Model train control system

Abstract

A system which operates a digitally controlled model railroad transmitting a first command from a first client program to a resident external controlling interface through a first communications transport. A second command is transmitted from a second client program to the resident external controlling interface through a second communications transport. The first command and the second command are received by the resident external controlling interface which queues the first and second commands. The resident external controlling interface sends third and fourth commands representative of the first and second commands, respectively, to a digital command station for execution on the digitally controlled model railroad.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A system for operating a digitally controlled model railroad comprising:
 (a) a first general purpose computing device transmitting a first command from a first program to a second program of a second general purpose computing device;   (b) a third general purpose computing device transmitting a second command from a third program to said second program of said second general purpose computing device, where said first, second, and third general purposes computing devices are spaced apart from one another; and   (c) said second program of said second general purpose computing device sending third and fourth commands from said second program representative of said first and second commands, respectively, to a digital command station that is in a spaced apart location from said first, second, and third general purpose computing devices.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (a) said second program providing an acknowledgment to said first program in response to receiving said first command by said second program prior to sending said third command to said digital command station; and   (b) said second program providing an acknowledgment to said third program in response to receiving said second command by said second program prior to sending said fourth command to said digital command station.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 (a) said second program selectively sending said third command to one of a plurality of digital command stations; and   (b) said second program selectively sending said fourth command to one of said plurality of digital command stations.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising said second program receiving command station responses representative of the state of said digitally controlled model railroad from said plurality of digital command stations. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising said second program comparing said command station responses to previous commands sent to at least one of said plurality of digital command stations to determine which of said previous commands it corresponds with. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising the steps of:
 (a) said second program maintaining a sending queue of commands to be transmitted to said plurality of digital command stations; and   (b) said second program retransmitting at least one of said commands in said sending queue periodically until removed from said sending queue as a result of the comparison of said command station responses to previous commands.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising said second program updating a database of the state of said digitally controlled model railroad based upon said receiving command station responses representative of said state of said digitally controlled model railroad. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising said second program providing said acknowledgment to said first program in response to receiving said first command by said second program together with state information from said database related to said first command 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein said first command and said third command are the same command, and said second command and said fourth command are the same command.