monitoring and Validating Status of Hardware Devices in a Classification Yard

The present application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/658,386, filed on May 8, 2024, the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.

The present invention relates generally to maintenance monitoring systems, and more particularly to tools for monitoring and validating the status of hardware devices in railroad operations.

Innovation in the railroad industry has allowed for widespread and efficient transportation of freight and passengers across distances using trains. A typical train may include one or more locomotive engines that may be configured to pull and/or push one or more train cars. The trains may be put together or assembled in a classification yard, which may include a hump yard. A hump yard may refer to an area configured to route the train cars along a network of marshalling tracks using gravity to respectively-assigned trains. In this manner, the hump yard may enable operators to assemble trains by routing the train cars to their assigned train. Typically, hump yards consist of an elevated area (e.g., a hump, which may be artificial or natural, such as a hill, mound, etc.) along which a track section is run. The track section may include an approach section, a top of the hump or crest, and a release area, which typically branches out into multiple marshalling tracks. Each of the marshalling tracks may eventually lead to a destination train to which the various train cars may be routed using the marshalling tracks.

In typical operations of a hump yard, a rolling stock train including the train cars to be marshalled to their assigned train may be pushed by a hump push engine at a set speed along the approach section to the crest of the hump. As the train cars roll past the apex (e.g., the crest) of the hump, gravity may begin pulling the railroad cars towards the bottom of the hump causing individual railroad cars, or groups of railroad cars, also referred to as a cut, to separate from the stock train and to coast to the release area at a release speed. The separated railroad cars, or cut, may coast (and may decelerate or accelerate depending on the layout of the marshalling tracks) through the marshalling tracks to reach the coupling point at their respectively assigned train. The operations continue with additional cuts being routed through the hump yard marshalling tracks as appropriate or necessary. Once the train is fully assembled, the train is pulled out of the marshalling tracks and eventually travels to its destination.

In a hump yard, controlling the movement of a cut as it travels through the marshalling tracks is exceedingly important. For example, controlling the route of each cut is important to ensure that each cut is routed to the respectively assigned destination train, to avoid potential collisions between the various cuts, and/or to load-balance the use of the marshalling tracks as the cuts are released onto the marshalling tracks.

Additionally, controlling the speed of each cut as it travels through the marshalling tracks is important in order to avoid accidental damage to equipment, train cars, and/or the freight itself. For example, an overly high coupling speed may cause the cut to couple with the destination train at a high speed and may cause damage to the existing train cars (e.g., the train cars already coupled to the destination train), to itself, or to the freight (e.g., the freight being carried by one or more of the train cars in the cut or the freight in the existing train cars of the destination train), whereas an overly low release speed may not be sufficient to ensure that the cut reaches the coupling point, as the only source of power to the cut during the marshalling process is gravity and as such, the cut is not able to accelerate beyond what gravity provides. In addition, controlling the speed of each cut as it travels through the marshalling tracks is important to ensure that the separation between the various cuts is sufficient to avoid collisions between cuts. Ensuring an appropriate separation between cuts may also ensure that any switches in the route of the cuts may be reset in time to marshal the next cut to the appropriate train. For example, if two consecutive cuts assigned to different marshalling tracks are released from the top of the hump too close together, there may not be sufficient time to reset the switch after the first cut is diverted to its respective marshalling track to ensure that the second cut is diverted to the appropriate marshalling track.

In typical implementations of a classification yard, various mechanisms and hardware devices are implemented to control the route and/or speed of the various cuts as these various cuts travel through the marshalling tracks of the classification yard. For example, current hump yard systems may include mechanisms to regulate the speed of the hump push engine as it pushes train cars up the hump. In this manner, the speed of the hump push engine may be controlled to control the release speed of a cut. For example, a fast-moving hump push engine may cause the cuts to be released with a high release speed, and a low-moving hump push engine may cause the cuts to be released with a low release speed. Moreover, a fast-moving hump push engine may cause the cuts to release close to each other, while a slower moving hump push engine may cause the cuts to release with more distance between each other.

