U.S. patent application number 15/151615 was filed with the patent office on 2017-11-16 for system for providing temporary speed restrictions to locomotives.
This patent application is currently assigned to New York Air Brake, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is New York Air Brake, LLC. Invention is credited to John Brand, Wade Goforth, Greg Hrebek.
Application Number | 20170331939 15/151615 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56072444 |
Filed Date | 2017-11-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170331939 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brand; John ; et
al. |
November 16, 2017 |
SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING TEMPORARY SPEED RESTRICTIONS TO
LOCOMOTIVES
Abstract
A system for automatically updating route information to a
locomotive that includes a route computer and voice radio encoder
that merges data representing temporary changes in a route with a
voice radio call placed by a dispatcher to a locomotive engineer. A
voice radio decoder coupled to the locomotive cab voice radio
extracts the data representing the temporary changes from the voice
radio signal and provides the data directed to the energy
management system so that there is no need for the engineer to
manually enter the temporary data.
Inventors: |
Brand; John; (Flower Mound,
TX) ; Hrebek; Greg; (Flower Mound, TX) ;
Goforth; Wade; (Carrollton, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
New York Air Brake, LLC |
Watertown |
NY |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
New York Air Brake, LLC
Watertown
NY
|
Family ID: |
56072444 |
Appl. No.: |
15/151615 |
Filed: |
May 11, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B61L 15/0027 20130101;
B61L 27/0011 20130101; H04M 1/72533 20130101; B61L 15/0081
20130101; B61L 27/0038 20130101; B61L 25/02 20130101; B61L 25/04
20130101; B61L 27/0005 20130101; B61L 27/0088 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04M 1/725 20060101
H04M001/725; B61L 27/00 20060101 B61L027/00; B61L 27/00 20060101
B61L027/00; B61L 27/00 20060101 B61L027/00 |
Claims
1. A system for automatically updating route information to a
locomotive, comprising: a route computer configured to output data
representing at least one temporary change in a predetermined
route; a voice radio encoder coupled to the route computer for
receiving the data representing at least one temporary change in
the predetermined route and combining the data with an outgoing
voice radio signal; and a voice radio decoder coupled to a
locomotive cab voice radio for extracting the data representing the
at least one temporary change in the predetermined route from the
voice radio signal and providing the data representing the at least
one temporary change in the predetermined route to a locomotive
energy management system.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the route computer is coupled to
a dispatcher voice radio.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the voice radio decoder is
positioned in a cab of a locomotive.
4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a locomotive cab radio
positioned in the cab of the locomotive and coupled to the voice
radio decoder.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one temporary change
comprises a temporary speed restriction.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the data representing at least
one temporary change includes a destination ID specific to a
particular locomotive.
7. A method of automatically updating route information to a
locomotive, comprising: entering a temporary change in a
predetermined route into a route computer; providing the temporary
change to a voice radio encoder for encoding; transmitting the
encoded temporary change to a locomotive cab radio as part of a
voice communication from a dispatcher voice radio; extracting the
encoded temporary change from the voice communication; providing
the encoded temporary change to a voice radio decoder for decoding;
and updating an energy management system based on the decoded
temporary change.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the route computer is coupled to
the dispatcher voice radio.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the voice radio decoder is
positioned in a cab of a locomotive.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein a locomotive cab radio is
positioned in the cab of the locomotive and coupled to the voice
radio decoder.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the temporary change comprises
a temporary speed restriction.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the temporary change includes a
destination ID specific to a particular locomotive.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the destination ID is checked
to determine whether the destination ID matches the energy
management system prior to updating the energy management system
based on the decoded temporary change.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to locomotive instructional
systems and, more particularly, to a system for providing temporary
speed restrictions over locomotive cab voice radios.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0002] Energy or train management systems are computerized system
used to control the operation of a train, to track events that
occur during operation of the train, and to communication with
central railroad systems. If an energy management system is in a
disengaged mode, which may occur when an operator manually
disengages the system while the train is parked, important
information such as temporary speed restrictions cannot be
electronically communicated to the system from a remote host. As a
result, a dispatcher often has to place a call to the locomotive
operator using a voice radio and then verbally relay the pertinent
information. Unfortunately, operators will often forget to manually
input the information into the energy management system. As a
result, when the energy management system is engaged and used to
operate the train, the operator display supported by the energy
management may not display the correct information. For example, if
an operator forgets to manually enter temporary speed restrictions
provided by a dispatcher via voice radio, the operator will likely
violate the temporary speed restrictions if he or she follows the
unadjusted, permanent speed limits automatically displayed by the
energy management system. Accordingly, there is a need for a system
that can automatically provide temporary information, such as
temporary speed restrictions, to a locomotive when the energy
management system is disengaged, without the need to add additional
antenna and related structures.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The invention comprises a system for automatically updating
route information to a locomotive. The system includes a route
computer configured to output data representing at least one
temporary change in a predetermined route. A voice radio encoder is
coupled to the route computer for receiving the data representing
at least one temporary change in the predetermined route and
combining the data with an outgoing voice radio signal. A voice
radio decoder is coupled to a locomotive cab voice radio for
extracting the data representing the at least one temporary change
in the predetermined route from the voice radio signal and
providing the data representing the at least one temporary change
in the predetermined route to a locomotive energy management
system. The route computer is typically coupled to a dispatcher
voice radio at the dispatch center, and the voice radio decoder is
positioned in a cab of a locomotive in combination with a
locomotive cab radio that is also positioned in the cab of the
locomotive and is coupled to the voice radio decoder. The temporary
change in the predetermined route will typically comprise a
temporary speed restriction that would otherwise not be manually
entered into the energy management system if the system is
disengaged and the locomotive engineer forgets to manually enter
the temporary changes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0004] The present invention will be more fully understood and
appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0005] FIG. 1 is a schematic of a system for providing temporary
speed restrictions to locomotives according to the present
invention; and
[0006] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method of providing temporary
speed restrictions to locomotives according to the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference
numerals refer to like parts throughout, there is seen in FIG. 1 a
system 10 for automatically updating the energy management system
12 of a locomotive with variable route information, such as
temporary speed restrictions, even when the energy management
system 12 is disengaged. Energy management system 12 generally
comprises a specialized computer system that manages all of the
operations of a train, including one or locomotives in a consist.
