A rail car tracking system (10) comprising: rail car location equipment (12) mounted to a rail car (22), the equipment (12) including a transmitter (26) for transmitting rail car location data to a remote receiver (21) and further including an electronically readable tag (33) attached to the rail car (22) for identifying the rail car (22) to a wayside tag reader (36); and locomotive communication equipment (42) mounted in a locomotive (38) and adapted for communication with the rail car location equipment (12) when the rail car (22) and locomotive (38) are coupled into a common train, the locomotive communication equipment (42) being operative to identify the coupled rail car (22) and including a transmitter (48) for transmitting data to the remote receiver (21), the data including rail car data so that the required data transmission from the rail car transmission equipment (26) is reduced.
Patent Application Number: 2005217624
Filing Date: February 24, 2005Priority Date: February 24, 2004
Inventors: Daniel Malachi Ballesty, Bradley Charles Hendrickson, Jeffrey James Kisak, Robert Glenn Shaffer
Applicants: General Electric Company
View Prior Art for Claim 1
Title Wireless - Reshaping the Railroad Terrain
Description
Communication Technology is transforming the highly distance-intensive railroad industry. Speed, Information and Innovation are the rules of the `Wireless Revolution’ game. From crew-alertness to yard-management systems, this multi-billion-dollar rail market is moving onto the wireless fast lanes to boost productivity and gain a competitive edge. This article skims through the current mobile/wireless scenario prevailing in the railroad industry and the integrated rail applications that serve as a means to increase their bottom line.
Patent/Application # 7,219,067
Description
This invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for managing a transportation system, and more specifically to methods and apparatus for generating and exchanging data to manage the transportation system.
Patent/Application # 6,668,216
Description
The prior art relates generally to wireless data collection and communications methods, apparatus and systems for interconnected mobile systems, such as railways.
Patent/Application # US 6511023
Description
The prior art relates to a modular communication system that monitors rail car movement along a train line.
Patent/Application # US 6,759,951
Description
The prior art relates to a method and system for improving the integrity of a distributed power communication system for controlling the functionality of one or more mobile assets remote from a lead mobile asset.
Patent/Application # 6972682
Description
Abstract: Systems, devices, methods, and programs disclosed herein provide a solution for monitoring and tracking assets by utilizing wireless communications. A representative system for monitoring assets includes a remote monitoring station (RMS) and a network of identification (ID) tags. Each ID tag is coupled to an asset and is configured to wirelessly communicate with other ID tags in the network within a predetermined proximity. Each tag is also configured to relay communications from other ID tags so that a communication path is established between the RMS and any ID tag in the network, either directly or via other ID tags.
Patent/Application # 6,339,397
Description
A system for tracking objects using GPS and then transmitting that position information via radio signal to a base receiver, and more particularly, a rugged, solar-powered, self-contained system utilizing GPS, cell phone control channel data transmission technology, and the Internet to deliver the object's position to the end user.
Patent/Application # 6745027
Description
Abstract: A method of forming an ad hoc hierarchical communication network involves associating a plurality of wireless transceivers with articles, ... A network organization routine of the wireless transceivers operates to establish the hierarchical network based on the transceivers' class designations, resulting in a logical network organization that provides efficiencies for asset tracking. ...The wireless transceivers may include a query handling routine in communication with a memory of the transceiver for serving as a dynamic distributed hierarchical database system.
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