Railroad communication system

In a communication system for use with the control of a train having at least a lead unit and one or more remote units in which the lead unit controls the operation of the one or more remote units with commands which are transmitted after a communication link is established between the lead unit and the one or more remote units, and the one or more remote units transmit return messages to the lead unit confirming execution of the commands, commands and messages conveying information of the operation of the one or more remote units after the communication link is established, a plurality of transceivers each adapted for location at a different one of the lead and one or more remote units for transmitting and receiving messages, and a lead station adapted for location of the lead unit, the lead station having means for storing a first lead identifier which uniquely identifies the lead unit and a plurality of first remote identifiers equal in number of the number of remote units, each remote identifier being assigned to each remote unit for uniquely identifying that remote unit and means for generating a link message to be transmitted by the lead unit transceiver prior to the transmission of commands for use in establishing the communication link between the lead unit and any specified one of the one or more remote units over which commands and messages conveying information are to be transmitted, the link message containing said unique first identifier of said lead unit and said first unique identifier of the specified one of said remote units to which the lead unit is to be linked, and one or more remote stations adapted for location at each of the remote units, each of the one or more remote stations comprising:

• (a) means for storing its assigned first unique identifier and the first lead identifier which uniquely identifies the lead unit;
• (b) means for comparing to detect when any received link message contains a first lead identifier and a first remote identifier which agrees with the first lead identifier and first remote identifier stored at the remote unit receiving the link message;
• and
• (c) means for generating a link reply message to each received link message when the comparison of the received first identifiers and the stored first identifiers by the remote station comparing means is in agreement, the link reply message containing the lead identifier and the remote identifier stored at the remote unit at which the comparison was in agreement, each remote station means for generating the link reply message being adpted to be coupled to a transceiver for causing transmission of the link reply message.

In a communication system for use with the control of a train having at least a lead unit and one or more remote units in which the lead unit controls the operation of the one or more remote units with commands which are transmitted after a communication link is established between the lead unit and the one or more remote units, and the one or more remote units transmit return messages to the lead unit confirming execution of the commands, commands and messages conveying information of the operation of the one or more remote units after the communications link is established and a plurality of transceivers each adapted for location at the lead and the one or more remote units for transmitting and receiving messages, a lead station adapted for location at the lead unit comprising:

• (a) means for storing a first lead identifier which uniquely identifies the lead unit and a plurality of first remote identifiers equal in number to the number of remote units, each remote identifier being assigned to each remote unit for uniquely identifying that remote unit and
• (b) means for generating a link message to be transmitted by the lead unit transceiver prior to the transmission of commands for use in establishing the communication link between the lead unit and any specified one of the one or more remote units over which commands are to be transmitted, the link message containing said unique first identifier of said lead unit and said first unique identifier of the specified one of said remote unit to which the lead unit is to be linked.

A communication system for use with the control of a railroad train having a control tower unit and one or more remote units in which the control tower controls the operation of the one or more remote units with commands which are transmitted after a communication link is established between the control tower and the one or more remote units, and the one or more remote units transmit return messages to the control tower confirming execution of the commands, commands and messages conveying information of the operation of the one or more remote units after the communications link is established comprising:

• (a) A plurality of transceivers each respectively adapted for location at the control tower and the one or more remote units for transmitting and receiving over the communication channel;
• (b) a lead station adapted for location at the control tower, the lead station having:
• (i) means for storing a first lead identifier which identifies the control tower and a plurality of first remote identifers equal in number to the number of remote units, each remote identifier being assigned to its remote unit for uniquely identifying that remote unit;
• and
• (ii) means for generating a link message to be transmitted by the control tower transceiver prior to the transmission of commands for use in establishing the communication link between the control tower and any specified one of the one or more remote units over which commands and messages conveying information are to be transmitted, the link message containing said first unique identifier of the specified one of said remote units to which the control tower is to be linked;
• and
• (c) one or more remote stations adapted for location at each of the remote units, each remote station having:
• (i) means for storing its assigned first unique remote identifier;
• (ii) means for comparing any received link message to detect when a received link message contains a first remote identifier which agrees with the first remote identifier stored at the remote station receiving the link message;
• and
• (iii) means for generating a link reply message prior to the transmission of messages or commands to the lead unit to each received link message when the comparison by the remote station comparing means of the first identifier in the link message and the first identifier stored by the remote station storing means is in agreement for use in establishing the communication link between the remote unit generating the link reply message and the lead unit, the link reply message containing the remote first identifier stored at the remote station at which the comparison was in agreement, each remote station means for generating the link reply message being coupled to its associated transceiver for causing transmission of the generated link reply message.