Typical hardware devices used in a classification yard may include switches that may be configured to route a cut from a source track to a target track, detectors that may be configured to detect the speed and/or arrival time of a cut, retarders that may be configured to remove energy from a cut as passes through the retarders, radar devices that may be configured to detect the presence and/or speed of a cut, distance units that may be configured to detect how far a cut may be from other cuts and/or from other devices and/or points along the route from a current position), etc. A typical switch operates by routing a cut from a source track into one of a plurality of destination tracks. For example, a switch may be connected to a single source track and a plurality of destination tracks. A signal may be configured the throw the switch to a selected track of the plurality of destination tracks, in which case a cut traveling over the source track may be automatically routed to the selected destination track.

A typical detector may be configured to detect a speed and/or arrival time of a cut at the detector. For example, a detector may be configured to detect the presence of a wheel (e.g., a wheel of a cut) at the detector. The detector may generate a wheel detection with a time associated with the detection. In implementations, a detector may detect the speed of a cut by detecting the presence of a first wheel of the cut at a first time, detecting the presence of a second wheel of the cut at a second time, and determining a speed from the difference between the first and second times over the distance between the first wheel and the second wheel. In this manner, a detector may be used to measure the speed of a cut at the detector.

A typical retarder may be configured to remove energy from a cut traveling through the retarder. Removing energy from a cut may have the effect of slowing down the cut, which is why a retarder may be thought of as removing speed from a cut. A retarder may remove energy from a cut by applying a pressure against one or more wheels of the cut (e.g., using a braking element, such as a brake pad, etc.), which may cause the cut to slow down. Put another way, the retarder may remove energy (e.g., kinetic energy) of the train car as it moves through a marshalling track, which may cause the train car to slow down. The amount of energy, or speed, removed from a cut by a retarder may depend on the amount of pressure applied by the retarder. For example, a higher pressure may cause more energy, or speed, to be removed from a cut than a lower pressure. In this manner, retarders may be used to further control the speed of a cut as it travels through the marshalling tracks.

In typical retarder operations, an exit speed is requested of the retarder for a cut. In this manner, the retarder may operate to remove energy, as necessary, to ensure that the cut exits the retarder (e.g., at the exit point of the retarder) at the requested exit speed. The amount of energy to be removed by the retarder from the cut to meet the requested exit speed may depend on the speed of the cut at the entry point of the retarder.

However, hardware devices are subject to wear down and degradation over time and usage, in addition to exposure to environmental factors. As time passes by, the performance of the various hardware devices may deteriorate and the efficiency or effectiveness of the various devices may degrade. In addition, hardware devices may be subject to failures, such as due to mechanical, electrical, software failures, etc. As many of these hardware devices include mechanical operations, the hardware devices may bind, break, bend, or otherwise may experience failure events. This may cause operations of the classification yard that rely on the operations of the hardware devices to also fail, or to suffer degradation. For example, operations to control the speed or route of a cut may degrade, which may cause bottlenecks, slowdowns, and even collisions between the cuts. In some cases, predictions that rely upon hardware devices may become inaccurate, which may affect classification operations. In some cases, hardware devices may operate slower than expected, which may cause problems in the operations of the classification yard.

For example, retarders may wear down over time and as a result, may not be able to remove energy as efficiently as before. For example, as a retarder wears down, the same amount of pressure applied to a cut may not be able to remove the same amount of energy over time. In this case, even with the same pressure applied to a cut, the cut may not slow down as much as before. As a result, classification yard operations may not be as efficient because a retarder may not be able to remove an amount of energy requested.

In another example, switches may degrade or fail. For example, a switch operates by being “thrown” from one position to another position (e.g., from a first position to a second position). In this manner, a cut's route may be controlled by a switch by throwing the switch to the appropriate position, which may be connected to the target track. However, the switch throw may not be as fast as expected, in which case the cut may arrive at the switch before the switch has been repositioned to the target position, causing a misrouting of the cut, which may cause problems if the misroute is into an occupied track (e.g., may cause an undesired collision). A switch may also fail due to a kickback event (e.g., the switch is thrown from a first position (e.g., left or right) to a second position but is thrown back to the first position), a no movement event (e.g., the switch is signaled to throw from a first position to a second position but fails to move), a lost position event (e.g., the switch's current position is unknown). In some cases, the switch may have a shelf life of a certain number of throws.

In another example, detectors may also fail. For example, wheel detectors may fail due to degradation and may fail to detect an accurate speed of a cut. For example, the calculation of a speed of a cut based on the difference between a first detection time and a second detection time over the distance between the first wheel and the second wheel may not reflect the actual speed of the cut. In this case, the poor operations of a defective detector may cause problems with operations that rely on accurate speed measurements (e.g., speed and/or arrival time predictions).

