Network infrastructure for locomotive distributed control system

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a distributed control system for a locomotive. The distributed system may include at least one network and a plurality of communication centers spatially distributed within the locomotive. Each of the plurality of communication centers may include a plurality of communication outlets. The system may further include a plurality of electronic modules spatially distributed within the locomotive in a standardized scalable architecture and connected to the at least one network via the plurality of communication outlets included in the plurality of communication centers. Each one of the plurality of electronic modules may be reconfigurable to implement distributed control of the locomotive.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A distributed control system for a locomotive, comprising:
 at least one network;   a plurality of communication centers spatially distributed within the locomotive and connected to the at least one network, each of the plurality of communication centers comprising a plurality of communication outlets; and   a plurality of electronic modules spatially distributed within the locomotive in a standardized scalable architecture and connected to the at least one network via the plurality of communication outlets included in the plurality of communication centers, and each one of the plurality of electronic modules being reconfigurable to implement distributed control of the locomotive.   
     
     
         2 . The distributed control system of  claim 1 , further including a plurality of permanent network cables for connecting the plurality of communication centers to the at least one network. 
     
     
         3 . The distributed control system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one network includes a first network and a second network that are physically redundant networks. 
     
     
         4 . The distributed control system of  claim 3 , wherein each one of the plurality of electronic modules includes a first network port connected to a first network and a second network port connected to a second network. 
     
     
         5 . The distributed control system of  claim 3 , further including a network switch configured to switch between the first network and the second network. 
     
     
         6 . The distributed control system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one network includes an Ethernet-based network. 
     
     
         7 . The distributed control system of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one network further includes at least one legacy data type network selected from a group consisting of a CAN bus network, an RS 422 network, an RS 485 network, and an RS 232 network. 
     
     
         8 . The distributed control system of  claim 7 , further including a serial concentrator unit configured to interface between the Ethernet-based network and the at least one legacy data type network. 
     
     
         9 . The distributed control system of  claim 8 , wherein one of the plurality of electronic modules is configured to function as the serial concentrator unit. 
     
     
         10 . The distributed control system of  claim 9 , wherein the electronic module that functions as the serial concentrator unit includes:
 a main board that includes a network port to be connected to the Ethernet-based network; and   a daughter board connected to the main board, the daughter board including a plurality of data ports to be connected to a plurality of control elements in the legacy data type network.   
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method for controlling a locomotive, the method comprising:
 monitoring, by a processor, communication among a plurality of electronic modules over a first network, the plurality of electronic modules being connected to both of the first network and a second network and being communicatively coupled to the first network by a network switch;   determining, by the processor, whether the communication among the plurality of electronic modules over the first network is failed; and   when the communication among the plurality of electronic modules is failed, instructing, by the processor, the network switch to communicatively couple the plurality of electronic modules to the second network.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the network switch is included in one of the plurality of electronic modules. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is included in one of the plurality of electronic modules. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is included in the network switch. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the communication among the plurality of electronic modules is failed when one of the plurality of electronic modules does not respond to a request transmitted from another electronic module over the first network. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the locomotive includes a plurality of communication centers spatially disposed within the locomotive, each of the plurality of communication centers includes a first plurality of communication outlets coupled to the first network and a second plurality of communication outlets coupled to the second network. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the locomotive further includes a first plurality of permanent network cables for connecting the first plurality of communication outlets to the first network, and a second plurality of permanent network cables for connecting the second plurality of communication outlets to the second network. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each one of the plurality of electronic modules includes a first network port connected to the first network and a second network port connected to the second network. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each one of the first and second networks is one selected from a group consisting of an Ethernet-based network, a CAN bus network, an RS 422 network, an RS 485 network, and an RS 232 network. 
     
     
         20 . A consist, comprising:
 a plurality of locomotives, each locomotive comprising:
 at least one network; 
 a plurality of communication centers spatially disposed within the locomotive and coupled to the at least one network, each of the plurality of communication centers comprising a plurality of communication outlets; and 
 a plurality of electronic modules spatially distributed within the locomotive in a standardized scalable architecture and connected to the at least one network via the plurality of communication outlets included in the plurality of communication centers, and each one of the plurality of electronic modules being reconfigurable to implement distributed control of the locomotive.