SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR LOCOMOTIVE RADIO COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20110279337A1
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Opalka, Timothy John, Cafferty, Gerard, Corwin, Robert Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,537,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/088 Quick-releasable antenna elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1221 onto a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3275 mounted on a horizontal surface of the vehicle, e.g. on roof, hood, trunk

Abstract

In one embodiment, a radio communication system comprises a removable antenna platform and an antenna interface bulkhead connected to a roof of a locomotive. The antenna platform includes a blind mate connector connected to an antenna mount. The antenna mount is connected to a ground plane. The antenna interface bulkhead includes a blind mate connector configured to mate with the blind mate connector of the antenna platform when the antenna platform is attached to the antenna interface bulkhead. The antenna interface bulkhead is configured to attach to the antenna platform in one orientation. Thus, one or more antennas may be quickly attached to or removed from the roof of the locomotive reducing maintenance time for the locomotive when an antenna upgrade may be desired.

Claims

1. A radio communication system for a locomotive having a cab with a roof, comprising:

an antenna platform including a first blind mate connector connected to an antenna mount, the antenna mount connected to a ground plane; and

an antenna interface bulkhead connected to the roof of the cab of the locomotive, the antenna interface bulkhead including a second blind mate connector configured to mate with the first blind mate connector of the antenna platform when the antenna platform is attached to the antenna interface bulkhead, the antenna interface bulkhead and antenna platform configured to attach to one another in only one orientation.

2. The radio communication system of claim 1, wherein the antenna interface bulkhead includes a bulkhead plate and the antenna platform includes a hole shaped to receive the bulkhead plate.

3. The radio communication system of claim 1, wherein the antenna interface bulkhead includes a plurality of holes and the antenna platform includes a plurality of pins configured to fit into the plurality of holes when the antenna platform is attached to the antenna interface bulkhead.

4. The radio communication system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of holes of the antenna interface bulkhead are arranged in an asymmetric pattern.

5. The radio communication system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of holes of the antenna interface bulkhead extend around a periphery of the second blind mate connector.

6. The radio communication system of claim 1, wherein the antenna mount of the antenna platform is a NMO mount.

7. The radio communication system of claim 1, further comprising a gasket in between the antenna platform and the antenna interface bulkhead, the gasket extending around a periphery of the antenna interface bulkhead.

8. The radio communication system of claim 7, further comprising a conductive bracket connected to the roof of the cab, the antenna platform including a conductive mounting plate connected to a flange of the ground plane, the gasket being an RF gasket, and the mounting plate of the antenna platform is electrically connected to the bracket and the RF gasket when the antenna platform is connected to the antenna interface bulkhead.

9. An antenna platform for a locomotive having a cab with a roof, comprising:

a ground plane;

a first 802.11 antenna mounted to the ground plane;

a second 802.11 antenna mounted to the ground plane;

a first cell antenna mounted to the ground plane;

a second cell antenna mounted to the ground plane; and

an antenna interface including a first blind mate connector connected to the first 802.11 antenna, a second blind mate connector connected to the second 802.11 antenna, a third blind mate connector connected to the first cell antenna, and a fourth blind mate connector connected to the second cell antenna.

10. The antenna platform of claim 9, wherein the first 802.11 antenna is spaced greater than five inches from the second 802.11 antenna.

11. The antenna platform of claim 9, wherein the first 802.11 antenna is spaced between five inches and eighteen inches from the second 802.11 antenna.

12. The antenna platform of claim 9, wherein the first cell antenna is spaced greater than fifteen inches from the second cell antenna.

13. The antenna platform of claim 9, wherein the first cell antenna is spaced between fifteen inches and twenty-four inches from the second cell antenna.

14. The antenna platform of claim 9, wherein the antenna interface further includes a plurality of pins arranged in an asymmetric pattern and extending around a periphery of the first blind mate connector, the second blind mate connector, the third blind mate connector, and the fourth blind mate connector.

15. The antenna platform of claim 9, wherein the antenna platform further comprises a GPS antenna mounted to the ground plane and a VHF antenna mounted to the ground plane, and the antenna interface includes a fifth blind mate connector connected to the GPS antenna and a sixth blind mate connector connected to the VHF antenna.

16. The antenna platform of claim 15, wherein the GPS antenna is spaced greater than fifteen inches from the VHF antenna.

17. An antenna platform for a locomotive having a cab with a roof, comprising, a ground plane;

a first 802.11 antenna mounted to the ground plane with a first NMO connector;

a second 802.11 antenna mounted to the ground plane with a second NMO connector, the second 802.11 antenna spaced between five and eighteen inches from the first 802.11 antenna;

a first cell antenna mounted to the ground plane with a third NMO connector;

a second cell antenna mounted to the ground plane with a fourth NMO connector, the second cell antenna spaced between fifteen and twenty-four inches from the first cell antenna; and

an antenna interface including a first blind mate connector connected to the first 802.11 antenna by a first coaxial cable between the first NMO connector and the first blind mate connector, a second blind mate connector connected to the second 802.11 antenna by a second coaxial cable between the second NMO connector and the second blind mate connector, a third blind mate connector connected to the first cell antenna by a third coaxial cable between the third NMO connector and the third blind mate connector, a fourth blind mate connector connected to the second cell antenna by a fourth coaxial cable between the fourth NMO connector and the fourth blind mate connector, and a plurality of pins arranged in an asymmetric pattern around a periphery of the first, second, third, and fourth blind mate connectors.

18. The antenna platform of claim 17, further comprising a GPS antenna mounted to the ground plane with a fifth NMO connector, a VHF antenna mounted to the ground plane with a sixth NMO connector and spaced greater than fifteen inches from the GPS antenna, the antenna interface further comprising a fifth blind mate connector connected to the GPS antenna by a fifth coaxial cable between the fifth NMO connector and the fifth blind mate connector, and the antenna interface further comprising a sixth blind mate connector connected to the VHF antenna by a sixth coaxial cable between the sixth NMO connector and the sixth blind mate connector.

19. The antenna platform of claim 18, wherein the first blind mate connector, the second blind mate connector, the third blind mate connector, the fourth blind mate connector, the fifth blind mate connector, and the sixth blind mate connector are arranged in a hexagonal pattern;

and

the ground plane includes a flange mechanically and electrically connected to an electrically conductive mounting plate of the antenna platform.

20. A radio communication system for a locomotive having a cab with a roof, comprising:

an antenna platform comprising a mounting plate, a plurality of antenna mounts connected to the mounting plate and to a ground plane, a plurality of first blind mate connectors respectively connected to the antenna mounts, and a plurality of antennas respectively connected to the plurality of antenna mounts, wherein the plurality of antennas comprise at least one first antenna configured for wireless communications in a first bandwidth and at least one second antenna configured for wireless communications in a second, non-overlapping bandwidth; and

an antenna interface bulkhead configured for connection to the roof of the cab of the locomotive, the antenna interface bulkhead including a plurality of second blind mate connectors configured to respectively mate with the plurality of first blind mate connectors of the antenna platform when the antenna platform is attached to the antenna interface bulkhead, the antenna interface bulkhead and antenna platform configured to attach to one another in only one orientation.