Energy management system 12 typically includes a locomotive
operator interface and display that can provide a visual
representation of the operation of the train to an engineer and
also provide information about a specific route along which the
train will travel. For example, energy management system 12 may
display the distances to regular landmarks, such as mile posts, as
well as route information, such a predetermined speed limits and
other route specific information. It should be understood by those
of skill in the art that energy management system 12 can provide
any number of additional functions, such as real-time data
collection, train dynamics analysis, even recording, etc.
[0008] System 10 includes a route computer 14 interconnected to a
rail road back office dispatcher voice radio 16. Route computer 14
is generally pre-programmed with route specific information,
including track data, point of interest locations, etc. In
addition, route computer 14 may include data representing temporary
changes in track data, such as temporary speed restrictions that
have been put in place and that supersede the default track data
for a route. When energy management system 12 is engaged, data
regarding the particular route to be traveled by a train, including
data representing temporary changes, may be provided electronically
from route computer 14 to energy management system 12 via various
electronic links include wayside radios. However, if energy
management system 12 is disengaged, dispatcher radio 16 that is
used to verbally relay temporary speed restrictions to a locomotive
engineer 18 via the locomotive cab radio 24. When dispatcher 16
initiates communications with engineer 18 to provide an update on
variations in the route, route computer 14 provides data
representing the appropriate temporary speed restrictions to a
voice radio encoder 20 that merges the temporary speed restriction
data with the voice communication to provide a voice and data
stream 22 to the cab radio 24 used by engineer 18. It should be
recognized that does not need to be any meaningful voice
communication in the connection, i.e., a radio call may be placed
simply to allow for the transmission of data. A voice radio decoder
26 coupled to cab radio 24 extracts the temporary speed restriction
data from the voice and data stream 22. Voice radio decoder 26 is
also coupled to the energy management system 12 of the locomotive
and provides the temporary speed restriction data directly to
energy management system 12 without the need for manual entry,
thereby avoiding the possibility that engineer 18 will forget to
manually input the temporary speed restriction into energy
management system 12 when energy management system 12 is
reengaged.
[0009] Voice radio encoder 20 may comprise a module configured to
implement a radio data system (RDS) or radio broadcast data system
(RBDS) protocols. These protocols define similarly communication
standards for coupling a subcarrier signal of about 57 kHz that
transmits digital data to an FM signal (typically between 87.5 to
108.0 MHz) used to transmit analog radio data. The same approach
may be used by voice radio encoder 20 to couple a subcarrier signal
transmitting route information, such as temporary speed
restrictions, to the voice radio call placed by a dispatcher 16 to
cab radio 24. Voice calls are typically placed on an assigned
railroad radio channel, such as one of the assigned AAR assigned
frequency between 160.111 MHz to 161.565. The subcarrier signal for
transmitting railroad data along with dispatcher voice calls may
thus be selected based on the range of known radio channels in use
for the particular geographic region or country. For example, in an
AAR location, a subcarrier frequency in the MHz range may be
selected so that minimizes interference between the data signal and
the voice call. The transmitted message can be from 10 up to 100 or
more bytes. Chipsets for use as voice radio encoder 20 and voice
radio decoder 26 can be based on conventional RDS and RBDS protocol
systems using conventional voice radio systems. Voice radio decoder
26 may be coupled to energy management system 12 using conventional
train communication system data specifications, such as those used
in Positive Train Control (PTC) systems and existing train
communication networks, such as Ethernet/serial communication
systems. Any concerns about security could be addressed by using a
security protocol, such as the Class D protocol, or other standard
security protocol.
[0010] Referring to FIG. 2, system 10 may be used to perform a
method 30 of updating speed restrictions in energy management
system 12. First, a dispatcher enters 32 a temporary speed
restriction along with a destination ID into route computer 16 of
system 10. The temporary speed restriction along and a destination
ID are then supplied 34 to voice radio encoder 20 and encoded. The
encoded signal is then transmitted 36 to locomotive cab voice radio
24, either alone or in addition to voice transmission, by voice
radio encoder 20. Locomotive cab voice radio 24 parses the encoded
signal from the transmission and provides the encoded signal 38 to
voice radio decoder 26. A check 40 is then performed to determine
whether the destination ID matches the voice radio decoder 26,
thereby ensuring that the temporary speed restriction will be
processed by the appropriate energy management system 12. If voice
radio decoder 26 determines that destination ID matches the ID for
the particular train or locomotive, the temporary speed restriction
is retained and provided to energy management system 12 for
updating of the appropriate speed restriction file 42. Otherwise,
the temporary speed restriction is deleted 44.
* * * * *