Remote control system for a locomotive

• US 5,685,507 A
• Filed: 02/29/1996
• Issued: 11/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1994
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Cattron North America, Inc. (Cattron Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canac International Incorporated
• Inventors: Doig, Kelly, Bousquet, J. L., Cass, R., Horst, Folkert, Szklar, Oleh
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Mark T.
• Application Number:
  US08/608,656
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 246/187 A, 246/187 B, 246/187 C, 104/295, 104/296, 340/825.69, 340/825.62, 340/825.63, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 246/187.00A
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 17/00 Switching systems for classification yards
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/126 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/127 for remote control of locomotives remote control of locomotives within a train consist B61C17/12

Abstract

A locomotive control system comprising a remote transmitter issuing RF binary coded commands and a slave controller mounted on the locomotive that decodes the transmission and operates in dependence thereof various actuators to carry into effect the commands of the ground based operator.

Claims

1. A remote control system for a locomotive, comprising:

a first transmitter generating a set of RF signal commands, each RF signal command signalling the locomotive to execute a certain function;

a second transmitter generating a set of RF signal commands, each RF signal command from the set of said second transmitter signalling the locomotive to execute a certain function; and

a slave controller receiving RF commands from said first transmitter and from said second transmitter and assigning to each one of said first and second transmitters one of a command authority holder operational status and a command authority non-holder operational status, said slave controller being responsive;

i) to at least one RF signal command generated by said first transmitter causing the locomotive to execute a predetermined function,

ii) to at least one RF signal command generated by said second transmitter causing the locomotive to execute a predetermined function,

iii) to an RF signal command other than said at least one RF signal command generated by a selected one of said first and second transmitters to cause the locomotive to perform a certain function,

iv) an RF signal command other than said at least one frequency signal command solely generated by a transmitter having a command authority holder operational status, and

v) to a command authority relinquish RF signal command generated by one of said first and second transmitters having a command authority holder operational status to assign the command authority holder operational status to the other of said first and second transmitters;

wherein said slave controller rejects an RF command, other than said at least one RF signal command, issued from a non-selected one of said first and second transmitters.

2. A remote control system for a locomotive as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one RF signal command signals said slave controller to effect application of braking power.

3. A remote control system for a locomotive, comprising:

a first transmitter generating a set of RF signal commands, each RF signal command signalling the locomotive to execute a certain function;

a second transmitter generating a set of RF signal commands, each RF signal command from the set of said second transmitter signalling the locomotive to execute a certain function; and

a slave controller receiving RF commands from said first transmitter and from said second transmitter and assigning to each one of said first and second transmitters one of a command authority holder operational status and a command authority non-holder operational status, said slave controller being responsive;

i) to at least one RF signal command generated by said first transmitter causing the locomotive to execute a predetermined function,

ii) to at least one RF signal command generated by said second transmitter causing the locomotive to execute a predetermined function,

iii) to an RF signal command other than said at least one RF signal command generated by a selected one of said first and second transmitters to cause the locomotive to perform a certain function,

iv) to an RF signal command other than said at least one frequency signal command solely generated by a transmitter having a command authority holder operational status,

v) to a command authority relinquish RF signal command generated by one of said first and second transmitters having a command authority holder operational status, and

vi) to a command authority acceptance RF signal command generated by the other of said first and second transmitters having a command authority non-holder operational status, to assign the command authority holder operational status to the other of said first and second transmitters;

wherein said slave controller rejects an RF command, other than said at least one RF signal command, issued from a non-selected one of said first and second transmitters.

4. A remote control system for a locomotive as claimed in claim 3, wherein said at least one RF signal command signals said slave controller to effect application of braking power.