Patents by Inventor Charles L. Wolf
Charles L. Wolf has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11891030Abstract: A braking system conducts an electronic command signal via a cable extending through multiple first vehicles in a first segment of a multi-vehicle system. The electronic command signal directs engagement or release of an air brake coupled to a brake pipe that extends along a length of the multi-vehicle system. A pneumatic command signal is communicated via the brake pipe to one or more second vehicles in a second segment of the multi-vehicle system. The pneumatic command signal directs one or more of the engagement or the release of the air brake coupled to the brake pipe in the one or more second vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2021Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Charles L. Wolf, Carl L. Haas, Benjamin Henniges, Mark Uehling
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Patent number: 11814020Abstract: A braking system and method control application of brakes disposed onboard vehicles using brake control devices. The vehicles are in a multi-vehicle system and are associated with different segments of the vehicle system. Brake commands are sent to the brake control devices. These commands direct the brake control devices of the vehicles to concurrently engage the brakes onboard the vehicles to different brake levels based on which of the segments that the vehicles are associated.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2021Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies CorporationInventors: Charles L. Wolf, Carl L. Haas
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Patent number: 11702050Abstract: Disclosed is a method, system, and computer readable medium including program instructions for controlling the braking of one or more vehicles in a vehicle system positioned for unloading/loading of cargo. The vehicle system includes a designated head-end and a tail-end and each of the one or more vehicles is equipped with an electronic braking system in communication with a central control via a communication network spanning across the vehicle system. A dynamic unloading/loading braking profile can be set on at least one electronic braking system on at least one vehicle. During unloading/loading of the cargo from one or more vehicles in the vehicle system, the braking on at least one of the vehicles in the vehicle system is controlled via the dynamic unloading/loading braking profile.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2019Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies CorporationInventors: Charles L. Wolf, Wynand Jacobus Coetzee Jordaan
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Patent number: 11584410Abstract: Provided is a computer-implemented method for determining a communication status in a train consist operating in a distributed power system, the train consist including a lead locomotive and a plurality of remote locomotives. The method includes, for each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives that receives the command message directly from the lead locomotive, setting the message source indicator of the remote locomotive to a first state representative of a direct receipt of the command message, incrementing the message source counter for each response message received by the remote locomotive from other remote locomotives in which the respective message source indicator is set to the first state, generating a response message including a value of the message source indicator and a value of the message source counter, and transmitting the response message. A system and computer program product are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2018Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Paul Gerard Bender, Charles L. Wolf, Richard S. Klemanski
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Publication number: 20220137620Abstract: Communication systems and methods for vehicles are provided. A method includes receiving a command message from a first vehicle at a second vehicle, wherein the first vehicle and second vehicle are communicatively coupled to define at least a portion of a vehicle group; receiving a status reply message from the second vehicle at the first vehicle in response to a trigger event; controlling an operation of one or more vehicles in the vehicle group based at least in part on a determined communications status of a communication network comprising at least one communication device with respect to the command message and the status reply message.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2022Publication date: May 5, 2022Inventors: Charles L. Wolf, Paul Gerard Bender, Richard S. Klemanski
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Publication number: 20220097665Abstract: A braking system conducts an electronic command signal via a cable extending through multiple first vehicles in a first segment of a multi-vehicle system. The electronic command signal directs engagement or release of an air brake coupled to a brake pipe that extends along a length of the multi-vehicle system. A pneumatic command signal is communicated via the brake pipe to one or more second vehicles in a second segment of the multi-vehicle system. The pneumatic command signal directs one or more of the engagement or the release of the air brake coupled to the brake pipe in the one or more second vehicles.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2021Publication date: March 31, 2022Inventors: Charles L. Wolf, Carl L. Haas, Benjamin Henniges, Mark Uehling
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Patent number: 11265284Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a communication system for vehicles and an associated method. A method includes receiving a command message from a first vehicle at a second vehicle, wherein the first vehicle and second vehicle are communicatively coupled to define at least a portion of a vehicle group; receiving a status reply message from the second vehicle at the first vehicle in response to a trigger event; controlling an operation of one or more vehicles in the vehicle group based at least in part on a determined communications status of a communication network comprising at least one communication device with respect to the command message and the status reply message.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2019Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies CorporationInventors: Charles L. Wolf, Paul Gerard Bender, Richard S. Klemanski
