SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATIONS IN A VEHICLE CONSIST

• US 20140058623A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kraeling, Mark Bradshaw, Daum, Wolfgang, Goodermuth, Todd William
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/34.4
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 13/00 Other auxiliaries or accessories for railways safety belts or harnesses A62B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0036 Conductor-based, e.g. using CAN-Bus, train-line or optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40293 the transportation system being a train

Abstract

A method includes determining a state of operational devices in a second group coupled with a second router onboard a second vehicular unit of a vehicle consist, registering an operational device in the second group based on the determined state, and transmitting a data message from an operational device in a first group of operational devices to the second router via a first router and a communication pathway of the vehicle consist. The first group is coupled with the first router onboard a first vehicular unit. The operational devices in the first and second groups perform functions of the respective first vehicular unit and second vehicular unit. The first and second routers are connected with each other by the communication pathway. The method also includes communicating the data message to the at least one of the operational devices in the second group that are registered with the second router.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a state of one or more operational devices in a second group of operational devices, wherein the second group of operational devices are coupled with a second router disposed onboard a second vehicular unit of a vehicle consist;

registering at least one of the operational devices in the second group with the second router based on the state that is determined;

transmitting a data message from at least one operational device in a first group of operational devices to the second router via a first router and a communication pathway of the vehicle consist, wherein the first group of operational devices is coupled with the first router disposed onboard a first vehicular unit of the vehicle consist, and wherein the operational devices in the first and second groups are configured to perform one or more functions of the respective first vehicular unit and second vehicular unit, the first and second routers connected with each other by the communication pathway; and

communicating the data message to the at least one of the operational devices in the second group that are registered with the second router.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data message is communicated to the at least one of the operational devices in the second group only when the data message is both addressed to the at least one of the operational devices in the second group and the at least one of the operational devices in the second group are registered with the second router.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of the one or more operational devices in the second group is indicative of at least one of a health of the one or more operational devices in the second group, a status of the one or more operational devices in the second group, or a capability of the one or more operational devices in the second group to perform the one or more functions of the second vehicular unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication pathway is a multiple unit (MU) bus of a rail vehicle consist, the rail vehicle consist comprising the first vehicular unit and the second vehicular unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the state of the one or more of the operational devices in the second group is autonomously performed by a self-assessment of the one or more of the operational devices in the second group.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the state of the one or more of the operational devices in the second group is autonomously performed by one or more other operational devices in the second group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the state of the one or more of the operational devices in the second group is autonomously performed by an assessment device disposed onboard the second vehicular unit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the at least one of the operational devices in the second group with the second router includes assigning an address to the at least one of the operational devices in the second group.

9. A method comprising:

determining a state of an operational device that is coupled with a first router disposed onboard a first vehicular unit of a vehicle consist, the operational device configured to perform one or more functions of the first vehicular unit, the first router connected with a second router disposed onboard a second vehicular unit of the vehicle consist by a communication pathway of the vehicle consist;

registering the operational device with the first router when the state indicates that the operational device can perform the one or more functions;

receiving a data message at the first router from the second router via the communication pathway; and

communicating the data message to the operational device when the operational device is registered with the first router.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the data message is communicated to the operational device only when the data message is both addressed to the operational device and the operational device is registered with the first router.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the state of the operational device is indicative of at least one of a health of the operational device, a status of the operational device, or a capability of the operational device to perform the one or more functions.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle consist is a rail vehicle consist, and wherein the communication pathway is a multiple unit (MU) bus of the rail vehicle consist.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the state of the operational device is autonomously performed by the operational device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the state of the operational device is autonomously performed by another device disposed onboard the first vehicular unit.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein registering the operational device includes assigning an address to the operational device.

16. A system comprising:

a first router configured to be disposed onboard a first vehicular unit of a vehicle consist and to be coupled with an operational device that is configured to perform one or more functions of the first vehicular unit, the first router configured to be connected with a second router disposed onboard a second vehicular unit of the vehicle consist by a communication pathway of the vehicle consist;

wherein the first router is configured to obtain a state of the operational device, register the operational device when the state indicates that the operational device can perform the one or more functions, receive a data message from the second router via the communication pathway, and communicate the data message to the operational device when the operational device is registered.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first router is configured to communicate the data message to the operational device only when the data message is both addressed to the operational device and the operational device is registered with the first router.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the state of the operational device is indicative of at least one of a health of the operational device, a status of the operational device, or a capability of the operational device to perform the one or more functions.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle consist is a rail vehicle consist, and the communication pathway is a multiple unit (MU) bus of the rail vehicle consist.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the state of the operational device is autonomously determined by the operational device and reported to the first router.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the state of the operational device is autonomously determined by another device disposed onboard the first vehicular unit.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the first router is configured to register the operational device by assigning an address to the operational device.

23. A method comprising:

determining a state of a first operational device disposed onboard a first vehicular unit of a vehicle consist, the state indicative of at least one of a health of the first operational device, a status of the first operational unit, or a capability of the first operational unit to perform one or more functions of the first vehicular unit;

reporting the state of the first operational device to a first router that is connected with the first operational device, the first router communicatively coupled with a second router disposed on a second vehicular unit of the vehicle consist by a communication pathway; and

at the first operational device, receiving a data message that is communicated from the second router to the first router when the first operational device is registered with the first router, the first operational device being registered based on the state of the first operational device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein determining the state of the first operational device is performed by the first operational device.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein determining the state of the first operational device is performed by a second operational device disposed onboard the first vehicular unit.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein determining the state of the first operational device is performed by an assessment device disposed onboard the first vehicular unit.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising receiving an assigned address for the first operational device based on the state of the first operational device, the assigned address being used to communicate the message to the first operational device.