In a communication system for use with the control of a railroad train having a plurality of transceivers, the transceivers being located at a lead unit and at a plurality of remote units, the lead unit controlling the operation of the plurality of remote units with transmissions which include commands transmitted by the lead unit over a communication channel between the lead unit and the plurality of remote units, the plurality of remote units transmitting messages which include replies to commands confirming execution of the commands, commands and messages conveying information of the operation of the plurality of remote units to the lead unit, a system for controlling which unit transmits on the channel comprising:

• (a) means adapted for association with each transceiver in the system for detecting the ending of the most recent transmission on the communication channel by any transceiver;
• and
• (b) means adapted for association with each of the transceivers which is responsive to an associated means for detecting for controlling the initiation of a transmission by any one of the plurality of remote transceivers after the ending of the most recent transmission in which each of the one or more remote transceivers is assigned a specific time interval measured from the end of the most recent transmission for initiating a reply to any lead unit transmission, each time interval for the transmission by each of the plurality of remote units being non overlapping with the time intervals for the other remote units;
• and wherein
• (c) one of the remote units also functions as first repeater for receiving a transmitted message from the lead unit and retransmitting that message;
• and
• (d) the repeater is assigned a time interval measured from the end of the most recent transmission by the lead unit for repeating the transmission by the lead unit which is identical to its time interval for transmitting a reply to a transmission from the lead unit.

In a communication system for use in the control of a plurality of trains sharing a common communication channel with each train having a lead unit which controls the operation of one or more asssociated remote units within the train by commands and messages transmitted on the common communication channel between the lead unit and the one or more remote units, and in which a communication link for each train has been established between each lead unit and one or more remote units prior to the transmission of any commands or messages, a system for controlling which unit anywhere in the system transmits commands or messages on the communication channel comprising:

• (a) a transceiver located at each of said units for receiving and transmitting communications on the common channel;
• (b) means associated with each transceiver for detecting the ending of the most recent communication on the common channel anywhere within the system;
• and
• (c) means associated with each of the transceivers which is responsive to an associated means for detecting for controlling the initiation of a transmission by the associated transceiver after the ending of the most recent communication on the common channel in which each of remote transceivers within each train is assigned a specific time interval measured from the end of the most recent communication anywhere in the system which does not overlap time intervals assigned to other remote units within said each train for replying to commands from the lead unit within said each train.

In a communication system for use in the control of a plurality of trains sharing a common communication channel with each train having a lead unit which controls the operation of one or more associated remote units within the train by commands and messages transmitted on the common communication channel between the lead unit and the one or more remote units and in which a communication link for each train has been established between each lead unit and one or more remote units prior to the transmission of any commands or messages, a system for controlling which unit anywhere in the system transmits on the communication channel comprising:

• (a) a transceiver located at each of said units for receiving and transmitting communication on the common channel;
• (b) means associated with each transceiver in the system for detecting the ending of the most recent communication on the common channel anywhere in the system;
• (c) means associated with each remote transceiver for randomly generating an integer between 1 and q, wherein q is a random number;
• and
• (d) means associated with each of the remote transceivers which is responsive to the associated means for randomly generating an integer and the means for controlling the initiation of a transmission by the remote transceivers after the end of the most recent transmission on the communication channel anywhere in the system so that the remote transceivers in said each train are each assigned a time interval within a time period for initiation of a transmission by any of the remote transceivers in said each train, the particular time interval for each remote transceiver in each said train within the time period being determined by its associated means for randomly generating an integer between 1 and q.