Currently, determining a status of hardware devices may include manual inspections. However, this presents a great burden on operators, and may become very expensive due to the number of hardware devices used in classification yards. In some cases, software tools may be used to determine the status of hardware devices. However, current tools may not be able to effectively determine the status of hardware devices due to the complexity of the hardware devices operations. In particular, current tools may not be able to identify the degradation of a hardware device even when the hardware device may provide results within expected values, but may not be operating as efficiently or effectively as before. In this case, the degradation of the hardware device may indicate that the hardware device is close to failing, and currently, systems lack functionality to determine these situations.

The present disclosure achieves technical advantages as systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media that provide functionality for determining a status of hardware devices in railroad operations (e.g., in a classification yard). In particular embodiments, a set of event data associated with a hardware device may be analyzed to determine the performance of the hardware device during operations of the classification yard. A status of the hardware device may be determined from analysis of the performance of the hardware device during operations of the classification yard. In embodiments, the status of the hardware device may be used to ensure corrective actions on the hardware (e.g., deploy maintenance personnel, report the status of the retarder, send a control signal to the retarder to deactivate, etc.).

The present disclosure provides for a system integrated into a practical application with meaningful limitations as a system with functionality for determining a status of hardware devices that are used for controlling operations of a classification yard. In embodiments, determining the status of hardware devices may be critical to operations in a classification yard, as hardware devices wear down and degrade over time. As hardware devices degrade, the performance of the hardware devices may not be the same. In some cases, predictions, control signals, activation signals, tracking signals, etc., associated with planning, controlling, tracking, reporting operations of a classification yard may not be based on accurate information or may not be executed correctly, which may cause operational problems. In addition, in some cases, the degradation of a hardware device may be masked by control software, which may control the hardware device to compensate when the control software detects that the desired results of the hardware device may not be obtained. In these cases, it may appear that the hardware device may be operating properly, since the desired results was obtained, but in reality, there may be issues with the hardware device that were compensated for by the control software. The present disclosure provides features that may be used by a system to monitor, track, and/or control the performance of a hardware device. In embodiments, features described herein may allow a system to generate alert and/or control signals that may be used by field personnel to perform corrective actions on the hardware device or may be used by the system to send automatic control signals to deactivate or adjust a defective or degraded hardware device.

The present disclosure solves the technological problem of a lack of functionality in current systems to dynamically monitor, track, and/or control the ability of a hardware device to operate efficiently and effectively to perform operations in a classification yard. For example, in current systems, a bad or degraded hardware device may not be identified until it is too late (e.g., after the hardware device has failed), which may result in catastrophic (e.g., may cause injury to persons, damage to equipment, and/or impact to services) and/or expensive consequences. In a particular case, as mentioned above, control software may compensate for a degraded hardware device, which may mask a hardware device that may be going bad. A system implemented in accordance with the present disclosure may be flexible and responsive to these situations may identify these bad/defective hardware devices, even when the problem may be masked by control software compensating. The technological solutions provided herein, and missing from conventional systems, are more than a mere application of a manual process to a computerized environment, but rather include functionality to implement a technical process to replace or supplement current manual solutions or non-existing solutions for determining the status of hardware devices. In doing so, the present disclosure goes well beyond a mere application of the manual process to a computer. Accordingly, the claims herein necessarily provide a technological solution that overcomes a technological problem.

It is further noted that the embodiments described herein focus and/or are described in the context of operations of a classification yard. However, this is not intended to be limiting, as the techniques disclosed herein are also applicable in other railroad operations that may not involve a classification yard. For example, the techniques disclosed herein may be used to determine a status of hardware devices that are used for controlling railroad operations that may not be part of a classification yard. In this case, the embodiments herein should be construed as exemplary, and not limiting in any way. Moreover, although specific and particular hardware devices may be described herein, this is also not intended to be limiting, and it should be understood that the techniques disclosed herein to determine a status of hardware devices may be used to determine that status of any hardware device that may be used in any operation related to hardware (and not limited to classification yard operations of specific devices mentioned herein).

