General Electric Company

Transportation IP Holdings, LLC

Keith Gilbertson

Jared Klineman Cooper

Wolfgang Daum

Joseph Forrest Noffsinger

David Michael Peltz

Eugene Andrew Smith

Robert James Foy

Steven Andrew Kellner

Brian William Schroeck

John William Brand

Nick David Nagrodsky

Dibyajyoti Pati

Praful Babuji Vihol

Santhanakrishnan Rajendran

A vehicle communication system includes a wireless communication device and a controller that controls operation of the wireless communication device. The controller directs the wireless communication device to switch between operating in an off-board communication mode and operating in an onboard communication mode. The wireless communication device communicates a remote data signal with an off-board location while the wireless communication device is operating in the off-board communication mode and the wireless communication device communicates a local data signal between vehicles of the vehicle system while the wireless communication device is operating in the onboard communication mode.

Vehicle data communication system

A locomotive communication system includes a wireless communication device and a controller that controls operation of the wireless communication device. The controller directs the wireless communication device to switch between operating in an off-board communication mode and operating in an onboard communication mode. The wireless communication device communicates a remote data signal with an off-board location while the wireless communication device is operating in the off-board communication mode and the wireless communication device communicates a local data signal between the propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicle system while the wireless communication device is operating in the onboard communication mode.

A communication system includes a first wireless communication device disposed onboard a vehicle system having two or more propulsion-generating vehicles that are mechanically interconnected with each other. The communication system also includes a controller configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle system and operatively connected with the first wireless communication device in order to control operations of the device. The controller is configured to direct the first wireless communication device to switch between operating in an off-board communication mode and an onboard communication mode. When the first wireless communication device is operating in the off-board communication mode, the device is configured to receive remote data signals from a location that is disposed off-board of the vehicle system. When the first wireless communication device is operating in the onboard communication mode, the device is configured to communicate local data signals between the propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicle system.

Methods and systems for data communications

A wireless communication device of a vehicle system includes one or more antennas configured to be disposed onboard a first vehicle of the vehicle system, a first modem configured to be disposed onboard the first vehicle and to communicate a first wireless signal to one or more of a second vehicle of the vehicle system or an off-board device using the one or more antennas, and a second modem configured to be disposed onboard the first vehicle and to communicate a second wireless signal to the one or more of the second vehicle or the off-board device using the one or more antennas. The first modem is configured to communicate the first wireless signal via a first type of wireless communication link and the second modem is configured to communicate the second wireless signal via a different, second type of wireless communication link.

A rail vehicle includes of one or more locomotives and may further include one or more rail cars, and the rail vehicle further includes a locator element, a communications device and a control module located on the rail vehicle. The locator elements provide a location information of the rail vehicle to a control module. The control module is coupled to the communications device and the locator element. The control module determines control settings for controlling the operations of the communications device based on the location of the rail vehicle. The communications device sends and/or receives data, including communications data, off-board the rail vehicle.

Communications system and method for a rail vehicle

A system and method for communicating information between wayside equipment and a railcar is provided, wherein the communication system includes a wayside monitoring system located at the wayside of a railway, wherein the wayside monitoring system is configured to generate wayside system data responsive to an operational characteristic of the railcar. A wayside communication device communicated with the wayside monitoring system to receive the wayside system data is also provided, wherein the wayside communication device is configured to generate digital wayside data and transmit at least one of the wayside system data and the digital wayside data to the railcar via a dispatch voice channel. Furthermore, an on-board communication device is provided, wherein the on-board communication device is configured to receive the digital wayside data from the wayside communication device via the dispatch voice channel.

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Grain Valley, MO, United States of America

Keith Gilbertson