Method and apparatus for locomotive radio communications, with expansion capability
First Claim
1. A locomotive radio communication system for a railroad locomotive having a cab with a roof, comprising:
- a standard mounting plate;
a roof-mounted modular radio communications unit carried on the plate for mounting the unit on the roof of the cab, and;
a cab-mounted communications hub disposed within the cab for controlling the modular radio communications unit via baseband signals exchanged between the modular radio communications unit and the communications hub via a base band conductor.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for equipping a locomotive with a modular radio communication system capable of being expanded to incorporate future improvements in radio and data communication electronics. The modular radio communication system provides for the installation of a standardized mounting plate and housing onto the rooftop of the locomotive to reduce the need to make extensive mechanical and electrical modifications to the locomotive when the radio communications system is updated. Sunscreens and vent openings in the standard mounting plate and housing work to reduce the temperature of the internal components of the modular radio communications system.
18 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A locomotive radio communication system for a railroad locomotive having a cab with a roof, comprising:
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a standard mounting plate; a roof-mounted modular radio communications unit carried on the plate for mounting the unit on the roof of the cab, and; a cab-mounted communications hub disposed within the cab for controlling the modular radio communications unit via baseband signals exchanged between the modular radio communications unit and the communications hub via a base band conductor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A locomotive radio communication system, wherein the locomotive comprises a cab with a roof, the locomotive communication system comprising:
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a modular radio communications unit having a standard mounting plate being capable of attachment to the roof of the locomotive, the modular radio communications unit having a housing with a first sunscreen, a second sunscreen, at least one air insulation gap, at least two radio electronics compartments, a first plurality of vent openings, and a second plurality of vent openings, the first and second plurality of vent openings configured to create an air ventilation gap; at least one radio electronics unit mounted within the housing; at least one antenna mounted to the housing, the antenna being covered by an antenna dome; an RF coaxial cable connecting the at least one radio electronics unit to the at least one antenna, wherein the RF coaxial cable is disposed entirely outside of the locomotive cab and; a communications hub disposed in the locomotive cab and connected to the modular radio communications unit for controlling the modular radio communications unit through a multichannel high bandwidth baseband serial cable.
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20. A method of creating a locomotive radio communication system for a railroad locomotive having a cab with a roof, comprising:
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installing a standard mounting plate capable of being mounted to the roof of the cab; preparing a modular radio communications unit having a housing containing at least one radio; installing the housing onto the standard mounting plate; installing a least one antenna on the housing; connecting the at least one antenna to the at least one radio with an RF coaxial cable; installing a communications hub inside the cab of the locomotive, and; connecting the communications hub to the at least one radio in the housing with a multichannel high bandwidth baseband serial cable capable of communicating with the at least one radio and also capable of supplying operating power from the communications hub to the at least one radio. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification