Method for Maintaining Vital Guideway Operation in High-Demand Areas

• US 20100232451A1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Australian Rail Track Corp. Ltd. (Government of Australia)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Allshouse, Richard A., Groves, Robert B. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,457,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/431
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/70 Details of trackside communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/543 based on requested quality, e.g. QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

A method for reducing delays in the receipt of high priority information in a transportation system is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for use in a transportation system, the method comprising:

assigning a priority to a message, wherein the priority is assigned based on a relative importance of the message as assessed under a current state of the transportation system; and

transmitting the message in accordance with the assigned priority, wherein messages having a relatively higher priority are transmitted via a first channel and messages having a relatively lower priority are transmitted via a second channel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first channel and the second channel are logical channels of a single physical channel.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the operation of assigning a priority to a message further comprises assigning priority based on whether or not the message contains safety-critical information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the operation of assigning a priority to a message further comprises assigning priority based on whether or not there has been a change in state of a feature of the transportation system since a prior transmission of the state of the feature.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the operation of assigning a priority to a message further comprises assigning priority based on whether an authorization is being revoked or granted.

6. A method comprising:

assigning a priority to a first message based on the content of a second message, wherein the operation of assigning the priority depends on one of;

i. the likelihood that a transportation system will transition into a first state when (1) a delivery of the first message is unsuccessful or delayed and (2) a delivery of the second message is successful and timely, and

ii. the likelihood that the transportation system will remain into a second state when (1) the delivery of the first message is unsuccessful or delayed and (2) the delivery of the second message is successful and timely; and

transmitting the first message in accordance with the assigned priority, wherein;

i. the first message is transmitted via a first channel when it is assigned a relatively high priority, and

ii. the first message is transmitted via a second channel when it is assigned a relatively low priority.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first channel and the second channel are logical channels of a single physical channel.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the operation of assigning a priority to the first message further comprises assigning priority based on whether or not the message contains safety-critical information, wherein the assessment of the criticality of the information with respect to safety is made in the context of a state of the transportation system.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the operation of assigning a priority to a message further comprises assigning priority based on whether or not there has been a change in state of a feature of the transportation system since a prior transmission of the state of the feature.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the operation of assigning a priority to a message further comprises assigning priority based on whether an authorization is being revoked or granted.

11. A method comprising:

transmitting, from a first trackside feature of a transportation system, a message, wherein;

i. the message is transmitted via a first channel when a second trackside feature is in a first state, and

ii. the message is transmitted via a second channel when a second trackside feature is in a second state.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising,

receiving, at the first trackside feature, a rule, wherein:

i. the rule is transmitted by a central control system responsible for controlling the transportation system,

ii. the rule is transmitted when the transportation system enters a specified state; and

wherein the message is transmitted in accordance with the received rule.