Railway turnout control method and system

• US 10,525,993 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2015
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coordem Transport Tech. Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Coordem Transport Tech. Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hou, Mancang
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q
• Application Number:
  US15/779,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20180370551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 701117
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 19/06 Interlocking devices having electrical operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2019/065 with electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 21/04 Electrical locking and release of the route; Electrical repeat locks
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2201/00 Control methods
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/30 using automatic section blocking
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/00 Central railway traffic control systems; Trackside control; Communication systems specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/04 Automatic systems, e.g. controlled by train; Change-over to manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/20 Trackside control of safe travel of vehicle or train, e.g. braking curve calculation

Abstract

A railway turnout control method comprises: constructing a data space corresponding to a railway turnout area (101); adding a virtual railway turnout, in the data space, to an area in which a target turnback stopping point is located (102); adding the virtual railway turnout to a railway turnout list corresponding to a route along which a train drives into the area (103); and not releasing claim of the virtual railway turnout when the train stops at the turnback stopping point (104); Also provided is a railway turnout control system. The method and system can solve problems of deadlock of a turnback area and insufficient safety protection of crossed routes.

Claims

1. A railway turnout control method, comprising:

constructing a data space corresponding to a railway turnout area;

adding a virtual railway turnout, in the data space, to a virtual space corresponding to a turnback area in which a target turnback stopping point is located;

adding the virtual railway turnout to a railway turnout list corresponding to a route along which a train drives into the turnback area; and

maintaining claim of the virtual railway turnout when the train stops at the target turnback stopping point.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the train drives out of the turnback area;

(i) completing, for the train, a claim process of at least one real railway turnout in a railway turnout list corresponding to a route along which the train drives out of the turnback area; and

(ii) completing, for the train, a release process of the virtual railway turnout after the at least one real railway turnout is successfully claimed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the target turnback stopping point included in the turnback area provides a turnback for a short-routing train; and

the adding the virtual railway turnout comprises adding the virtual railway turnout to a railway turnout list corresponding to a route along which a long-routing train passes through the turnback area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the railway turnout area further includes crossed routes, each of which leads to a corresponding turnback area; and

the method further comprising;

adding a first virtual railway turnout at a virtual location of the data space corresponding to a junction of the crossed routes;

for each of the turnback area, adding a second virtual railway turnout, in the data space, to a virtual space corresponding to a corresponding turnback area;

adding the first virtual railway turnout and a corresponding one of the second virtual railway turnouts to a railway turnout list corresponding to a route passing through the junction along which a train drives into a target turnback area of the turnback areas; and

maintaining the claim of the second virtual railway turnout when the train stops at a target turnback stopping point of the target turnback area.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first virtual railway turnout has a plurality of passing states, each of the plurality of passing states indicates that an establishment of a corresponding route passing through the junction is enabled.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a layout of a station or depot including the virtual railway turnout or information on claiming and releasing of the virtual railway turnout in real time.

7. A railway turnout control method related to crossed routes, comprising:

constructing a data space corresponding to a railway turnout area;

adding to the data space a virtual railway turnout at a virtual location corresponding to a junction of the crossed routes; and

adding the virtual railway turnout to each railway turnout list corresponding to each route passing through the junction.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first virtual railway turnout has a plurality of passing states, each of the plurality of passing states indicates that an establishment of a corresponding route passing through the junction is enabled.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying a layout of a station or depot including the virtual railway turnout or information on claiming and releasing of the virtual railway turnout in real time.

10. A railway turnout control system, comprising:

a construction unit, configured to construct a data space corresponding to a railway turnout area;

an addition unit, configured to add a virtual railway turnout, in the data space, to a virtual space corresponding to a turnback area in which a target turnback stopping point is located; and

a management unit, configured to add the virtual railway turnout to a railway turnout list corresponding to a route along which a train drives into the turnback area, and maintain claim of the virtual railway turnout when the train stops at the turnback stopping point.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the management unit is configured further to:

when the train drives out of the turnback area;

(i) complete, for the train, a claim process of at least one real railway turnout in a railway turnout list corresponding to a route along which the train drives out of the turnback area; and

(ii) complete, for the train, a release process of the virtual railway turnout after the at least one real railway turnout is successfully claimed.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the target turnback stopping point included in the area provides a turnback for a short-routing train, and

the addition unit is configured further to add the virtual railway turnout to a railway turnout list corresponding to a route along which a long-routing train passes through the turnback area.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

an interface unit, configured to display a layout of a station or depot including the virtual railway turnout or information on claiming and releasing of the virtual railway turnout in real time.