Vehicle Communication System Wireless Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle systems face challenges in efficiently adding additional tractive or braking power during inclines or peaks, as current methods require significant time and effort to connect and communicatively couple additional vehicles, often necessitating the vehicle system to remain stationary.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a communication system that allows for both wired and wireless communication between vehicles, enabling remote control of movement through a vehicle system controller that can establish wireless links with additional vehicles added to the system, allowing for quick and efficient addition of tractive or braking power without the need for continuous wired connections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If wired connections are used to couple additional vehicles to the vehicle system, then reliable communication control is achieved, but significant time and effort is required to connect and couple communication systems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication controlVSAvoidconnection time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical wired communication system with a wireless communication system. The additional vehicles are equipped with wireless communication devices that establish wireless links with the vehicle system controller, eliminating the need for physical wire connections and manual coupling of communication systems while maintaining reliable control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a wireless communication intermediary layer between the vehicle system controller and additional vehicles. This wireless communication system acts as a mediator that transfers control signals without requiring direct physical connection, thereby reducing connection time while maintaining communication reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Stability of the object's composition

If wired connections are used to couple additional vehicles, then stable communication is maintained, but the vehicle system must remain stationary during connection

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication stabilityVSAvoidroute traversal efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical wired communication system with wireless communication, allowing additional vehicles to be integrated into the vehicle system while moving. The wireless communication link maintains stable communication without requiring the vehicle system to stop, thereby preserving both communication stability and route traversal efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Force

If banker vehicles are added to provide additional tractive effort, then the vehicle system can overcome inclines and peaks, but the connection process requires significant stopping and coupling time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetractive effortVSAvoidconnection time

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical coupling process with wireless communication establishment. When banker vehicles are added to provide additional tractive effort, the wireless communication devices on these vehicles automatically establish communication links with the vehicle system controller, eliminating the time-consuming process of stopping, physically coupling, and manually connecting communication systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Reliability

If wired communication devices are used for all vehicles, then reliable remote control is achieved, but the system complexity increases when adding or removing vehicles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremote controlVSAvoidcommunication coupling complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the communication system into two independent parts: wired communication devices for original vehicles and wireless communication devices for additional vehicles. This segmentation allows each type of vehicle to use its appropriate communication method, simplifying the overall system architecture and reducing complexity when adding or removing vehicles, while maintaining reliable remote control through the respective communication channels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10640095B2Communication systems

Publication Date: 2020.05.05 TRANSPORTATION IP HOLDINGS LLC

AI summary

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.