US 6,789,004 B2 · Remote control system for locomotives

Abstract

A system of controller modules allowing to remotely control a train having a first locomotive and a second locomotive separated from one another by at least one car is provided. The system of controller modules comprises a first controller module associated to the first locomotive and a second controller module associated to the second locomotive. One of said controller modules has a lead operational status and the other has a trail operational status. The controller module having the lead operational status receives a master control signal for signaling the train to move in a desired direction and releases in response to the master control signal a first local command signal. The first local command signal is operative to cause displacement of the locomotive associated with the controller module having the lead operational status. The controller module having a lead operational status is further operative to transmit to the controller module having a trail operational status a local control signal derived from the master control signal. The controller module having the trail operational status is responsive to the local control signal to generate a second command signal operative to cause displacement of the locomotive associated to the controller module having a trail operational status. The movement of the locomotive associated with the controller module having the lead operational status and the movement of the locomotive associated with the controller module having the trail operational status is such as to cause displacement of the train in the desired direction.

Claims61

Dependent claims

A system for remotely controlling a train having a first locomotive and a second locomotive separated from one another by at least one car, said system comprising:

a) a first controller module for mounting in the first locomotive;
b) a second controller module for mounting in the second locomotive;
c) a remote control module;
d) each of said modules having a machine readable storage medium for storage of an identifier, the identifier allowing to distinguish said modules from one another;
e) each module being operative to transmit messages to another one of said modules over an RF communication link, a message sent by any one of said modules over the RF communication link being sensed by each of the other ones of said modules, each message including an address portion for holding the identifier of the module to which the message is directed;
f) said remote control module and said first controller module being operative to engage in a first data exchange transaction over a communication link other than the RF communication link such that said remote control module acquires and stores in the machine readable storage medium of said remote control module the identifier of said first controller module and said first controller module acquires and stores in the machine readable storage medium of said first controller module the identifier of said remote control module;
g) said remote control module and said second controller module being operative to engage in a second data exchange transaction over a communication link other than the RF communication link such that said remote control module acquires and stores in the machine readable storage medium of said remote control module the identifier of said second controller module and said second controller module acquires and stores in the machine readable storage medium of said second controller module the identifier of said remote control module and the identifier of said first controller module;
h) said first controller module and said second controller module being operative to engage in a third data exchange transaction over the RF communication link such that said first controller module acquires and stores in the machine readable storage medium of said first controller module the identifier of said second controller module.

5 more elements

A method for initializing a remote control system for a train having a first locomotive and a second locomotive separated from one another by at least one car, said remote control system including:

a) a first controller module for mounting in the first locomotive;
b) a second controller module for mounting in the second locomotive;
c) a remote control module each of the first controller module, the second controller module and the remote control module having a machine readable storage medium for storage of respective identifiers, the identifiers allowing to distinguish the first controller module, the second controller module and the remote controller module from one another, said method including:
i. establishing a first data exchange transaction between the remote control module and the first controller module such that the remote control module acquires and stores in the machine readable storage medium of the remote control module the identifier of the first controller module and the first controller module acquires and stores in the machine readable storage medium of the first controller module the identifier of the remote control module;
ii. establishing a second data exchange transaction between the remote control module and the second controller module such that the remote control module acquires and stores in the machine readable storage medium of the remote control module the identifier of the second controller module and the second controller module acquires and stores in the machine readable storage medium of the second controller module the identifier of the remote control module and the identifier of the first controller module;
iii. establishing a third data exchange transaction between the first controller module and the second controller module such that the first controller module acquires and stores in the machine readable storage medium of the first controller module the identifier of the second controller module, the third data exchange transaction being effected over an RF communication link;
iv. the first data exchange transactions being effected over a communication link other than the RF communication link;
v. the second data exchange transaction being effected over a communication link other than the RF communication link.

5 more elements

A remote control unit for remotely controlling a train having a first locomotive and a second locomotive separated from one another by at least one car, the first locomotive being associated with a first controller module having a machine readable storage medium for storage of an identifier, the second locomotive being associated with a second controller module having a machine readable storage medium for storage of an identifier, the identifiers allowing to distinguish the first controller module and the second controller module from one another, said remote control unit comprising:

a) a machine readable storage medium for storage of a remote unit identifier, the remote unit identifier allowing to distinguish the remote control unit from the first and second controller modules;
b) said remote control module being operative to engage in a first data exchange transaction with the first controller module to:
acquire and store in the machine readable storage medium of said remote control module the identifier of the first controller module;
transmit to the first controller module the remote control unit identifier;
c) said remote control module being operative to engage in a second data exchange transaction with the second controller module to:
acquire and store in the machine readable storage medium of said remote control module the identifier of said second controller module;
transmit to the second controller module the remote control unit identifier and the identifier of the first controller module;
d) said remote control unit being operative to each module being operative to transmit messages to either one of the first and second controller modules an RF communication link, each message including an address portion for holding the identifier of the controller module to which the message is directed.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Remote control system for locomotives

Life of this patent

Remote control system for locomotives

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims61