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

• US 20130041547A1
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Goodermuth, Todd, Hooker, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• 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 of subsystems on a vehicle, the communication system comprising an open defined interface unit configured so that plural applications may access vehicle control system data in a common defined manner, the open defined interface unit configured to manage transmission of data from a control system of the vehicle to the applications and to manage transmission of data between at least two or more of the applications.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the open defined interface unit further comprises a control manager unit configured to receive control input from the applications and process the control input for providing to the control system for use in operating the vehicle.

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

4. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein the open interface device and at least one of the applications are configured as portions of a closed loop control system of the vehicle.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein the closed loop control system is configured to provide for autonomous operation of the vehicle.

6. The communication system according to claim 5, wherein the closed loop control system is configured to provide autonomous operation of the vehicle by providing braking and throttle commands to define at least one of speed or movement authority to operate the vehicle over a route.

7. A communication system for controlling sharing of data across subsystems on a vehicle, the communication system comprising:

an open defined interface unit configured to permit plural applications to access vehicle control system data in a common defined manner, the open defined interface unit configured to manage transmission of data from a control system of the vehicle to the applications and to manage transmission of data between two or more of the applications,

wherein a first subset of the applications are configured as source applications and a second subset of the applications are configured as service applications,

wherein the source applications are configured to provide data to one or more other applications,

wherein the service applications are configured to request information from one or more other applications, and

wherein the information that is requested by the service applications is autonomously delivered from the source applications.

8. The communication system according to claim 7, wherein the open defined interface unit further comprises a control manager unit configured to receive control input from the applications and process the control input for providing to the control system for use in operating the vehicle.

9. The communicating system according to claim 8, wherein the control manager unit is configured to receive command requests from the applications and determine which of the command requests is provided to the control system for use in operating the vehicle.

10. The communication system according to claim 9, wherein the open interface device and at least one of the applications are configured as portions of a closed loop control system of the vehicle.

11. The communication system according to claim 10, wherein the closed loop control system is configured to provide autonomous operation of the vehicle.

12. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein the closed loop control system is configured to provide autonomous operation of the vehicle by providing braking and throttle commands to define at least one of speed or movement authority to operate the vehicle over a route.

13. The communication system according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the applications is configured as the source application and the service application.

14. The communication system according to claim 7, wherein the open interface device is configured to autonomously notify at least one of the applications regarding whether one or more other applications are functioning.

15. The communication system according to claim 7, wherein the open interface device is configured to identify information from at least one of the applications to one or more other applications once the at least one application is identified as being recognized through a communication standard.

16. A method for operating a vehicle, the method comprising:

autonomously managing at least one of a transmission of data from a vehicle control system to plural applications, a transmission of application data between the applications, a transmission of data from a sensor to the applications, a transmission of data from a communication management unit to the applications, or a transmission of data from off-board the vehicle to the applications;

autonomously managing a transmission of the application data received from the applications to determine the application data that is provided to the vehicle control system, wherein autonomously managing the transmission of the application data is performed at a control management unit that receives data from the applications; and

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

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein operating the vehicle further comprises autonomously operating the vehicle by autonomously implementing at least one of changes to a direction of travel of the vehicle, changes in a notch level of the vehicle, changes in a speed of the vehicle, dynamic brake operation, automatic air brake operation, or independent brake operation.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein autonomously managing the transmission of data from the vehicle control system further comprises distributing data to the applications based on at least one of an authority or a priority of each of the applications of the applications for one or more of distributing or receiving data.

19. A computer software code stored on a computer readable medium and configured for execution with a processor designated for operating a vehicle, the computer software code comprising one or more computer software modules configured to:

autonomously manage at least one of transmission of data from a vehicle control system to plural applications, transmission of data between the applications, transmission of data from a sensor to one or more of the applications, transmission of data from a communication management unit to the applications, or transmission of data from off-board the vehicle to the applications;

autonomously manage transmission of application data received from the applications to determine the application data that is provided to the vehicle control system, wherein the transmission of the application data is autonomously performed at a control management unit that receives data from the applications; and

operate the vehicle based on the application data provided to the vehicle control system.

20. The computer software code according to claim 19, wherein the one or more computer software modules are configured to autonomously operate the vehicle by autonomously implementing changes to at least one of a direction of travel, changes in a notch level of the vehicle, changes in a speed of the vehicle, dynamic brake operation, independent air brake operation, or automatic air brake operation.

21. The computer software code according to claim 19, wherein the one or more computer software modules that are configured to autonomously manage the transmission of data from the vehicle control system are further configured to distribute data to the applications based on at least one of an authority or a priority of each of the applications of the applications for one or more of distributing or receiving data.