Multi-threaded vehicle communication system and method
AssigneeTransportation IP Holdings, LLC
InventorAlexander Maromaty
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A communication system and method receive messages from mobile systems that may identify sets of data files stored onboard the mobile systems and used for communication with an off-board vehicle control system. Priorities of the mobile system may be assigned based on abilities of the mobile systems to communicate with the control system and/or ownership of the mobile systems. A decision is made as to whether any mobile systems having existing communication threads have a lower priority than another mobile system. An existing communication thread may be assigned to the higher priority mobile system by pre-empting the existing communication thread. An update to one or more of the data files may be communicated via the communication thread that is re-assigned.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- assigning priorities to mobile systems based on signals received from the mobile systems;
- activating communication threads with the mobile systems in an order that is based on the priorities that are assigned;
- communicating data files to the mobile systems via the communication threads while the communication threads are active;
- and
- deactivating the communication threads upon completion of communicating the data files to the mobile systems.
A communication system comprising:
- a mobile device manager having processors configured to assign priorities to mobile systems based on signals received from the mobile systems, the mobile device manager configured to activate communication threads with the mobile systems using the processors in an order that is based on the priorities that are assigned, the processors configured to communicate data files to the mobile systems via the communication threads while the communication threads are active, the mobile device manager configured to deactivate the communication threads upon completion of communicating the data files to the mobile systems.
A method comprising:
- receiving a first message from a first mobile system of plural mobile systems moving within a network of routes in which a vehicle control system communicates with one or more of the mobile systems to control movement of the one or more of the mobile systems, the first message identifying a set of data files stored onboard the first mobile system and used for communication with the vehicle control system;
- determining that the first mobile system does not have a currently active communication thread with a messaging processor of plural messaging processors in a communication system that is off-board the mobile systems;
- assigning a priority of the first mobile system;
- determining whether the one or more mobile systems having one or more existing communication threads between one or more of the messaging processors and the one or more mobile systems has a lower priority than the priority that is assigned to the first mobile system;
- assigning a first existing communication thread of the one or more existing communication threads to the first mobile system by pre-empting the first communication thread responsive to determining that the priority of the first mobile system is greater than the lower priority of the one or more mobile systems;
- and
- communicating an update to one or more of the data files in the set identified by the first message to the first mobile system via the communication thread that is re-assigned to the first mobile system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.