[Method and Apparatus for Assigning Addresses to Components in a Control System]

• US 20030195671A2
• Filed: 06/04/2002
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cattron North America, Inc. (Cattron Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CANAC Incorporated
• Inventors: Horst, Folkert, Szklar, Oleh, Brousseau, Andre, Ethier, Luc
• Granted Patent: US 7,164,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/127 for remote control of locomotives remote control of locomotives within a train consist B61C17/12

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for remotely controlling device, more particularly to a system and method for controlling locomotives in a railway environment using radio frequency signals. This invention makes use of a remote operator programming unit (OPP) to set address information in the transmitter unit via a communication channel such as an infrared link. The use of the operator programming unit allows eliminating the need to open the casing of the transmitter during programming thereby reducing the probability of damaging the electrical components of the transmitter. The invention also allows assigning a unique address to a transmitter/receiver pair in a remote control system. The invention further provides an apparatus for remotely programming a transmitter unit.

Claims

1. 26)A transmitter for remotely controlling a locomotive in which is mounted a slave controller, the locomotive having brakes, said transmitter comprising:

a) a data storage for holding an identifier of said transmitter and an identifier of the slave controller;

b) a signal transmitting unit in communication with said data storage, said signal transmitting unit being operative to transmit a wireless signal to the slave controller over an RF communication link, the signal conveying a message including a command portion and a tag portion, the command portion conveying a command for causing the brakes of the locomotive to be applied, the tag portion including data derived from the identifier of the transmitter in said data storage and data derived from the identifier of the slave controller in said data storage.

12. 37) A transmitter for remotely controlling a locomotive in which is mounted a slave controller, said transmitter comprising:

a) a data storage for holding an identifier of said transmitter and an identifier of the slave controller;

b) a signal transmitting unit in communication with said data storage, said signal transmitting unit being operative to transmit a wireless signal to the slave controller over an RF communication link, the signal conveying a message including a command portion and a tag portion, the command portion conveying a command for causing the locomotive to accelerate, the tag portion including data derived from the identifier of the transmitter in said data storage and data derived from the identifier of the slave controller in said data storage.

20. 45) A transmitter as defined in claim 44, wherein said message encoder processes the message constructed by said message builder to reduce an occurrence of consecutive 0'"'"'s or 1'"'"'s in the message constructed by said message builder.

21. 46) A transmitter as defined in claim 44, wherein said signal transmitting unit is in communication with said message encoder for receiving the message encoded by said message encoder and for producing the signal conveying the message including the command portion and the tag portion.

22. 47) A transmitter as defined in claim 46, wherein said signal transmitting unit includes a modulator for modulating the message encoded by said message encoder for producing the signal conveying the message including the command portion and the tag portion.

23. 48) A slave controller for use in a locomotive having a controller module, said slave controller comprising:

a) a data storage for storing an identifier of said slave controller and an identifier of a remote transmitter;

b) a signal receiver unit for receiving a signal from the transmitter over an RF communication link, the signal conveying a message including a command portion indicative of at least one command for causing the locomotive to accelerate, the message also including a tag portion including data derived from the identifier of the transmitter and data derived from the identifier of said slave controller;

a) a logical processing unit in communication with said data storage and with said signal receiver unit, said logical processing unit being operative to;

i) perform a validation procedure on the message including comparing the tag portion in the message with the identifier of the transmitter and the identifier of said slave controller in said data storage;

ii) if the validation procedure validates the message, generate control signals directed to the controller module for causing the locomotive to accelerate.

24. 49) A slave controller as defined in claim 48, wherein said slave controller further comprises an interface in communication with said data storage, said interface being adapted for receiving the identifier of the transmitter over a first communication link, the RF communication link being a second communication link.

25. 50) A slave controller as defined in claim 49, wherein said data storage is operative to release the identifier of said slave controller to said interface for transmission over the first communication link.

26. 51) A slave controller as defined in claim 48, wherein the validation procedure includes an assessment of an integrity of the signal conveying a message.

2. 27) A transmitter as defined in claim 26, wherein said transmitter further comprises an interface in communication with said data storage for receiving the identifier of the slave controller over a first communication link, the RF communication link being a second communication link.

27. 52) A slave controller as defined in claim 51, wherein the assessment of the integrity of the signal conveying a message includes processing the signal conveying the message by an error detection algorithm.

