Distributed vehicle system control system and method
AssigneeTransportation IP Holdings, LLC
InventorsJames D Brooks, Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr., Paul Houpt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A distributed control system includes a remote control system configured to be communicatively coupled with plural separate vehicle systems. The remote control system is configured to remotely control operation of the vehicle systems and/or communicate with the local vehicle control system or operator. The remote control system also is configured to one or more of change how many of the vehicle systems are concurrently controlled by the remote control system or change how many remote operators of the remote control system concurrently control the same vehicle system of the vehicle systems.
Claims7
A remote control system comprising:
- a communication device configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more vehicle systems during movement of the one or more vehicle systems outside of vehicle yards and while the communication device is off-board the one or more vehicle systems, the communication device configured to remotely control the movement of the one or more vehicle systems by wirelessly communicating a first control signal to the one or more vehicle systems;
- and
- a controller configured to generate the first control signal based on manual input provided by a first remote operator that is located off-board the one or more vehicle systems and while the one or more vehicle systems are outside of a visible range of the first remote operator, wherein the first control signal that is generated by the controller and communicated to the one or more vehicle systems by the communication device designates an upper speed limit on the movement of the one or more vehicle systems while allowing the one or more vehicle systems to move at one or more slower speeds than the upper speed limit;
- and
- an alerter system configured to monitor an alertness of the remote operator and, responsive to determining that the first remote operator is not currently alert, switch remote control of the one or more vehicle systems to a different, second remote operator.
A distributed control system comprising:
- a remote control system configured to be communicatively coupled with plural separate vehicle systems, the remote control system configured to remotely control movements of the vehicle systems, the remote control system also configured to one or more of change how many of the vehicle systems are concurrently controlled by the remote control system or change how many remote operators of the remote control system concurrently control a common vehicle system of the vehicle system,
- wherein a first remote operator of the remote operators is configured to control a first vehicle system of the vehicle systems when the first vehicle system is in a first geographic area, and wherein a second remote operator of the remote operators is configured to control the first vehicle system when the first vehicle system is in a different, second geographic area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.