Patent ID: 8676410
Filing Date: 2014-03-18
Classification: B61L

Abstract:
1. A system comprising: a constraining controller configured to control a constraining powered system of a plurality of powered systems that also includes at least one trailing powered system traveling behind the constraining powered system along a route, the constraining controller configured to control the constraining powered system to travel along the route according to predetermined operating parameters at incremental locations along the route; and a trailing controller configured to control the trailing powered system to travel along the route according to the predetermined operating parameters of the constraining powered system at the incremental locations along the route; wherein the constraining controller is configured to predetermine an operating plan that includes the predetermined operating parameters of the constraining powered system at the incremental locations along the route, the constraining controller further configured to enforce the operating plan at the incremental locations along the route; wherein the trailing controller of the trailing powered system is configured to receive a transit time of the constraining powered system over a designated distance along the route, to determine a modified operating plan that is based on the transit time of the constraining powered system and the operating plan of the constraining powered system when the constraining powered system is traveling at a slower speed than the trailing powered system such that the transit time of the constraining powered system over the designated distance is longer than a transit time of the trailing powered system over the designated distance, and to enforce the modified plan enforced in order to cause the trailing powered system to maintain at least a threshold separation from the constraining powered system along the route; wherein the constraining controller of the constraining powered system is configured to predetermine the operating plan based on increasing or decreasing a performance characteristic of the constraining powered system along the route; the constraining controller configured to determine a plurality of predetermined plans based on traveling the designated distance along the route, and is configured to a select the operating plan from among the plurality of predetermined plans based on the transit time; and wherein the trailing controller is configured to select the modified operating plan from among the plurality of predetermined plans based on the transit time of the constraining powered system.