Remote control system having a touchscreen for controlling a railway vehicle

• US 8,380,363 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hetronic International, Inc. (Methode Electronics Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Hetronic International, Inc. (Methode Electronics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ecton, Mark, Rempe, Torsten, Heckl, Max
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US13/165,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20110245998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/93, 701/96, 701/213, 246/5, 246/28.R, 246/121, 246/126, 246/182.C, 246/187.B, 735/11, 105/35, 105/72.2, 180/65.2, 303/19, 303/159, 345/60, 345/626, 381/333, 340/426.11, 340/903, 342/70, 280/731
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/127 for remote control of locomotives remote control of locomotives within a train consist B61C17/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a remote control system for controlling a railway vehicle. The remote control system including a remote control device for transmitting signals to a first controller module. The first controller is mounted to the railway vehicle and controls and monitors the functions of the railway vehicle. The first controller module also relays information to the remote control device. The remote control system can also include a portable safety switch allowing any individual in proximity to the railway vehicle to send a stop signal to the first controller module to stop the railway vehicle if any unsafe conditions exist.

Claims

1. A remote control system for controlling a railway vehicle, the railway vehicle having a throttle for providing tractive power to the railway vehicle to propel the railway vehicle and a brake system for providing braking power to the railway vehicle, the remote control system comprising:

a remote control device for transmitting signals;

a first controller module connected to the railway vehicle and in communication with the remote control device, the first controller module receiving commands from the remote control device to control;

predetermined functions of the railway vehicle, the first controller module providing the relay time information to the remote control device; and

at least one portable safety switch in communication with the first controller module to provide a stop signal to the first controller module to stop the railway vehicle;

wherein the controller module relays the stop signal to the brake system to provide braking power to the railway vehicle to stop the railway vehicle;

wherein the controller module of the remote control system is in communication with a railway vehicle global positioning system (GPS) device, the railway vehicle GPS device mounted to the railway vehicle within a predetermined distance from the controller module;

wherein the remote control device is further provided with a remote control GPS device whereby the location of the remote control device can be monitored; and

a tilt recognition device to provide a warning signal to the remote control device when the remote control device is tilted a predetermined amount from a substantially level position.

2. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein the remote control system has a video display.

3. The remote control system of claim 2 wherein the video display has a diagonal length that is greater than about 2.5 inches.

4. The remote control system of claim 2 wherein the video display has a touchscreen;

the touchscreen providing executable command options for the railway vehicle.

5. The remote control system of claim 4 wherein the video display is provided with backlighting to improve visibility of the displayed information.

6. The remote control system of claim 5 wherein the remote control system is provided with a plurality of frequencies at which the remote control system is operable.

7. The remote control system of claim 6 wherein the remote control system operates at two different frequencies selected from the plurality of frequencies at which the remote control system is operable, the two different frequencies are manually selected by the user of the remote control system or automatically by the remote control device based upon permitted frequencies in a preselected area.

8. The remote control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one portable safety switch is further provided with a safety switch GPS device to provide the location of the at least one portable safety switch to the large video display of the remote control device via the first controller module.

9. The remote control system of claim 1 wherein the controller module, the remote control device, and the at least one safety switch are monitored by a command center.

10. The remote control system of claim 9 wherein the command center is provided with a command GPS device to provide a reference point for the remote control system.

11. A method for controlling a railway vehicle, the railway vehicle having a throttle for providing tractive power to the railway vehicle to propel the railway vehicle and a brake system for providing braking power to the railway vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a remote control device for transmitting signals to control the railway vehicle;

providing a first controller module connected to the railway vehicle and in communication with the remote control device;

providing at least one portable safety switch in communication with the first controller module to provide a stop signal to the first controller module to stop the railway vehicle;

transmitting a command signal from the remote control device to the first controller module to control a set of predetermined functions of the railway vehicle; and

monitoring the set of predetermined functions of the railway vehicle via the first controller module.