Method and apparatus for assigning addresses to components in a control system
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for transmitting a signal to a remote receiver located on-board a locomotive, said apparatus comprising:
- a) a first input for receiving a certain signal to be transmitted to the remote receiver, said apparatus being operative to transmit said signal;
b) a computer readable storage medium suitable for storing a tag data element comprising a first portion and a second portion, said first portion containing a first data element indicative of a first identifier derived on the basis of an identifier of said apparatus;
c) a second input coupled to said computer readable storage medium for receiving a second data element indicative of a second identifier associated to the remote receiver, said signal transmitting unit being responsive to the reception of said second data element to store in said second portion of said tag data element an electronic representation of said second data element indicative of the second identifier;
d) means for generating an output signal, said output signal being derived on the basis of the certain signal and on the basis of the tag data element;
e) an output for outputting the output signal.
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus for remotely controlling locomotives in a railway environment using radio frequency signals are provided. A remote operator programming unit (OPP) is used 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.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. An apparatus for transmitting a signal to a remote receiver located on-board a locomotive, said apparatus comprising:
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a) a first input for receiving a certain signal to be transmitted to the remote receiver, said apparatus being operative to transmit said signal;
b) a computer readable storage medium suitable for storing a tag data element comprising a first portion and a second portion, said first portion containing a first data element indicative of a first identifier derived on the basis of an identifier of said apparatus;
c) a second input coupled to said computer readable storage medium for receiving a second data element indicative of a second identifier associated to the remote receiver, said signal transmitting unit being responsive to the reception of said second data element to store in said second portion of said tag data element an electronic representation of said second data element indicative of the second identifier;
d) means for generating an output signal, said output signal being derived on the basis of the certain signal and on the basis of the tag data element;
e) an output for outputting the output signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for transmitting a signal to a remote receiver located on board a locomotive, said method comprising:
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a) receiving at a transmission unit a certain signal to be transmitted to the remote receiver;
b) providing a computer readable storage medium for storing a tag data element comprising a first portion and a second portion, said first portion containing a first data element indicative of a first identifier derived on the basis of an identifier of the transmission unit;
c) receiving a second data element indicative of a second identifier associated to the remote receiver;
d) storing in the second portion of the tag data element an electronic representation of the second data element indicative of the second identifier;
e) generating an output signal derived on the basis of the certain signal and on the basis of the tag data element;
f) outputting the output signal. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A remote control system for a locomotive, the remote control system comprising:
a transmitter for transmitting a signal indicative of an action to be performed at the locomotive, said transmitter including;
a) a first input for receiving a certain signal to be transmitted, said transmitter being operative to transmit said signal;
b) a computer readable storage medium suitable for storing a tag data element comprising a first portion and a second portion, said first portion containing a first data element indicative of a first identifier derived on the basis of an identifier of said transmitter;
c) a second input in communication with said computer readable storage medium for receiving a second data element indicative of a second identifier, said signal transmitting unit being responsive to the reception of the second data element for storing in said second portion of the tag data element an electronic representation of the second data element indicative of the second identifier;
d) means for generating an output signal, said output signal being derived on the basis of the certain signal and on the basis of the tag data element;
e) an output for outputting the output signal;
f) a remote receiver suitable for being located on board the locomotive for sensing said output signal and for implementing locally an action in dependence upon the output signal, said second identifier being associated to said remote receiver. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A communication device suitable for use in a locomotive remote control system having a remote receiver located on board a locomotive, said communication device comprising:
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a) a computer readable storage medium suitable for storing a tag data element comprising a first portion and a second portion, said first portion containing a first data element indicative of a first identifier derived on the basis of an identifier of said communication device;
b) an input coupled to said computer readable storage medium for receiving a second data element indicative of a second identifier associated to the remote receiver, said communication device being responsive to the reception of the second data element to store in said second portion of the tag data element an electronic representation of the second data element indicative of the second identifier;
c) means for generating an output signal, said output signal being derived at least in part on the basis of the tag data element;
d) an output for outputting the output signal to the remote receiver.
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15. A communication device suitable for use in a locomotive remote control system having a remote receiver located on board a locomotive, said communication device comprising:
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a) means for storing a tag data element comprising a first portion and a second portion, said first portion containing a first data element indicative of a first identifier derived on the basis of an identifier of said communication device;
b) means for receiving a second data element indicative of a second identifier associated to the remote receiver, said communication device being responsive to the reception of the second data element to store in the second portion of the tag data element an electronic representation of the second data element indicative of the second identifier;
c) means for generating an output signal, said output signal being derived at least in part on the basis of the tag data element;
d) means for outputting the output signal for transmission to the remote receiver.
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16. A method for assigning addresses in a locomotive remote control system, the locomotive remote control system comprising a transmitter unit and a receiver unit, said method comprising:
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providing a first data element indicative of a first identifier associated to the receiver unit;
providing a second data element indicative of a second identifier associated to the transmitter unit;
deriving a transmission address having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including said first data element and said second portion including said second data element;
providing the receiver unit and the transmitter unit with the transmission address. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A transmitter for remotely controlling a locomotive in which is mounted a slave controller, said transmitter comprising:
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a) an interface for receiving an identifier of the slave controller via a first communication link;
b) a signal transmitting unit for transmitting a signal over a second communication link different from the first communication link, the second communication link being an RF communication link, the signal being indicative of at least one command for causing an action to be performed by the locomotive, the signal conveying data derived from the identifier of the slave controller received over the first communication link. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A transmitter for remotely controlling a locomotive, said transmitter comprising:
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a) a data storage for holding an identifier of said transmitter;
b) an interface in communication with said data storage, said interface being operative to establish a first communication link with an external entity for transmitting to the external entity data derived from the identifier of said transmitter via the first communication link;
c) a signal transmitting unit in communication with said data storage, said signal transmitting unit being operative to transmit a signal over a second communication link different from the first communication link, the second communication link being an RF communication link, the signal conveying;
i) at least one command for causing an action to be performed by the locomotive; and
ii) data derived from the identifier of said transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A remote control system for a locomotive having a controller module, said remote control system comprising:
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a) a slave controller for mounting on-board the locomotive;
b) a transmitter for transmitting a wireless signal over a first communication link, the first communication link being an RF communication link, the wireless signal being indicative of at least one command for causing an action to be performed by the locomotive;
c) said slave controller being responsive to the wireless signal to generate control signals for transmission to the controller module to implement the at least one command;
d) said slave controller being operative to receive over a second communication link, different from the first communication link, an identifier of said transmitter;
e) the wireless signal including data derived from the identifier of said transmitter.
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38. A method for remotely controlling a locomotive in which is mounted a slave controller, said method comprising:
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a) providing a portable transmitter;
b) communicating to the portable transmitter an identifier of the slave controller over a first communication link;
c) transmitting to the slave controller a wireless signal over a second communication link different from the first communication link, the second communication link being an RF communication link, the wireless signal conveying at least one command for causing an action to be performed by the locomotive, the signal further conveying data derived from the identifier of the slave controller received via the first communication link. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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Specification