Selective Operational Modes of End-of-Train Unit Based on GPS Information

Abstract

In a method of controlling operation of an end-of-train unit (EOTU) of a train during travel of the train on a path, a GPS receiver of the EOTU receives first GPS data and a controller, based on the received first GPS data, sets an electrical/electronic device or system of the EOTU to a first mode of operation. After travel of the train on the path following setting the electrical/electronic device or system to the first mode of operation, the GPS receiver receives second GPS data. The controller, based on the received second GPS data, sets the electrical/electronic device or system of the EOTU to a second, different mode of operation.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of controlling operation of an end-of-train unit (EOTU) of a train during travel of the train on a path, the method comprising:
 (a) determining, by a controller, comprising one or more processors, from first GPS data received by a GPS receiver of the EOTU, a first geographical location of the EOTU;   (b) causing, by the controller, an electrical/electronic device or system of the EOTU to operate in a first mode of operation on the basis of the first geographical location of the EOTU determined in step (a);   (c) following travel of the train on the path after step (b), determining, by the controller, from second GPS data received by the GPS receiver of the EOTU, a second geographical location of the EOTU;   (d) causing, by the controller, the electrical/electronic device or system of the EOTU to operate in a second mode of operation that is different than the first mode of operation on the basis of the second geographical location of the EOTU determined in step (c).   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electrical/electronic device or system comprises an EOTU communication device that is operative for communicating with a head-of-train unit (HOTU) via a communication channel;   the first mode of operation includes the EOTU communication device communicating with the HOTU at a first data transmission rate; and   the second mode of operation includes the EOTU communication device communicating with the HOTU at a second, different data transmission rate, wherein the communication channel is a wired communication channel, a wireless (radio) communication channel, or a combination of a wired and wireless (radio) communication channel.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the EOTU communication device comprises a transmitter or a transceiver and the HOTU comprises a HOTU communication device comprising a receiver or a transceiver. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electrical/electronic device or system comprises an EOTU communication device that is operative for communicating with a head-of-train unit (HOTU) via a communication channel;   the first mode of operation includes the EOTU communication device operating at a first transmission power level; and   the second mode of operation includes the EOTU communication device operating at a second, different transmission power level, wherein the communication channel is a wired communication channel, a wireless (radio) communication channel, or a combination of a wired and wireless (radio) communication channel.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electrical/electronic device or system comprises an EOTU communication device that is operative for communicating with head-of-train unit (HOTU) via a communication channel;   the first mode of operation includes a first handshake period between the EOTU communication device and the HOTU; and   the second mode of operation includes a second, different handshake period between the EOTU communication device and the HOTU.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 the controller determining from the first and second GPS data, respective, first and second times of day, wherein:   the electrical/electronic device or system is a lamp;   the lamp is operated in the first mode of operation based on the first geographical location of the EOTU, the first time of day, or both; and   the lamp is operated in the second mode of operation based on the second geographical location of the EOTU, the second time of day, or both, wherein:   the first and second modes of operation are the lamp are on and off, or vice versa.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further including:
 the controller determining that a light sensor for controlling the first and second modes of operation of the lamp based on ambient light is not functioning; and   the controller determining with reference to data stored in a memory regarding the lamp being in the first or second mode of operation for each geographical location, time or day, or both and bypassing the light sensor and controlling the lamp to be in the first or second mode of operation based on said referenced data.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electrical/electronic device or system comprises the controller and an EOTU communication device that are operative for communicating via a communication channel with a head-of-train unit (HOTU);   the second mode of operation comprises the controller, via the EOTU communication device, communicating to the HOTU via the communication channel a first signal (request) for the HOTU to transmit to the controller a second signal to change a state of a lamp of the EOTU from on to off, or vice versa; and   the first mode of operation comprises the controller, via the EOTU communication device, not communicating the first signal (request) to the HOTU, wherein the communication channel is a wired communication channel, a wireless (radio) communication channel, or a combination of a wired and wireless (radio) communication channel.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electrical/electronic device or system comprises the controller and an EOTU communication device that are operative for communicating via a communication channel with a back office;   the first mode of operation comprises the controller, via the EOTU communication device, periodically or aperiodically communicating first sequential sets of train information to the back office via the communication channel at or within a first interval of time; and   the second mode of operation comprises the controller, via the EOTU communication device, periodically or aperiodically communicating second sequential sets of train information to the back office via the communication channel at or within a second, different interval of time, wherein:   the communication channel is a wired communication channel, a wireless (radio) communication channel, or a combination of a wired and wireless (radio) communication channel.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electrical/electronic device or system comprises the controller;   the first mode of operation comprises the controller periodically or aperiodically acquiring data from or about one or more train devices at or within a first interval of time; and   the second mode of operation comprises the controller periodically or aperiodically acquiring data from or about the one or more train devices at or within a second, different interval of time, wherein:   the second interval of time is greater than or less than the first interval of time.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electrical/electronic device or system comprises an EOTU camera;   the first mode of operation comprises a first set of images acquired by the EOTU camera to be transmitted to or not transmitted to a head-of-train unit (HOTU) via a communication channel; and   the second mode of operation comprises a second set of images acquired by the EOTU camera to be the other of transmitted to or not transmitted to the HOTU via the communication channel, wherein the communication channel is a wired communication channel, a wireless (radio) communication channel, or a combination of a wired and wireless (radio) communication channel.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the controller determining from the first and second GPS data, respective, first and second times of day, wherein:
 the electrical/electronic device or system comprises the controller and an EOTU communication device that are operative for:   in the first mode of operation acquiring or not acquiring data from a remote data source via a communication channel based on a the first geographical location of the EOTU, the first time of day, or both and;   in the second mode of operation the other of acquiring data or not acquiring data from the remote data source via the communication channel based on a the second geographical location of the EOTU, the second time of day, or both, wherein the communication channel is a wired communication channel, a wireless (radio) communication channel, or a combination of a wired and wireless (radio) communication channel.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electrical/electronic device or system comprises a cellular telephone transceiver;   the first mode of operation comprises the controller, via a EOTU communication device, communicating with a back office via a first wireless communication channel; and   the second mode of operation comprises the controller, via the EOTU communication device, communicating with the back office via a second wireless communication channel, wherein when the first communication channel uses the cellular telephone transceiver the second communication channel does not use the cellular telephone transceiver, or vice versa.   
     
