General Electric Company

Transportation IP Holdings, LLC

Other

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation

Ge Global Sourcing LLC

William Cherrick Schoonmaker

Jared Klineman Cooper

Eugene Andrew Smith

Todd William Goodermuth

Nick David Nagrodsky

David Allen Eldredge

David Michael Peltz

Ankit Sharma

Joseph Daniel Wakeman

Scott Alan Schoenly

Kaitlyn Ann Hrdlicka

Prakarsh Paritosh

Ajith Kuttannair Kumar

Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr

James D Brooks

John Welsh McElroy

Irfan Ali

Saravanan Thiyagarajan

Stephen Craig Shelton

George Jarman

Mark Hefner

Albert Donald Darby, Jr

Mark Bradshaw Kraeling

John William Brand

Dipankar Ghosh

James Glen Corry

Frank Richard Wawrzyniak

Vinaykanth Venkatasubba Mudiam

Michael Brandon Alexander

David Poltz

A control system includes a controller that may determine whether a second speed limit, which is less than or equal to a first speed limit, is in effect for a segment of the route. The controller may switch one or more operational settings of a vehicle from the first speed limit to the second speed limit, and may operate the vehicle at the first speed limit outside of the segment of the route and operate the vehicle at or below the second speed limit while the vehicle is approaching or within the segment of the route.

Vehicle control system

A communication system and method receive, at an energy management system disposed onboard a vehicle system formed from a lead vehicle and one or more remote vehicles, trip data that represents one or more characteristics of an upcoming trip of the vehicle system along a route. A selected portion of the trip data is communicated from the energy management system to a distributed power system disposed onboard the vehicle system. The selected portion includes identifying information and one or more orientations of the one or more remote vehicles. Using the distributed power system, communication links between the lead vehicle and the one or more remote vehicles are established using the identifying information and the one or more orientations.

Communication system and method of a vehicle consist

A vehicle control system and method includes identifying a segment of a route where one or more first vehicle systems were operated manually instead of operated by one or more processors according to one or more trip plans during prior traversals of the segment by the one or more first vehicle systems. A segment plan is generated for traversing the segment under control of the one or more processors. The segment plan is generated based on how the one or more first vehicle systems were manually operated during the prior traversals of the segment. One or more second vehicle systems are controlled with the one or more processors to traverse the segment according to the segment plan.

Vehicle control and trip planning system

A control system dictates operational settings of a rail vehicle system based a transitory second speed limit that is no faster than a current first speed limit and which is issued for a determined segment of the track for a determined time period. The control system obtains a current time, determines whether the transitory second speed limit has started, is in effect, or has expired based on the current time relative to the determined time period, and, in response to such determination, performs one or more of (a) generate a prompt to indicate that the determined time period has expired, (b) operate the rail vehicle system at the first speed limit, and/or (c) modify the operational settings of the rail vehicle system to exceed the second speed limit in the determined segment but not exceed the first speed limit for the determined segment.

A communication system and method receive, at an energy management system disposed onboard a vehicle system formed from a lead vehicle and one or more remote vehicles, trip data that represents one or more characteristics of an upcoming trip of the vehicle system along a route. A selected portion of the trip data is communicated from the energy management system to a distributed power system also disposed onboard the vehicle system. The selected portion includes identifying information and one or more orientations of the one or more remote vehicles. Using the distributed power system, communication links between the lead vehicle and the one or more remote vehicles are established using the identifying information and the one or more orientations.

A system and method identify vehicles to be included in a multi-vehicle system that is to travel along one or more routes for an upcoming trip, and determines plural different potential builds of the multi-vehicle system. The different potential builds represent different sequential orders of the vehicles in the multi-vehicle system. The system and method also simulate travels of the different potential builds for the upcoming trip, calculate a safety metric, consumption metric, and/or build metric for the different potential builds based on travels that are simulated, and generates a quantified evaluation of the safety metric, consumption metric, and/or build metric for the different potential builds for use in selecting a chosen potential build of the different potential builds. The chosen potential build is used to build the multi-vehicle system for the upcoming trip.

System and method integrating an energy management system and yard planner system

A system and method identifies vehicles to be included in a multi-vehicle system that is to travel along one or more routes for an upcoming trip, and determines plural different potential builds of the multi-vehicle system. The different potential builds represent different sequential orders of the vehicles in the multi-vehicle system. The system and method also simulate travels of the different potential builds for the upcoming trip, calculate a safety metric, consumption metric, and/or build metric for the different potential builds based on travels that are simulated, and generates a quantified evaluation of the safety metric, consumption metric, and/or build metric for the different potential builds for use in selecting a chosen potential build of the different potential builds. The chosen potential build is used to build the multi-vehicle system for the upcoming trip.

A method includes generating a trip plan that dictates operational settings to be implemented by a vehicle system moving along a route. The trip plan is based on a temporary work order issued for a restricted segment of the route. The work order provides a maximum speed through the restricted segment for a limited time period that is expressed using a time standard. One or more of the operational settings of the trip plan specify movement of the vehicle system through the restricted segment at a vehicle speed that is less than or equal to the maximum speed. In response to determining that the temporary work order has expired, the method includes at least one of prompting an operator of the vehicle system to confirm that the work order has expired or generating a new trip plan in which the vehicle system exceeds the maximum speed through the restricted segment.

System for controlling or monitoring a vehicle system along a route

A method includes obtaining data relating to operation of a first vehicle in a vehicle consist that includes the first vehicle and a second vehicle communicatively coupled with each other by a communication channel. The first vehicle includes a first electronic component performing functions for the first vehicle using the first data. The method also includes communicating the first data over the communication channel from the first vehicle to a second electronic component disposed onboard the second vehicle responsive to the first electronic component being unable to perform the one or more functions for the first vehicle using the first data. The method further includes performing the functions of the first electronic component with the second electronic component using the first data that is received from the first vehicle.

Vehicle consist configuration control

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.

In a system and method for communicating data between first and second vehicles, a first electronic component in the first vehicle is monitored to determine if the component is in (or enters) a failure state. In the failure state, the first electronic component is unable to perform a designated function. Upon determining the failure state, data is transmitted from the first vehicle to a second electronic component on the second vehicle, over a communication channel linking the first vehicle and the second vehicle. The second electronic component is operated based on the transmitted data, with the second electronic component performing the designated function that the first electronic component is unable to perform.

System and method for vehicle communication, vehicle control, and/or route inspection

In a system and method for communicating data in a locomotive consist or other vehicle consist (comprising at least first and second linked vehicles), a first electronic component in the first vehicle of the vehicle consist is monitored to determine if the component is in (or enters) a failure state. In the failure state, the first electronic component is unable to perform a designated function. Upon determining the failure state, data is transmitted from the first vehicle to a second electronic component on the second vehicle, over a communication channel linking the first vehicle and the second vehicle. The second electronic component is operated based on the transmitted data, with the second electronic component performing the designated function that the first electronic component is unable to perform.

A system includes a weight determination device and a trip control system. The weight determination device is configured to receive weather data of weather at least one of encountered or to be encountered by one or more vehicles in a vehicle system traveling on a trip along a route, and to determine a first estimated weight of the vehicle system based at least in part on the weather data. The first estimated weight accounts for mass attributable to the weather. The trip control system is configured to control the vehicle system for movement along the route based at least in part on the first estimated weight and/or display information of the first estimated weight on a display device for an operator to control the vehicle system for movement along the route based at least in part on the information of the first estimated weight that is displayed.

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Melbourne, FL, United States of America

William Cherrick Schoonmaker