Control system and method for remotely isolating powered units in a vehicle system
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- obtaining motive outputs demanded by a trip plan for a vehicle system, the vehicle system including plural interconnected propulsion-generating vehicles, the trip plan designating operational settings for the vehicle system to operate during travel of the vehicle system along one or more routes for a trip;
determining motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicle system;
identifying one or more segments of the trip where the motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceed the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments; and
selecting one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles for at least one of turning off or for turning to idle during travel in the one or more segments that are identified while one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system remain on to propel the vehicle system through the one or more segments, wherein the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles for turning off or for turning to idle are selected such that a total motive output capability of the one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles remains at least as great as the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments that are identified,wherein the one or more segments are identified responsive to the motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceeding the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan by at least a designated, non-zero threshold.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method includes obtaining motive outputs demanded by a trip plan for a vehicle system having interconnected propulsion-generating vehicles, determining motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles, and identifying segments of the trip where the motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceed motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the segments. The method further includes selecting one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles for turning at least one of off or to idle in the one or more segments while one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system remain on. The propulsion-generating vehicles are selected such that a total motive output capability of the one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles remains at least as great as the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
obtaining motive outputs demanded by a trip plan for a vehicle system, the vehicle system including plural interconnected propulsion-generating vehicles, the trip plan designating operational settings for the vehicle system to operate during travel of the vehicle system along one or more routes for a trip; determining motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicle system; identifying one or more segments of the trip where the motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceed the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments; and selecting one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles for at least one of turning off or for turning to idle during travel in the one or more segments that are identified while one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system remain on to propel the vehicle system through the one or more segments, wherein the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles for turning off or for turning to idle are selected such that a total motive output capability of the one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles remains at least as great as the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments that are identified, wherein the one or more segments are identified responsive to the motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceeding the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan by at least a designated, non-zero threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A control system comprising:
-
a first unit configured to obtain motive outputs demanded by a trip plan for a vehicle system including plural interconnected propulsion-generating vehicles, the trip plan designating operational settings for the vehicle system to operate during travel of the vehicle system along one or more routes for a trip, the first unit also configured to identify one or more segments of the trip where motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceed the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan and to select one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles for at least one of turning off or to idle during travel in the one or more segments that are identified, wherein the plural propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicle system comprise the one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles that are selected and one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles that are not selected, wherein the first unit also is configured to generate an isolation command representative of the one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles that are selected, wherein the one or more segments are identified by the first unit responsive to the motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceeding the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan by at least a designated, non-zero threshold; and a master isolation unit configured to receive the isolation command from the first unit that identifies the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles that are selected for being turned off or to idle during travel in the one or more segments, the master isolation unit also configured to remotely turn off or to idle the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles that are identified by the first unit when the vehicle system reaches the one or more segments, wherein the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles are selected by the first unit such that a total motive output capability of the one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles remains at least as great as the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments that are identified. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method comprising:
-
obtaining plural different trip plans that designate operational settings of a vehicle system for travel over one or more routes for a trip, the vehicle system including plural interconnected propulsion-generating vehicles, a first trip plan of the different trip plans directing the propulsion-generating vehicles to be on for the trip and a second trip plan of the different trip plans directing one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles to be at least one of turned off or to idle for the trip; comparing at least the first and second trip plans with each other to identify at least one segment in the trip where the operational settings designated by the first trip plan overlap the operational settings designated by the second trip plan; and creating a hybrid trip plan from two or more of the different trip plans, the hybrid trip plan including the designated operational settings of at least one of the first trip plan or the second trip plan in the at least one segment in the trip. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A method comprising:
-
obtaining motive outputs demanded by a trip plan for a vehicle system, the vehicle system including plural interconnected propulsion-generating vehicles, the trip plan designating operational settings for the vehicle system to operate during travel of the vehicle system along one or more routes for a trip; determining motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicle system; identifying one or more segments of the trip where the motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceed the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments; and selecting one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles for at least one of turning off or for turning to idle during travel in the one or more segments that are identified while one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system remain on to propel the vehicle system through the one or more segments, wherein the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles for turning off or for turning to idle are selected such that a total motive output capability of the one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles remains at least as great as the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments that are identified, wherein identifying the one or more segments of the trip and selecting the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles for turning at least one of off or to idle occur as the vehicle system travels along the one or more routes during the trip according to the trip plan.
-
-
21. A method comprising:
-
obtaining motive outputs demanded by a trip plan for a vehicle system, the vehicle system including plural interconnected propulsion-generating vehicles, the trip plan designating operational settings for the vehicle system to operate during travel of the vehicle system along one or more routes for a trip; determining motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicle system; identifying one or more segments of the trip where the motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceed the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments; and selecting one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles for at least one of turning off or for turning to idle during travel in the one or more segments that are identified while one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system remain on to propel the vehicle system through the one or more segments, wherein the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles for turning off or for turning to idle are selected such that a total motive output capability of the one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles remains at least as great as the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments that are identified, wherein the trip plan designates the operational settings as a function of at least one of time elapsed during the trip or distance along the one or more routes during the trip such that travel of the vehicle system according to the trip plan causes the vehicle system to at least one of consume less fuel or produce fewer emissions relative to the vehicle system traveling the trip according to a different trip plan that designates different operational settings.
-
Specification