System and method for communicating in a vehicle consist

A system comprising:

• a remote communication unit configured to be disposed onboard a first remote vehicle in a vehicle consist having at least a lead vehicle and two or more remote vehicles that include the first remote vehicle, and a second remote vehicle, the remote communication unit also configured to receive a reply message from the second remote vehicle in response to communication of a command message from the lead vehicle to the first remote vehicle and the second remote vehicle, the command message including a directive for controlling one or more operations of the first remote vehicle and the second remote vehicle, the reply message communicated from the second remote vehicle including a status of the second remote vehicle, the remote communication unit also configured to receive a retry message from the lead vehicle that identifies a subset of the two or more remote vehicles from which a reply message was not received by the lead vehicle, the subset identifying at least the second remote vehicle;
• and
• a control unit configured to be disposed onboard the first remote vehicle, the control unit configured to combine the status of the second remote vehicle as received in the reply message communicated from the second remote vehicle with a status of one or more of the first remote vehicle or another remote vehicle in the vehicle consist into a concatenated relayed message, wherein the control unit also is configured to direct the remote communication unit to communicate the concatenated relayed message to the lead vehicle such that the lead vehicle receives the status of the second remote vehicle.

A method comprising:

• communicating a command message using transceiving circuitry from a lead vehicle in a vehicle consist having plural remote vehicles coupled with the lead vehicle, the command message including a directive for controlling one or more operations of the remote vehicles;
• separately receiving one or more reply messages from less than all of the plural remote vehicles in the vehicle consist in response to the command message using the transceiving circuitry, the one or more reply messages including statuses of less than all of the plural remote vehicles in the vehicle consist;
• communicating a retry message from the lead vehicle using the transceiving circuitry that identifies a subset of less than all of the remote vehicles in the vehicle consist from which the one or more reply messages were not received in response to the command message;
• and
• receiving an individual or concatenated relayed message from a first remote vehicle in the plural remote vehicles of the vehicle consist using the transceiving circuitry, the individual or concatenated relayed message including a combination of the status of one or more of the remote vehicles in the subset from which the one or more reply messages were not received.

A system comprising:

• a lead communication unit configured to be disposed onboard a lead vehicle in a vehicle consist having plural remote vehicles coupled with the lead vehicle, the lead communication unit also configured to communicate a command message that includes a directive for controlling one or more operations of the remote vehicles, the lead communication unit configured to separately receive one or more reply messages from less than all of the plural remote vehicles in the vehicle consist in response to the command message, the one or more reply messages including statuses of less than all of the plural remote vehicles in the vehicle consist;
• and
• a control unit configured to be disposed onboard the lead vehicle and to identify a subset of the remote vehicles in the vehicle consist from which the one or more reply messages were not received in response to the command message, the control unit configured to direct the lead communication unit to communicate a retry message that identifies a subset of less than all of the remote vehicles in the vehicle consist from which the one or more reply messages were not received in response to the command message, the control unit also configured to receive, via the lead communication unit, an individual or concatenated relayed message from a first remote vehicle in the plural remote vehicles of the vehicle consist, the individual or concatenated relayed message including a combination of the status of one or more of the remote vehicles in the subset from which the one or more reply messages were not received.