Patent ID: 8050809

Claim:
A system for remote control of locomotives, comprising: a single time division multiple access network; at least one locomotive equipped so as to be operatively controlled by a locomotive control unit suitable for transmitting and receiving information via the network; at least two operator control units suitable for transmitting and receiving information via the network; and said network employing both spatial and frequency diversity for remote control, wherein the network comprises a centralized coordination mode comprising a repeater infrastructure along with a distributed coordination mode wherein the locomotive control unit communicates directly with the operator control units, wherein the repeater infrastructure communicates coverage area and defines periods of time for communication by the at least one locomotive control unit and the at least two operator control units; wherein the at least one locomotive control unit and the at least two operator control units use the centralized coordination mode simultaneously with the distributed coordination mode; and wherein the locomotive control unit and operator control unit device will only transmit in a respective defined period of time.