Patent · US Active

On-board message repeater for railroad train communications system

US7664459B2 · kind B2 · utility

26Cited by
7References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 23, 2005
Grant dateFeb 16, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 19, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04B7/2606
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A distributed power train (10) communications system for sending and receiving signals between a lead locomotive (14) and remote locomotives (12A/12B/12C) in the train (10). A lead (14) initiated message is received by at least the remote locomotive (12A/12B) nearest to the lead unit (14). The receiving remote unit (12A/12B) retransmits the message for receiving by the next remote unit (12C) in the train. Thus the message leapfrogs down the train from the lead unit (14) to the remote units (12A/12B/12C). When the last remote unit (the nth remote unit) (12C) receives the message, the last remote (12C) transmits a status or other response message to the lead unit's message. The status message is received at the (n-1)th remote unit (12A/12B), which appends its status message and transmits the combined status messages toward the lead unit (14). Each successive remote unit receives the status messages of the other remote units and appends its status message, until the concatenated status message reaches the lead unit (14).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.