Aeg Transportation Systems, Inc.

Joseph S Majewski

Michael R Novakovich

A method A and apparatus for monitoring and switching over from a primary bus to a back-up bus in a network having a master node and at least one slave node, the primary bus and the back-up bus each interconnecting the master node and the at least one slave node. The method includes periodically sending via the back-up bus from the master node to each of the slave nodes a master test packet containing a master address of the master node on the back-up bus and sending on the back-up bus from the at least one slave node to the master node and in response to receiving the master test packet, a slave test packet containing a slave address of the at least one slave node on the back-up bus. The method further includes indicating failures on the primary and back-up bus and disconnecting the primary bus from the master node and the at least one slave node and resuming communications between the master node and the at least one slave node via the back-up bus when a failure occurs on the primary bus and no failures occur on the back-up bus.

Method and apparatus for monitoring and switching over to a back-up bus

A method for initializing a communication network in a train including a plurality of cars, the network comprising a train bus, a train bus master on one of the cars and a train bus slave on each other car connectable to the train bus master by the train bus for communicating with the train bus master. The method includes determining whether the one car with the train bus master is located at one end of the train or is in the middle of the train. The method further includes transmitting first messages between the train bus master and each train bus slave, respectively, located in one direction for assigning an address to each train bus slave located in that one direction and acquiring data at the train bus master uniquely identifying the respective train bus slaves in that one direction. The method further includes transmitting, when the determining step determines that the one car is located in the middle of the train, second messages between the train bus master and each train bus slave, respectively, located in an other direction for assigning an address to each train bus slave located in the other direction and acquiring data at the train bus master uniquely identifying the respective slaves in the other direction.

Method and apparatus for christening a trainline monitor system

A method and apparatus for determining an overall master node for an overall communication network with a serial bus, wherein the overall communication network comprises an original communication network connected to a new communication network via a serial bus with high level data link control (HDLC) packets. The method and apparatus are especially applicable to trainline monitor systems since such systems are frequently divided up and rearranged because their associated trains are frequently divided up and rearranged. The method involves performing a series of steps in order to relinquish mastership of certain master nodes placing those master nodes in an inactive state and making a desired master node an overall master node of the resulting overall trainline monitor system, and the apparatus involves a corresponding series of means for performing these steps.

Growing community of inventors

Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Joseph S Majewski