Patent attributes
A method and system monitor coupler fatigue by determining an upcoming fatigue metric representative of fatigue that is to be experienced by a coupler configured to connect plural vehicles in a vehicle system, determining whether a failure metric of the coupler during the upcoming trip exceeds a designated failure threshold (where the failure metric is based on the upcoming fatigue metric), and, responsive to determining that the failure metric exceeds the designated failure threshold, one or more of notifying an operator of the upcoming fatigue metric, displaying one or more of the upcoming fatigue metric or the failure metric, changing a driving plan for controlling movement of the vehicle system during the upcoming trip, and/or changing a characteristic of the vehicle system.