Two-tiered hierarchically distributed locomotive control system

• US 9,026,282 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Locomotive Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Electro-Motive Diesel Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wiemeyer, James Fredrick, Deitz, Michael Patrick, Brown, Dale Alexander, Przybylski, Lawrence Stanley, Rudolph, Wayne Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALHARBI, ADAM MOHAMED
• Application Number:
  US13/691,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20140156118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/12 Control gear; Arrangements for controlling locomotives from remote points in the train or when operating in multiple units control from points outside the train B61L3/00; fluid-actuated telemotors, servomotors F15B; control devices in general G05

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a distributed control system for a locomotive. The distributed system may include a network and a plurality of electronic modules spatially distributed within the locomotive and communicatively coupled to the network in a standardized scalable architecture. A first electronic module of the plurality of electronic modules includes a first configurable controller and a programmable controller, and a second electronic module of the plurality of electronic modules includes a second configurable controller and does not include a programmable controller.

Claims

1. A distributed control system for a locomotive, comprising:

a network disposed within the locomotive;

a plurality of electronic modules spatially distributed within the locomotive and communicatively coupled to the network in a standardized scalable architecture; and

a processor,

wherein a first electronic module of the plurality of electronic modules includes a first configurable controller and a programmable controller,

a second electronic module of the plurality of electronic modules includes a second configurable controller and does not include a programmable controller, and

the processor is configured to;

compare the complexities of a first operation associated with controlling the locomotive and a second operation associated with controlling the locomotive; and

select the first electronic module to perform one of the first operation and the second operation, and select the second electronic module to perform the other one of the first operation and the second operation based on the result of comparison.

2. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the programmable controller has a higher processing capacity than each one of the first and second configurable controllers.

3. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the first electronic module is configured to implement applications with a higher complexity than applications that the second electronic module is configured to implement.

4. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of electronic modules includes a standardized main board on which a configurable controller is disposed.

5. The distributed control system of claim 4, wherein the standardized main board of the first electronic module includes a socket into which the programmable controller is inserted, and the standardized main board of the second electronic module includes an empty socket where no processing engine is inserted.

6. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the first and second configurable controllers are each configured to implement at least one of a plurality of control functions associated with distributed control of the locomotive.

7. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the first and second configurable controller are each a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

8. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the first and second configurable controllers are each operatively connected to one or more control elements distributed within the locomotive.

9. The distributed control system of claim 8, wherein the one or more control elements include at least one of a sensor, an actuator, a communication device, a navigation device, and a human-to-machine interface device, and the human-to-machine interface device being at least one from a group consisting of a monitor, a switch, a button, a keypad, a keyboard, a touchpad, a joystick, a speaker, a microphone, and a biometric reader.

10. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the programmable controller is a programmatically controlled device implemented by at least one of a microprocessor, a microcontroller, and a system-on-module.

16. The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the programmable controller is a programmatically controlled device implemented by at least one of a microprocessor, a microcontroller, and a system-on-module.

11. A consist, comprising:

a plurality of locomotives, each locomotive comprising;

a plurality of control elements that monitor and control the locomotive;

a processor;

a network disposed within the locomotive; and

a plurality of electronic modules spatially distributed within the locomotive and communicatively coupled to the network in a standardized scalable architecture,

wherein a first electronic module of the plurality of electronic modules includes a first configurable controller and a programmable controller,

a second electronic module of the plurality of electronic modules includes a second configurable controller and does not include a programmable controller, and

the processor is configured to;

compare the complexities of a first operation associated with controlling the locomotive and a second operation associated with controlling the locomotive; and

select the first electronic module to perform one of the first operation and the second operation, and select the second electronic module to perform the other one of the first operation and the second operation based on the result of comparison.

12. The consist of claim 11, wherein the first electronic module is configured to implement applications with a higher complexity than applications that the second electronic module is configured to implement.

13. The consist of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of electronic modules includes a standardized main board,

the standardized main board of the first electronic module includes a socket into which the programmable controller is inserted, and

the standardized main board of the second electronic module includes an empty socket where no programmable controller is inserted.

14. The consist of claim 11, wherein the first and second configurable controllers are each configured to implement at least one of a plurality of control functions associated with distributed control of the locomotive.

15. The consist of claim 11, wherein the first and second configurable controller are each a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

17. A computer-implemented method for controlling a locomotive, the method comprising:

receiving, at a processor, a request to perform a first operation associated with controlling the locomotive and a second operation associated with controlling the locomotive;

determining, by the processor, whether the first operation is more complex than the second operation;

when the first operation is more complex than the second operation, selecting, by the processor, a first electronic module of a plurality of electronic modules to perform the first operation, and a second electronic module of the plurality of electronic modules to perform the second operation; and

when the first operation is not more complex than the second operation, selecting, by the processor, the first electronic module to perform the second operation, and the second electronic module to perform the first operation,

wherein the plurality of electronic modules being spatially distributed within the locomotive and coupled to a network in a standardized scalable architecture, and

the first electronic module includes a first configurable controller and a programmable controller, and the second electronic module includes a second configurable controller and does not include a programmable controller.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the first and second electronic modules includes a standardized main board,

the standardized main board of the first electronic module includes a socket into which the programmable controller is inserted, and

the standardized main board of the second electronic module includes an empty socket where no programmable controller is inserted.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein processor is included in the first electronic module or the second electronic module.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the processor is included in a third electronic module of the plurality of electronic modules.