Control system and method for remotely isolating powered units in a rail vehicle system
First Claim
1. A control system for a rail vehicle system that includes a lead powered unit and a plurality of remote powered units, the system comprising:
- a master isolation module configured to receive an isolation command and to communicate an instruction based on the isolation command; and
a slave controller configured to receive the instruction from the master isolation module, the slave controller configured to cause at least one of the remote powered units to supply tractive force to propel the rail vehicle system when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn on the at least one of the remote powered units and the slave controller configured to cause the at least one of the remote powered units to withhold the tractive force when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn off the at least one of the remote powered units, and the slave controller is configured to calculate a plurality of different amounts of fuel that will be consumed by different respective combinations of the remote powered units being turned on or off, wherein the slave controller is configured to report the amounts of fuel to the master isolation module, the master isolation module is configured to identify at least one combination of the remote powered units to be turned on or off based on the amounts of fuel, and the master isolation module is configured to form the isolation command based on the at least one combination of the remote powered units.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control system for a rail vehicle system including a lead powered unit and a remote powered unit is provided. The system includes a user interface, a master isolation module and a slave controller. The user interface is disposed in the lead powered unit and is configured to receive an isolation command to turn on or off the remote powered unit. The master isolation module is configured to receive the isolation command from the user interface and to communicate an instruction based on the isolation command. The slave controller is configured to receive the instruction from the master isolation module. The slave controller causes the remote powered unit to supply tractive force to propel the rail vehicle system when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn on the remote powered unit. The slave controller causes the remote powered unit to withhold the tractive force when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn off the remote powered unit.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A control system for a rail vehicle system that includes a lead powered unit and a plurality of remote powered units, the system comprising:
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a master isolation module configured to receive an isolation command and to communicate an instruction based on the isolation command; and a slave controller configured to receive the instruction from the master isolation module, the slave controller configured to cause at least one of the remote powered units to supply tractive force to propel the rail vehicle system when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn on the at least one of the remote powered units and the slave controller configured to cause the at least one of the remote powered units to withhold the tractive force when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn off the at least one of the remote powered units, and the slave controller is configured to calculate a plurality of different amounts of fuel that will be consumed by different respective combinations of the remote powered units being turned on or off, wherein the slave controller is configured to report the amounts of fuel to the master isolation module, the master isolation module is configured to identify at least one combination of the remote powered units to be turned on or off based on the amounts of fuel, and the master isolation module is configured to form the isolation command based on the at least one combination of the remote powered units. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 21)
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10. A method for controlling a rail vehicle system that includes a lead powered unit and a plurality of remote powered units, the method comprising:
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calculating a plurality of amounts of fuel that will be consumed by different combinations of the remote powered units being turned on or off; at the lead powered unit, generating an isolation command to turn on or off the remote powered unit based on the amounts of fuel related to the different combinations of the remote powered units being turned on or off; communicating an instruction based on the isolation command to a slave controller in at least one of the remote powered units; and causing the at least one of the remote powered units to supply tractive force to propel the rail vehicle system when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn on the at least one of the remote powered units and to withhold the tractive force when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn off the at least one of the remote powered units. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for a control system of a rail vehicle system having a lead powered unit and a plurality of remote powered units, the lead powered unit including a first microprocessor, one or more of the remote powered units including a second microprocessor, the computer readable storage medium comprising:
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second instructions configured to direct the second microprocessor of the one or more of the remote powered units to; calculate a plurality of amounts of fuel that will be consumed by different combinations of the remote powered units being turned on or off; and communicate the amounts of fuel to the lead powered unit; and first instructions configured to direct the first microprocessor of the lead powered unit to; generate an isolation command configured to turn on or off at least one of the remote powered units based on the amounts of fuel received from the one or more of the remote powered units; and communicate an instruction based on the isolation command to the at least one of the remote powered units, wherein the at least one of the remote powered units is configured to supply tractive force to propel the rail vehicle system when the instruction directs the at least one of the remote powered units to turn on and the at least one of the remote powered units is configured to withhold the tractive force when the instruction directs the at least one of the remote powered units to turn off. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification