Patent ID: 8457817

Claim:
In a train having at least two locomotives, each locomotive comprising: a propulsion system and a braking system; a transceiver for communication between the locomotives; sensors for sensing operational conditions on the locomotive; a processor receiving the sensed operation conditions, communicating information including the sensed operational conditions to the other locomotive, determining a propulsion or braking value based on the sensed operational conditions, pre-selected criteria and the information received from the other locomotive, and outputting the propulsion or braking value or command wherein the processor determines and communicates to the other locomotive as part of the information an initial propulsion or braking value based on the sensed operational conditions, pre-selected criteria and sensed operation conditions received from the other locomotive; and the processor determines a final propulsion or braking value or command based on the sensed operational conditions, the pre-selected criteria and the information received from the other locomotive, and wherein the processor located on each locomotive interacts with the processor on the at least one other locomotive in a peer relationship, wherein each processor receives required data representing the operating state or operating conditions for each locomotive and uses that data to locally find a control solution, and wherein each processor controls local actuation of locomotive commands required to achieve the control solution, each processor is in communication with the other processors which also arrive at their own control solution, each processor is configured to compare its locally control solution with the control solution of the processor of the at least one other locomotive, and the processors of the at least two locomotives collectively vote on or propose a control solution for actuation by the at least two locomotives.