Inventors:
Albert Darby - Valkaria FL, US
David Poltz - Melbourne FL, US
Mark Hefner - Indiatlantic FL, US
Irfan Ali - Schenectady NY, US
William Schoonmaker - Melbourne FL, US
George Jarman - Grant FL, US
Assignee:
GE Harris Railway Electronics, L.L.C.
International Classification:
G08B025/00
Abstract:
A system and method for communicating over networks, particularly generally-linear networks such as a netowrk of railcars in a railway train. The disclosed system and method include the relaying of packets which may contain plural messages down a line of nodes. Acknowledgement of the packets is obtained implicitly by listening to a subsequenct relay of the packet and retransmission of the packet is effected on a diverse antenna in the event of non-acknowledgement. Message bandwidth is shared among the nodes of the system by a message priority system and by the reservation of portions of a packet for certain types of messages. Message bandwidth is also shared by the use of groups of nodes as relay particpiants and by periodically changing the group which is peforming the relay operations.
