Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Railway vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-07
2002-09-10
Nguyen, Tan (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Railway vehicle
C246S16700M, C246S18700R, C701S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06449536
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic system for remotely controlling locomotives in a train. The system is particularly suitable for use in transfer assignments as well as switching yard assignments.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Economic constraints have led railway companies to develop portable units allowing a ground-based operator to remotely control a locomotive in a switching yard. The module is essentially a transmitter communicating with a trail controller on the locomotive by way of a radio link. Typically, the operator carries this module and can perform duties such as coupling, and uncoupling cars while remaining in control of the locomotive movement at all times. This allows for placing the point of control at the point of movement thereby potentially enhancing safety, accuracy and efficiency.
Remote locomotive controllers currently used in the industry are relatively simple devices that enable the operator to manually regulate the throttle and brake in order to accelerate, decelerate and/or maintain a desired speed. The operator is required to judge the speed of the locomotive and modulate the throttle and/or brake levers to control the movement of the locomotive.
Therefore, the operator must possess a good understanding of the track dynamics, the braking characteristics of the train, etc. to remotely operate the locomotive in a safe manner.
In several situations where locomotives and trains are used, there are both forward and backward movements of the train. In certain circumstances, the locomotive is pulling the train. In instances where the train is going in the opposite direction, the locomotive is pushing the train. In these situations, the remote locomotive controllers also enable the operator to manually regulate the direction of movement of the locomotive. Regulations define a limited distance during which the locomotive may push the train given that, during the time that the locomotive is pushing the train, there is no conductor at the front end of the train. A common solution to this problem is to have a caboose at the other end of the train where another conductor stands and observes where the train is going. Such a solution requires a duplication of the amount of personnel that is required to operate a train, thereby incurring additional costs in the form of an extra crew person. However, these extra crewmembers are required for security purposes.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the industry to provide a system for remotely controlling a locomotive that alleviates at least some of the problems associated with prior art devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a broad aspect, the present invention provides a system of controller modules allowing to remotely control a train having a first locomotive and a second locomotive separated from one another by at least one car. The system of controller modules comprises a first controller module associated to the first locomotive and a second controller module associated to the second locomotive. One of the controller modules has a lead operational status and the other of the controller modules has a trail operational status. The controller module having the lead operational status includes an input for receiving a master control signal for signaling the train to move in a desired direction. The controller module having the lead operational status also includes an output to release in response to the master control signal a first local command signal operative to cause displacement of the locomotive associated with the controller module having the lead operational status. The controller module having the trail operational status includes an output. The controller module having a lead operational status is further operative to transmit to the controller module having a trail operational status a local control signal derived from the master control signal. The controller module having the trail operational status is responsive to the local control signal to generate a second command signal operative to cause displacement of the locomotive associated to the controller module having a trail operational status. The movement of the locomotive associated with the controller module having the lead operational status and the movement of the locomotive associated with the controller module having the trail operational status being such as to cause displacement of the train in the desired direction.
In a specific example of implementation, the first controller module is operative to acquire either one of a lead operational status and a trail operational status and the second controller module is operative to acquire either one of a lead operational status and a trail operational status. When one of said controller modules acquires the lead operational status the other of the controller modules acquires the trail operational status.
In a specific non-limiting example of implementation, the master control signal is an RF (a radio frequency) signal issued from a remote module. The master control signal carries information about the direction in which the train is to move and also information about the desired throttle and/or speed of the train.
The controller module having the load operational statue includes at the input a receiver unit that senses the raster control signal, demodulates the master control signal to extract the information relating to the direction of movement and throttle, brake and/or speed of the train and passes this information to a processing unit. The processing unit generates the first local command signal that conveys a throttle setting information and a brake setting information. The first local command signal is applied to the locomotive associated to the controller module having the lead operational status such as to set the throttle at the desired setting and the brake at the desired setting in order to achieve the desired speed in the desired direction.
The processing unit also generates throttle setting information and brake setting information for the locomotive associated with the controller module having the trail operational status. Typically, the throttle setting information for the second locomotive is such as to produce a displacement of the locomotive associated to the controller module having the trail operational status having the same velocity and direction as the displacement of the locomotive associated with the controller module having the lead operational status. As for the brake setting information, it is essentially identical to the brake setting information for the first locomotive.
Alternatively, other control strategies may be implemented. For instance, differences are introduced between the throttle setting information and the brake setting information computed for the locomotive associated to the controller module having the lead operational status and the throttle setting information and the brake setting information computed for the locomotive associated to the controller module having the trail operational status. This may be desirable to better control the movement of the train and reduce train action for example. A specific example is a situation where the track dynamics, train length and/or weight may be such that a totally synchronized movement between the two locomotives is not desired.
The controller module having the lead operational status sends to the controller module having the trail operational status over an RF link, a local control signal that contains the throttle setting information and the brake setting information for the locomotive associated to toe controller module having the trail operational status. The controller module having the trail operational status includes an input coupled to the receiver unit to establish the RF link with the controller module having the lead operational status. The receiver unit demodulates the local control signal and passes the extracted information to a processing unit that generates the second command signal for application to the locomotive associated with the contro
Brousseau Andre
Ethier Luc
Folkert Horst
Szklar Oleh
Canac Inc.
Merchant & Gould P.C.
Nguyen Tan
Tran Dalena
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