System and method for decoupling a vehicle system

• US 9,227,639 B1
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bryant, Robert Francis, Cooper, Jared Klineman, Wawrzyniak, Frank, Wawrzyniak, Tara Lauren
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US14/326,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20160009302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0018 Communication with or on the vehicle or train
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0027 Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0036 Conductor-based, e.g. using CAN-Bus, train-line or optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0054 Train integrity supervision, e.g. end-of-train [EOT] devices
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0072 On-board train data handling
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/34 for indicating the distance between vehicles or trains by the transmission of signals therebetween
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/00 Devices along the route for controlling devices on the vehicle or train, e.g. to release brake or to operate a warning signal

Abstract

A system and method for separating a vehicle system into separate vehicle segments, separately moving the vehicle segments, and re-connecting the vehicle segments without initiation of a brake penalty application are provided. The system and method communicate a suspend command signal between vehicle segments to suspend operations of vehicles in a cooperative mode. The vehicles in the vehicle system are decoupled into plural separate vehicle segments. The system and method also move one or more of the vehicle segments separately from one or more other vehicle segments. The vehicle segments are reconnected to form the vehicle system, and the system and method communicate a reconnect command signal between the vehicle segments to resume operations in the cooperative mode, without incurring a penalty brake application of the vehicle system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

onboard a vehicle system comprising plural propulsion-generating vehicles coupled together and operating in a cooperative mode, communicating a suspend command signal between two or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles to suspend operations of the propulsion-generating vehicles in the cooperative mode;

decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system into plural separate vehicle segments;

moving one or more of the vehicle segments separately from one or more other vehicle segments;

reconnecting the vehicle segments to form the vehicle system; and

communicating a reconnect command signal between the vehicle segments to resume operations of the propulsion-generating vehicles in the cooperative mode, wherein the propulsion-generating vehicles are decoupled from each other, moved separately from each other in the vehicle segments, and reconnected in the vehicle segments to form the vehicle system without incurring a penalty brake application of the vehicle system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the vehicle system initiating the penalty brake application responsive to the occurrence of one or more designated events, wherein the penalty brake application comprises an automatic activation of one or more brake systems of the vehicle system to at least one of slow the vehicle system, bring the vehicle system to a stop, or prevent the vehicle system from moving.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system include a leading propulsion-generating vehicle and one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles, and further comprising operating the vehicle system in the cooperative mode by remotely controlling movements of the remote propulsion-generating vehicles from the leading propulsion-generating vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising confirming suspension of the cooperative mode at the remote propulsion-generating vehicles prior to moving the one or more of the vehicle segments that includes the one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating the vehicle system to a safe state prior to communicating the suspend command signal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying one or more brake systems of the vehicle system prior to decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles into the vehicle segments.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle system includes the propulsion-generating vehicles being both mechanically and fluidly coupled with each other, and wherein decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles into the vehicle segments includes both mechanically decoupling and fluidly decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles from each other.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle system includes the propulsion-generating vehicles being logically coupled with each other without being mechanically coupled with each other, and wherein decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles into the vehicle segments includes logically decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles from each other such that the propulsion-generating vehicles can separately move from each other.

9. A system comprising:

a first controller configured to be disposed onboard a leading propulsion-generating vehicle of a vehicle system that includes one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles coupled together and operating in a cooperative mode, the first controller configured to communicate a suspend command signal to the one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles to suspend operations of the leading and remote propulsion-generating vehicles in the cooperative mode, wherein the leading and remote propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system are decoupled from each other into plural separate vehicle segments responsive to communication of the suspend command signal;

