Remote control system for a locomotive with solid state tilt sensor

17) A remote control system for a locomotive, comprising:

• a) a portable master controller, including:
• i) a user interface for receiving commands to control movements of the locomotive from a human operator, said user interface being responsive to the commands from the human operator to generate control signals;
• ii) a processing unit in communication with said user interface for receiving the control signals to generate digital command signals for directing the movement of the locomotive;
• iii) a transmission unit in communication with said processing unit for receiving the digital command signals and for generating a RF transmission conveying the digital command signals to the slave controller;
• b) a solid-state tilt sensor in communication with said processing unit for supplying to said processing unit inclination information about said portable master controller, said processing unit:
• i) being operative to determine at least in part on the basis of the inclination information if said portable master controller is in a safe operational condition or in an unsafe operational condition;
• ii) when said processing unit determines that the portable master controller is in an unsafe operational condition said processing unit is operative to generate an emergency digital command signal to said transmission unit without input from the operator, for directing the locomotive to acquire a secure condition;
• c) a slave controller for mounting on-board the locomotive, said slave controller including:
• i) a receiver module for sensing the RF transmission;
• ii) a processing module in communication with said receiver module, said processing module being responsive to digital command signals conveyed by the RF transmission to generate local signals controlling the locomotive.

33) A portable master controller for a locomotive remote control system, the locomotive remote control system having a slave controller mounted on-board a locomotive, said portable master controller comprising:

• a) a user interface for receiving commands to control a movement of the locomotive from a human operator, said user interface being responsive to the commands from the human operator to generate control signals;
• b) a processing unit in communication with said user interface for receiving the control signals to generate digital command signals for directing the movement of the locomotive;
• c) a transmission unit in communication with said processing unit for receiving the digital command signals and for generating an RF transmission conveying the digital command signals to the slave controller;
• d) an accelerometer in communication with said processing unit for supplying to said processing unit inclination information about said portable master controller, said processing unit:
• i) being operative to determine at least in part on the basis of the inclination information if said portable master controller is in a safe operational condition or in an unsafe operational condition;
• ii) when said processing unit determines that the portable master controller is in an unsafe operational condition said processing unit is operative to generate an emergency digital command signal to said transmission unit without input from the operator, for directing the locomotive to acquire a secure condition.

34) A remote control system for a locomotive, comprising:

• a) a portable master controller, including:
• i) a user interface for receiving commands to control movements of the locomotive from a human operator, said user interface being responsive to the commands from the human operator to generate control signals;
• ii) a processing unit in communication with said user interface for receiving the control signals to generate digital command signals for directing the movement of the locomotive;
• iii) a transmission unit in communication with said processing unit for receiving the digital command signals and for generating a RF transmission conveying the digital command signals to the slave controller;
• b) an accelerometer in communication with said processing unit for supplying to said processing unit inclination information about said portable master controller, said processing unit:
• i) being operative to determine at least in part on the basis of the inclination information if said portable master controller is in a safe operational condition or in an unsafe operational condition;
• ii) when said processing unit determines that the portable master controller is in an unsafe operational condition said processing unit is operative to generate an emergency digital command signal to said transmission unit without input from the operator, for directing the locomotive to acquire a secure condition;
• c) a slave controller for mounting on-board the locomotive, said slave controller including:
• i) a receiver module for sensing the RF transmission;
• ii) a processing module in communication with said receiver module, said processing module being responsive to digital command signals conveyed by the RF transmission to generate local signals controlling the locomotive.