In a communication system for use in the control of a plurality of trains sharing a common communication channel with each train having a lead unit which controls the operation of one or more associated remote units within the train by a plurality of types of commands and messages, a system for controlling which unit anywhere in the system transmits commands or messages on the communication channel comprising:

• (a) a transceiver located at each of said units for receiving and transmitting communications on the common channel;
• (b) means associated with each lead unit transceiver for detecting the ending of the most recent communication on the common channel;
• and
• (c) means associated with each of the lead unit transceivers, which is responsive to an associated lead unit means for detecting, for controlling the initiation of a transmission by the associated lead unit transceiver after the ending of the most recent communication on the common channel in which the lead transceiver of each train is assigned after a separate time interval measured from the end of the most recent communication anywhere in the system, for transmitting each separate type of command.

In a communication system for use in the control of a plurality of trains sharing a common communication channel with each train having a lead unit which controls the operation of one or more associated remote units within the train by commands and messages transmitted on the common communication channel between the lead unit and the one or more remote units, and in which a communication link for each train has been established between each lead unit and one or more remote units prior to the transmission of any commands or messages, a system for controlling which unit anywhere in the system transmits commands or messages on the communication channel comprising:

• (a) a transceiver located at each of said units for receiving and transmitting communications on the common channel;
• (b) means associated with each transceiver for detecting the ending of the most recent communication on the common channel anywhere within the system;
• and
• (c) means associated with each of the transceivers which is responsive to an associated means for detecting for controlling the initiation of a transmission by the associated transceiver after the ending of the most recent communication on the common channel in which each of the lead and remote transceivers within each train is assigned a specific time interval measured from the end of the most recent communication anywhere in the system which does not overlap time intervals assigned to other remote units within said each train for replying to commands from the lead unit within said each train.

A communication system for use with the control of a train having at least a lead unit and one or more remote units in which the lead unit controls the operation of the one or more remote units with commands which are transmitted after a communication link is established between the lead unit and the one or more remote units, and the one or more remote units transmit return messages to the lead unit confirming execution of the commands, commands and messages conveying information of the operation of the one or more remote units after the communications link is established comprising:

• (a) a plurality of transceivers each adapted for location at a different one of the lead and the one or more remote units for transmitting and receiving over the comunication channel;
• (b) a lead station adapted for location at the lead unit, the lead station having:
• (i) means for storing a first lead identifier which identifies the lead unit and a plurality of first remote identifiers equal in number to the number of remote units, each remote identifier being assigned to a different remote unit for identifying that remote unit;
• and
• (ii) means for generating a link message to be transmitted by the lead unit transceiver prior to the transmission of commands for use in establishing the communication like between the lead unit and any specified one of the one or more remote units over which commands and messages conveying information are to be transmitted, the link message containing said first identifier of said lead unit and said first identifier of the specified one of said remote units to which the lead unit is to be linked;
• and
• (c) one or more remote stations adapted for location at each of the remote units, each remote station having:
• (i) means for storing its assigned first remote identifier and the first lead identifier which identifies the lead unit;
• (ii) means for comparing any received link message to detect when a received link message contains a first lead identifier and a first remote identifier which agrees with the first lead identifier and first remote identifier stored at the remote station receiving the link message;
• and
• (iii) means for generating a link reply message prior to the transmission of messages to the lead unit in response to each received link message when the comparison by the remote station comparing means of the first identifiers in the link message and the first identifiers stored by the remote station storing means is in agreement for use in establishing the communication link between the remote unit generating the link reply message and the lead unit, the link reply message containing the lead first identifier and the remote first identifier stored at the remote station at which the comparison was in agreement, each remote station means for generating the link reply message being coupled to its associated transceiver for causing transmission of the generated link reply message.

