Kristopher A Smith

US Patent:

8538608, Sep 17, 2013

Filed:

Sep 9, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/556334

Inventors:

Mikhail Meltser - Hanover Park IL, US
Timothy Medema - Algonquin IL, US
John Brand - Melbourne FL, US
Jared Klineman Cooper - Palm Bay FL, US
Todd Goodermuth - Satellite Beach FL, US
David Allen Eldredge - Malabar FL, US
Robert Foy - Melbourne FL, US
Christopher McNally - Girard PA, US
Joseph Forrest Noffsinger - Lees Summit MO, US
David McKay - Melbourne FL, US
Patricia Lacy - Lawrence Park PA, US
Kristopher Smith - Satellite Beach FL, US

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

G05D 11/00
G06F 17/00

US Classification:

701 19, 249187 C, 701 20, 701 2, 701123, 60706, 60711

Abstract:

A control system for a rail vehicle system including a lead powered unit and a remote powered unit is provided. The system includes a user interface, a master isolation module and a slave controller. The user interface is disposed in the lead powered unit and is configured to receive an isolation command to turn on or off the remote powered unit. The master isolation module is configured to receive the isolation command from the user interface and to communicate an instruction based on the isolation command. The slave controller is configured to receive the instruction from the master isolation module. The slave controller causes the remote powered unit to supply tractive force to propel the rail vehicle system when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn on the remote powered unit. The slave controller causes the remote powered unit to withhold the tractive force when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn off the remote powered unit.