Method and apparatus for positioning a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9371076-B2
Application number	US-201514602334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2015
Priority date	Sep 14, 2012
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

A method for remotely controlling a plurality of vehicles includes receiving at an external control system, under an indexing mode of operation, a first signal from off-board vehicle indexing equipment. The method further includes establishing in the external control system a positioning mode of operation in response to the first signal. Further, under the positioning mode of operation, and in response to actuation of an interface of the external control system, the method includes sending from the external control system a second signal to a first vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, the second signal comprising a first command to adjust a throttle setting of first vehicle and a second command to idle a throttle of at least one second vehicle of the plurality of vehicles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for remotely controlling a plurality of vehicles, said method comprising:
receiving at an external control system, under an indexing mode of operation, a first signal from off-board vehicle indexing equipment;
in response to the first signal, establishing in the external control system a positioning mode of operation; and,
under the positioning mode of operation, and in response to actuation of an interface of the external control system, sending from the external control system a second signal to a first vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, the second signal comprising a first command to adjust a throttle setting of first vehicle and a second command to idle a throttle of at least one second vehicle of the plurality of vehicles.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the positioning mode of operation includes preliminary steps of verifying the indexing mode of operation and verifying an idle condition, such that the positioning mode of operation will not be established if one or more of the indexing mode of operation and the idle condition is not verified.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein verifying the idle condition includes verifying an idle status of an interface of the external control system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the positioning mode of operation includes updating a display of the external control system to indicate the throttle setting.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the positioning mode of operation includes setting in the external control system a maximum limit for adjusting the throttle setting of the first vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first command is to adjust the throttle setting of the first vehicle to idle.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second signal includes a third command to release brakes of the first vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, exiting the positioning mode of operation by re-establishing the indexing mode of operation while sending a third signal from the external control system to the first vehicle, said third signal including a fifth command to adjust the throttle setting of the first vehicle to idle and a sixth command to apply independent brakes of the first vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein exiting the positioning mode of operation is done responsive to one or more of: actuation of a RUN mode device of the external control system to a CENTER position; or at least one of actuation of a STOP button or of a PARK button of the external control system.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein exiting the positioning mode of operation comprises:
maintaining a current throttle setting of the first vehicle;
incrementally increasing a braking pressure of the first vehicle until a braking parameter is met; and
adjusting the throttle setting of the first vehicle to idle.

11. A control system comprising:
an off-board control unit configured for communication with an on-board transceiver that is mounted in a vehicle and operatively connected with at least one power system of the vehicle, said off-board control unit further configured for receiving a first signal from off-board vehicle sensing equipment disposed proximate the vehicle; and
an operator control unit operatively connected with the off-board control unit and including a selector manually movable to a plurality of pre-determined positions, such that in response at least to movement of the selector among the pre-determined positions, the off-board control unit is configured to establish corresponding modes of operation, wherein the off-board control unit is configured to establish a positioning mode of operation, corresponding to one of the pre-determined positions of the selector, in response to the first signal received from the off-board vehicle sensing equipment, and wherein when operating in the positioning mode of operation the off-board control unit is configured to transmit to the on-board transceiver second signals for positioning the vehicle independently from a plurality of vehicles of which the first vehicle is in proximity to.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second signals comprise a signal for setting a throttle control of the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second signals comprise a signal for adjusting a braking parameter of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the off-board control unit is configured to generate the signal for adjusting the braking parameter based on comparison of a location of the vehicle to a lookup table that indexes braking parameter values by locations within an area where the first vehicle is present.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second signals comprise a signal for overriding a distributed power configuration of the plurality of vehicles.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second signals comprise a signal for idling throttles of vehicles in the plurality of vehicles that the off-board control unit controls via the on-board transceiver.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second signals comprise a signal for releasing brakes of vehicles in the plurality of vehicles that the off-board control unit controls via the on-board transceiver.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the off-board vehicle sensing equipment comprises indexing equipment configured to adjust a position of the vehicle and to send to the off-board control unit the first signal indicating the vehicle is ready for the off-board control unit to establish the positioning mode of operation.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the off-board control unit is further configured to exit from the positioning mode of operation in response to the selector being moved to a neutral or idle position.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the off-board control unit is further configured to exit from the positioning mode of operation by:
maintaining a current throttle setting of a throttle of the vehicle;
ordering a braking pressure of the vehicle to match a determined braking parameter; and
idling the throttle of the vehicle.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the braking parameter is set based on comparison of a location of the vehicle to a lookup table indexing braking parameter values by locations within the area where the vehicle is located.

22. A control system comprising:
an off-board control system configured for communication with a plurality of vehicles and to receive a first signal from vehicle environment equipment, the off-board control system comprising an interface; and
wherein the off-board control system is configured to transition from an indexing mode of operation to a positioning mode of operation responsive to receiving the first signal, and
wherein the off-board control system, when operative in the positioning mode of operation and in response to actuation of the interface, is configured to send from the off-board control system a second signal to a first vehicle of plurality of vehicles, said second signal comprising a first command to adjust a throttle setting of the first vehicle and a second command to idle a throttle of any other vehicle of the plurality of vehicles.

23. A control system comprising:
an on-board transceiver mounted in a vehicle and operatively connected with at least one power system of the vehicle, said on-board transceiver configured to receive from an off-board control unit, not mounted in said vehicle or in any of a plurality of vehicle

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Woo Derek Kevin
• Paulino Carlos Sabino
• Haddock Iii Ralph

Classifications

• B61L17/00

  Switching systems for classification yards · CPC title

• B61L27/0077

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B61C17/12 Primary

  Control gear; Arrangements for controlling locomotives from remote points in the train or when operating in multiple units (control from points outside the train B61L3/00; fluid-actuated telemotors, servomotors F15B; control devices in general G05) · CPC title

• Y02T30/10

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B61L15/0027

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