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Publication number: 20220055669Abstract: A communication system may be provided that includes a lead communication assembly configured to be disposed onboard a lead vehicle in a multi-vehicle system, and a remote communication assembly configured to be disposed onboard a remote vehicle in the multi-vehicle system. The lead communication assembly and the remote communication assembly may be configured to communicate with each other via a wired connection extending along the multi-vehicle system from at least the lead vehicle to at least the remote vehicle. Additionally, the lead communication assembly and the remote communication assembly may also be configured to communicate with each other via a wireless connection. The lead communication assembly and the remote communication assembly may also be configured to switch back-and-forth between communicating with each other via the wired connection and via the wireless connection.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2021Publication date: February 24, 2022Inventors: Charles L. Wolf, Benjamin Henniges, Mark Uehling, Michael Silva
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Publication number: 20220017055Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a first controller configured to communicate a first brake command to one or more brake devices of a vehicle system via a communication pathway. The system includes a second controller configured to monitor the communication pathway to determine whether the first brake command from the first controller is communicated via the communication pathway to the one or more brake devices. The second controller is configured to implement a backup brake command to the one or more brake devices based on a presence of the first brake command and a level of brake application dictated by the first brake command.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2021Publication date: January 20, 2022Inventors: Danial Rice, Charles L. Wolf, Alan Laurence Cortie, Paul Gerard Bender
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Publication number: 20220009462Abstract: A braking system and method control application of brakes disposed onboard vehicles using brake control devices. The vehicles are in a multi-vehicle system and are associated with different segments of the vehicle system. Brake commands are sent to the brake control devices. These commands direct the brake control devices of the vehicles to concurrently engage the brakes onboard the vehicles to different brake levels based on which of the segments that the vehicles are associated.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2021Publication date: January 13, 2022Inventors: Charles L. Wolf, Carl L. Haas
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Patent number: 11161486Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a first controller configured to communicate a first brake command to one or more brake devices of a vehicle system via a communication pathway. The system also includes a second controller configured to monitor the communication pathway to determine whether the first brake command from the first controller is communicated via the communication pathway to the one or more brake devices. The second controller also is configured to implement a backup brake command to the one or more brake devices based on a presence of the first brake command and a level of brake application dictated by the first brake command.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2019Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies CorporationInventors: Danial Rice, Charles L. Wolf, Alan Laurance Cortie, Paul Gerard Bender
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Publication number: 20210323590Abstract: A system and a method includes one or more processors to control operation of an air brake system having plural braking devices each disposed on a different vehicle of a vehicle system and configured to control braking efforts in the air brake system via the braking device disposed onboard the corresponding vehicle. The one or more processors may communicate one or more command messages to the braking devices to control one or more of a rate of a braking effort propagation along the vehicle system or a direction of the braking effort propagation between the plural braking devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2021Publication date: October 21, 2021Inventors: Carl L. Haas, Charles L. Wolf
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Publication number: 20210269076Abstract: Provided is a computer-implemented method for determining a communication status in a train consist operating in a distributed power system, the train consist including a lead locomotive and a plurality of remote locomotives. The method includes, for each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives that receives the command message directly from the lead locomotive, setting the message source indicator of the remote locomotive to a first state representative of a direct receipt of the command message, incrementing the message source counter for each response message received by the remote locomotive from other remote locomotives in which the respective message source indicator is set to the first state, generating a response message including a value of the message source indicator and a value of the message source counter, and transmitting the response message. A system and computer program product are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2018Publication date: September 2, 2021Inventors: Paul Gerard Bender, Charles L. Wolf, Richard S. Klemanski
