Review this prior art and click on the thumbs up (or down) to indicate whether this submission should be forwarded to IP Australia.
If you login then you can add an annotation by typing in the box at the bottom of the screen to comment on the relevance of the prior art to the claims of the patent application.
| Summary / Description | A method for switching modes of operation involving location and emissions. |
| Type of Prior Art | Issued Patents - US |
| Country | United States of America |
| Patent/Application # | 6112151 |
| Kind Code | United States (US) - United STATES Patent - A |
| Patentee Name | Kruse, Douglas C |
| Relevant Pages, Columns, or Lines | Col. 2 Lines 18-25 and 36-53 |
| URL | http://www.freepatentsonline.co... |
| Filing Date | March 8, 1999 |
| Additional Information | |
| Notes | |
Excerpt Column 2 Lines 18-25:According to the present invention, the method to obtain the following objects is put into practice by combining a precise ambient air quality forecast with a communication system, a pollution control device and a record-keeping device. The pollution control method includes a mode-switching means connected with one or more engine control devices which can produce two or more engine operating modes; Column 2 Lines 18-53: It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a pollution control method including devices which have two or more modes of operation. One mode of operation will optimize the constituents of engine exhaust for global environmental benefits when a vehicle is operated in a clean air attainment area. A second or additional modes of operation will optimize the engine exhaust fractions for ultra-low emission of ozone precursors and other non-CO2 pollutants, when and where necessary to achieve local ambient air quality standards, in a clean air non-attainment area. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of forecasting future local ambient air quality more precisely than is accomplished with the prior art; a method for communicating the local forecast to an engine or an engine operator; and a communication network that confirms and records geographic and chronological compliance with emission standards. Column 3 Lines 48-58: The network 10 comprises a network management center 12 that sends an emission control signal to a communications satellite 14 which relays the signal to a vehicle 16 having a mobile communications terminal 18 that also receives a signal from a global positioning satellite 20 as well as a time signal from the GPS or a clock within the mobile communications terminal 18. The mobile communications terminal 18 records received data and a time signal and then sends an emission control command 48 (FIG. 2) to an emission control device 52 (FIG. 3) on board the vehicle 16. |
A system for monitoring and controlling locomotive engine emissions comprising:
a location determination unit for determining a geographic location of a locomotive;
memory for storing a plurality of predetermined engine emission profiles, one profile for each of a plurality of geographic locations;
a processor in communication with the memory for accessing the engine emission profile for the determined location of the locomotive and generating an engine control command responsive to respective engine emission profile and engine operating parameters;
a control unit on board the locomotive controlling an operation of the locomotive responsive to the engine control command to limit the production of engine emissions to the corresponding emission profile;
a monitor unit monitoring values of an emission parameter of the locomotive indicative of the emissions produced by the engine; and
memory storing the values of the emission parameter of the locomotive and at least one of the time and the location of the locomotive when the engine emission was monitored.
| Relevance | See the Excerpt. |
The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a communications interface for transmitting the values of the emission parameter off- board the locomotive; and
a central monitoring system, remote from the locomotive, for receiving the values of the emission parameter transmitted via the communications interface.
| Relevance | See Column 3 Lines 48-58 in the Excerpt. |
A method of monitoring locomotive engine emissions:
determining a location of a locomotive;
determining an emission profile of the locomotive as a function of the location of the locomotive;
controlling an operation of the locomotive in response to the emission profile;
monitoring values of an emission parameter of the locomotive corresponding to the emissions profile; and
storing the values of the emission parameter.
| Relevance | See the Excerpt. |
The method of claim 5, further comprising providing the values of the emission parameter to a central monitoring system off-board the locomotive.
| Relevance | See Column 3 Lines 48-58 in the Excerpt. |
United States