In a communication system for use with the control of a train having at least a lead unit and one or more remote units in which the lead unit controls the operation of the one or more remote units with commands which are transmitted after a communication link is established between the lead unit and the one or more remote units, and the one or more remote units transmit return messages to the lead unit confirming execution of the commands, commands and messages conveying information of the operation of the one or more remote units after the communication link is established, a plurality of transceivers each adapted for location at a different one of the lead and one or more remote units for transmitting and receiving messages, and a lead station adapted for location at the lead unit, the lead station having means for storing a first lead identifier which identifies the lead unit and a plurality of first remote identifiers equal in number to the number of remote units, each remote identifier being assigned to each remote unit for identifying that remote unit and means for generating a link message to be transmitted by the lead unit transceiver prior to the transmission of commands for use in establishing the communication link between the lead unit and any specified one of the one or more remote units over which commands and messages conveying information are to be transmitted, the link message containing said first identifier of said lead unit and said first identifier of the specified one of said remote units to which the lead unit is to be linked, and one or more remote stations adapted for location at each of the remote units, each of the one or more remote stations comprising:

• (a) means for storing its assigned first identifier and the first lead identifier which identifies the lead unit;
• (b) means for comparing to detect when any received link message contains a first lead identifier and a first remote identifier which agrees with the first lead identifier and first remote identifier stored at the remote unit receiving the link message;
• and
• (c) means for generating a link reply message to each received link message when the comparison of the received first identifiers and the stored first identifiers by the remote station comparing means is in agreement, the link reply message containing the lead identifier and the remote identifier stored at the remote unit at which the comparison was in agreement, each remote station means for generating the link reply message being adapted to be coupled to a transceiver for causing transmission of the link reply message.

In a communication system for use with the control of a train having at least a lead unit and one or more remote units in which the lead unit controls the operation of the one or more remote units with commands which are transmitted after a communication link is established between the lead unit and the one or more remote units, and the one or more remote units transmit return messages to the lead unit confirming execution of the commands, commands and messages conveying information of the operation of the one or more remote units after the communications link is established and a plurality of transceivers each adapted for location at the lead and the one or more remote units for transmitting and receiving messages, a lead station adapted for location at the lead unit comprising:

• (a) means for storing a first lead identifier which identifies the lead unit and a plurality of first remote identifiers equal in number to the number of remote units, each remote identifier being assigned to a separate remote unit for identifying that remote unit and
• (b) means for generating a link message to be transmitted by the lead unit transceiver prior to the transmission of commands for use in establishing the communication link between the lead unit and any specified one of the one or more remote units over which commands are to be transmitted, the link message containing said first identifier of said lead unit and said first identifier of the specified one of said remote units to which the lead unit is to be linked.

A communication system for use with the control of a railroad train having a control tower unit and one or more remote units in which the control tower controls the operation of the one or more remote units with commands which are transmitted after a communication link is established between the control tower and the one or more remote units, and the one or more remote units transmit return messages to the control tower confirming execution of the commands, commands and messages conveying information of the operation of the one or more remote units after the communications link is established comprising:

• (a) a plurality of transceivers each respectively adapted for location at the control tower and the one or more remote units for transmitting and receiving over the communication channel;
• (b) a lead station adapted for location at the control tower, the lead station having:
• (i) means for storing a first lead identifier which identifies the control tower and a plurality of first remote identifiers equal in number to the number of remote units, each remote identifier being assigned to its remote unit for identifying that remote unit;
• and
• (ii) means for generating a link message to be transmitted by the control tower transceiver prior to the transmission of commands for use in establishing the communication link between the control tower and any specified one of the one or more remote units over which commands and messages conveying information are to be transmitted, the link message containing said first identifier of the specified one of said remote units to which the control tower is to be linked;
• and
• (c) one or more remote stations adapted for location at each of the remote units, each remote station having:
• (i) means for storing its assigned first remote identifier;
• (ii) means for comparing any received link message to detect when a received link message contains a first remote identifier which agrees with the first remote identifier stored at the remote station receiving the link message;
• and
• (iii) means for generating a link reply message prior to the transmission of messages or commands to the lead unit to each received link message when the comparison by the remote station comparing means of the first identifier in the link message and the first identifier stored by the remote station storing means is in agreement for use in establishing the communication link between the remote unit generating the link reply message and the lead unit, the link reply message containing the remote first identifier stored at the remote station at which the comparison was in agreement, each remote station means for generating the link reply message being coupled to its associated transceiver for causing transmission of the generated link reply message.