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Publication number: 20200130658Abstract: Disclosed is a method, system, and computer readable medium including program instructions for controlling the braking of one or more vehicles in a vehicle system positioned for unloading/loading of cargo. The vehicle system includes a designated head-end and a tail-end and each of the one or more vehicles is equipped with an electronic braking system in communication with a central control via a communication network spanning across the vehicle system. A dynamic unloading/loading braking profile can be set on at least one electronic braking system on at least one vehicle. During unloading/loading of the cargo from one or more vehicles in the vehicle system, the braking on at least one of the vehicles in the vehicle system is controlled via the dynamic unloading/loading braking profile.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2019Publication date: April 30, 2020Inventors: Charles L. Wolf, Wynand Jacobus Coetzee Jordaan
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Publication number: 20200084176Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a communication system for vehicles and an associated method. A method includes receiving a command message from a first vehicle at a second vehicle, wherein the first vehicle and second vehicle are communicatively coupled to define at least a portion of a vehicle group; receiving a status reply message from the second vehicle at the first vehicle in response to a trigger event; controlling an operation of one or more vehicles in the vehicle group based at least in part on a determined communications status of a communication network comprising at least one communication device with respect to the command message and the status reply message.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2019Publication date: March 12, 2020Inventors: Charles L. Wolf, Paul Gerard Bender, Richard S. Klemanski
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Publication number: 20200017084Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a first controller configured to communicate a first brake command to one or more brake devices of a vehicle system via a communication pathway. The system also includes a second controller configured to monitor the communication pathway to determine whether the first brake command from the first controller is communicated via the communication pathway to the one or more brake devices. The second controller also is configured to implement a backup brake command to the one or more brake devices based on a presence of the first brake command and a level of brake application dictated by the first brake command.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2019Publication date: January 16, 2020Inventors: Danial Rice, Charles L. Wolf, Alan Laurance Cortie, Paul Gerard Bender
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Patent number: 10530676Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining at a lead locomotive in a train consist a communications status of at least one remote locomotive of a plurality of remote locomotives of the train consist, and a system for determining, at a lead locomotive in a train consist, a communications status of at least one remote locomotive of the train consist.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2016Date of Patent: January 7, 2020Assignee: WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventor: Charles L Wolf
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Patent number: 10479382Abstract: Provided is a computer-implemented method for determining a communication status in a train consist operating in a distributed power system, the train consist including a lead locomotive and a plurality of remote locomotives. The method includes, for each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives that receives the command message directly from the lead locomotive, setting the message source indicator of the remote locomotive to a first state representative of a direct receipt of the command message, incrementing the message source counter for each response message received by the remote locomotive from other remote locomotives in which the respective message source indicator is set to the first state, generating a response message including a value of the message source indicator and a value of the message source counter, and transmitting the response message. A system and computer program product are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2017Date of Patent: November 19, 2019Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies CorporationInventors: Paul Gerard Bender, Charles L. Wolf, Richard S. Klemanski
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Patent number: 10464584Abstract: A train control system and method for use in an electronically-controlled pneumatic (ECP)-equipped train having a lead locomotive or control car, at least one railroad car and, optionally, at least one trailing locomotive or control car. A first controller or computer generates a train brake command and directly or indirectly transmit the train brake command to the at least one railroad car. A second controller or computer separate from the first controller or computer determines transmission of the train brake command to the at least one railroad car.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2016Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies CorporationInventors: Danial Rice, Charles L. Wolf, Alan Laurence Cortie, Paul Gerard Bender
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Publication number: 20180290674Abstract: Provided is a computer-implemented method for determining a communication status in a train consist operating in a distributed power system, the train consist including a lead locomotive and a plurality of remote locomotives. The method includes, for each remote locomotive of the plurality of remote locomotives that receives the command message directly from the lead locomotive, setting the message source indicator of the remote locomotive to a first state representative of a direct receipt of the command message, incrementing the message source counter for each response message received by the remote locomotive from other remote locomotives in which the respective message source indicator is set to the first state, generating a response message including a value of the message source indicator and a value of the message source counter, and transmitting the response message. A system and computer program product are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2017Publication date: October 11, 2018Inventors: Paul Gerard Bender, Charles L. Wolf, Richard S. Klemanski