Patents by Inventor John Charles Hounschell

John Charles Hounschell has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9607446
    Abstract: A method and system for determining rail defects. The method and system receive route performance measurements from a vehicle system traveling along a route and normalize the route performance measurements based on one or more characteristics of the vehicle system. The method and a system also determine a defect for a segment of the route based at least in part on the normalized route performance measurements with respect to a threshold bandwidth corresponding to the segment. The method and system also examine velocity differences in a vehicle speed of a vehicle and the angular speed of the axles and/or wheels of the vehicle system traveling along a route to determine if the route is damaged and/or to identify the location of the potentially damaged section of the route. The differences may represent wheel creeps of the vehicle system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Global Patent Operation
    Inventors: Jared Klineman Cooper, John Charles Hounschell, II, Nick David Nagrodsky, Aaron Mitti, Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, David Michael Peltz, Brian Lawry, Joseph Forrest Noffsinger
  • Patent number: 9469198
    Abstract: A method and system for examining velocity differences in a vehicle speed of a vehicle and the angular speed of the axles and/or wheels of the vehicle system traveling along a route to determine if the route is damaged and/or to identify the location of the potentially damaged section of the route. The differences may represent wheel creeps of the vehicle system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jared Klineman Cooper, John Charles Hounschell, II, Nick David Nagrodsky, Aaron Richard Mitti, Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, David Michael Peltz, Brian D. Lawry, Joseph Forrest Noffsinger
  • Publication number: 20150179003
    Abstract: A method and system for determining rail defects. The method and system receive route performance measurements from a vehicle system traveling along a route and normalize the route performance measurements based on one or more characteristics of the vehicle system. The method and a system also determine a defect for a segment of the route based at least in part on the normalized route performance measurements with respect to a threshold bandwidth corresponding to the segment. The method and system also examine velocity differences in a vehicle speed of a vehicle and the angular speed of the axles and/or wheels of the vehicle system traveling along a route to determine if the route is damaged and/or to identify the location of the potentially damaged section of the route. The differences may represent wheel creeps of the vehicle system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Jared Klineman Cooper, John Charles Hounschell, II, Nick David Nagrodsky, Aaron Mitti, Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, David Michael Peltz, Brian Lawry, Joseph Forrest Noffsinger
  • Publication number: 20150081214
    Abstract: A method and system for examining velocity differences in a vehicle speed of a vehicle and the angular speed of the axles and/or wheels of the vehicle system traveling along a route to determine if the route is damaged and/or to identify the location of the potentially damaged section of the route. The differences may represent wheel creeps of the vehicle system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Jared Klineman Cooper, John Charles Hounschell, II, Nick David Nagrodsky, Aaron Richard Mitti, Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, David Michael Peltz, Brian D. Lawry, Joseph Forrest Noffsinger
  • Patent number: 7789348
    Abstract: A system for verifying the operation of a railroad gate is provided. The system includes a tilt device for measuring a tilt of the railroad gate and a controller coupled to the tilt device. The controller is selectively operable in a calibration mode and a monitoring mode. In the calibration mode, the controller measures a predetermined tilt of the railroad gate. In the monitoring mode, the controller measures a current tilt of the railroad gate to determine deviations between the current tilt and the predetermined tilt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Andrew Lawrence Ruggiero, John Charles Hounschell, 2nd, Mark J. Bartonek
  • Patent number: 7554457
    Abstract: A system is provided for sensing misalignment of a railroad signaling system. The railroad signaling system includes at least one railroad signal coupled to at least one elongated member adjacent to a railroad. The system includes at least one transmitter positioned within at least one elongated member, and at least one receiver positioned from each of said at least one transmitter within at least one adjacent elongated member to the at least one elongated member. More particularly, the system includes at least one electronic device coupled to each of a transmitter and each of at least one receiver, to sense detection of each transmitter by at least one receiver of at least one receiver indicative of misalignment of the railroad signaling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: John Charles Hounschell, II
  • Publication number: 20080296442
    Abstract: A system for verifying the operation of a railroad gate is provided. The system includes a tilt device for measuring a tilt of the railroad gate and a controller coupled to the tilt device. The controller is selectively operable in a calibration mode and a monitoring mode. In the calibration mode, the controller measures a predetermined tilt of the railroad gate. In the monitoring mode, the controller measures a current tilt of the railroad gate to determine deviations between the current tilt and the predetermined tilt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Inventors: Andrew Lawrence Ruggiero, John Charles Hounschell, II, Mark J. Bartonek
  • Publication number: 20080252480
    Abstract: A system is provided for sensing misalignment of a railroad signaling system. The railroad signaling system includes at least one railroad signal coupled to at least one elongated member adjacent to a railroad. The system includes at least one transmitter positioned within at least one elongated member, and at least one receiver positioned from each of said at least one transmitter within at least one adjacent elongated member to the at least one elongated member. More particularly, the system includes at least one electronic device coupled to each of a transmitter and each of at least one receiver, to sense detection of each transmitter by at least one receiver of at least one receiver indicative of misalignment of the railroad signaling system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventor: John Charles Hounschell