SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR OPERATING A DISTRIBUTED POWER TRAIN
First Claim
1. A system for operating a distributed power train wherein the distributed power train comprises a lead unit and a remote unit, and the lead unit is controlled by operation of lead unit controls, and the remote unit is controlled by commands issued from the lead unit to the remote unit over a communication system, the system comprising:
- a controller at the remote unit for issuing commands to control the operation of the remote unit on a track and responsive to a communications loss between the lead unit and the remote unit; and
a memory, accessible by the controller, comprising data relative to a track profile including a plurality of geographical coordinates of the track and data relative to one or more throttle positions or braking operations for the remote unit associated with the geographical coordinates;
wherein the controller receives data relative to geographical coordinates of the remote unit and upon a detection of the communication loss between the remote unit and lead unit compares the geographical coordinates of the remote unit to the track profile geographical coordinates and issues one more throttle position or braking operation commands associated with the remote unit and track profile geographical coordinate data to control the movement of the remote unit on the track during the communication loss.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An embodiment of the invention for conducting a distributed power train operation, comprises a controller at the remote unit for issuing commands to control the operation of the remote unit on a track, and responsive to a communication loss between the lead unit and the remote unit. A memory, accessible by the controller, comprises data relative to a track profile including a plurality of geographical coordinates of the track and data relative to one or more throttle positions or braking operations for the remote unit that are associated with the geographical coordinates. The controller receives data relative to geographical coordinates of the remote unit and upon a detection of the communication loss, the controller compares the geographical coordinates of the remote unit to the track profile geographical coordinates and issues one more commands associated with the operation of the remote unit.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A system for operating a distributed power train wherein the distributed power train comprises a lead unit and a remote unit, and the lead unit is controlled by operation of lead unit controls, and the remote unit is controlled by commands issued from the lead unit to the remote unit over a communication system, the system comprising:
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a controller at the remote unit for issuing commands to control the operation of the remote unit on a track and responsive to a communications loss between the lead unit and the remote unit; and a memory, accessible by the controller, comprising data relative to a track profile including a plurality of geographical coordinates of the track and data relative to one or more throttle positions or braking operations for the remote unit associated with the geographical coordinates; wherein the controller receives data relative to geographical coordinates of the remote unit and upon a detection of the communication loss between the remote unit and lead unit compares the geographical coordinates of the remote unit to the track profile geographical coordinates and issues one more throttle position or braking operation commands associated with the remote unit and track profile geographical coordinate data to control the movement of the remote unit on the track during the communication loss. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for operating a distributed power train wherein the distributed power train comprises a lead unit and a remote unit, and the lead unit is controlled by operation of lead unit controls, and the remote unit is controlled by commands issued from the lead unit to the remote unit over a communication system, the method comprising:
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storing in a memory, at the remote unit, track profile data comprising a plurality of geographical coordinates of a track on which the remote unit travels and data relative to one or more throttle positions or braking operations for the remote unit associated with the geographical coordinates; storing in a memory, at the remote unit, data relative to geographical coordinates of the remote unit as the remote unit is moving on the track; determining at the remote unit that there exists a communications loss between the lead unit and the remote unit; identifying, at the remote unit, the track profile geographic coordinate data and the associated throttle position or braking operation data that are associated with the geographic coordinates of the remote unit; and
,responsive to identifying the associated throttle position or braking operation data, issuing, at the remote unit, one or more commands to control movement of the remote unit during the communication loss. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for operating a distributed power vehicle system having a lead unit and a remote unit, wherein the remote unit is controlled by commands transmitted from the lead unit to the remote unit over a communication system, the method comprising:
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determining, at the remote unit, a disruption in the communication system; identifying, at the remote unit, remote unit operational data that is associated with a vector of the remote unit along a designated route of the distributed power vehicle system, wherein the remote unit operational data is stored in a memory in association with a profile of the route and is identified by comparing the vector of the remote unit to the profile of the route in the memory; and based on the identified remote unit operational data, issuing one or more commands to control movement of the remote unit during the communication system disruption.
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29. A computer readable memory medium for conducting a distributed power train operation wherein the distributed power train comprises a lead unit, a remote unit, a plurality of railcars and a communications system that transmits information signals between the lead unit and remote unit, and the lead unit is controlled by operation of lead unit controls, and the remote unit is controlled by commands issued from the lead unit to the remote unit over the communication system, the computer readable media comprising:
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a computer module for storing in a memory, at the remote unit, track profile data comprising a plurality of geographical coordinates of a track on which the remote unit travels and data relative to one or more throttle positions or braking operations for the remote unit associated with the geographical coordinates; a computer module for storing in a memory, at the remote unit, data relative to geographical coordinates of the remote unit as the remote unit is moving on the track; a computer module for determining at the remote unit that there exists a communications loss between the lead unit and the remote unit while moving on a track; a computer module for identifying, at the remote unit, the track profile geographic coordinate data and the associated throttle position or braking operation data that are associated with the geographic coordinates of the remote unit; and
,responsive to identifying the associated throttle position or braking operation data, a computer module for issuing, at the remote unit, one or more commands to control movement of the remote unit during the communication loss.
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Specification