A rail state monitoring apparatus (1) includes: first and second transmission antennas (101, 102) to transmit first and second electric signals to rails (5, 6), respectively; first reception antenna (201) to receive a surface wave (21) of the first electric signal propagated through rail (5) and guided wave (32) of the second electric signal propagated through loop coil (10); second reception antenna (202) to receive surface wave (22) of the second electric signal propagated through rail (6) and guided wave (31) of the first electric signal propagated through loop coil (10); and a processor. The processor obtains received powers of the respective electric signals received by first and second reception antennas (201, 202), determines a rail state from good, rail broken, rail crack, or rail surface anomaly based on the received powers, and outputs the rail state as rail state information.

A robust system processor comprising three parallel processors, each configured to process in parallel an input and emit an output; and a reconciler that compares the three outputs, determines whether at least two of the outputs are equal, and if so validates the majority output and communicates the validated output via a network to at least one other system processor.

Exemplary embodiments are disclosed of apparatus and methods for monitoring and controlling distributed machines. In an exemplary embodiment, a network includes machines each having sensor(s) and/or actuator(s). Each machine has a node resident on the machine and/or in communication with the machine and that provides raw data from the sensor(s) and/or actuator(s). Each node has a network interface, and a processor and memory configured as a node agent to embed the raw data in message(s) without reformatting the raw data. An engine receives and reformats messages from the node agents without reformatting raw data embedded in the messages. The engine directs the reformatted messages including the raw data to user device(s) for use in managing machine activity and/or status. The engine also sends a message from a user device to a node of a given machine, for use in controlling activity and/or status of the given machine.

A method includes wirelessly receiving, at a lead remote control (RC) communication device onboard a lead vehicle of a vehicle system, a request signal from an operator control unit (OCU). The method also includes communicating a reconfiguration signal from a lead communication device of the lead vehicle to a remote communication device disposed onboard a first displaced vehicle responsive to receipt of the request signal. Further, the method includes, responsive to receiving the reconfiguration signal, reconfiguring an RC communication device onboard the first displaced vehicle to switch from a first state where the RC communication device onboard the first displaced vehicle receives a control signal from the OCU for remotely controlling operation of the first displaced vehicle to a different, second state where the RC communication device onboard the first displaced vehicle repeats the control signal to the lead RC communication device of the lead vehicle.

A system includes a safety mode activation device disposed onboard a vehicle system and operatively connected to a controller of the vehicle system. The safety mode activation device is configured to receive a status signal indicating a presence of one or more of an operator or an active work marker in a location proximate to the vehicle system. The safety mode activation device is further configured to transmit a lockout signal to the controller to prevent movement of the vehicle system along a route responsive to receiving the status signal.

A vehicle communication system includes a central device and an on-vehicle device. A path determiner of the central device determines an information transmission path between a plurality of vehicles for consolidating information in a vehicle that performs a wireless communication with a terrestrial communication device out of the vehicles based on at least operating information on the vehicles. An on-vehicle communicator of the on-vehicle device acquires the information transmission path directly from the central device via the terrestrial communication device or indirectly from the central device via the terrestrial communication device and a second vehicle, and transmits and receives predetermined information to and from the terrestrial communication device or the second vehicle based on the acquired information transmission path.

A method and a system manage a specific event related to the movement of a guided vehicle. The system for managing a specific event includes a remote control module and a remote control station for remotely controlling the guided vehicle upon a command, to the remote control module from the remote control station, to switch from a normal driving mode to a remote driving mode.

A train control system comprising a track switch controller; RFID tags located at first and second track switches coupled via a length of track that store characteristics of train sets as they pass the track switches, and RFID tag readers located on the train sets, connected to a network. The train sets write data to the RFID tags such that the data is read by RFID tag readers of subsequent trains; and the data stored in the RFID tags is overwritten with new data each time a train set passes by the RFID tags.

A method operates a track-bound traffic system which carries out a determination that a first track section part lying between a track-bound vehicle and a second track section is free of vehicles. A track-side device disposed in a first track section at a distance to an adjacent second track section, transmits status information which characterizes the second track section as being free of track-bound vehicles, and the transmitted status information is received by a vehicle traversing the first track section. The distance is measured such that no other track-bound vehicle fits in a first track section part lying between the track-bound vehicle and the second track section when the track-bound vehicle receives the status information, and the first track section part lying between the track-bound vehicle and the second track section is identified as being free of other track-bound vehicles by the track-bound vehicle based on the received status information.

A system and method for controlling locomotives. The system includes a remote control unit (RCU) comprising a processing device and a computer-readable storage medium and a locomotive control unit (LCU) comprising a processing device and a computer-readable storage medium. The LCU is coupled to a locomotive control system of a locomotive for controlling the locomotive and acquiring data therefrom. The LCU is configured for listening to a common radio-frequency channel for a transmission by a network node, waiting for the channel to become free, and transmitting a message after the channel has become free. The RCU is configured for listening to a common radio-frequency channel for a transmission by a network node, waiting for the channel to become free, and transmitting a message after the channel has become free. The system may include one or more repeaters for extending an operational area of the system.