3. 28) A transmitter as defined in claim 27, wherein said data storage is operative to release the identifier of said transmitter for transmission over the first communication link via said interface.

28. 53) A slave controller as defined in claim 51, wherein the assessment of the integrity of the signal conveying the message includes processing the signal conveying the message by an error correction algorithm.

4. 29) A transmitter as defined in claim 28, wherein the first communication link is an IR link.

5. 30) A transmitter as defined in claim 28, wherein the first communication link is an asynchronous transmission link.

6. 31) A transmitter as defined in claim 28, wherein said transmitter further comprises a message builder in communication with said data storage, said message builder being operative to construct the message having the tag portion and the command portion.

29. 54) A slave controller as defined in claim 49, wherein said interface is a serial interface.

30. 55) A slave controller for use in a locomotive having a controller module, the locomotive having brakes, said slave controller comprising:

a) a data storage for storing an identifier of said slave controller and an identifier of a remote transmitter;

b) a signal receiver unit for receiving a signal from the transmitter over an RF communication link, the signal conveying a message including a command portion indicative of at least one command for causing the brakes of the locomotive to be applied, the message also including a tag portion including data derived from the identifier of the transmitter and data derived from the identifier of said slave controller;

a) a logical processing unit in communication with said data storage and with said signal receiver unit, said logical processing unit being operative to;

i) perform a validation procedure on the message including comparing the tag portion in the message with the identifier of the transmitter and the identifier of said slave controller in said data storage;

ii) if the validation procedure validates the message, generate control signals directed to the controller module for causing the brakes of the locomotive to be applied.

31. 56) A slave controller as defined in claim 55, wherein said slave controller further comprises an interface in communication with said data storage, said interface being capable of receiving the identifier of the transmitter over a first communication link, the RF communication link being a second communication link.

7. 32) A transmitter as defined in claim 31, wherein said transmitter further comprises a user interface for receiving user commands, said user interface being in communication with said message builder.

8. 33) A transmitter as defined in claim 31, including a message encoder in communication with said message builder to encode the message constructed by said message builder.

32. 57) A slave controller as defined in claim 56, wherein said data storage is operative to release the identifier of said slave controller to said interface for transmission over the first communication link.

33. 59) A slave controller as defined in claim 55, the validation procedure includes an assessment of an integrity of the signal conveying a message.

9. 34) A transmitter as defined in claim 33, wherein said message encoder processes the message constructed by said message builder to reduce an occurrence of consecutive 0"s or 1"s in the message constructed by said message builder.

10. 35) A transmitter as defined in claim 33, wherein said signal transmitting unit is in communication with said message encoder for receiving the message encoded by said message encoder and for producing the signal conveying the message including the command portion and the tag portion.

34. 60) A slave controller as defined in claim 58, wherein the assessment of the integrity of the signal conveying a message includes processing the signal conveying the message by an error detection algorithm.

35. 61) A slave controller as defined in claim 58, wherein the assessment of the integrity of the signal conveying a message includes processing the signal conveying the message by an error correction algorithm.

11. 36) A transmitter as defined in claim 35, wherein said signal transmitting unit includes a modulator for modulating the message encoded by said message encoder for producing the signal conveying the message including the command portion and the tag portion.

36. 62) A slave controller as defined in claim 57, wherein said interface is a serial interface.

37. 63) In combination:

a) a locomotive having a controller module;

b) the slave controller defined in claim 48 mounted on board the locomotive and interfacing with said controller module.

13. 38) A transmitter as defined in claim 37, wherein said transmitter further comprises an interface in communication with said data storage for receiving the identifier of the slave controller over a first communication link, the RF communication link being a second communication link.

38. 64) In combination:

a) a locomotive having a controller module and having brakes;

b) the slave controller defined in claim 55 mounted on board the locomotive and interfacing with said controller module.

14. 39) A transmitter as defined in claim 38, wherein said data storage is operative to release the identifier of said transmitter for transmission over the first communication link via said interface.

39. 65) A signal embodied in an RF link established between a transmitter and a slave controller mounted on board a locomotive, the locomotive having brakes, the transmitter and the slave controller having respective identifiers, the signal conveying a message for controlling the locomotive, said message including a command portion and a tag portion, said command portion conveying a command for causing the brakes of the locomotive to be applied, the tag portion including first data derived from the identifier of the remote transmitter and second data derived from the identifier of the slave controller.

