SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE CODE FOR DISTRIBUTING AND MANAGING DATA FOR USE BY A PLURALITY OF SUBSYSTEMS ON A LOCOMOTIVE

• US 20100286853A1
• Filed: 08/10/2009
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Goodermuth, Todd, Hooker, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,295,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0018 Communication with or on the vehicle or train
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0063 Multiple on-board control systems, e.g. "2 out of 3"-systems
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0072 On-board train data handling
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/00 Control, warning or like safety means along the route or between vehicles or trains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/16 Implementing security features at a particular protocol layer

Abstract

A communication system for controlling sharing of data across a plurality of subsystems on a locomotive, the communication system including an open defined interface unit configured so that a plurality of applications may access locomotive control system data in a common defined manner with predictable results.

Claims

1. A communication system for controlling sharing of data across a plurality of subsystems on a locomotive, the communication system comprising an open defined interface unit configured so that a plurality of applications may access locomotive control system data in a common defined manner with predictable results.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the open defined interface unit further comprises:

a data manager unit configured to manage a transmission of data from a control system of the locomotive to the plurality of applications, between the plurality of applications, from a sensor to one or more of the plurality of applications, from a communication management unit to the plurality of applications, and/or from off-board the locomotive to the plurality of applications; and

a control manager unit configured to receive control input from the plurality of applications and process the control input for providing to the control system for use in operating the locomotive.

3. The communicating system according to claim 2 wherein the control manager unit is configured to receive command requests from the plurality of applications and determine which command request is provided to the control system for use in operating the locomotive.

4. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein the data manager unit and the control manager unit comprise a closed loop control system that further comprises the control system and at least one application of the plurality of applications.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein the closed loop control system provides for autonomous operation of the locomotive.

6. The communication system according to claim 5, wherein providing autonomous operation of the locomotive comprises providing braking and throttle commands to define speed and/or movement authority to operate over a route by the locomotive.

7. The communication system according to claim 3, further comprising a private interface for communicating between the data manager unit and the control system and/or between the control manager unit and the control system.

8. The communication system according to claim 3, further comprising an open interface for communicating between the data manager unit and the plurality of applications and/or the control manager unit and the plurality of applications.

9. The communication system according to claim 3, further comprising a data dictionary that defines data available to at least one of the plurality of applications and/or a command request available from the control manager unit.

10. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein the data manager unit distributes data at specified frequencies to the plurality of applications.

11. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein the data manager unit distributes data depending on whether at least one application of the plurality of applications and/or control system of the locomotive publishes available data and at least a second application of the plurality of applications subscribes to receive the published available data.

12. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein the data from off-board the locomotive comprises data from a remote database and/or dynamic wayside data relevant to a signal aspect, switch position, and/or crossing gate position.

13. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein a transmission of data managed by the data manager unit is accomplished with a multicast delivery of the data.

14. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein the control manager unit provides for a closed loop control system that further comprises the control system and at least one application of the plurality of applications.

15. The communication system according to claim 14, wherein the closed loop control system provides for autonomous operation of the locomotive.

16. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a display manager unit that is configured to communicate with at least one of the plurality of applications, wherein the display manager unit is configured to manage a transmission of data made available to an operator.

17. The communication system according to claim 16, further comprising a user interface configured to allow the operator to select data to be made available to the operator.

19. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a file management staging unit to receive and distribute updates and/or replacement information for at least one of the plurality of applications from a location remote from the locomotive.

18. The communication system according 16, wherein the display manager unit is further configured to provide for a transmission of data made available to an operator as visual data, tactile data, and/or audio data.

20. A communication system on a locomotive, the communication system comprising:

a data manager unit configured to manage a transmission of data from a control system of the locomotive to a plurality of applications, between the plurality of applications, from a sensor to one or more of the plurality of applications, and from a communication management unit to the plurality of applications, wherein the data manager unit is configured as an open defined interface for the plurality of applications to access locomotive control system data in a common defined manner;

a control manager unit configured to receive control input from the plurality of applications and process the control input for providing to the control system for use in operating the locomotive;

a private interface for communications between the data manager unit and the control system and/or between the control manager unit and the control system; and

an open interface for communications between the data manager unit and the plurality of applications and for communications between the control manager unit and the plurality of applications.

21. The communication system according to claim 20 wherein the data manager unit is configured to manage the transmission of data, at least between the plurality of applications, based on a publish-subscribe communications structure.

22. A method for operating a locomotive, the method comprising:

autonomously managing a transmission of data from a locomotive control system to a plurality of applications, between the plurality of applications, from a sensor to the plurality of applications, from a communication management unit to the plurality of applications, and/or from off-board the locomotive to the plurality of applications;

autonomously managing a transmission of application data received from the plurality of applications to determine which application data is provided to the locomotive control system; and

operating the locomotive based on the application data provided to the locomotive control system.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein operating the locomotive further comprises autonomously operating the locomotive by autonomously implementing changes to a direction of travel of the locomotive, changes in a notch level of the locomotive, changes in a speed of the locomotive, dynamic brake operation, automatic air brake operation, and/or independent brake operation.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein autonomously managing a transmission of data from the locomotive control system further comprises distributing data to the plurality of applications based on an authority and/or a priority of each application of the plurality of applications for distributing and/or receiving data.

25. A computer software code stored on a computer readable medium and configured for execution with a processor designated for operating a locomotive, the computer software code comprising:

a computer software module for autonomously managing a transmission of data from a locomotive control system to a plurality of applications, between the plurality of applications, from a sensor to one or more of the plurality of applications, from a communication management unit to the plurality of applications, and/or from off-board the locomotive to the plurality of applications;

a computer software module for autonomously managing a transmission of data received from the plurality of applications to determine which application data is provided to the locomotive control system; and

a computer software module for operating the locomotive based on the application data provided to the locomotive control system.

26. The computer software code according to claim 25, wherein the computer software module for operating the locomotive further comprises a computer software module for autonomously operating the locomotive by autonomously implementing changes to a direction of travel, changes in a notch level of the locomotive, changes in a speed of the locomotive, dynamic brake operation, independent air brake operation, and/or automatic train air brake operation.

27. The computer software code according to claim 25, wherein the computer software module for autonomously managing a transmission of data from the locomotive control system further comprises a computer software module for distributing data to the plurality of applications based on an authority and/or a priority of each application of the plurality of applications for distributing and/or receiving data.