Vehicle control system and method

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a vehicle system control movement of the vehicle system along a route. The vehicle system includes one or more propulsion-generating vehicles. A propulsion-generating helper vehicle is temporarily added to the vehicle system such that the helper vehicle increases one or more of an amount of tractive force or an amount of braking effort generated by the vehicle system. The helper vehicle may be added during movement of the vehicle system. The system and method may add the helper vehicle without de-linking the propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system from each other. The system and method optionally may control movement of the propulsion-generating vehicles and the helper vehicle according to a trip plan that designates operational settings as a function of at least one of time or distance along the route.

1 . A method comprising:
 controlling movement of a vehicle system having one or more propulsion-generating vehicles along a route; and   temporarily adding a propulsion-generating helper vehicle to the vehicle system such that the helper vehicle increases one or more of an amount of tractive force or an amount of braking effort generated by the vehicle system.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the propulsion-generating helper vehicle is added to the vehicle system during the movement of the vehicle system along the route. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles includes a lead propulsion-generating vehicle and at least one remote propulsion-generating vehicle, further comprising:
 communicatively linking the lead propulsion-generating vehicle with the at least one remote propulsion-generating vehicle such that the lead propulsion-generating vehicle can remotely control movement of the at least one remote propulsion-generating vehicle; and   communicatively linking the lead propulsion-generating vehicle with the helper vehicle such that the lead propulsion-generating vehicle can remotely control movement of the helper vehicle without terminating a communication link between the lead propulsion-generating vehicle and the at least one remote propulsion-generating vehicle.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein temporarily adding the helper vehicle includes mechanically coupling the helper vehicle to the vehicle system without fluidly coupling a brake system of the helper vehicle with a brake system of the vehicle system. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the helper vehicle is manually controlled by an onboard operator, and further comprising:
 establishing a communication link between at least one of the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles and the helper vehicle responsive to a throttle setting of the helper vehicle being reduced; and   remotely increasing the throttle setting of the helper vehicle from the at least one of the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles via the communication link.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising controlling movement of the vehicle system according to a trip plan that designates operational settings of the vehicle system as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising one or more of:
 revising the trip plan based at least in part on addition of the helper vehicle to the vehicle system; or   automatically controlling the vehicle system according to the trip plan prior to adding the helper vehicle to the vehicle system and switching to manual control of the vehicle system responsive to the helper vehicle being added to the vehicle system.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein controlling the movement of the vehicle system and the helper vehicle includes automatically controlling the vehicle system according to the trip plan and communicating control signals to the helper vehicle to control the helper vehicle according to the trip plan. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein communicating the control signals to the helper vehicle includes communicating the operational settings of the trip plan for the helper vehicle, and further comprising revising the operational settings of the trip plan for the helper vehicle based at least in part in a temporal communication lag between the vehicle system and the helper vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein controlling the movement of the vehicle system includes automatically controlling the vehicle system according to the trip plan prior to adding the helper vehicle to the vehicle system, and wherein adding the helper vehicle to the vehicle system includes stopping automatic control of the vehicle system, coupling the helper vehicle to the vehicle system, and resuming automatic control of the vehicle system subsequent to coupling the helper vehicle to the vehicle system. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising revising the trip plan to account for addition of the helper vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . A system comprising:
 a controller configured to control movement of a vehicle system having one or more propulsion-generating vehicles along a route, wherein the controller also is configured to remotely control a propulsion-generating helper vehicle that is temporarily added to the vehicle system such that the helper vehicle increases one or more of an amount of tractive force or an amount of braking effort generated by the vehicle system.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to remotely control the propulsion-generating helper vehicle that is temporarily added to the vehicle system during movement of the vehicle system along the route. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles includes a lead propulsion-generating vehicle and at least one remote propulsion-generating vehicle, and wherein the controller is configured to direct a communication system onboard the lead propulsion-generating vehicle to communicatively link the lead propulsion-generating vehicle with the at least one remote propulsion-generating vehicle such that the lead propulsion-generating vehicle can remotely control movement of the at least one remote propulsion-generating vehicle and to communicatively link the lead propulsion-generating vehicle with the helper vehicle such that the lead propulsion-generating vehicle can remotely control movement of the helper vehicle without terminating a communication link between the lead propulsion-generating vehicle and the at least one remote propulsion-generating vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the helper vehicle is manually controlled by an onboard operator, and wherein the controller is configured to direct the communication system to establish a communication link between at least one of the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles and the helper vehicle responsive to a throttle setting of the helper vehicle being reduced, the controller also configured to remotely increase the throttle setting of the helper vehicle from the at least one of the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles via the communication link. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to control movement of the vehicle system according to a trip plan that designates operational settings of the vehicle system as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising a memory configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle system and to store a location of one or more helper regions in which the helper vehicle is available to assist the vehicle system, wherein the controller is further configured to determine travel of the vehicle system one or more of into or toward the one or more helper regions and to one or more of: revise the trip plan based at least in part on addition of the helper vehicle to the vehicle system, or automatically control the vehicle system according to the trip plan prior to adding the helper vehicle to the vehicle system and switch to manual control of the vehicle system responsive to the helper vehicle being added to the vehicle system. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to control the movement of the vehicle system and the helper vehicle by automatically controlling the vehicle system according to the trip plan and by directing the communication system to communicate control signals to the helper vehicle to control the helper vehicle according to the trip plan. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to direct the communication system to communicate the control signals to the helper vehicle by communicating the operational settings of the trip plan for the helper vehicle, and further comprising an energy management system configured to revise the operational settings of the trip plan for the helper vehicle based at least in part in a temporal communication lag between the vehicle system and the helper vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to control the movement of the vehicle system by automatically controlling the vehicle system according to the trip plan prior to adding the helper vehicle to the vehicle system, stopping automatic control of the vehicle system prior to coupling the helper vehicle to the vehicle system, and resuming automatic control of the vehicle system subsequent to coupling the helper vehicle to the vehicle system. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising an energy management system configured to revise the trip plan to account for addition of the helper vehicle. 
     
     
         22 . A method comprising:
 remotely controlling operations of one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles from a lead propulsion-generating vehicle in a vehicle system that includes the lead propulsion-generating vehicles and the one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles; and   adding a helper vehicle to the vehicle system to increase one or more of a tractive force or a braking effort capable of being provided by the vehicle system relative to prior to adding the helper vehicle.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the helper vehicle is added to the vehicle system while the vehicle system is moving along a route. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein remotely controlling the operations of the one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles includes controlling the operations of the one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles according to a trip plan that designates operational settings of the vehicle system as a function of one or more of time or distance along the route. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein adding the helper vehicle is performed without communicatively de-linking the lead propulsion-generating vehicle from the one or more remote propulsion-generating vehicles.