Patent ID: 8126601
Filing Date: 2012-02-28
Classification: B61L,G01C,G08G

Abstract:
1. A control system for a vehicle, the system comprising: an input mechanism configured to be disposed onboard a powered rail vehicle configured to travel over tracks of a route network and for receiving, from an off-board system disposed off of the rail vehicle, at least one of a designated location for the rail vehicle to travel toward in the route network or a designated route for the rail vehicle to travel along toward the designated location; and a controller configured to be disposed onboard the rail vehicle and to receive the at least one of the designated location or the designated route from the input mechanism, the controller including a memory that is configured to store routing rules that restrict travel of the vehicle on one or more route segments of the route network, wherein the controller is configured to at least one of store or obtain at least one of track network data or the routing rules that are representative of restrictions of the one or more route segments of the tracks in the route network; wherein the controller is configured to generate an alternate route for the rail vehicle to travel along toward the designated location when actual travel of the rail vehicle deviates from the designated route, the alternate route being based on the routing rules and generated by the controller as the rail vehicle moves in the route network, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the alternate route to the off-board system for acceptance or rejection of the alternate route as an authorized route for the rail vehicle to travel on in the route network, and wherein the route network includes track field equipment that is configured to be activated to control which of the route segments are able to be traversed by the rail vehicle, and the controller is configured to transmit the alternate route to the off-board system for coordination with the field equipment to allow the rail vehicle to travel along the alternate route.