The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 16, 1999
Filed:
May. 24, 1996
Angel P Bezos, Rockwood, MD (US);
Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, PA (US);
Abstract
A system and method for determining the position of each railroad vehicle within a train consist. The train consist includes a locomotive, at least one trainline and at least one railroad vehicle. The locomotive has a computer. The at least one trainline has a power line for supplying power to the computer and to each railroad vehicle. The system includes the computer as programmed, a vehicle computing device incorporated into each railroad vehicle, and the at least one trainline interconnecting the computer with each vehicle computing device. Each vehicle computing device contains a unique identification code. Each vehicle computing device can apply to and sense from the power line an electrical signal. The computer via the program commands sequentially each vehicle computing device, via the identification codes, to so apply the electrical signal. Each time the computer so commands one of the vehicle computing devices, all of the other vehicle computing devices located between the locomotive and the vehicle computing device which applied the electrical signal sense the electrical signal. All of the other vehicle computing devices that sensed the electrical signal then respond to the computer, via the at least one trainline, that the electrical signal was sensed. The computer, after having commanded all of the vehicle computing devices and having received the responses therefrom, automatically determines the position of each railroad vehicle relative to all other railroad vehicles within the train consist.