Devices, Systems, and Methods Related to Tracking Location of Operator Control Units for Locomotives

• US 20160229434A1
• Filed: 02/06/2015
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cattron North America, Inc. (Cattron Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Laird Technologies Incorporated (DuPont de Nemours, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brousseau, Andr, Jovenall, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 10,023,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0027 Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/08 for controlling traffic in one direction only
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/40 Handling position reports or trackside vehicle data
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/127 for remote control of locomotives remote control of locomotives within a train consist B61C17/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

According to various aspects, exemplary embodiments are disclosed of devices, systems, and methods related to tracking location of operator control units for locomotives. In an exemplary embodiment, an operator control unit includes a user interface configured to receive one or more commands from an operator for controlling a locomotive. The operator control unit also includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver configured to receive location information of the operator control unit, and a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device is configured to transmit command data corresponding to the one or more commands and location data corresponding to the location information to a machine control unit on the locomotive.

Claims

1. An operator control unit comprising:

a user interface configured to receive one or more commands from an operator for controlling a locomotive;

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver configured to receive location information of the operator control unit; and

a wireless communication device, the wireless communication device configured to transmit command data corresponding to the one or more commands and location data corresponding to the location information to a machine control unit on the locomotive.

2. The operator control unit of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to transmit the command data and the location data to the machine control unit via a radio frequency (RF) channel.

3. The operator control unit of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to transmit the command data and the location data to the machine control unit via a same RF channel.

4. The operator control unit of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to, when the command data includes a same command data message repeated more than a predetermined number of times in succession, transmit a location data message instead of at least one command data message.

5. The operator control unit of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to send location data to the machine control unit only after command data messages have remained stable for a time period sufficient for the machine control unit to receive the command data.

6. The operator control unit of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to, when the operator control unit receives an acknowledgement from the machine control unit of a successful command data message transmission, transmit a location data message.

7. The operator control unit of claim 1, wherein the location data includes absolute positional data for the location of the operator control unit.

8. The operator control unit of claim 1, wherein the location data includes relative positional data for the location of the operator control unit, the relative positional data indicative of a change in position of the operator control unit relative to a prior absolute positional data message.

9. The operator control unit of claim 8, wherein the relative positional data includes less bytes of data than absolute positional data.

10. The operator control unit of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to break up the location data into multiple RF packets to be reassembled by the machine control unit.

11. The operator control unit of claim 1, further comprising a tilt sensor configured to detect a change in orientation of the operator control unit indicative of a possibility of a fall of the operator carrying the operator control unit.

12. A method of monitoring location of an operator control unit corresponding to a locomotive, the method comprising:

receiving a command from an operator control unit associated with an operator, the command related to controlling a locomotive;

retrieving a location of the operator control unit; and

transmitting a command data message corresponding to the command and a location data message corresponding to the location of the operator control unit to a machine control unit on the locomotive.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting includes transmitting the command data message and the location data message to the machine control unit via a same radio frequency (RF) channel.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting includes, when the command data message is the same for a period of time, transmitting the location data message instead of the command data message.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting includes transmitting the location data message to the machine control unit only after command data message has remained stable for a time period sufficient for the machine control unit to receive the command data message.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the location data message includes an absolute position of the operator control unit.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the location data message includes a relative position of the operator control unit, the relative position indicative of a change in position of the operator control unit relative to a prior absolute position of the operator control unit, and a location data message including the relative position has a smaller data size than a location data message including the absolute position.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting includes segmenting the location data message into multiple RF packets to be reassembled by the machine control unit.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting a change in orientation of the operator control unit indicative of a possibility of a fall of the operator carrying the operator control unit.

20. A location system comprising:

a locomotive including a machine control unit;

a remote control unit configured to receive one or more commands for controlling the locomotive;

a global positioning system (GPS) antenna coupled to the remote control unit and configured to receive location information related to the location of the remote control unit; and

a wireless network antenna coupled to the remote control unit, the wireless network antenna configured to send command data associated with the one or more commands and location data associated with the received location information to the machine control unit of the locomotive.