System and method for asynchronously controlling a vehicle system
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- for a vehicle system having multiple vehicles connected with each other by couplers to travel along a route, identifying total power outputs to be provided by propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicles in the vehicle system, the total power outputs determined for different locations of the vehicle system along the route;
calculating handling parameters of the vehicle system at one or more of the different locations along the route, the handling parameters representative of at least one of forces exerted on the couplers, energies stored in the couplers, relative velocities of neighboring vehicles of the vehicles in the vehicle system, or natural forces exerted on one or more segments of the vehicle system between two or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles;
determining asynchronous operational settings for the propulsion-generating vehicles at the different locations along the route, the asynchronous operational settings representing different operational settings for the propulsion-generating vehicles that cause the propulsion-generating vehicles to provide at least the total power outputs at the respective different locations while changing the handling parameters of the vehicle system to one or more designated values at the different locations along the route; and
communicating the asynchronous operational settings to the propulsion-generating vehicles in order to cause the propulsion-generating vehicles to implement the asynchronous operational settings at the different locations.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method includes identifying power outputs to be provided by propulsion-generating vehicles of a vehicle system for different locations along a route and calculating handling parameters of the vehicle system at the locations along the route. The handling parameters are representative of at least one of coupler forces, coupler energies, relative vehicle velocities, or natural forces exerted on the vehicle system. The method also includes determining asynchronous operational settings for the propulsion-generating vehicles at the locations. The asynchronous operational settings represent different operational settings that cause the propulsion-generating vehicles to provide at least the power outputs at the locations while changing the handling parameters of the vehicle system to designated values at the locations. The method further includes communicating the asynchronous operational settings to the propulsion-generating vehicles in order to cause the propulsion-generating vehicles to implement the asynchronous operational settings at the different locations.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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for a vehicle system having multiple vehicles connected with each other by couplers to travel along a route, identifying total power outputs to be provided by propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicles in the vehicle system, the total power outputs determined for different locations of the vehicle system along the route; calculating handling parameters of the vehicle system at one or more of the different locations along the route, the handling parameters representative of at least one of forces exerted on the couplers, energies stored in the couplers, relative velocities of neighboring vehicles of the vehicles in the vehicle system, or natural forces exerted on one or more segments of the vehicle system between two or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles; determining asynchronous operational settings for the propulsion-generating vehicles at the different locations along the route, the asynchronous operational settings representing different operational settings for the propulsion-generating vehicles that cause the propulsion-generating vehicles to provide at least the total power outputs at the respective different locations while changing the handling parameters of the vehicle system to one or more designated values at the different locations along the route; and communicating the asynchronous operational settings to the propulsion-generating vehicles in order to cause the propulsion-generating vehicles to implement the asynchronous operational settings at the different locations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system comprising:
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an effort determination unit configured to identify total power outputs to be provided by a vehicle system that includes multiple vehicles connected with each other by couplers to travel along a route, the effort determination unit configured to identify the total power outputs to be provided by propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicles in the vehicle system at different locations of the vehicle system along the route; a handling unit configured to calculate handling parameters of the vehicle system at one or more of the different locations along the route, the handling parameters representative of at least one of forces exerted on the couplers, energies stored in the couplers, relative velocities of neighboring vehicles of the vehicles in the vehicle system, or natural forces exerted on one or more segments of the vehicle system between two or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles; and a processing unit configured to determine asynchronous operational settings for the propulsion-generating vehicles at the different locations along the route, the asynchronous operational settings representing different operational settings for the propulsion-generating vehicles that cause the propulsion-generating vehicles to provide at least the total power outputs at the respective different locations while changing the handling parameters of the vehicle system to one or more designated values at the different locations along the route, wherein the asynchronous operational settings are configured to be communicated to the propulsion-generating vehicles in order to cause the propulsion-generating vehicles to implement the asynchronous operational settings at the different locations. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method comprising:
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obtaining route data and vehicle data, the route data representative of one or more grades of a route at one or more locations along the route that is to be traveled by a vehicle system having two or more propulsion-generating vehicles coupled with each other by one or more non-propulsion generating vehicles, the vehicle data representative of a size of the one or more non-propulsion generating vehicles disposed between the propulsion-generating vehicles; calculating one or more estimated natural forces that are to be exerted on couplers connected with the one or more non-propulsion generating vehicles of the vehicle system at the one or more locations along the route, the one or more estimated natural forces based on the size of the one or more non-propulsion generating vehicles and the one or more grades of the route at the one or more locations along the route; and determining asynchronous operational settings to be implemented by the two or more propulsion-generating vehicles at the one or more locations along the route, wherein implementing the asynchronous operational settings by the two or more propulsion-generating vehicles reduces one or more actual natural forces that are actually exerted on the couplers to forces that are smaller than the one or more estimated natural forces when the vehicle system travels over the one or more locations along the route. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method comprising:
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obtaining route data and vehicle data, the route data representative of one or more grades of a route at one or more locations along the route that is to be traveled by a vehicle system having two or more propulsion-generating vehicles coupled with each other by one or more non-propulsion generating vehicles, the vehicle data representative of a size of the one or more non-propulsion generating vehicles disposed between the propulsion-generating vehicles; calculating handling parameters of the vehicle system at one or more different locations along the route based on the route data and the vehicle data, the handling parameters representative of at least one of forces expected to be exerted the couplers, energies expected to be stored in the couplers, expected relative velocities of neighboring vehicles of the vehicles in the vehicle system, or expected natural forces exerted on one or more segments of the vehicle system between two or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles; and determining asynchronous operational settings to be implemented by the two or more propulsion-generating vehicles at the one or more locations along the route based on the handling parameters, wherein the asynchronous operational settings are determined by identifying a combination of the asynchronous operational settings at the different locations along the route that result in the handling parameters being decreased to one or more designated limits.
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Specification