15. 40) A transmitter as defined in claim 39, wherein the first communication link is an IR link.

16. 41) A transmitter as defined in claim 39, wherein the first communication link is an asynchronous transmission link.

17. 42) A transmitter as defined in claim 39, wherein said transmitter further comprises a message builder in communication with said data storage, said message builder operative to construct the message having the tag portion and the command portion.

40. 66) A signal embodied in an RF link established between a transmitter and a slave controller mounted on board a locomotive, the transmitter and the slave controller having respective identifiers, the signal conveying a message for controlling the locomotive, said message including a command portion and a tag portion, said command portion conveying a command for causing the locomotive to accelerate, the tag portion including first data derived from the identifier of the remote transmitter and second data derived from the identifier of the slave controller.

41. 67) A method for manufacturing a set of transmitters for remotely controlling one or more locomotives in which are mounted slave controllers, each transmitter including:

a) a data storage for holding an identifier of the transmitter;

b) a signal transmitting unit in communication with said data storage, the signal transmitting unit being operative to transmit a wireless signal to a slave controller over an RF communication link, the signal conveying a message including a command portion and a tag portion, the command portion conveying a command for causing the locomotive to perform a predetermined action, the tag portion including data derived from the identifier of the transmitter in the data storage;

said method comprising;

i) assigning to each transmitter of the set an identifier that is unique in the set;

ii) storing each identifier in the data storage of the respective transmitter.

42. 68) A method for manufacturing a set of slave controllers, each slave controller suitable for use in a locomotive having a controller module, each slave controller having:

a) a data storage for storing an identifier of said slave controller and an identifier of a remote transmitter;

b) a signal receiver unit for receiving a wireless signal from the remote transmitter over an RF communication link, the signal conveying a message including a command portion and a tag portion, the command portion conveying a command for causing the locomotive to perform a predetermined action;

c) a logical processing unit in communication with the data storage and with the signal receiver unit, the logical processing unit being operative to perform a validation procedure on the message including comparing data in the tag portion with the identifier of the remote transmitter and the identifier of said slave controller in the data storage;

said method comprising;

i) assigning to each slave controller of the set an identifier that is unique in the set;

ii) storing each identifier in the data storage of the respective slave controller.

18. 43) A transmitter as defined in claim 42, wherein said transmitter further comprises a user interface for receiving user commands, said user interface being in communication with said message builder.

43. 69) A method, comprising:

a) manufacturing a set of transmitters for remotely controlling locomotives in which are mounted slave controllers, each transmitter comprising;

i) a data storage for holding an identifier of the transmitter;

ii) a signal transmitting unit in communication with the data storage, the signal transmitting unit being operative to transmit a wireless signal to a slave controller over an RF communication link, the signal conveying a message including a command portion and a tag portion, the command portion conveying a command for causing the locomotive to perform a predetermined action, the tag portion including data derived from the identifier of the transmitter in the data storage;

the manufacturing of the set of transmitters including

(1) assigning to each transmitter of the set an identifier that is unique in the set;

(2) storing each identifier in the data storage of the respective transmitter;

b) manufacturing a group of slave controllers for mounting in the locomotives, each slave controller in the group including;

i) a data storage for storing an identifier of the slave controller and an identifier of a transmitter in the set of transmitters;

ii) a signal receiver unit for receiving a wireless signal from a transmitter in said set of transmitters over an RF communication link, the signal conveying a message including a command portion and a tag portion, the command portion conveying a command for causing the locomotive to perform an action, the tag portion including data derived from the identifier of the slave controller in the data storage of the slave controller and data derived from the identifier of the transmitter in the data storage of the slave controller;

iii) a logical processing unit in communication with the data storage of the slave controller and with said signal receiver unit, the logical processing unit being operative to perform a validation procedure on the message conveyed by the wireless signal received by said signal receiver unit, the validation procedure including comparing data in the tag portion with the identifier of the transmitter and the identifier of the slave controller in the data storage of the slave controller;

the manufacturing of the group of slave controllers comprising;

(1) assigning to each slave controller of the group an identifier that is unique in the group;

(2) storing the identifier assigned at (1) in the data storage of the respective slave controller.

19. 44) A transmitter as defined in claim 43, including a message encoder in communication with said message builder to encode the message constructed by said message builder.