In various embodiments, the system comprises one or more processors interconnected with a memory module, capable of executing machine-readable instructions. These instructions include, but are not limited to, the steps outlined in any flow diagram, system diagram, block diagram, and/or process diagram disclosed herein, as well as steps corresponding to any functionality detailed herein. In embodiments, the execution of these machine-readable instructions may involve initiating multiple concurrent computer processes. Each process of the concurrent computer process may be configured to handle or process a designated subset or portion of the of the machine-readable instructions. This division of tasks enables parallel processing, multi-processing, and/or multi-threading, enabling multiple operations to be conducted or executed concurrently rather than sequentially. This functionality for spawning a plurality of concurrent processes to manage separate portions of the machine-readable instructions markedly increases the overall speed of execution of the machine-readable instructions. By leveraging parallel or concurrent processing, the time required to complete a set or subset of program steps is substantially reduced (e.g., when compared to execution without concurrent or parallel processing). This efficiency gain not only accelerates the processing speed but also optimizes the use of processor resources, leading to an improved performance of the computing system. This enhancement in computational efficiency constitutes a significant technological improvement, as it enhances the functional capabilities of the processors and the system as a whole, representing a practical and tangible technological advancement. The result of this concurrent processing functionality results in an improvement in the functioning of the one or more processor and/or the computing system, and thus, represents a practical application.

In embodiments, the present disclosure includes techniques for training models (e.g., machine-learning models, artificial intelligence models, algorithmic constructs, etc.) for performing or executing a designated task or a series of tasks (e.g., one or more features of steps or tasks of processes, systems, and/or methods disclosed in the present disclosure). The disclosed techniques provide a systematic approach for the training of such models to enhance performance, accuracy, and efficiency in their respective applications. In embodiments, the techniques for training the models may include collecting a set of data from a database, conditioning the set of data to generate a set of conditioned data, and/or generating a set of training data including the collected set of data and/or the conditioned set of data. In embodiments, that model may undergo a training phase wherein the model may be exposed to the set of training data, such as through an iterative processes of learning in which the model adjusts and optimizes its parameters and algorithms to improve its performance on the designated task or series of tasks. This training phase may configure the model to develop the capability to perform its intended function with a high degree of accuracy and efficiency. In embodiments, the conditioning of the set of data may include modification, transformation, and/or the application of targeted algorithms to prepare the data for training. The conditioning step may be configured to ensure that the set of data is in an optimal state for training the model, resulting in an enhancement of the effectiveness of the model's learning process. These features and techniques not only qualify as patent-eligible features but also introduce substantial improvements to the field of computational modeling. These features are not merely theoretical but represent an integration of a concepts into a practical application that significantly enhance the functionality, reliability, and efficiency of the models developed through these processes.

In embodiments, the present disclosure includes techniques for generating a notification of an event that includes generating an alert that includes information specifying the location of a source of data associated with the event, formatting the alert into data structured according to an information format, and/or transmitting the formatted alert over a network to a device associated with a receiver based upon a destination address and a transmission schedule. In embodiments, receiving the alert enables a connection from the device associated with the receiver to the data source over the network when the device is connected to the source to retrieve the data associated with the event and causes a viewer application (e.g., a graphical user interface (GUI)) to be activated to display the data associated with the event. These features represent patent eligible features, as these features amount to significantly more than an abstract idea. These features, when considered as an ordered combination, amount to significantly more than simply organizing and comparing data. The features address the Internet-centric challenge of alerting a receiver with time sensitive information. This is addressed by transmitting the alert over a network to activate the viewer application, which enables the connection of the device of the receiver to the source over the network to retrieve the data associated with the event. These are meaningful limitations that add more than generally linking the use of an abstract idea (e.g., the general concept of organizing and comparing data) to the Internet, because they solve an Internet-centric problem with a solution that is necessarily rooted in computer technology. These features, when taken as an ordered combination, provide unconventional steps that confine the abstract idea to a particular useful application. Therefore, these features represent patent eligible subject matter.

