Train communication network

• US 9,744,979 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Benchmark Electronics Incorporated, Electro-Motive Diesel Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Electro-Motive Diesel Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated), Secure Foundation Systems
• Inventors: Habermehl, Neil Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse, Tilahun B
• Application Number:
  US14/250,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20150291191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 455500, 455 111, 455 7, 455 9
• 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 15/0072 On-board train data handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

An access point for a communication network is disclosed. The access point may have a communications processor configured to receive signals from a different access point of the communication network, a cable connected to the communications processor, and at least one attenuator connected to the cable upstream of the communications processor. The at least one attenuator may be configured to selectively attenuate incoming signals received via the cable before the incoming signals are received by the communications process. The access point may also have a transmission amplifier connected to the cable downstream of the communications processor and configured to amplify outgoing signals generated by the communications processor by about 3:1.

Claims

1. An access point for a communication network, comprising:

a communications processor configured to receive signals from a different access point of the communication network;

a cable connected to the communications processor;

at least one attenuator connected to the cable upstream of the communications processor and configured to selectively attenuate incoming signals received via the cable before the incoming signals are received by the communications processor; and

a transmission amplifier connected to the cable downstream of the communications processor and configured to amplify outgoing signals generated by the communications processor by a factor of 3, wherein the transmission amplifier is further configured to attenuate incoming signals by a factor of ⅓

.

2. The access point of claim 1, wherein the at least one attenuator is configured to attenuate all incoming signals by a factor in the range of ½

to ⅓

.

3. The access point of claim 2, further including a voltage clamp configured to limit incoming signals to 5 volts.

4. The access point of claim 3, wherein the at least one attenuator is further configured to selectively attenuate incoming signals to 3V after the signals have passed through the voltage clamp.

5. The access point of claim 4, wherein the transmission amplifier is configured to amplify the outgoing signals up to 12V.

6. The access point of claim 4, wherein the communications processor is configured to scale the outgoing signals based on a map stored in memory.

7. The access point of claim 4, wherein the cable is configured to conduct the incoming signals to the communications processor of the access point and outgoing signals from the communications processor to the different access point, wherein the transmission amplifier is located to direct the outgoing signals onto the cable at a location upstream of the at least one attenuator.

8. The access point of claim 7, wherein the at least one attenuator is configured to isolate the voltage clamp and the communications processor from the outgoing signals directed by the transmission amplifier onto the cable.

9. The access point of claim 1, wherein the communications processor is configured to scale the outgoing signals before amplification by the transmission amplifier.

10. A communication network, comprising:

a first access point having a first communications processor, at least a first attenuator, and a first transmission amplifier;

a second access point having a second communications processor, at least a second attenuator, and a second transmission amplifier; and

a cable connecting the first and second access points,

wherein;

the first and second transmission amplifiers are connected to the cable between the first and second communications processors and configured to amplify outgoing signals generated by the communications processors a factor of 3; and

the first and second communications processors are configured to scale the outgoing signals before amplification by the first and second transmission amplifiers.

11. The communication network of claim 10, wherein the first and second transmission amplifiers are further configured to attenuate incoming signals by a factor of ⅓

.

12. The communication network of claim 11, wherein the at least first and at least second attenuators are configured to attenuate all incoming signals by a factor in the range of ½

to ⅓

.

13. The communication network of claim 12, wherein:

the first access point further includes a first voltage clamp connected to the cable and configured to limit incoming signals to 5 volts; and

the second access point further includes a second voltage clamp connected to the cable and configured to limit incoming signals to 5 volts.

14. The communication network of claim 13, wherein the at least a first and at least a second attenuators are further configured to selectively attenuate incoming signals to 3V after the incoming signals have passed through the first and second voltage clamps.

15. The communication network of claim 10, wherein the first and second transmission amplifiers are configured to amplify the outgoing signals up to 12V.

16. The communication network of claim 10, wherein the first and second communications processors are configured to scale the outgoing signals based on maps stored in memory.

17. The communication network of claim 10, wherein the first and second transmission amplifiers are located to direct the outgoing signals onto the cable at locations between the at least first and the at least second attenuators.

18. A train consist, comprising:

a first locomotive;

a second locomotive;

a tender car;

a first access point located on the first locomotive and being configured to control operations of the first locomotive;

a second access point located on one of the second locomotive and the tender car and being configured to control operations of the one of the second locomotive and the tender car; and

a cable connecting the first and second access points to communicate signals associated with coordinated control over operations of the first locomotive, the tender car, and/or the second locomotive,

wherein each of the first and second access points includes;

a communications processor configured to receive signals;

at least one amplifier located to receive and selectively attenuate the signals by a factor in the range of ½

to ⅓

to approximately 3V before the signals are received by the communications processor;

a voltage clamp configured to selectively limit a strength of the signals to 5V; and

a transmission amplifier configured to amplify outgoing signals generated by the communications processor by a factor of 3 up to 12V.