     
         14 . A method of controlling operation of an end-of-train unit (EOTU) of a train during travel of the train on a path, the EOTU device comprising one or more processors, the method comprising:
 (a) receiving, by a GPS receiver of the EOTU, first GPS data;   (b) setting, by a controller, based on the first GPS data received in step (a), a first mode of operation of an electrical/electronic device or system of the EOTU;   (c) after travel of the train on the path following step (b), receiving, by the GPS receiver of the EOTU, second GPS data; and   (d) setting, by the controller, based on the second GPS data received in step (c), a second, different mode of operation of the electrical/electronic device or system of the EOTU that is different than the first mode of operation.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each GPS data includes a timestamp, data from which the GPS receiver can determine its geographical location, or both. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first and second modes of operation of the EOTU are based on the geographic location, or timestamp, or both determined from each GPS data and include at least one of the following:
 first and second data transmission rates of an EOTU communication device;   first and second power levels of data transmission of the EOTU communication device;   first and second handshake periods of the EOTU communication device with another communication device;   a lamp of the EOTU changing state from off to on, or vice versa;   transmitting or withholding a request to the other communication device to output a command for the EOTU to change the state of the lamp off to on, or vice versa;   the EOTU periodically or aperiodically transmitting data, wherein the interval between sequential data transmissions is changed between a first interval of time and a second interval of time;   the EOTU periodically or aperiodically acquiring data, wherein the interval between sequential data acquisitions is changed between the first interval of time and the second interval of time;   the EOTU transmitting and not transmitting images acquired by a camera;   the EOTU acquiring and not acquiring data from a remote data source; and   the EOTU communication device's use and non-use of a cellular telephone transceiver at part of a communication channel.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the communication channel is a wired communication channel, a wireless (radio) communication channel, or a combination of a wired and wireless (radio) communication channel. 
     
     
         18 . A method of controlling operation of an end-of-train unit (EOTU) of a train during travel of the train on a path, the EOTU device comprising a controller including one or more processors, the method comprising:
 (a) in response to travel of the train by a first geographical location, the controller setting a function of the EOTU to a first mode of operation in response to a first signal received by the EOTU; and   (b) in response to travel of the train by a second geographical location, the controller setting the function of the EOTU to a second, different mode of operation in response to a second signal received by the EOTU.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein each signal is received by a receiver of the EOTU. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the receiver is at least one of the following: a GPS receiver and/or a radio receiver. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first and second modes of operation include one of the following:
 first and second data transmission rates of an EOTU communication device;   first and second power levels of data transmission of the EOTU communication device;   first and second handshake periods of the EOTU communication device with another communication device;   a lamp of the EOTU changing state from off to on, or vice versa;   the EOTU transmitting or withholding a request to the other communication device to output a command for the EOTU to change the state of the lamp off to on, or vice versa;   an interval between sequential data transmissions changing from a first interval of time to a second interval of time;   an interval between sequential data acquisitions changing from a first interval of time to a second interval of time;   the EOTU transmitting and not transmitting images acquired by a camera;   the EOTU acquiring and not acquiring data from a remote data source; and   the EOTU communication device's use and non-use of a cellular telephone transceiver at part of a communication channel.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first signal is received from one or more GPS transmitters or a head-of-train unit (HOTU) of the train 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second signal is received from the one or more GPS transmitters or the head-of-train unit (HOTU) of the train. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first and second signals is received from a source remote from the EOTU via a wired connection, or a wireless connection, or the combination of a wired connection and a wireless connection.