Patent ID: 8914169
Filing Date: 2014-12-16
Classification: B61L,H04L

Abstract:
1. A communication system comprising: a control manager unit configured to be disposed onboard a rail vehicle and to receive control input comprising at least one of application data or command requests from a plurality of applications and process the control input to provide at least a portion of the control input to a control system of the rail vehicle configured for use in operating the rail vehicle, the control manager unit configured to selectively determine which portions of the control input received from the plurality of applications are provided to the control system; a private interface configured to communicably couple the control manager unit to the control system of the rail vehicle, the private interface configured to limit communication with the control system via a connection protocol, wherein the connection protocol is configured to prevent direct communication between the control manager unit and an application that does not use the connection protocol; and an open interface configured to communicably couple the control manager unit and the plurality of applications.