System and method for decoupling a vehicle system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016009302-A1
Application number	US-201414326534-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2014
Priority date	Jul 9, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method for separating a vehicle system into separate vehicle segments, separately moving the vehicle segments, and re-connecting the vehicle segments without initiation of a brake penalty application are provided. The system and method communicate a suspend command signal between vehicle segments to suspend operations of vehicles in a cooperative mode. The vehicles in the vehicle system are decoupled into plural separate vehicle segments. The system and method also move one or more of the vehicle segments separately from one or more other vehicle segments. The vehicle segments are reconnected to form the vehicle system, and the system and method communicate a reconnect command signal between the vehicle segments to resume operations in the cooperative mode, without incurring a penalty brake application of the vehicle system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
onboard a vehicle system comprising plural propulsion-generating vehicles coupled together and operating in a cooperative mode, communicating a suspend command signal between two or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles to suspend operations of the propulsion-generating vehicles in the cooperative mode; decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system into plural separate vehicle segments; moving one or more of the vehicle segments separately from one or more other vehicle segments; reconnecting the vehicle segments to form the vehicle system; and communicating a reconnect command signal between the vehicle segments to resume operations of the propulsion-generating vehicles in the cooperative mode, wherein the propulsion-generating vehicles are decoupled from each other, moved separately from each other in the vehicle segments, and reconnected in the vehicle segments to form the vehicle system without incurring a penalty brake application of the vehicle system.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the vehicle system initiating the penalty brake application responsive to the occurrence of one or more designated events, wherein the penalty brake application comprises an automatic activation of one or more brake systems of the vehicle system to at least one of slow the vehicle system, bring the vehicle system to a stop, or prevent the vehicle system from moving.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system include a leading propulsion-generating vehicle and one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles, and further comprising operating the vehicle system in the cooperative mode by remotely controlling movements of the remote propulsion-generating vehicles from the leading propulsion-generating vehicle.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising confirming suspension of the cooperative mode at the remote propulsion-generating vehicles prior to moving the one or more of the vehicle segments that includes the one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the vehicle system to a safe state prior to communicating the suspend command signal.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying one or more brake systems of the vehicle system prior to decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles into the vehicle segments.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle system includes the propulsion-generating vehicles being both mechanically and fluidly coupled with each other, and wherein decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles into the vehicle segments includes both mechanically decoupling and fluidly decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles from each other.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle system includes the propulsion-generating vehicles being logically coupled with each other without being mechanically coupled with each other, and wherein decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles into the vehicle segments includes logically decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles from each other such that the propulsion-generating vehicles can separately move from each other.

9 . A system comprising:
a first controller configured to be disposed onboard a leading propulsion-generating vehicle of a vehicle system that includes one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles coupled together and operating in a cooperative mode, the first controller configured to communicate a suspend command signal to the one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles to suspend operations of the leading and remote propulsion-generating vehicles in the cooperative mode, wherein the leading and remote propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system are decoupled from each other into plural separate vehicle segments responsive to communication of the suspend command signal; wherein the first controller also is configured, responsive to the vehicle segments being reconnected to form the vehicle system after the vehicle segments are moved separately from one another, to communicate a reconnect command signal to the one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles to resume operations of the propulsion-generating vehicles in the cooperative mode, wherein the first controller is configured to avoid a penalty brake application of the vehicle system responsive to the propulsion-generative vehicles being decoupled from each other, moving separately from each other in the vehicle segments, or being reconnected with each other in the vehicle segments to form the vehicle system.

10 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising one or more second controllers configured to be disposed onboard the one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles, wherein at least one of the first controller or the one or more second controllers also is configured to move one or more of the vehicle segments separately from one or more other vehicle segments, wherein the first controller also is configured to communicate a reconnect command signal to the one or more second controllers to resume operations of the propulsion-generating vehicles in the cooperative mode responsive to the vehicle segments being reconnected to form the vehicle system, wherein the first controller and the one or more second controllers are configured to avoid a penalty brake application of the vehicle system responsive to the propulsion-generative vehicles being decoupled from each other, moving separately from each other in the vehicle segments, or being reconnected with each other in the vehicle segments to form the vehicle system.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more second controllers are configured to receive a confirmation of suspension of the cooperative mode at the remote propulsion-generating vehicles prior to moving the one or more of the vehicle segments that includes the one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the vehicle system includes the propulsion-generating vehicles being both mechanically and fluidly coupled with each other, and wherein the first controller and the one or more second controllers are configured to separately control movements of the vehicle segments responsive to both mechanically decoupling and fluidly decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles from each other.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the vehicle system includes the propulsion-generating vehicles being logically coupled with each other without being mechanically coupled with each other, and wherein the first controller and the one or more second controllers are configured to decouple the propulsion-generating vehicles into the vehicle segments by logically decoupling the propulsion-generating vehicles from each other such that the propulsion-generating vehicles can separately move from each other.

14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the first controller is configured to operate the vehicle system in the cooperative mode by remotely controlling movements of the remote propulsion-generating vehicles from the leading propulsion-generating vehicle.

15 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the first controller is configured to control operations of the vehicle system and to control the vehicle system to a safe state prior to communicating the suspend command signal.

16 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the first controller is configured to apply one or more brake systems of the vehicle system prior to the propulsion-generating vehicles from being decoupled into the vehicle s

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Bryant Robert Francis
• Cooper Jared Klineman
• Wawrzyniak Frank
• Wawrzyniak Tara Lauren

Classifications

• B61L15/0072

  On-board train data handling · CPC title

• B61L15/0027

  Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R · CPC title

• B61L15/0054

  Train integrity supervision, e.g. end-of-train [EOT] devices · CPC title

• B61L15/0018 Primary

  Communication with or on the vehicle or train · CPC title

• B61L15/0036

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