Method and apparatus for controlling a plurality of locomotives

An apparatus for controlling a plurality of locomotives, said locomotives being responsive to a plurality of discrete actual commands, said apparatus comprising:

• a combination generator adapted for generating combinations of said discrete actual commands to yield a command combination set;
• a performance calculator adapted for calculating a performance parameter set from said command combination set;
• a feasible combination selector adapted for selecting a feasible combination subset from said command combination set as a function of a discrete performance setpoint, a performance tolerance, and said performance parameter set;
• an objective function calculator adapted for calculating an objective function set from said feasible combination subset;
• and
• an optimal command selector adapted for selecting an optimal command combination from said feasible combination subset corresponding to an optimum value of said objective function set,
• said performance calculator being further adapted for calculating total power of said plurality of locomotives,
• said discrete performance setpoint being a request for a level of said total power,
• said performance tolerance being a power tolerance,
• said feasible combination subset containing only said combinations of said discrete actual commands resulting in said total power within said power tolerance of said request,
• said discrete performance setpoint having a finer resolution than said discrete actual commands.

A method for controlling a plurality of locomotives, said locomotives being responsive to a plurality of discrete actual commands, said method comprising:

• generating combinations of said discrete actual commands to yield a command combination set;
• calculating a performance parameter set from said command combination set;
• selecting a feasible combination subset from said command combination set as a function of a discrete performance setpoint, a performance tolerance, and said performance parameter set;
• calculating an objective function set from said feasible combination subset;
• and
• selecting an optimal command combination from said feasible combination subset corresponding to an optimum value of said objective function set.

A method for controlling a plurality of locomotives, said locomotives being responsive to a plurality of discrete actual commands, said method comprising:

• generating combinations of said discrete actual commands to yield a command combination set;
• calculating a performance parameter set from said command combination set;
• selecting a feasible combination subset from said command combination set as a function of a discrete performance setpoint, a performance tolerance, and said performance parameter set;
• calculating an objective function set from said feasible combination subset;
• and
• selecting an optimal command combination from said feasible combination subset corresponding to an optimum value of said objective function set,
• said act of calculating a performance parameter set further comprising calculating total power of said plurality of locomotives,
• said discrete performance setpoint being a request for a level of said total power,
• said performance tolerance being a power tolerance,
• said feasible combination subset containing only said combinations of said discrete actual commands resulting in said total power within said power tolerance of said request,
• said discrete performance setpoint having a finer resolution than said discrete actual commands.