System, method, and computer software code for distributing and managing data for use by a plurality of subsystems on a locomotive

• US 8,295,998 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Goodermuth, Todd, Hooker, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/538,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20100286853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 246/167.R, 104/88.01, 104/88.02, 701/19, 701/29, 701/33, 701/32.7, 701/34
• US Class Current: 701/19
• 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 a plurality of subsystems on a locomotive, the communication system comprising 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, wherein the open defined interface unit comprises:

a data manager unit configured to manage at least one of a transmission of data from a control system of the locomotive to the plurality of applications, a transmission of data between the applications in the plurality of applications, a transmission of data from a sensor to one or more of the applications in the plurality of applications, a transmission of data from a communication management unit to the plurality of applications, or a transmission of data from off-board the locomotive to the plurality of applications; and

a control manager unit configured to receive control input from the plurality of applications and process the control input for providing the control input to the control system for use in operating the locomotive.

2. The communication system according to claim 1 wherein the control manager unit is configured to receive command requests from the plurality of applications and determine which of the command requests is provided to the control system for use in operating the locomotive.

3. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein the data manager unit and the control manager unit comprise a closed loop control system that further comprises the control system and at least one application of the plurality of applications.

4. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein the closed loop control system provides for autonomous operation of the locomotive.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein providing autonomous operation of the locomotive comprises providing braking and throttle commands to define at least one of speed or movement authority to operate over a route by the locomotive.

6. The communication system according to claim 2, further comprising a private interface for communicating at least one of between the data manager unit and the control system or between the control manager unit and the control system.

7. The communication system according to claim 2, further comprising an open interface for communicating at least one of between the data manager unit and the plurality of applications or between the control manager unit and the plurality of applications.

8. The communication system according to claim 2, further comprising a data dictionary that defines at least one of data available to at least one of the plurality of applications or a command request available from the control manager unit.

9. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein the data manager unit distributes data at specified frequencies to the plurality of applications.

10. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein the data manager unit distributes data depending on whether at least one application of the plurality of applications or the control system of the locomotive publishes available data and at least a second application of the plurality of applications subscribes to receive the published available data.

11. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein the data from off-board the locomotive comprises at least one of data from a remote database or dynamic wayside data relevant to one or more of a signal aspect, a switch position, or a crossing gate position.

12. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein a transmission of data managed by the data manager unit is accomplished with a multicast delivery of the data.

13. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein the control manager unit provides for a closed loop control system that further comprises the control system and at least one application of the plurality of applications.

14. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein the closed loop control system provides for autonomous operation of the locomotive.

15. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a display manager unit that is configured to communicate with at least one application of the plurality of applications, wherein the display manager unit is configured to manage a transmission of data to be made available to an operator.

16. The communication system according to claim 15, further comprising a user interface configured to allow the operator to select the data to be made available to the operator.

18. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a file management staging unit to receive and distribute at least one of updates or replacement information for at least one application of the plurality of applications from a location remote from the locomotive.

17. The communication system according 15, wherein the display manager unit is further configured to provide for the transmission of the data to be made available to the operator as at least one of visual data, tactile data, or audio data.

19. A communication system on a locomotive, the communication system comprising:

a data manager unit configured to manage a transmission of data from a control system of the locomotive to a plurality of applications, between the plurality of applications, from a sensor to one or more of the plurality of applications, and from a communication management unit to the plurality of applications, wherein the data manager unit is configured as an open defined interface for the plurality of applications to access locomotive control system data in a common defined manner;

a control manager unit configured to receive control input from the plurality of applications and process the control input for providing to the control system for use in operating the locomotive;

a private interface for at least one of communications between the data manager unit and the control system or communications between the control manager unit and the control system; and

an open interface for communications between the data manager unit and the plurality of applications and for communications between the control manager unit and the plurality of applications.

20. The communication system according to claim 19 wherein the data manager unit is configured to manage the transmission of data, at least between the applications of the plurality of applications, based on a publish-subscribe communications structure.

21. A method for operating a locomotive, the method comprising:

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

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

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

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein operating the locomotive further comprises autonomously operating the locomotive by autonomously implementing at least one of changes to a direction of travel of the locomotive, changes in a notch level of the locomotive, changes in a speed of the locomotive, dynamic brake operation, automatic air brake operation, or independent brake operation.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein autonomously managing the transmission of data from the locomotive control system further comprises distributing data to the plurality of applications based on at least one of an authority or a priority of each application of the plurality of applications for one or more of distributing or receiving data.

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

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

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

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

25. The computer software code according to claim 24, wherein the one or more computer software modules are configured to autonomously operate the locomotive by autonomously implementing changes to at least one of a direction of travel, changes in a notch level of the locomotive, changes in a speed of the locomotive, dynamic brake operation, independent air brake operation, or automatic train air brake operation.

26. The computer software code according to claim 24, wherein the one or more computer software modules that are configured to autonomously manage the transmission of data from the locomotive control system are further configured to distribute data to the plurality of applications based on at least one of an authority or a priority of each application of the plurality of applications for one or more of distributing or receiving data.

27. A communication system for controlling sharing of data across a plurality of subsystems on a vehicle, the communication system comprising an open defined interface unit configured so that a plurality of applications may access vehicle control system data in a common defined manner with predictable results, wherein the open defined interface unit comprises:

a data manager unit configured to manage at least one of a transmission of data from a control system of the vehicle to the plurality of applications, a transmission of data between the applications in the plurality of applications, a transmission of data from a sensor to one or more of the applications in the plurality of applications, a transmission of data from a communication management unit to the plurality of applications, or a transmission of data from off-board the vehicle to the plurality of applications; and

a control manager unit configured to receive control input from the plurality of applications and process the control input for providing the control input to the control system for use in operating the vehicle.

28. A communication system on a vehicle, the communication system comprising:

a data manager unit configured to manage a transmission of data from a control system of the vehicle to a plurality of applications, between the plurality of applications, from a sensor to one or more of the plurality of applications, and from a communication management unit to the plurality of applications, wherein the data manager unit is configured as an open defined interface for the plurality of applications to access vehicle control system data in a common defined manner;

a control manager unit configured to receive control input from the plurality of applications and process the control input for providing to the control system for use in operating the vehicle;

a private interface for at least one of communications between the data manager unit and the control system or communications between the control manager unit and the control system; and

an open interface for communications between the data manager unit and the plurality of applications and for communications between the control manager unit and the plurality of applications.