Patents by Inventor William LeFebvre

William LeFebvre 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: 12623650
    Abstract: A system, methods and devices for automating inspection of a brake system on a railway vehicle, such as a freight car or train of a plurality of cars is provided. According to preferred embodiments, the system may be configured for use in conjunction with existing braking systems currently on railway vehicles, such as those on freight cars and other railway vehicles. The system, methods and devices comprise a wireless brake monitoring sensor that includes a radar unit or circuitry and directs a beam toward a target to monitor a condition or position of a brake or brake component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2026
    Assignee: Pennsy Digital Inc.
    Inventors: William Lefebvre, Wayne H. Murphy
  • Patent number: 12545302
    Abstract: A system, methods and devices for automating inspection of a brake system on a railway vehicle, such as a freight car or train of a plurality of cars is provided. According to preferred embodiments, the system may be configured for use in conjunction with existing braking systems currently on railway vehicles, such as those on freight cars and other railway vehicles. The system, methods and devices comprise a wireless brake monitoring sensor that includes a radar unit or circuitry and directs a beam toward targets that designated as one or more brake assembly components or locations on the components to monitor a condition or position of a brake or brake component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2026
    Assignee: Pennsy Digital Inc.
    Inventors: William Lefebvre, Ryan Green, Wayne H. Murphy, Zachary Ryan Brook
  • Publication number: 20240190411
    Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for monitoring the stress of a rail, in particular, of continuous welded rail (CWR), providing a device that includes radar processing mechanisms and circuitry which is mountable on a rail to be monitored. The radar unit is sealed in a housing and projects a beam to a fixed target that is within a detection range of the radar unit. The radar unit also includes circuitry that allows programming of readings to take place at predetermined time intervals so changes and the extent of changes in conditions of the rail may be determined, and communicated to a remotely situated monitoring device, which may take place through a gateway or other communication network. The devices also may be used to measure temperature and other properties, rail conditions within a tunnel, such as proximity of the rail to walls, as well as ground condition, and bridge monitoring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2023
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Applicant: Pennsy Digital Inc.
    Inventors: William Lefebvre, Wayne H. Murphy, Zachary Zasada, Zachary Ryan Brook
  • Publication number: 20240075969
    Abstract: A system, methods and devices for automating inspection of a brake system on a railway vehicle, such as a freight car or train of a plurality of cars is provided. According to preferred embodiments, the system may be configured for use in conjunction with existing braking systems currently on railway vehicles, such as those on freight cars and other railway vehicles. The system, methods and devices comprise a wireless brake monitoring sensor that includes a radar unit or circuitry and directs a beam toward targets that designated as one or more brake assembly components or locations on the components to monitor a condition or position of a brake or brake component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: Pennsy Digital Inc.
    Inventors: William Lefebvre, Ryan Green, Wayne H. Murphy, Zachary Ryan Brook
  • Patent number: 11858488
    Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for monitoring the stress of a rail, in particular, of continuous welded rail (CWR), providing a device that includes radar processing mechanisms and circuitry which is mountable on a rail to be monitored. The radar unit is sealed in a housing and projects a beam to a fixed target that is within a detection range of the radar unit. The radar unit also includes circuitry that allows programming of readings to take place at predetermined time intervals so changes and the extent of changes in conditions of the rail may be determined, and communicated to a remotely situated monitoring device, which may take place through a gateway or other communication network. The devices also may be used to measure temperature and other properties, rail conditions within a tunnel, such as proximity of the rail to walls, as well as ground condition, and bridge monitoring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Pennsy Digital Inc.
    Inventors: William Lefebvre, Wayne H. Murphy, Zachary Zasada, Zachary Ryan Brook
  • Publication number: 20210276527
    Abstract: A system, methods and devices for automating inspection of a brake system on a railway vehicle, such as a freight car or train of a plurality of cars is provided. According to preferred embodiments, the system may be configured for use in conjunction with existing braking systems currently on railway vehicles, such as those on freight cars and other railway vehicles. The system, methods and devices comprise a wireless brake monitoring sensor that includes a radar unit or circuitry and directs a beam toward a target to monitor a condition or position of a brake or brake component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: Pennsy Digital Inc.
    Inventors: William Lefebvre, Wayne H. Murphy
  • Publication number: 20210278309
    Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for monitoring the stress of a rail, in particular, of continuous welded rail (CWR), providing a device that includes radar processing mechanisms and circuitry which is mountable on a rail to be monitored. The radar unit is sealed in a housing and projects a beam to a fixed target that is within a detection range of the radar unit. The radar unit also includes circuitry that allows programming of readings to take place at predetermined time intervals so changes and the extent of changes in conditions of the rail may be determined, and communicated to a remotely situated monitoring device, which may take place through a gateway or other communication network. The devices also may be used to measure temperature and other properties, rail conditions within a tunnel, such as proximity of the rail to walls, as well as ground condition, and bridge monitoring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: Pennsy Digital Inc.
