System and method for determining operational group assignments of vehicles in a vehicle system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9849807-B2
Application number	US-201615248961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2012
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle control system includes one or more processors configured to assign plural vehicles to different groups in one or more vehicle systems for travel along one or more routes. The one or more processors also are configured to determine trip plans for the different groups. The trip plans designate different operational settings of the vehicles in the different groups at different locations along one or more routes during movement of the one or more vehicle systems along the one or more routes. The one or more processors also are configured to modify one or more of the groups to which the vehicles are assigned or the operational settings for the vehicles in one or more of the vehicle systems based on a movement parameter of one or more of the vehicle systems. The trip plans for the different groups of the vehicles are interdependent upon each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
one or more processors configured to assign plural vehicles to different groups in one or more vehicle systems for travel along one or more routes, the one or more processors also configured to determine trip plans for the different groups of the vehicles, wherein the trip plans designate different operational settings of the vehicles in the different groups at different locations along one or more routes during movement of the one or more vehicle systems along the one or more routes,
wherein the one or more processors also are configured to modify one or more of the groups to which the vehicles are assigned or the operational settings for the vehicles in one or more of the vehicle systems based on a movement parameter of one or more of the vehicle systems, and
wherein the trip plans for the different groups of the vehicles are interdependent upon each other.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the trip plans to be interdependent upon each other by the trip plans directing the vehicles in a first group of the different groups to generate electric current during the movement of the vehicles in the first group over a first segment of the one or more routes and directing the vehicles in a second group of the different groups to receive and be at least partially powered by the electric current generated by the vehicles in the first group during the movement of the vehicles in the second group over a second segment of the one or more routes.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the trip plans to direct the vehicles in the first group to generate the electric current during the movement of the vehicles in the first group along a downward grade in first segment of the one or more routes and to direct the vehicles in the second group to receive and be at least partially powered by the electric current generated by the vehicles in the first group during the movement of the vehicles in the second group along an inclined grade in the second segment of the one or more routes.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to assign the vehicles in the first group and the vehicles in the second group in a common vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to assign the vehicles in the first group in a first vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems and the vehicles in the second group are included in a separate, second vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first segment and the second segment of the one or more routes are different segments of different routes.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the trip plans to be interdependent upon each other by the trip plans directing the vehicles in a first group of the different groups to determine and provide one or more characteristics of the one or more routes to the vehicles in a second group of the different groups, and
wherein the one or more processors are configured to modify the trip plan of the second group based on the one or more characteristics of the one or more routes determined by the vehicles in the first group.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to assign the vehicles in the first group and the vehicles in the second group in a common vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to assign the vehicles in the first group in a first vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems and the vehicles in the second group in a separate, second vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first segment and the second segment of the one or more routes are different segments of different routes.

11. A method comprising:
assigning plural vehicles to different groups in one or more vehicle systems for travel along one or more routes;
determining trip plans for the different groups of the vehicles, the trip plans designating different operational settings of the vehicles in the different groups at different locations along one or more routes during movement of the one or more vehicle systems along the one or more routes; and
modifying one or more of the groups to which the vehicles are assigned or the operational settings for the vehicles in one or more of the vehicle systems based on a movement parameter of one or more of the vehicle systems,
wherein the trip plans for the different groups of the vehicles are interdependent upon each other.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the trip plans are determined to be interdependent upon each other by the trip plans directing the vehicles in a first group of the different groups to generate electric current during the movement of the vehicles in the first group over a first segment of the one or more routes and directing the vehicles in a second group of the different groups to receive and be at least partially powered by the electric current generated by the vehicles in the first group during the movement of the vehicles in the second group over a second segment of the one or more routes.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the trip plans are determined to direct the vehicles in the first group to generate the electric current during the movement of the vehicles in the first group along a downward grade in first segment of the one or more routes and to direct the vehicles in the second group to receive and be at least partially powered by the electric current generated by the vehicles in the first group during the movement of the vehicles in the second group along an inclined grade in the second segment of the one or more routes.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the vehicles in the first group and the vehicles in the second group are included in a common vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the vehicles in the first group are included in a first vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems and the vehicles in the second group are included in a separate, second vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first segment and the second segment of the one or more routes are different segments of different routes.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the trip plans are determined to be interdependent upon each other by the trip plans directing the vehicles in a first group of the different groups to determine and provide one or more characteristics of the one or more routes to the vehicles in a second group of the different groups, and further comprising modifying the trip plan of the second group based on the one or more characteristics of the one or more routes determined by the vehicles in the first group.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the vehicles in the first group and the vehicles in the second group are included in a common vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the vehicles in the first group are included in a first vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems and the vehicles in the second group are included in a separate, second vehicle system of the one or more vehicle systems.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first segment a

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Mathews Jr Harry Kirk
• Dai Dan
• Brooks James

Classifications

• B61L27/0027

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B61L3/008

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• Y02T30/10

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B61C17/12

  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

• G05D1/0293

  Convoy travelling · CPC title