Vehicle control system

Abstract

A system includes one or more processors configured to predict, using a predictive deration model, that a first vehicle system scheduled to travel along a route will experience a deration event when traveling through one or more designated geographic areas along the route. The predictive deration model is generated based on historical data of deration events experienced by plural vehicle systems. The historical data includes at least geographic locations of the deration events and times of the year in which the deration events occurred. The one or more processors are further configured to generate control signals to control movement of the first vehicle system along the route based on the prediction such that the first vehicle system does not derate when traveling through the one or more designated geographic areas along the route.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors configured to predict, using a predictive deration model, that a first vehicle system scheduled to travel along a route will experience a deration event when traveling through one or more designated geographic areas along the route, the predictive deration model generated based on historical data of deration events experienced by plural vehicle systems, the historical data including at least geographic locations of the deration events and times of the year in which the deration events occurred,   wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate control signals to control movement of the first vehicle system along the route based on the prediction such that the first vehicle system does not derate when traveling through the one or more designated geographic areas along the route.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive trip information that identifies a time of the year that the first vehicle is scheduled to travel along the route and the one or more designated geographic areas through which the first vehicle is scheduled to travel, and to input the trip information into the predictive deration model. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the predictive deration model is configured to categorize and compare the trip information to the historical data of deration events, and the one or more processors are configured to predict that the first vehicle system will experience the deration event based on an extent that data in categories of the trip information matches data in the same categories of the historical data of deration events. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to obtain the historical data of the deration events from a diagnostic database and generate the predictive deration model based on the historical data of the deration events. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the historical data of deration events also includes vehicle characteristics of the vehicle systems that experienced the deration events. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to predict that the first vehicle system will experience the deration event in response to the predictive deration model determining that a time of the year that the first vehicle is scheduled to travel along the route and vehicle characteristics of the first vehicle system match the time of the year and the vehicle characteristics of one or more of the vehicle systems that experienced the deration events along the same one or more designated geographic areas. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the vehicle characteristics of the vehicle systems that experienced the deration events include one or more of type of propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle systems, rated power output capability of engines in the propulsion-generating vehicles, number of the propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle systems, total weight of the vehicle systems, or vehicle makeup of the vehicle systems. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate the control signals for the first vehicle system to provide a reduced power output through the one or more designated geographic areas, the reduced power output being less than a power output that would be provided by the first vehicle system through the one or more designated geographic areas responsive to predicting that the first vehicle system will not experience the deration event. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the historical data of deration events includes power outputs provided by the vehicle systems during the deration events, and the one or more processors are configured to generate the reduced power output based on the power outputs provided by the vehicle systems during the deration events to reduce a likelihood of the first vehicle system experiencing the deration event. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle system includes multiple propulsion-generating vehicles, and the one or more processors are configured to generate the control signals to redistribute designated power outputs to be provided by the propulsion-generating vehicles of the first vehicle system as the first vehicle system travels through the one or more designated geographic areas relative to designated power outputs that would be allocated among the propulsion-generating vehicles responsive to predicting that the first vehicle system will not experience the deration event. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate the control signals to modify one or more vehicle characteristics of the first vehicle system prior to traveling through the one or more designated geographic areas to reduce a likelihood of the first vehicle system experiencing the deration event, the one or more vehicle characteristics including one or more of a type of propulsion-generating vehicle in the first vehicle system or a number of propulsion-generating vehicles in the first vehicle system that provide power output to propel the first vehicle system. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate or select a trip plan for the first vehicle system, the trip plan designating throttle settings for the first vehicle system to provide less power output through the one or more designated geographic areas than a power output that would be provided by the first vehicle system responsive to predicting that the first vehicle system will not experience the deration event. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 predicting, via one or more processors using a predictive deration model, that a first vehicle system scheduled to travel along a route will experience a deration event when traveling through one or more designated geographic areas along the route, the predictive deration model generated based on historical data of deration events experienced by plural vehicle systems, the historical data including at least geographic locations of the deration events and times of the year in which the deration events occurred, and   generating control signals to control movement of the first vehicle system along the route based on the prediction such that the first vehicle system does not derate when traveling through the one or more designated geographic areas along the route.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising, prior to the predicting, receiving trip information that identifies a time of the year that the first vehicle is scheduled to travel along the route and the one or more designated geographic areas through which the first vehicle is scheduled to travel; and
 inputting the trip information into the predictive deration model.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the control signals are generated to control the first vehicle system to provide a reduced power output through the one or more designated geographic areas relative to a power output that would be provided by the first vehicle system through the one or more designated geographic areas responsive to predicting that the first vehicle system will not experience the deration event. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the historical data of deration events includes power outputs provided by the vehicle systems during the deration events, and the method further includes determining the reduced power output of the first vehicle system based on the power outputs provided by the vehicle systems during the deration events. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first vehicle system includes multiple propulsion-generating vehicles, and the control signals are generated to redistribute designated power outputs to be provided by the propulsion-generating vehicles of the first vehicle system as the first vehicle system travels through the one or more designated geographic areas relative to designated power outputs that would be allocated among the propulsion-generating vehicles responsive to predicting that the first vehicle system will not experience the deration event. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , the control signals are generated to modify one or more vehicle characteristics of the first vehicle system prior to traveling through the one or more designated geographic areas to reduce a likelihood of the first vehicle system experiencing the deration event, the one or more vehicle characteristics including one or more of a type of propulsion-generating vehicle in the first vehicle system or a number of propulsion-generating vehicles in the first vehicle system that provide power output to propel the first vehicle system. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising generating or selecting a trip plan for the first vehicle system based on the prediction, the trip plan designating throttle settings for the first vehicle system to provide less power output when traveling through the one or more designated geographic areas than a power output that would be provided by the first vehicle system responsive to predicting that the first vehicle system will not experience the deration event. 
     
     
         20 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors configured to receive trip information that identifies a scheduled route of a first vehicle system, a time of the year that the first vehicle travels the scheduled route, and vehicle characteristics of the first vehicle system,   the one or more processors configured to compare the trip information to historical data of deration events experienced by plural vehicle systems to predict that the first vehicle will experience a deration event at one or more designated geographic locations along the scheduled route at the time of the year, the historical data including at least geographic locations of the deration events and times of the year in which the deration events occurred,   the one or more processors configured to generate control signals to control movement of the first vehicle system along the scheduled route, based on the prediction, such that the first vehicle system does not derate at the one or more designated geographic locations along the scheduled route at the time of the year,   wherein the control signals are generated to one or more of (i) reduce a power output provided by the first vehicle system or (ii) redistribute power outputs provided by multiple propulsion-generating vehicles of the first vehicle system when traveling through the one or more designated geographic locations to modify movement of the first vehicle system relative to the movement of the first vehicle system responsive to predicting that the first vehicle system will not experience the deration event.