In embodiments, one or more operations and/or functionality of components described herein can be distributed across a plurality of computing systems (e.g., personal computers (PCs), user devices, servers, processors, etc.), such as by implementing the operations over a plurality of computing systems. This distribution can be configured to facilitate the optimal load balancing of traffic (e.g., requests, responses, notifications, etc.), which can encompass a wide spectrum of network traffic or data transactions. By leveraging a distributed operational framework, a system implemented in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure can effectively manage and mitigate potential bottlenecks, ensuring equitable processing distribution and preventing any single device from shouldering an excessive burden. This load balancing approach significantly enhances the overall responsiveness and efficiency of the network, markedly reducing the risk of system overload and ensuring continuous operational uptime. The technical advantages of this distributed load balancing can extend beyond mere efficiency improvements. It introduces a higher degree of fault tolerance within the network, where the failure of a single component does not precipitate a systemic collapse, markedly enhancing system reliability. Additionally, this distributed configuration promotes a dynamic scalability feature, enabling the system to adapt to varying levels of demand without necessitating substantial infrastructural modifications. The integration of advanced algorithmic strategies for traffic distribution and resource allocation can further refine the load balancing process, ensuring that computational resources are utilized with optimal efficiency and that data flow is maintained at an optimal pace, regardless of the volume or complexity of the requests being processed. Moreover, the practical application of these disclosed features represents a significant technical improvement over traditional centralized systems. Through the integration of the disclosed technology into existing networks, entities can achieve a superior level of service quality, with minimized latency, increased throughput, and enhanced data integrity. The distributed approach of embodiments can not only bolster the operational capacity of computing networks but can also offer a robust framework for the development of future technologies, underscoring its value as a foundational advancement in the field of network computing.

To aid in the load balancing, the computing system of embodiments of the present disclosure can spawn multiple processes and threads to process data traffic concurrently. The speed and efficiency of the computing system can be greatly improved by instantiating more than one process or thread to implement the claimed functionality. However, one skilled in the art of programming will appreciate that use of a single process or thread can also be utilized and is within the scope of the present disclosure.

It is an object of the disclosure to provide a system for determining a status of hardware devices in a classification yard. It is a further object of the disclosure to provide a method of determining a status of hardware devices in a classification yard, and a computer-based tool for determining a status of hardware devices in a classification yard. These and other objects are provided by the present disclosure, including at least the following embodiments.

In one particular embodiment, a method of determining a status of hardware devices in a classification yard is provided. The method includes compiling a plurality of device events associated with a hardware device in a classification yard. In embodiments, each device event of the plurality of device events may be associated with an expected measurement and may include real-world measurements of an actual measurement at the hardware device during each device event of the plurality of device events and/or an indication of a utilization of the hardware device during each device event of the plurality of device events to obtain the expected measurement for each device event. The method also includes generating a set of deviation metrics associated with the hardware device based on the plurality of device events associated with the hardware device, applying thresholding analysis to the set of deviation metrics associated with the hardware device to determine a status of the hardware device, and generating a corrective action signal including an indication of the status of the hardware device and/or a corrective action to be taken on the hardware device.

In another embodiment, a system for determining a status of hardware devices in a classification yard is provided. The system comprises at least one processor and a memory operably coupled to the at least one processor and storing processor-readable code that, when executed by the at least one processor, is configured to perform operations. The operations include compiling a plurality of device events associated with a hardware device in a classification yard. In embodiments, each device event of the plurality of device events may be associated with an expected measurement and may include real-world measurements of an actual measurement at the hardware device during each device event of the plurality of device events and/or an indication of a utilization of the hardware device during each device event of the plurality of device events to obtain the expected measurement for each device event. The operations also include generating a set of deviation metrics associated with the hardware device based on the plurality of device events associated with the hardware device, applying thresholding analysis to the set of deviation metrics associated with the hardware device to determine a status of the hardware device, and generating a corrective action signal including an indication of the status of the hardware device and/or a corrective action to be taken on the hardware device.

In yet another embodiment, a computer-based tool for determining a status of hardware devices in a classification yard is provided. The computer-based tool including non-transitory computer readable media having stored thereon computer code which, when executed by a processor, causes a computing device to perform operations. The operations include compiling a plurality of device events associated with a hardware device in a classification yard. In embodiments, each device event of the plurality of device events may be associated with an expected measurement and may include real-world measurements of an actual measurement at the hardware device during each device event of the plurality of device events and/or an indication of a utilization of the hardware device during each device event of the plurality of device events to obtain the expected measurement for each device event. The operations also include generating a set of deviation metrics associated with the hardware device based on the plurality of device events associated with the hardware device, applying thresholding analysis to the set of deviation metrics associated with the hardware device to determine a status of the hardware device, and generating a corrective action signal including an indication of the status of the hardware device and/or a corrective action to be taken on the hardware device.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention.

It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that the disclosed embodiments are sometimes illustrated diagrammatically and in partial views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the disclosed methods and apparatuses or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.

