IP Verse

Control System For Railway Yard And Related Methods

Patent No. US12020148 (titled "Control System For Railway Yard And Related Methods") was filed by All Terminal Services Llc on Nov 18, 2020.

What is this patent about?

’148 is related to the field of shipping, and more particularly to systems for monitoring and controlling railcars within a railway yard. The efficient management of railcars in a yard is critical for intermodal shipping, where containers are transferred between trains, trucks, and ships. Existing methods for tracking and managing these railcars can be cumbersome and inefficient, especially given the complexity and scale of modern railway yards.

The underlying idea behind ’148 is to automate the tracking and positioning of railcars within a railway yard using a combination of sensors, remote-controlled locomotives (RCLs), and a central server. The system uses railyard sensors to gather data about the railcars, including their type, logo, and classification. This data is then used to create a database that the server uses to selectively control the RCLs, enabling automated positioning of the railcars on the tracks.

The claims of ’148 focus on a control system comprising RCLs, railyard sensors, and a server. The server generates a database of railcars based on sensor data, including railcar type, logo, and classification. The server then uses this database to selectively control the RCLs, positioning the railcars within the yard. The railyard sensors include image sensors and proximity sensors , and the server identifies each railcar based on image data.

In practice, the system uses image sensors to capture images of the railcars, and proximity sensors to detect the presence of RCLs. The server then processes this data to identify each railcar, potentially using optical character recognition (OCR) and machine learning techniques to extract information from the images. The server then uses this information, along with the location data from the RCLs, to determine the optimal positioning of the railcars within the yard and to send commands to the RCLs to move them accordingly.

This approach differs from traditional methods that rely on manual tracking and control of railcars. By automating the process, ’148 aims to improve efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance safety within the railway yard. The use of image recognition and machine learning allows the system to automatically identify and classify railcars, while the remote control of locomotives enables precise and efficient positioning of the railcars on the tracks, minimizing the need for human intervention and improving overall yard operations through automated railcar management .

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the late 2010s when ’148 was filed, machine learning techniques, particularly convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and recurrent neural networks (RNNs), were increasingly being applied to image recognition and optical character recognition (OCR) at a time when systems commonly relied on specialized hardware or cloud-based processing to handle the computational demands of these models. Furthermore, geolocation data was typically integrated with sensor data to provide a more comprehensive understanding of object positions and movements, at a time when wireless communication protocols were sufficiently mature to support real-time data transfer from remote sensors and mobile devices.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner approved the application because the prior art, specifically Ferencz, teaches a control system for a railway yard with remote control locomotives and a server that generates a database of railcars based on sensor data. However, Ferencz does not teach a plurality of railyard sensors configured to generate railyard sensor data, including an image sensor and a proximity sensor, and a server configured to identify each railcar based on the image data. While Raez teaches railyard sensors and a server, it uses RFID for railcar identification instead of visual identification. The examiner determined that it would not have been obvious to combine Ferencz and Raez because doing so would require an improper amount of hindsight and a redesign of Raez.

Claims

This patent contains 19 claims, with independent claims 1, 9, and 16. The independent claims are directed to a control system, a server, and a method for operating a control system, respectively, all for a railway yard. The dependent claims generally elaborate on and add detail to the elements and functionality described in the independent claims.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
Railcar logo image
(Claim 1, Claim 9, Claim 16)		“The server may be configured to generate a database associated with the sets of railcars based upon the railyard sensor data, the database comprising, for each railcar, a railcar type value, a railcar logo image, and a vehicle classification value, and selectively control the plurality of RCLs to position the sets of railcars within the plurality of railroad tracks based upon the railyard sensor data.”An image of the railcar's logo, stored in the database.
Railcar type value
(Claim 1, Claim 9, Claim 16)		“The server may be configured to generate a database associated with the sets of railcars based upon the railyard sensor data, the database comprising, for each railcar, a railcar type value, a railcar logo image, and a vehicle classification value, and selectively control the plurality of RCLs to position the sets of railcars within the plurality of railroad tracks based upon the railyard sensor data.”A value representing the type of railcar, stored in the database.
Railyard sensor data
(Claim 1, Claim 9, Claim 16)		“The control system may include a plurality of railyard sensors configured to generate railyard sensor data of the plurality of railroad tracks, and a server in communication with the plurality of RCLs and the plurality of railyard sensors.”Data generated by railyard sensors, used to create a database of railcars and control the RCLs.
Remote control locomotives (RCLs)
(Claim 1, Claim 9, Claim 16)		“Generally, a control system is for a railway yard with a plurality of railroad tracks. The control system may include a plurality of remote control locomotives (RCLs) and sets of railcars respectively associated therewith on the plurality of railroad tracks.”Locomotives that are controlled remotely, used to move railcars within the railway yard.
Vehicle classification value
(Claim 1, Claim 9, Claim 16)		“The server may be configured to generate a database associated with the sets of railcars based upon the railyard sensor data, the database comprising, for each railcar, a railcar type value, a railcar logo image, and a vehicle classification value, and selectively control the plurality of RCLs to position the sets of railcars within the plurality of railroad tracks based upon the railyard sensor data.”A value representing the classification of the vehicle, stored in the database.

Litigation Cases New

US Latest litigation cases involving this patent.

Case NumberFiling DateTitle
1:25-cv-01836Feb 21, 2025All Terminal Services, LLC v. Roboflow, Inc.

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US12020148

ALL TERMINAL SERVICES LLC
Application Number
US16951015
Filing Date
Nov 18, 2020
Status
Granted
Expiry Date
Mar 13, 2043
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents