Vehicle communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046778-B2
Application number	US-201615347817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2016
Priority date	Nov 10, 2015
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A communication system uses a vehicle system controller to control operation of a vehicle system. An electronic air brake (EAB) controller and an electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brake controller control operation of a brake of the vehicle system. One or more network connections communicate data packets between the vehicle system controller and the brake controllers to allow the vehicle system controller to control the brake of the vehicle system using data packets communicated between or among two or more of the vehicle system controller, the EAB controller, or the ECP controller to allow the vehicle system controller to control the brake of the vehicle system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a vehicle system controller configured to control operation of a vehicle system;
one or more brake controllers configured to control operation of a brake of the vehicle system, the one or more brake controllers communicatively coupled with each other by an electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) line extending along the vehicle system; and
one or more network connections between the vehicle system controller and the one or more brake controllers, the one or more network connections configured to communicate data packets between the vehicle system controller and the one or more brake controllers along the ECP line to allow the vehicle system controller to control the brake of the vehicle system,
wherein the one or more brake controllers include an electronic air brake (EAR) controller configured to control the brake of the vehicle system by changing air pressure in a conduit extending along the vehicle system and an ECP brake controller configured to control the brake of the vehicle system by communicating an electronic signal along the ECP line extending along the vehicle system;
wherein the vehicles system controller is configured to one or more of:
switch from communicating with the EAB controller via the one or more network connections to communicating with the ECP brake controller via the one or more network connections responsive to a failure in at least one of the network connections, or
switch from communicating with the ECP brake controller via the one or more network connections to communicating with the EAB controller via the one or more network connections responsive to the failure in at least one of the network connections.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more electronic devices configured to perform one or more functions of the vehicle system, wherein the one or more electronic devices are configured to communicate one or more unique identifiers of the one or more electronic devices to the vehicle system controller.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a network hub configured to communicatively couple the EAB controller with the ECP brake controller, wherein the EAB controller and the ECP brake controller are configured to communicate with each other via the network hub without communicating with each other via the vehicle system controller.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle system controller is configured to be disposed onboard a first vehicle of the vehicle system, and further comprising one or more sensors configured to be disposed onboard a different, second vehicle of the vehicle system and configured to communicate sensed operational parameters of the second vehicle to the vehicle system controller via the one or more network connections.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising an output device configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle system, wherein the vehicle system controller is configured to direct the output device to present the operational parameters on the output device.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the operational parameters include a weight of one or more of cargo or passengers onboard the second vehicle.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the operational parameters include a status of a refrigerated car.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle system controller is configured to communicate with the one or more brake controllers using time sensitive network communication.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more brake controllers are configured to consolidate data to be communicated to the vehicle system controller into a single data packet and to periodically communicate the data packet to the vehicle system controller.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle system controller is configured to receive and communicate one or more of new software, a software update, or a software revision to a control system disposed onboard the vehicle system via the one or more network connections.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle system controller is configured to communicate sensor data received from one or more sensors disposed on another vehicle of the vehicle system via the one or more network connections to an off-board system.

12. A method comprising:
communicatively linking, via one or more network connections, a vehicle system controller configured to control operation of a vehicle system with one or more electronic air brake (EAB) controllers and one or more electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brake controllers configured to control operation of a brake of the vehicle system;
communicating data packets between the vehicle system controller and the one or more EAB controllers and the one or more ECP brake controllers to allow the vehicle system controller to control the brake of the vehicle system; and
on or more of:
switching the vehicle system controller from communicating with the EAB controllers via the one or more network connections to communicating with the ECP brake controllers via the one or more network connections responsive to a failure in at least one of the network connections, or
switching the vehicle system controller from communicating with the ECP brake controllers via the one or more network connections to communicating with the EAB controllers via the one or more network connections responsive to the failure in at least one of the network connections.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising directing an output device disposed onboard a lead vehicle to present the operational parameters on the output device, the operational parameters that are presented on the output device including one or more of a weight of cargo or passengers onboard a remote vehicle or a status of a refrigerated car.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more EAB controllers are configured to control the brake of the vehicle system by changing air pressure in a conduit extending along the vehicle system and the one or more ECP brake controllers are configured to control the brake of the vehicle system by communicating an electronic signal along an ECP line extending along the vehicle system.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising communicatively linking a network hub with the one or more EAB controllers and the one or more ECP brake controllers, wherein the one or more EAB controllers and the one or more ECP brake controllers are configured to communicate with each other via the network hub without communicating with each other via the vehicle system controller.

16. A system comprising:
a vehicle system controller configured to control operation of a vehicle system;
an electronic air brake (EAB) controller configured to control a brake of the vehicle system by changing air pressure in a conduit extending along the vehicle system;
an electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brake controller configured to control the brake of the vehicle system by communicating an electronic signal along an ECP line extending along the vehicle system; and
one or more network connections among the vehicle system controller, the EAB controller, and the ECP brake controller, the one or more network connections configured to communicate data packets one or more of between or among two or more of the vehicle system controller, the EAB controller, or the ECP controller to allow the vehicle system controller to control the brake of the vehicle system;
wherein the vehicle system controller is configured to one or more of:
switch from communicating with the EAB controller via the one or more network connections to communicating

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Crane Stephen Michael
• Bardo David
• Gitmez Serkan
• Yarrington Todd
• Tullai Phil
• Chambers Misty
• Pallo Chris

Classifications

• B60T13/665 Primary

  the systems being specially adapted for transferring two or more command signals, e.g. railway systems (B60T13/662 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B61H11/00 Primary

  Applications or arrangements of braking or retarding apparatus not otherwise provided for; Combinations of apparatus of different kinds or types · CPC title

• B61L15/0036

  Conductor-based, e.g. using CAN-Bus, train-line or optical fibres · CPC title

• B60T17/228

  for railway vehicles · CPC title

• B61L15/0072

  On-board train data handling · CPC title