General Electric Company

Michael Brandon Alexander

Jared Klineman Cooper

William Cherrick Schoonmaker

Derek Kevin Woo

Robert C Palanti

Daniel Joseph Rush

A communication system includes wired communication devices onboard vehicles of a vehicle system, wireless communication devices disposed onboard other vehicles, and a controller. The controller remotely controls movement of some vehicles via communication with the wired communication devices and establishes a wireless communication link with other vehicles. The controller remotely controls movement of the other vehicles via wireless communication responsive to these vehicles being connected to the vehicle system for temporarily assisting in vehicle system movement along one or more routes. These vehicles are configured to be disconnected from wired communication with the other vehicles subsequent to being connected to the vehicle system. The wireless communication link is in addition to any wireless communication links established in the vehicle system prior to the one or more second vehicles being connected to the vehicle system.

Communication systems

A communication device includes an analog connector onboard a vehicle in a vehicle system that is coupled with a multiple unit (MU) cable extending through the vehicle system for communication of analog control signals. The device includes a network connector disposed onboard the first vehicle to communicatively couple with a digital communication network of the vehicle system that is separate from the MU cable. The device also includes a relay to close and conductively couple the control system of the first vehicle with the MU cable and to open to decouple a portion of the MU cable disposed onboard the first vehicle with a remainder of the MU cable that is off-board the first vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Melbourne, FL, United States of America

Michael Brandon Alexander