Operating system and method for controlling a powered vehicle

Abstract

A system for the communication of data used in the operation of a vehicle comprises a plurality of controllers onboard the powered vehicle for controlling operations of the vehicle. At least one of the controllers has a memory in which data is stored and the data is accessible and used by at least two of the controllers for controlling vehicle operations. A communication link is provided between the at least two controllers for sharing data stored in the memory of one of the controllers to control operations of the powered vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a non-distributed memory configured to store data relating to one or more of operation or control of a vehicle; and   plural controllers configured to be communicatively coupled with the non-distributed memory, the controllers configured to perform operations to control movement of the vehicle based on the data that is stored in the non-distributed memory, wherein the controllers are configured to obtain different respective sets of the data stored in the non-distributed memory to perform the respective operations of the controllers.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controllers are configured to obtain the different respective sets of the data as different, non-overlapping sets of the data. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the non-distributed memory is configured to receive one or more updates to the data subsequent to the controllers obtaining the different respective sets of the data such that two or more of the controllers obtaining a common subset of the data receive common values of the data. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the non-distributed memory is configured to receive one or more updates to the data subsequent to the controllers obtaining the different respective sets of the data such that the data that is obtained by the controllers is consistent among the controllers. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the controllers are not configured to obtain the one or more updates to the data prior to obtaining the data that is updated from the non-distributed memory. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the non-distributed memory is configured to store a greater amount of the data than is obtained by any single controller of the controllers to perform the respective operation of the single controller. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the non-distributed memory is configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the non-distributed memory is configured to store two or more of route grades of a route, speed limits, route elevations, insulated joint locations in the route, damaged section locations of the route, occupied locations of the route, weather information, vehicle crew information, vehicle schedule information, vehicle identifiers, intersection locations along the route, or switch locations along the route as the data, and
 wherein the controllers include two or more of an energy management system controller that is configured to obtain a first set of the data from the non-distributed memory to determine a trip plan for a trip of the vehicle that designates operational settings of the vehicle as a function of one or more of time or distance, a route inspection system controller that is configured to obtain a second set of the data from the non-distributed memory to inspect the route for damage, or a controller of a positive train control system of the vehicle that is configured to obtain a third set of the data from the non-distributed memory to limit the movement of the vehicle based on a location of the vehicle.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first set of the data, the second set of the data, and the third set of the data are different, non-overlapping sets of the data stored in the non-distributed memory. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 storing data relating to one or more of operation or control of a vehicle in a non-distributed memory;   obtaining a first set of the data from the non-distributed memory with a first controller;   obtaining a second set of the data from the non-distributed memory with a different, second controller;   controlling a first operation of the first controller to control movement of the vehicle using the first set of the data; and   controlling a different, second operation of the second controller to control the movement of the vehicle using the second set of the data.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first set of the data that is obtained by the first controller and the second set of the data that is obtained by the second controller are different, non-overlapping sets of the data. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising receiving one or more updates to the data at the non-distributed memory subsequent to the first and second controllers obtaining the respective first and second sets of the data such that two or more of the controllers obtaining a common subset of the data receive common values of the data. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising receiving one or more updates to the data subsequent to the controllers obtaining the different respective sets of the data such that the data that is obtained by the controllers is consistent among the controllers. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein storing the data includes storing a greater amount of the data than is obtained by any single controller of the controllers to perform the respective operation of the single controller. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein obtaining the first set of data and obtaining the second set of the data includes obtaining the first and second sets of data from the non-distributed memory that is disposed onboard the vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein storing the data includes storing two or more of route grades of a route, speed limits, route elevations, insulated joint locations in the route, damaged section locations of the route, occupied locations of the route, weather information, vehicle crew information, vehicle schedule information, vehicle identifiers, intersection locations along the route, or switch locations along the route as the data, and
 wherein controlling the first operation of the first controller and controlling the second operation of the second controller includes two or more of determining a trip plan for a trip of the vehicle that designates operational settings of the vehicle as a function of one or more of time or distance, inspecting the route for damage, or limiting the movement of the vehicle based on a location of the vehicle.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first set of the data and the second set of the data are different, non-overlapping sets of the data stored in the non-distributed memory. 
     
     
         18 . A system comprising:
 plural controllers configured to be disposed onboard a rail vehicle for controlling multiple different operations of the rail vehicle; and   a memory configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle and to store data shared by at least two of the controllers to perform the operations for the respective controllers, wherein the controllers are configured to obtain different sets of the data stored in the memory and less than all of the data stored in the memory.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the memory is configured to receive one or more updates to the data subsequent to the controllers obtaining the different respective sets of the data such that the data that is obtained by the controllers is consistent among the controllers. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the controllers are not configured to obtain the one or more updates to the data prior to obtaining the data that is updated from the non-distributed memory.