The disclosure presented in the following written description and the various features and advantageous details thereof, are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting examples included in the accompanying drawings and as detailed in the description. Descriptions of well-known components have been omitted to not unnecessarily obscure the principal features described herein. The examples used in the following description are intended to facilitate an understanding of the ways in which the disclosure can be implemented and practiced. A person of ordinary skill in the art would read this disclosure to mean that any suitable combination of the functionality or exemplary embodiments below could be combined to achieve the subject matter claimed. The disclosure includes either a representative number of species falling within the scope of the genus or structural features common to the members of the genus so that one of ordinary skill in the art can recognize the members of the genus. Accordingly, these examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

A person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that any system claims presented herein encompass all of the elements and limitations disclosed therein, and as such, require that each system claim be viewed as a whole. Any reasonably foreseeable items functionally related to the claims are also relevant. The Examiner, after having obtained a thorough understanding of the disclosure and claims of the present application has searched the prior art as disclosed in patents and other published documents, i.e., nonpatent literature. Therefore, the issuance of this patent is evidence that: the elements and limitations presented in the claims are enabled by the specification and drawings, the issued claims are directed toward patent-eligible subject matter, and the prior art fails to disclose or teach the claims as a whole, such that the issued claims of this patent are patentable under the applicable laws and rules of this country.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems and techniques that provide functionality for determining a status of hardware devices in a classification yard. In particular embodiments, a set of event data associated with a hardware device may be analyzed to determine the performance of the hardware device during operations of the classification yard. A status of the hardware device may be determined from analysis of the performance of the hardware device during operations of the classification yard. In embodiments, the status of the hardware device may be used to ensure corrective actions on the hardware device (e.g., deploy maintenance personnel, report the status of the hardware device, send a control signal to the hardware device to deactivate, etc.).

is a block diagram of an exemplary systemconfigured with capabilities and functionality for determining a status of hardware devices in a classification yard in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in, systemmay include server, classification yard, data collector, user terminal, and network. These components, and their individual components, may cooperatively operate to provide functionality in accordance with the discussion herein. For example, in operation according to embodiments, hardware devices of classification yardmay perform operations associated with the operations of classification yard(e.g., switching operations, speed detection operations, energy removal operations). Each hardware device operation may generate a device event. For example, an event may include a detector detecting the speed and/or arrival time of a cut passing through the detector, and this may generate a device event (e.g., a detector event). In another example, an event may include a cut passing through a retarder and the retarder operating to reduce the speed of the cut as the cut passes through the retarder, and this may generate a device event (e.g., a retarder event). In still another example, an event may include a switch being thrown from a first position (e.g., left or right) to a second position (e.g., left or right), and this may generate a device event (e.g., a switch event). In embodiments, data collectormay operate to collect real-world device event data associated with the hardware devices. In this manner, a device event may represent an operational event of a hardware device. In embodiments, a device event may include real-world measurements associated with the device event and may include a measured speed (e.g., the actual speed of a cut at the hardware device), a predicted speed (e.g., the predicted or expected speed of the cut at the hardware device), an exit speed (e.g., the actual exit speed of the cut at the exit point of the hardware device), an entry speed (e.g., the actual speed of the cut at the entry point of the hardware device), a requested exit speed (e.g., the exit speed requested for the cut associated with the device event), an amount of pressure applied by a retarder device against the wheels of the cut to remove an amount of energy necessary to reach the requested exit speed, a distribution of the amount of pressure applied by the retarder device at each section of the retarder, a speed of the cut at each of the sections of the retarder device, an actual switch throw time (e.g., the actual throw time of a switch event), an expected switch throw time (e.g., the expected throw time of a switch event), a throw count for a switch device (e.g., the total number of times the switch device has been thrown), a failure count for a switch device (e.g., the total number of failures of the switch device, such as kickbacks, no movements, lost position, etc.), an identification of the cut associated with the device event, an identification of the hardware device for which the device event was generated, and/or other conditions associated with the device event (e.g., weather, type of train cars in the cut, type of bearings of the cut, identification of the cut, etc.).

