Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100030409 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BRAKING SYSTEM CONTROL IN DISTRIBUTED POWER VEHICLES - A brake control system for a distributed power vehicle system includes a brake system and a distributed power control system in a first vehicle, and first and second separate communication links between the brake system and the distributed power control system. In operation, upon the initiation of a penalty brake application, the brake system transmits information about the brake level of the penalty brake application to the distributed power control system, over at least the first communication link. However, if the first communication link fails, the brake system redundantly transmits the information about the level of the penalty brake application to the distributed power control system over the second communication link. The information is transmitted from the distributed power control system in the first vehicle to remote vehicles for carrying out the penalty brake application. | 02-04-2010 |
20100194186 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROL OF DISTRIBUTED POWER RAIL VEHICLE - In a system and method for controlling a distributed power rail vehicle consist, each of at least one powered rail vehicle in the rail vehicle consist is designated for operation as a remote trail. Based on the designation, a respective brake pipe valve of each of the at least one powered rail vehicle is automatically operated to a cut-out mode. Upon initiation of a service, an emergency, and/or a penalty brake application in the rail vehicle consist, the respective brake pipe valve of each of the at least one the powered rail vehicle is automatically operated to a cut-in mode. Upon completion of the service, emergency, and/or penalty brake application in the rail vehicle consist, the respective brake pipe valve of each of the at least one powered rail vehicle is automatically operated back to the cut-out mode. | 08-05-2010 |
20120265379 | COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A RAIL VEHICLE - A communication management system for a vehicle includes a control module, a communication module, and a management module. The control module is disposed on-board a lead powered unit of the vehicle. The control module is configured to automatically change propulsion energy settings of a remote powered unit of the vehicle. The communication module transmits instructions to the remote powered unit to automatically change the propulsion energy settings of the remote powered unit. The communication module identifies communication gaps that represent interruption in one or more communication connections between the lead powered unit and the remote powered unit. The management module compares the propulsion energy settings of the lead powered unit and of the remote powered unit during the communication gaps and, based on the propulsion energy settings, prevents the control module from switching from automatic control of the propulsion energy settings of the remote powered unit to manual control. | 10-18-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100118988 | METHOD AND APPARATUS RELATED TO ON-BOARD MESSAGE REPEATING FOR VEHICLE CONSIST COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM - A communications method for a vehicle consist ( | 05-13-2010 |
20110183605 | METHOD AND APPARATUS RELATED TO ON-BOARD MESSAGE REPEATING FOR VEHICLE CONSIST COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM - A communications method for a vehicle consist ( | 07-28-2011 |
20120264370 | METHOD AND APPARATUS RELATED TO ON-BOARD MESSAGE REPEATING FOR VEHICLE CONSIST COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM - A communications method for a vehicle consist comprising a lead vehicle having a first and second antenna associated with a respective first and second transceiver and a remote vehicle having a third and fourth antenna associated with a respective third and fourth transceiver. The method further comprises transmitting an outbound message from the first transceiver via the first antenna or from the second transceiver via the second antenna, the outbound message comprising a plurality of message bytes, receiving the outbound message at the third and fourth antennas and associated third and fourth transceivers, determining correct bytes and error bytes in the outbound message as received at the third transceiver, determining correct bytes and error bytes in the outbound message as received at the fourth transceiver, and assembling a reconstructed message using correct bytes from the message received at the third transceiver and the fourth transceiver. | 10-18-2012 |
20120290156 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A VEHICLE - A method of controlling a vehicle system includes receiving information of a failure condition in a first rail vehicle of a rail vehicle consist. The method further includes, in response to the failure condition, controlling a second rail vehicle of the rail vehicle consist from a first operational mode to a different, second operational mode. In the second operational mode, the second rail vehicle performs a function that the first rail vehicle cannot due to the failure condition. The information is received over a distributed power system of the rail vehicle consist, and/or the second rail vehicle is controlled over the distributed power system. | 11-15-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20140005915 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING IN A VEHICLE CONSIST | 01-02-2014 |
20140081486 | ROLLBACK PROTECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A method for preventing rollback of a rail vehicle from a stopped condition, includes receiving a first signal indicative of the rail vehicle's location, and, in response to the first signal, selecting from a lookup table one of a first plurality of pre-determined values of a braking parameter and selecting from the lookup table one of a second plurality of pre-determined values of a tractive effort parameter. In response to an order for movement, the method includes applying brakes of the rail vehicle, according to the selected value of the braking parameter; establishing tractive effort of the rail vehicle, according to the selected value of the tractive effort parameter; and, then, releasing the brakes of the rail vehicle to establish motion of the rail vehicle from the stopped condition. | 03-20-2014 |
20140277845 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOTELY CONTROLLING A VEHICLE CONSIST - A method for remotely controlling a vehicle system includes selectively identifying, among two or more consists in the vehicle system, a selected consist to remotely control. Each of the two or more consists including a propulsion-generating vehicle. The method also includes initiating remote control of the propulsion-generating vehicle in the selected consist and remotely controlling at least one of tractive effort or braking effort provided by the propulsion-generating vehicle in the selected consist using a remote control device. The at least one of tractive effort or braking effort provided by the propulsion-generating vehicle in the selected consist is controlled without remotely controlling tractive effort or braking effort provided by the propulsion-generating vehicle in at least one other consist in the vehicle system. | 09-18-2014 |
20140277846 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF OF AN ENGINE - A method for controlling automatic shut off of an engine includes determining if a control system of a propulsion-generating vehicle is operating in a remote control mode or an onboard control mode. The operations of the vehicle are remotely controlled from an off-board source when the control system is in the remote control mode. The operations of the vehicle are controlled from onboard the vehicle when the control system is in the onboard control mode. The method also includes deactivating an automatic engine start-stop (AESS) device responsive to the control system being in or switched to the remote control mode. The AESS device automatically turns off an engine of the vehicle when operations of the engine are below one or more designated thresholds for at least a designated period of time. The AESS device is prevented from automatically turning the engine off when the AESS device is deactivated. | 09-18-2014 |
20150025712 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING IN A VEHICLE CONSIST - A system and method communicate a command message from a lead vehicle in a vehicle consist having remote vehicles and the lead vehicle. The command message includes a directive for controlling operations of the remote vehicles. The command message is received at the remote vehicles and reply messages are communicated in response thereto. The reply messages include statuses of the remote vehicles. Responsive to determining that the lead vehicle does not receive the reply message from one or more of the remote vehicles, the statuses of the one or more remote vehicles from which the reply messages are not received at the lead vehicle are sent and/or combined into an individual or concatenated relayed message. The individual or concatenated relayed messages are communicated to the lead vehicle such that the lead vehicle receives the statuses of the one or more remote vehicles. | 01-22-2015 |