wherein the first controller also is configured, responsive to the vehicle segments being reconnected to form the vehicle system after the vehicle segments are moved separately from one another, to communicate a reconnect command signal to the one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles to resume operations of the propulsion-generating vehicles in the cooperative mode, wherein the first controller is configured to avoid a penalty brake application of the vehicle system responsive to the propulsion-generative vehicles being decoupled from each other, moving separately from each other in the vehicle segments, or being reconnected with each other in the vehicle segments to form the vehicle system.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising one or more second controllers configured to be disposed onboard the one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles, wherein at least one of the first controller or the one or more second controllers also is configured to move one or more of the vehicle segments separately from one or more other vehicle segments, wherein the first controller also is configured to communicate a reconnect command signal to the one or more second controllers to resume operations of the propulsion-generating vehicles in the cooperative mode responsive to the vehicle segments being reconnected to form the vehicle system, wherein the first controller and the one or more second controllers are configured to avoid a penalty brake application of the vehicle system responsive to the propulsion-generative vehicles being decoupled from each other, moving separately from each other in the vehicle segments, or being reconnected with each other in the vehicle segments to form the vehicle system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more second controllers are configured to receive a confirmation of suspension of the cooperative mode at the remote propulsion-generating vehicles prior to moving the one or more of the vehicle segments that includes the one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle system includes the propulsion-generating vehicles being both mechanically and fluidly coupled with each other, and wherein the first controller and the one or more second controllers are configured to separately control movements of the vehicle segments responsive to both mechanically decoupling and fluidly decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles from each other.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the vehicle system includes the propulsion-generating vehicles being logically coupled with each other without being mechanically coupled with each other, and wherein the first controller and the one or more second controllers are configured to decouple the propulsion-generating vehicles into the vehicle segments by logically decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles from each other such that the propulsion-generating vehicles can separately move from each other.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the first controller is configured to operate the vehicle system in the cooperative mode by remotely controlling movements of the remote propulsion-generating vehicles from the leading propulsion-generating vehicle.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the first controller is configured to control operations of the vehicle system and to control the vehicle system to a safe state prior to communicating the suspend command signal.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the first controller is configured to apply one or more brake systems of the vehicle system prior to the propulsion-generating vehicles from being decoupled into the vehicle segments.

17. A method comprising:

controlling movement of a remote propulsion-generating vehicle in a vehicle system that includes at least a leading propulsion-generating vehicle coupled with the remote propulsion-generating vehicle, the movement of the remote propulsion-generating vehicle controlled based on operational command signals received from the leading propulsion-generating vehicle;

suspending control of the movements of the remote propulsion-generating vehicle based on the operational command signals responsive to receiving a suspend command signal at the remote propulsion-generating vehicle;

responsive to confirming suspension of control of the movements of the remote propulsion-generating vehicle based on the operational command signals, separating the vehicle system into a leading vehicle segment that includes the leading propulsion-generating vehicle and a remote vehicle segment that includes the remote propulsion-generating vehicle;

moving the remote vehicle segment separately from movement of the leading vehicle segment;

connecting the remote vehicle segment with the leading vehicle segment to form the vehicle system; and

resuming control of the movement of the remote propulsion-generating vehicle based on the operational command signals received from the leading propulsion-generating vehicle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein separating the vehicle system, moving the remote vehicle segment, connecting the remote vehicle segment with the leading vehicle segment, and resuming control of the movement of the remote propulsion-generating vehicle are performed without initiation of a penalty brake application.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising operating the vehicle system to a safe state prior to suspending control of the movements of the remote propulsion-generating vehicle.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising applying one or more brake systems of the vehicle system prior to separating the vehicle system into the lead vehicle segment and the remote vehicle segment.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the vehicle system includes the lead and remote propulsion-generating vehicles being both mechanically and fluidly coupled with each other directly, by another propulsion-generating vehicle, or by one or more non-propulsion-generating vehicles, and wherein separating the vehicle system into the lead and remote vehicle segments includes both mechanically decoupling and fluidly decoupling the lead and remote propulsion-generating vehicles from each other.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the vehicle system includes the lead and remote propulsion-generating vehicles being logically coupled with each other without being mechanically coupled with each other, and wherein separating the vehicle system into the lead and remote vehicle segments includes logically decoupling the lead and remote propulsion-generating vehicles from each other such that the lead and remote propulsion-generating vehicles can separately move from each other.