In embodiments, functionality of servermay provide for determining, based on device events associated with a hardware device, a status of the hardware device. In embodiments, servermay include functionality for determining, based on device events associated with a hardware device, a status of the hardware device by compiling data related to device events associated with the hardware device, applying threshold analysis to the compiled data to determine a relationship between real-world measurements and expected (e.g., predicted or desired) results with respect to operation of the hardware device, to determine a status of the hardware device based on the thresholding analysis, and to generate a corrective action signal in response to the determination of the status of the hardware device. In embodiments, the thresholding analysis may include analysis that focuses on the relationship between real-world measurements and expected (e.g., predicted or desired) results for each device event associated with a hardware device. In some embodiments, the thresholding analysis may include applying one or more rules that may determine the amount and/or spread of deviations between the real-world measurements for determining the status of a hardware device. In some embodiments, the thresholding analysis may include determining, for each device event associated with a hardware device, a measurement difference between an expected measurement and the actual measurement (e.g., actual measurement−expected measurement), and analyzing the relationship of the measurement differences against thresholds to determine the status of the hardware device. In some embodiments, the thresholding analysis may include determining, for each device event associated with a hardware device, a utilization per energy change metric, and analyzing the relationship of the utilization per energy change (e.g., based on the utilization per energy change metric) against thresholds to determine the status of the hardware device.

It is noted that the functional blocks, and components thereof, of systemof embodiments of the present invention may be implemented using processors, electronics devices, hardware devices, electronics components, logical circuits, memories, software codes, firmware codes, etc., or any combination thereof. For example, one or more functional blocks, or some portion thereof, may be implemented as discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or combinations thereof configured to provide logic for performing the functions described herein. Additionally, or alternatively, when implemented in software, one or more of the functional blocks, or some portion thereof, may comprise code segments operable upon a processor to provide logic for performing the functions described herein.

It is also noted that various components of systemare illustrated as single and separate components. However, it will be appreciated that each of the various illustrated components may be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single application, server module, etc.), may be functional components of a single component, or the functionality of these various components may be distributed over multiple devices/components. In such embodiments, the functionality of each respective component may be aggregated from the functionality of multiple modules residing in a single, or in multiple devices.

It is further noted that functionalities described with reference to each of the different functional blocks of systemdescribed herein is provided for purposes of illustration, rather than by way of limitation and that functionalities described as being provided by different functional blocks may be combined into a single component or may be provided via computing resources disposed in a cloud-based environment accessible over a network, such as one of network.

Classification yardmay represent a train yard, such as a hump yard, in which train cars are routed or marshalled to a destination track to be coupled to a destination train. In embodiments, classification yardmay include functionality to plan, track, control, and report the movement of the train cars through the marshalling tracks, including the hump approach section, the hump crest, the hump release area, and multiple marshalling tracks.

In a typical operation of classification yard, such as a hump yard, a stock train that includes train cars to be marshalled to their assigned train may be pushed by a hump push engine at a set speed along the approach section of the hump to the crest of the hump. As the train cars roll past the hump crest, gravity may begin pulling the train cars towards the bottom of the hump. In embodiments, the train cars are “cut” from the stock train and the cut is allowed to roll down the hump and is marshalled to the destination train.

As noted above, ensuring that the cut reaches the assigned destination train at the appropriate coupling speed is very important. As such, in embodiments, a cut may be tracked and controlled as the cut moves along the marshalling tracks in classification yard. In particular, the route and the speed of the cut from the hump to its destination track or train may be controlled using various components of classification yard. For example, classification yardmay include various components enabling classification yardto track and/or control the movement of a cut through the marshalling tracks. In embodiments, the various components enabling classification yardto track and/or control the movement and/or speed of a cut through the marshalling tracks may include switches, detectors, and retarders, among other components. In embodiments, the cooperative operation of the various components of classification yardmay enable classification yardto ensure that various cuts traverse the marshalling tracks and arrive at the destination coupling point at the appropriate coupling speed

In embodiments, switchesmay include one or more switches configured to route a cut to a designated track section. For example, a cut may be traveling along a first track and may come upon a switch. The switch may be configured to route the cut from the first track to a target track according to the route of the cut. In some cases, the target track may be one of a plurality of selectable tracks. For example, one side of the switch may be coupled on one side to the first track, and on the second side to the second and a third track. In this example, the switch may be configured to selectively route the train car from the first track to either the second or the third track. Whether the switch routes the train car from the first track to the second or the third track may depend on the throw position of the switch. For example, the throw position of the switch may currently be the left position, which may route to the second track. In this example, the right throw position of the switch may route to the third track. In this case, when a cut is destined to a destination track via a route that may travel through the third track, classification yardmay control the route of the cut by throwing the switch to change the switch's position from the left to the right, to route the cut to the third track. In this manner, classification yardmay control the route of the cut using switchesto ensure the cut moves through the appropriate route.

