SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VEHICLE COMMUNICATION, VEHICLE CONTROL, AND/OR ROUTE INSPECTION

• US 20150045993A1
• Filed: 10/28/2014
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Cooper, Jared Klineman, Smith, Eugene, Nagrodsky, Nick David, Schoonmaker, William Cherrick, Goodermuth, Todd William
• Granted Patent: US 9,581,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• 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 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0295 by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

In a system and method for communicating data in a locomotive consist or other vehicle consist (comprising at least first and second linked vehicles), a first electronic component in the first vehicle of the vehicle consist is monitored to determine if the component is in (or enters) a failure state. In the failure state, the first electronic component is unable to perform a designated function. Upon determining the failure state, data is transmitted from the first vehicle to a second electronic component on the second vehicle, over a communication channel linking the first vehicle and the second vehicle. The second electronic component is operated based on the transmitted data, with the second electronic component performing the designated function that the first electronic component is unable to perform.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first radio communication unit configured to be disposed onboard a first vehicle; and

a second radio communication unit configured to be disposed onboard a second vehicle,

wherein the first radio communication unit and the second radio communication unit are configured to wirelessly communicate command data between the first vehicle and the second vehicle, the command data including information used to remotely control movement operations of the second vehicle from the first vehicle as the first vehicle and the second vehicle travel together as a group.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first vehicle or the second vehicle is an automobile.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first radio communication unit is configured to wirelessly communicate the command data to the second radio communication unit so that the first vehicle controls one or more of speed or acceleration of the second vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the command data includes one or more of image data or video data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first radio communication unit and the second radio communication unit link the first vehicle and the second vehicle together in the group by a wireless communication channel.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first radio communication unit and the second radio communication unit are configured to communicate the command data as network data.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first electronic component configured to be disposed onboard the first vehicle and a second electronic component configured to be disposed onboard the second vehicle, wherein the first radio communication unit is configured to communicate operational data to the second radio communication unit to enable the second electronic component to process the operational data according to a function that is unavailable to the first electronic component.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first electronic component also is configured to modify the operational data based on a distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first radio communication unit is configured to communicate the operational data to the second electronic component for processing by the second electronic component instead of the first electronic component responsive to the first electronic component entering a failure state.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the first electronic component is configured to inspect a road being traveled by the first vehicle and the second vehicle in the group and wherein the operational data is generated based on inspection of the road by the first electronic component.

11. A method comprising:

generating command data onboard a first vehicle that travels along a road with a second vehicle in a group;

wirelessly communicating the command data from the first vehicle to the second vehicle via a first radio communication unit onboard the first vehicle and a second radio communication unit onboard the second vehicle; and

remotely controlling movement operations of the second vehicle from the first vehicle as the first vehicle and the second vehicle travel together as the group.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein one or more of the first vehicle or the second vehicle is an automobile.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein remotely controlling the movement operations includes controlling one or more of speed or acceleration of the second vehicle from the first vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the command data includes one or more of image data or video data.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising wirelessly linking the first radio communication unit with the second radio communication unit with a wireless communication channel.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the command data is wirelessly communicated as network data.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein a first electronic component is disposed onboard the first vehicle and a second electronic component is disposed onboard the second vehicle, and further comprising wirelessly communicating operational data from the first radio communication unit to the second radio communication unit and processing the operational data by the second electronic component according to a function that is unavailable to the first electronic component.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising modifying the operational data by the second electronic component based on a distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the operational data is communicated to the second electronic component for processing by the second electronic component instead of the first electronic component responsive to the first electronic component entering a failure state.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising inspecting the road being traveled by the first vehicle and the second vehicle in the group and generating the operational data based on inspection of the road.

21. A system comprising:

a first radio communication unit configured to be disposed onboard a first vehicle traveling along a road;

a first electronic component configured to be disposed onboard the first vehicle and to process one or more of operational data, voice data, or command data according to a first function to control operations of the first vehicle;

a second radio communication unit configured to be disposed onboard a second vehicle traveling along the road, the first vehicle and the second vehicle traveling along the road together in a group formed by a wireless communication link between the first radio communication unit and the second radio communication unit; and

a second electronic component configured to be disposed onboard the second vehicle and to process the one or more of the operational data, voice data, or command data according to the first function to control operations of the second vehicle,

wherein, responsive to the first electronic component entering a failure state, the second electronic component is configured to receive the one or more of operational data, voice data, or command data from the first radio communication unit, to process the one or more of operational data, voice data, or command data according to the first function, and to direct the second radio communication unit to communicate the one or more of operational data, voice data, or command data that is processed onboard the second vehicle to the first vehicle.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein one or more of the first vehicle or the second vehicle is an automobile.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the first radio communication unit is configured to receive the one or more of operational data, voice data, or command data to control movement of the first vehicle.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the first radio communication unit and the second radio communication unit are configured to communicate the command data as network data.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the first radio communication unit is configured to communicate the one or more of operational data, voice data, or command data to the second electronic component via the second radio communication unit and the second electronic component is configured to generate return data by processing the one or more of operational data, voice data, or command data according to a second function that is unavailable to the first electronic component, and the second radio communication unit is configured to communicate the return data back to the first radio communication unit.