    Inventors: William Lefebvre, Wayne H. Murphy, Zachary Zasada, Zachary Ryan Brook
  • Patent number: 10850755
    Abstract: Railyard management system for managing, assembling, disassembling and validating train consists and monitoring railcars in the railyard. The system provides for the collection of data and the movement of data from lower processing levels to higher processing levels, where an inference engine draws inferences regarding the current state of railcars and train consists within the railyard. The inferences are assigned confidence levels based on the methods and available data used to draw the inferences. The system can be used to track the location and orientation of railcars in the railyard and to validate order and orientation of assets in a train consist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William Lefebvre, Matthew Bonnes, Darren Dragish, Andrew Martin, Thomas P. Fuhs
  • Patent number: 10710619
    Abstract: A rail yard management system that takes advantage of infrastructure installed in rail yards and on railcars to allow the management of the railcars within a rail yard. The invention is also applicable to yard management for vehicles other than railcars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Matthew Bonnes, Darren Dragish, Andrew Martin, Edward J. Mansfield
  • Patent number: 10259477
    Abstract: A rail yard management system and method that takes advantage of infrastructure installed in rail yards and on train consists to allow the management of the assembly, disassembly and validation of train consists in the rail yard. A train management system and method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Matthew Bonnes, Darren Dragish, Andrew Martin, Edward J. Mansfield
  • Patent number: 10137915
    Abstract: A system for monitoring railcar and tram consist operational parameters and detecting anomalies in the operation and condition thereof using sensors to feed data to a distributive complex event processing engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: AMSTED RAIL COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Andrew Martin, Francis James Cooper, Rachel W. Adamec
  • Publication number: 20180319414
    Abstract: Railyard management system for managing, assembling, disassembling and validating train consists and monitoring railcars in the railyard. The system provides for the collection of data and the movement of data from lower processing levels to higher processing levels, where an inference engine draws inferences regarding the current state of railcars and train consists within the railyard. The inferences are assigned confidence levels based on the methods and available data used to draw the inferences. The system can be used to track the location and orientation of railcars in the railyard and to validate order and orientation of assets in a train consist.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: William Lefebvre, Matthew Bonnes, Darren Dragish, Andrew Martin, Thomas P. Fuhs
  • Patent number: 9663124
    Abstract: Railcar monitoring utilizes instrumented, flexible pads supported within the truck pedestal jaws on the bearing adapters. The pads contain sensors for monitoring temperature pressure, shifting loads, truck hunting and the like and have circuitry for processing information received from the sensors and for processing and reporting departures of performance variables to a remote source. The system cyclically activates polling each pad on a car and communicates signals of critical departures and car identity to a remote source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Michael J. McCann
  • Publication number: 20170021847
    Abstract: A rail yard management system and method that takes advantage of infrastructure installed in rail yards and on train consists to allow the management of the assembly, disassembly and validation of train consists in the rail yard. A train management system and method is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Applicant: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Matthew Bonnes, Darren Dragish, Andrew Martin
  • Publication number: 20160325767
    Abstract: A system for monitoring railcar and tram consist operational parameters and detecting anomalies in the operation and condition thereof using sensors to feed data to a distributive complex event processing engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2014
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Applicant: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Andrew Martin, Francis James COOPER, Rachel W. ADAMEC
  • Publication number: 20160272228
    Abstract: A rail yard management system that takes advantage of infrastructure installed in rail yards and on railcars to allow the management of the railcars within a rail yard. The invention is also applicable to yard management for vehicles other than railcars.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Matthew Bonnes, Darren Dragish, Andrew Martin
  • Publication number: 20150083869
    Abstract: Railcar monitoring utilizes instrumented, flexible pads supported within the truck pedestal jaws on the bearing adapters. The pads contain sensors for monitoring temperature pressure, shifting loads, truck hunting and the like and have circuitry for processing information received from the sensors and for processing and reporting departures of performance variables to a remote source. The system cyclically activates polling each pad on a car and communicates signals of critical departures and car identity to a remote source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Michel J. McCann
  • Patent number: 8823537
    Abstract: Railcar monitoring utilizes instrumented, flexible pads supported within the truck pedestal jaws on the bearing adapters. The pads contain sensors for monitoring temperature pressure, shifting loads, truck hunting and the like and have circuitry for processing information received from the sensors and for processing and reporting departures of performance variables to a remote source. The system cyclically activates polling each pad on a car and communicates signals of critical departures and car identity to a remote source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Michael J. McCann
  • Publication number: 20140111356
    Abstract: A railcar sensing system is provided that in particular provides a system for sensing the orientation of a hatch of a railway tank car. The railcar sensing system includes an accelerometer for sensing the orientation of the hatch, a position sensing device for detecting the global position of the railcar, and a processing unit. The accelerometer sends a first signal to the processing unit when the orientation of the hatch changes more than a predetermined angle. The processing unit also senses whether the railway tank car is outside one of the preselected safe zones. If the railway tank car is located outside one of the preselected safe zones, and the accelerometer senses that the hatch orientation has been changed more than a predetermined angle, an alert signal is sent to a receiver indicative of such event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: AMSTED RAIL COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Andrew Martin, Matt Bonnes
  • Publication number: 20130092800
    Abstract: Railcar monitoring utilizes instrumented, flexible pads supported within the truck pedestal jaws on the bearing adapters. The pads contain sensors for monitoring temperature pressure, shifting loads, truck hunting and the like and have circuitry for processing information received from the sensors and for processing and reporting departures of performance variables to a remote source. The system cyclically activates polling each pad on a car and communicates signals of critical departures and car identity to a remote source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: AMSTED RAIL COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: William LeFebvre, Michael J. McCann