In embodiments, switchesmay be laid out at different points along the tracks of classification yard. In particular, each of switchesmay be laid out at points at which a single track may branch out into multiple tracks.

In embodiments, retardersmay include one or more retarders configured with functionality to remove energy from a cut traveling through retarders. For example, each of retardersmay be laid out at different points along the tracks of classification yard. In some embodiments, each of the marshalling tracks of classification yardmay include one or more retarders of retarders. In some embodiments, a main master retarder may be positioned along the main marshalling track (e.g., along the release section) of the hump track. In some embodiments, each segment of a route along the marshalling tracks of classification yardmay be configured with at least one retarder. In some embodiments, each segment of a route along the marshalling tracks of classification yardmay be configured with a master retarder and one or more slave retarders. In these embodiments, the retarders along a segment of a route may cooperatively operate to remove energy from a cut traveling through the segment.

In embodiments, retardersmay be configured to remove energy from a cut traveling through retardersby causing the cut to slow down as it travels through or over retarders. In some embodiments, retardersmay cause a cut to slow down by applying a pressure against one or more wheels of one or more train cars included in the cut, which may cause the cut to slow down. For example, retardersmay press a braking element (e.g., a brake pad, etc.) against one or more wheels of one or more train cars included in the cut causing the cut to slow down. In embodiments, the amount of energy, or speed, removed from a cut by a retarder (e.g., one or more retarders of retarders) may depend on the amount of pressure applied by the retarder against one or more wheels of one or more train cars included in the cut. For example, a higher pressure may cause more energy, or speed, to be removed from a cut than a lower pressure. In this manner, as the energy of a cut is related to the speed of the cut, retardersmay operate to remove energy from a cut. In this manner, classification yardmay control the speed of a cut as it travels through the marshalling tracks using retardersto remove energy from the cut as necessary.

In embodiments, detectorsmay include one or more detectors configured to detect a speed of a cut. In embodiments, detectorsmay be laid out at different points along the tracks of classification yard. In this manner, detectorsmay be configured to detect the speed of a cut at various points along the route of the cut through the marshalling tracks of classification yard.

In embodiments, detectorsmay be configured to detect the presence of a cut at various points along the route of the cut through the marshalling tracks of classification yard. For example, as a cut passes through a detector a particular time, the detector may detect the presence of the cut at the particular time, and may generate a detection, including an identification of the cut, a timestamp indicating date/time of the detection, the location of the detection (e.g., an identification of the detector), etc.

In some embodiments, detectorsmay include one or more detectors configured to detect one or more wheels, or wheel axles (e.g., one or more wheels, or wheel axles, of a train car, or of a cut, passing through the one or more detectors). In embodiments, detectorsmay detect more than one wheel (or wheel axle) of the train car, or cut, passing through detectors. For example, a train car passing through a detector may include multiple wheel axles. In this case, the detector may be configured to detect one or more of the multiple wheel axles, and in some embodiments may identify the wheel axle detected. For example, for a train car including four wheels, the detector may identify that a detection includes detection of wheel three of four, when the detector detects the third wheel in the train car. In another example, for a cut traveling through the detector that includes two train cars each including four wheels, the detector may identify that a detection includes detection of wheel five of eight, when the detector detects the fifth wheel in the cut. In some embodiments, the wheel detector may detect more than one wheel.

In some embodiments, detectorsmay detect a speed of a cut by detecting multiple wheels of the cut, measuring the time between the detections, and calculating a speed based, at least in part, on the characteristics of the cut. For example, a cut may travel through a detector of detectors. The detector may detect a first wheel of the cut at a first time. A first detection of a first wheel of the cut may be generated with a timestamp equal to the first time. The detector may detect a second wheel of the cut at a second time. A second detection of the second wheel of the cut may be generated with a timestamp equal to the second time. In embodiments, the speed of the cut may be calculated by comparing the first and the second time, and determining a speed based on the distance between the first and the second wheel, which may be a known characteristic of the cut. For example, the distance between the first and second wheel traveled by cut over the difference between the first and second detection times may provide the speed of the cut over the detector.