Systems and methods for managing railcar usage

US9849896B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• BNSF Railway Company · US

Inventors

• Steven Mitchell Painter · Fort Worth, US
• Martin Andrew Schlenker · Grapevine, US
• Robert Joseph Saylor · Decatur, US
• Michelle Rae Flanery · Haslet, US
• Brandon Jay Archambeau · Fort Worth, US
• Gregory Lee Palcich · Keller, US
• Joshua Landon Gary · Fort Worth, US
• Vipin Gangadhar Kohale · Fort Worth, US
• Robert Wayne Lease · Fort Worth, US
• Caleb Peterson · Fargo, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 26, 2014
• Grant date: Dec 26, 2017
• Expiry date: Apr 4, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/06314
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A system for managing the transportation of crude oil by rail includes a user terminal having a display screen and a processing system coupled to the user terminal through a communications link. The processing system is operable to generate a user interface on the display screen of the user terminal receiving input information from a user, including information indicating a loading facility for loading a selected set of railcars and an unloading facility for unloading the selected set of railcars. The processing system is further operable to forecast an arrival time for the set of cars at the loading facility and an arrival time for the set of cars at the unloading facility and display the forecasted arrival times at the loading and unloading facilities on the display screen of the user terminal.