System and method for determining locomotive position in a consist
First Claim
1. A system for determining locomotive position in a consist, the consist including a first locomotive, a second locomotive, and one or more additional locomotives, and the system comprising:
- a processor configured to;
determine first measurements taken starting from the first locomotive, wherein the first measurements are determined based on a ping measurement and capable of quantifying distances between the first locomotive and the second locomotive and the first locomotive and the one or more additional locomotives;
determine second measurements taken starting from the second locomotive, wherein the second measurements are determined based on a ping measurement and capable of quantifying distances between the second locomotive and the first locomotive and the second locomotive and the one or more additional locomotives;
combine the first measurements and the second measurements into a combined data set; and
determine a locomotive consist order based on the combined data set.
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Abstract
A system for determining locomotive position in a consist including a first locomotive, a second locomotive, and one or more additional locomotives has a processor configured to determine first measurements taken starting from the first locomotive and capable of quantifying distances between the first locomotive and the second locomotive and the first locomotive and the one or more additional locomotives. The processor is also configured to determine second measurements taken starting from the second locomotive and capable of quantifying distances between the second locomotive and the first locomotive and the second locomotive and the one or more additional locomotives. The processor is further configured to combine the first measurements and the second measurements into a combined data set and, determine a locomotive consist order based on the combined data set.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for determining locomotive position in a consist, the consist including a first locomotive, a second locomotive, and one or more additional locomotives, and the system comprising:
a processor configured to; determine first measurements taken starting from the first locomotive, wherein the first measurements are determined based on a ping measurement and capable of quantifying distances between the first locomotive and the second locomotive and the first locomotive and the one or more additional locomotives; determine second measurements taken starting from the second locomotive, wherein the second measurements are determined based on a ping measurement and capable of quantifying distances between the second locomotive and the first locomotive and the second locomotive and the one or more additional locomotives; combine the first measurements and the second measurements into a combined data set; and determine a locomotive consist order based on the combined data set. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- 2. The system of claim wherein combining the first measurements and the second measurements into a combined data set includes sorting the first measurements and the second measurements of the combined data set in ascending order.
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11. A locomotive consist comprising:
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a plurality of intra-consist electrical cables; a lead locomotive, the lead locomotive including a lead processor capable of communication via the intra-consist electrical cables; a plurality of trail locomotives each including a trail processor capable of communication via the intra-consist electrical cables, wherein each trail processor is configured to; determine a trail locomotive data set, the trail locomotive data set including measurements taken starting from the trail processor'"'"'s trail locomotive, the measurements based on at least one ping measurement and capable of quantifying distances between the trail processor'"'"'s trail locomotive and the lead locomotive and the trail processor'"'"'s trail locomotive and the other trail locomotives of the locomotive consist, and communicate the determined measurements to the lead locomotive; wherein the lead processor is configured to; determine a lead locomotive data set, the lead locomotive data set including measurements taken starting from the lead processor'"'"'s lead locomotive the measurements based on at least one ping measurement and capable of quantifying distances between the lead locomotive and each of the plurality of trail locomotives; receive one or more trail locomotive data sets from the plurality of trail locomotives; combine the measurements of the lead locomotive data set and the measurements of the received one or more trail locomotive data sets into a combined data set; sort the measurements of the combined data set in ascending order; determine a minimum spanning tree for he combined data set by treating the sorted measurements of the combined data set as edge weights for an undirected graph and applying Prim'"'"'s Algorithm to the sorted measurements; and
,determine a locomotive consist order based on the determined minimum spanning tree.
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12. A system for determining locomotive position in a consist, the consist including a first locomotive, a second locomotive, and one or more additional locomotives, and the system comprising:
a processor configured to; determine first measurements taken starting from the first locomotive, wherein the first measurements are determined based on a ping measurement and capable of quantifying distances between the first locomotive and the second locomotive and the first locomotive and the one or more additional locomotives; determine second measurements taken starting from the second locomotive, wherein the second measurements are determined based on a ping measurement and capable of quantifying distances between the second locomotive and the first locomotive and the second locomotive and the one or ore additional locomotives; combine the first measurements and the e second measurements into a combined data set; and determine a minimum spanning tree for the combined data set. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification