# US 10,479,382 B2 · System, method, and apparatus for determining a communication status of locomotives in a distributed power system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,479,382 B2
- Document ID: US10479382B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/481,817
- Filed: 2017-04-07
- Published: 2018-10-11
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-04-07
- Assignees: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
- Applicants: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
- Inventors: Paul Gerard Bender; Charles L. Wolf; Richard S. Klemanski
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479382B2

## CPC

- B61L 15/0027: {Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R}
- 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)
- B61L 15/0018: {Communication with or on the vehicle or train}
- B61L 15/0072: {On-board train data handling}
- B61L 15/0081: {On-board diagnosis or maintenance}
- B61L 25/02: Indicating or recording positions or identities of vehicles or trains
- B61L 25/028: {Determination of vehicle position and orientation within a train consist, e.g. serialisation}
- B60L 2200/26: Rail vehicles
- B61L 25/00: Recording or indicating positions or identities of vehicles or trains or setting of track apparatus
- B61L 25/025: {Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates}
- B61L 25/026: {Relative localisation, e.g. using odometer}
- B61L 25/04: Indicating or recording train identities
- B61L 2205/00: Communication or navigation systems for railway traffic
- B61L: GUIDING RAILWAY TRAFFIC; ENSURING THE SAFETY OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC (brakes or auxiliary equipment B61H, B61K; point or crossing construction E01B)
- B61C: LOCOMOTIVES; MOTOR RAILCARS (vehicles in general B60; frames or bogies B61F; special railroad equipment for locomotives B61J, B61K)
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES

## Abstract

Provided is a computer-implemented method for determining a communication status in a train consist operating in a distributed power system, the train consist including a lead locomotive and a plurality of remote locomotives. The method includes, for each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives that receives the command message directly from the lead locomotive, setting the message source indicator of the remote locomotive to a first state representative of a direct receipt of the command message, incrementing the message source counter for each response message received by the remote locomotive from other remote locomotives in which the respective message source indicator is set to the first state, generating a response message including a value of the message source indicator and a value of the message source counter, and transmitting the response message. A system and computer program product are also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method for determining a communication status in a train consist operating in a distributed power system, the train consist comprising a lead locomotive and a plurality of remote locomotives, the method comprising:
(a) transmitting a command message from the lead locomotive to the plurality of remote locomotives, wherein each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives comprises a message source indicator and a message source counter;
(b) for each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives that receives the command message directly from the lead locomotive:
(i) setting the message source indicator of the remote locomotive to a first state representative of a direct receipt of the command message;
(ii) incrementing the message source counter for each response message received by the remote locomotive at different times from other remote locomotives in which the respective message source indicator is set to the first state;
(iii) generating a response message comprising a value of the message source indicator and a value of the message source counter; and
(iv) transmitting the response message;
(c) for each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives that receives the command message transmitted from at least one other remote locomotive but does not receive the command message directly from the lead locomotive:
(i) setting the message source indicator of the remote locomotive to a second state representative of an indirect receipt of the command message;
(ii) incrementing the message source counter for each response message received by the remote locomotive from other remote locomotives in which the respective message source indicator is set to the first state;
(iii) generating a response message comprising a value of the message source indicator and a value of the message source counter; and
(iv) transmitting the response message; and
(d) determining, on the lead locomotive, a train-wide communication status based at least partially on each response message received by the lead locomotive.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein for each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives that receives the command message directly from the lead locomotive, the method further comprises: resetting the message source counter after receiving a new command message that was not previously received.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each remote locomotive transmits at least one response message via radio frequency such that the response messages are receivable by at least one of the lead locomotive and the remote locomotives that are within communication range.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the message source indicator comprises a semaphore.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the response message generated by each remote locomotive further comprises the command message.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives transmits response messages at staggered predetermined time intervals.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the communication status for each of the remote locomotives based at least partially on the response messages comprises:
monitoring, at the lead locomotive, the message source counter of each response message received from the plurality of remote locomotives; and
determining a number of remote locomotives that received the command message directly from the lead locomotive based on the message source counter of each response message received from the plurality of remote locomotives.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating a train-wide quality of service of transmission indication based on the number of remote locomotives that received the command message directly from the lead locomotive, wherein the quality of service indication is 100% if every remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives directly received the command message from the lead locomotive, and wherein the quality of service indication is less than 100% if fewer than every remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives directly received the command message from the lead locomotive.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives further comprises a remote acknowledgement counter, the method further comprising: for each remote locomotive, incrementing the remote acknowledgement counter each time a command message is received from the lead locomotive or a response message is received from another remote locomotive.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising generating a train-wide quality of service of receipt indication based at least partially on a value of the remote acknowledgement counter for each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating a train-wide quality of service indication based on the communication status for each of the remote locomotives, the train-wide quality of service indication comprising at least one of the following: a signal-strength bar chart, a numerical representation, an image, an icon, a color-coded visual representation, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising storing at least one of the communication status for each of the remote locomotives and a train-wide quality of service indication generated from the communication status for each of the remote locomotives in at least one of an event log and an event recorder.

### Claim 13

A system for determining a communication status in a train consist in a distributed power system, the train consist comprising a lead locomotive and a plurality of remote locomotives, the system comprising:
a first on-board control system arranged in the lead locomotive, the first on-board control system programmed or configured to transmit a command message to the plurality of remote locomotives;
a plurality of remote on-board control systems arranged in the plurality of remote locomotives, each remote locomotive comprising a remote on-board control system including a message source indicator and a message source counter, wherein each remote on-board control system is programmed or configured to:
(a) for each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives that receives the command message directly from the lead locomotive:
(i) set the message source indicator of the remote locomotive to a first state representative of a direct receipt of the command message;
(ii) increment the message source counter for each response message received by the remote locomotive at different times from other remote locomotives in which the respective message source indicator is set to the first state;
(iii) generate a response message comprising a value of the message source indicator and a value of the message source counter; and
(iv) transmit the response message; and
(b) for each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives that receives the command message transmitted from at least one other remote locomotive but does not receive the command message directly from the lead locomotive:
(i) set the message source indicator of the remote locomotive to a second state representative of an indirect receipt of the command message;
(ii) generate a response message comprising a value of the message source indicator; and
(iii) transmit the response message from the remote locomotive to the at least one other remote locomotive,
wherein the first on-board control system is programmed or configured to determine a communication status for each of the remote locomotives based at least partially on the response messages.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the remote on-board control system of each remote locomotive is further programmed or configured to reset the message source counter after receiving a new command message that was not previously received.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein each remote on-board control system transmits at least one response message via radio frequency such that the response messages are receivable by at least one of the lead locomotive and the remote locomotives that are within communication range.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the message source indicator comprises a semaphore.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the response message generated by each remote locomotive further comprises the command message.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein each remote on board control system of the plurality of remote on-board control systems transmits response messages at staggered predetermined time intervals.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the first on-board control system is programmed or configured to:
monitor the message source counter of each response message received from the plurality of remote locomotives; and
determine a number of remote locomotives that received the command message directly from the lead locomotive based on the message source counter of each response message received from the plurality of remote locomotives, wherein the communication status is determined based on the number of remote locomotives that received the command message directly from the lead locomotive.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the first on-board control system is further programmed or configured to generate a train-wide quality of service of transmission indication based on the number of remote locomotives that received the command message directly from the lead locomotive, wherein the quality of service indication is 100% if every remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives directly received the command message from the lead locomotive, and wherein the quality of service indication is less than 100% if fewer than every remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives directly received the command message from the lead locomotive.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives further comprises a remote acknowledgement counter, and wherein the remote on-board control system of each remote locomotive is further programmed or configured to increment the remote acknowledgement counter for a respective remote locomotive each time a response message is received from another remote locomotive or a command message is received from the lead locomotive.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein the first on-board control system is further programmed or configured to generate a train-wide quality of service of receipt indication based at least partially on a value of the remote acknowledgement counter for each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives.

### Claim 23 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the first on-board control system is further programmed or configured to generate a train-wide quality of service indication based on the communication status for each of the remote locomotives, the train-wide quality of service indication comprising at least one of the following: a signal-strength bar chart, a numerical representation, an image, an icon, a color-coded visual representation, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 24 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the first on-board control system is further programmed or configured to store at least one of the communication status for each of the remote locomotives and/or a train-wide quality of service indication generated from the communication status for each of the remote locomotives in at least one of an event log and an event recorder.