System and method for controlling locomotive

1 . A system for controlling a locomotive, the system comprising:

a display device disposed in the locomotive, wherein the display device is configured to:

receive braking information, sent by a back-office controller, indicating a back-office determination that the locomotive is to halt by performing a braking operation; and

display a notification in response to receiving the braking information, wherein the notification:

indicates a request for a braking command to initiate automated performance of the braking operation based on the back-office determination; and

provides one or more elements configured to receive:

first user input, from a pilot of the locomotive, indicative of acceptance of the request for the braking command; and

second user input, from the pilot, indicative of rejection of the request for the braking command; and

a controller disposed in the locomotive and in communication with the display device, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive the braking information sent by the back-office controller; and

transmit the braking command, to a braking system of the locomotive, to initiate the automated performance of the braking operation in response to:

a first determination that neither of the first user input or the second user input has been received via the display device within a predetermined time duration, or

a second determination that the first user input, indicative of the acceptance of the request for the braking command, has been received via the display device within the predetermined time duration.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a communication device disposed in the locomotive that is in communication with the controller and the display device, wherein the communication device is configured to:

receive the braking information from the back-office controller; and

transmit the braking information to the controller.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the communication device is configured to transmit the braking information to the display device.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein:

the back-office controller receives an input indicating the back-office determination from a back-office personnel present at a back-office, and

the back-office controller sends the braking information to the communication device in response to the input.

5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein:

the locomotive is within a group comprising a plurality of locomotives operating within a predetermined virtual boundary, and

each of the plurality of locomotives includes a corresponding display device, a corresponding controller, and a corresponding communication device.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the notification comprises a prompt window, displayed via the display device, that presents the one or more elements as:

a first icon configured to, based on a first selection of the first icon, provide the first user input indicative of the acceptance of the request for the braking command; and

a second icon configured to, based on a second selection of the second icon, provide the second user input indicative of the rejection of the request for the braking command.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein;

the controller receives the second user input, indicative of the rejection of the request for the braking command, via the display device within the predetermined time duration,

the controller is configured to refrain, in response to the second user input, from transmitting the braking command to the braking system to initiate the automated performance of the braking operation, and

the pilot transmits a manual input to the braking system of the locomotive to manually initiate the braking operation.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a current speed of the locomotive;

compute a maximum allowable braking pressure for the braking system of the locomotive, based on analysis of the current speed of the locomotive and a speed-to-brake ratio for the locomotive; and

transmit the braking command based on the computed maximum allowable braking pressure.

9 . A method for controlling a locomotive, the method comprising:

receiving, by a display device disposed in the locomotive, braking information sent by a back-office controller, wherein the braking information indicates a back-office determination that the locomotive is to halt by performing a braking operation;

displaying, by the display device in response to receiving the braking information, a notification that:

indicates a request for a braking command to initiate automated performance of the braking operation based on the back-office determination; and

provides one or more elements configured to receive:

first user input, from a pilot of the locomotive, indicative of acceptance of the request for the braking command; and

second user input, from the pilot, indicative of rejection of the request for the braking command;

receiving, by a controller disposed in the locomotive and in communication with the display device, the braking information sent by the back-office controller; and

transmitting, by the controller, the braking command to a braking system of the locomotive, to initiate the automated performance of the braking operation in response to:

a first determination that neither of the first user input or the second user input has been received via the display device within a predetermined time duration, or

a second determination that the first user input, indicative of the acceptance of the request for the braking command, as been received via the display device within the predetermined time duration.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving, by a communication device disposed in the locomotive that is in communication with the controller and the display device, the braking information from the back-office controller; and

transmitting, by the communication device, the braking information to the controller.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising transmitting, by the communication device, the braking information to the display device.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving, by the back-office controller, an input indicating the back-office determination from a back-office personnel present at a back-office,

wherein the back-office controller sends the braking information to the communication device.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the notification comprises a prompt window, displayed via the display device, that presents the one or more elements as:

a first icon configured to, based on a first selection of the first icon, provide the first user input indicative of the acceptance of the request for the braking command; and

a second icon configured to, based on a second selection of the second icon, provide the second user input indicative of the rejection of the request for the braking command.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining, by the controller, a current speed of the locomotive;

computing, by the controller, a maximum allowable braking pressure for the braking system of the locomotive, based on analysis of the current speed of the locomotive and a speed-to-brake ratio for the locomotive; and

transmitting, by the controller, the braking command based on the computed maximum allowable braking pressure.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein;

the locomotive is within a group comprising a plurality of locomotives operating within a predetermined virtual boundary, and

each of the plurality of locomotives includes a corresponding display device, a corresponding controller, and a corresponding communication device.

16 . A site controller, associated with a locomotive, configured to:

receive braking information, sent by a back-office controller, indicating a back-office determination that the locomotive is to halt by performing a braking operation, wherein:

a display device disposed in the locomotive and in communication with the site controller is configured to display, based on the braking information, a notification that:

indicates a request for a braking command to initiate automated performance of the braking operation based on the back-office determination; and

provides one or more elements configured to receive:

first user input, from a pilot of the locomotive, indicative of acceptance of the request for the braking command; and

second user input, from the pilot, indicative of rejection of the request for the braking command; and

transmit the braking command to a braking system of the locomotive, to initiate the automated performance of the braking operation in response to:

a first determination that neither of the first user input or the second user input has been received via the display device within a predetermined time duration, or

a second determination that the first user input, indicative of the acceptance of the request for the braking command, has been received via the display device within the predetermined time duration.

17 . The site controller of claim 16 , wherein the site controller is further configured to:

determine a current speed of the locomotive;

compute a maximum allowable braking pressure for the braking system of the locomotive, based on analysis of the current speed of the locomotive and a speed-to-brake ratio for the locomotive; and

transmit the braking command based on the computed maximum allowable braking pressure.

18 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the back-office controller receives the input from the back-office personnel in response to an unsuccessful attempt, by the back-office personnel, to express the back-office determination to the pilot of the locomotive via a radio communication.

19 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the back-office controller sends the braking information to the corresponding communication device of each of the plurality of locomotives within the predetermined virtual boundary, to indicate the back-office determination that each of the plurality of locomotives within the predetermined virtual boundary are to halt by performing braking operations.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the braking information causes simultaneous automated braking of the plurality of locomotives within the predetermined virtual boundary.