Intelligent Railway System for Preventing Accidents at Railway Passing Points and Damage to the Rail Track

• US 20120203402A1
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jape, Suyash S., Musial, John G., Nagpal, Abhinay R., Patil, Sandeep R.
• Application Number:
  US13/022,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203402A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/047 Track or rail movements
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/16 Trackside optimisation of vehicle or train operation

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides a method for controlling access to content in a social networking website, wherein a connection is established between a first user and a second user on the social networking website. Content on the profile pages of the first user is categorized into a first content category and a second content category. The first content category includes content created before the connection between the first user and the second user was established. The second content category includes content created after the connection between the first user and the second user was established. Content in the first content category is also categorized into a first subcategory and at least one second subcategory. Access by the second user is restricted to the first content category. Specifically, the second user is prevented from viewing content in the first subcategory and permitted to view content in the second subcategory.

Claims

1. A method for managing trains on a railway track, said method including:

analyzing track measurement data from a plurality of track sensors positioned along the railway track to collect the track measurement data, the track measurement data indicating physical loads exerted on the railway track at the track sensors; and

estimating, based on said analyzing of the track measurement data from the plurality of track sensors, at least one of;

at least one lower risk point of passing between a first train and at least one second train, the first train traveling in a first direction along the railway track, and the second train traveling in a second direction along the railway track opposite the first direction,

at least one speed of the first train to arrive at the lower risk point of passing at the same time as the second train, and

at least one speed of the second train to arrive at the lower risk point of passing at the same time as the first train.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including maintaining a database of historical track measurement data from the plurality of track sensors,

wherein said analyzing of the track measurement data includes analyzing at least one of the historical track measurement data in the database and real-time track measurement data from the plurality of track sensors.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said estimating of at least one of the lower risk point of passing, the speed of the first train, and the speed of the second train is further based on at least one of

horizontal rail alignment data and vertical rail alignment data,

the horizontal rail alignment data identifying at least one of a curved area of the railway track and a straight area of the railway track, and

the vertical rail alignment data identifying at least one of a banked area of the railway track and a flat area of the railway track.

4. The method according to claim 1, further including analyzing ground conditions data along the railway track, wherein said estimating of at least one of the lower risk point of passing, the speed of the first train, and the speed of the second train is further based on said analyzing of the ground conditions data.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the ground conditions data is collected from at least one of a plurality of ground sensors positioned along the railway track and the plurality of track sensors.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the ground conditions data includes at least one of ground moisture, air moisture, current weather conditions, and a weather forecast.

7. The method according to claim 1, further including generating a map based on at least one of the track measurement data, ground conditions data, horizontal rail alignment data, and vertical rail alignment data, the map including at least one higher risk point of passing.

8. The method according to claim 1, further including identifying when the first train is a threshold distance from the second train, wherein said estimating of at least one of the lower risk point of passing, the speed of the first train, and the speed of the second train is triggered when the first train is the threshold distance from the second train.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said estimating of at least one of the lower risk point of passing, the speed of the first train, and the speed of the second train includes:

calculating a predicted passing point between the first train and the second train based on a current speed of the first train and a current speed of the second train;

determining whether the predicted passing point meets a threshold level of safety based on at least one of analyzing of ground conditions data, analyzing of horizontal rail alignment data, analyzing of vertical rail alignment data, and said analyzing of the track measurement data; and

estimating the lower risk point of passing if the threshold level of safety is not met.

10. A method for managing trains on a railway track, said method including:

analyzing ground conditions data from a plurality of ground sensors positioned along the railway track; and

estimating, based on said analyzing of the ground conditions data from the plurality of ground sensors, at least one of;

at least one lower risk point of passing between a first train and at least one second train, the first train traveling in a first direction along the railway track, and the second train traveling in a second direction along the railway track opposite the first direction,

at least one speed of the first train to arrive at the lower risk point of passing at the same time as the second train, and

at least one speed of the second train to arrive at the lower risk point of passing at the same time as the first train.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the ground conditions data includes at least one of ground moisture, air moisture, current weather conditions, and a weather forecast.

12. The method according to claim 10, further including maintaining a database of historical ground conditions data from the plurality of ground sensors, wherein said analyzing of the ground conditions data includes analyzing at least one of the historical ground conditions data in the database and real-time ground conditions data from the plurality of ground sensors.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein said estimating of at least one of the lower risk point of passing, the speed of the first train, and the speed of the second train is further based on at least one of horizontal rail alignment data and vertical rail alignment data,

the horizontal rail alignment data identifying at least one of a curved area of the railway track and a straight area of the railway track, and the vertical rail alignment data identifying at least one of a banked area of the railway track and a flat area of the railway track.

14. The method according to claim 10, further including analyzing track measurement data from a plurality of track sensors positioned along the railway track, the track measurement data indicating physical loads exerted on the railway track at the track sensors.

15. The method according to claim 10, further including generating a map based on at least one of the ground conditions data, track measurement data, horizontal rail alignment data, and vertical rail alignment data, the map including at least one higher risk point of passing.

16. The method according to claim 10, further including identifying when the first train is a threshold distance from the second train, wherein said estimating of at least one of the lower risk point of passing, the speed of the first train, and the speed of the second train is triggered when the first train is the threshold distance from the second train.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein said estimating of at least one of the lower risk point of passing, the speed of the first train, and the speed of the second train includes:

calculating a predicted passing point between the first train and the second train based on a current speed of the first train and a current speed of the second train;

determining whether the predicted passing point meets a threshold level of safety based on at least one of analyzing of ground conditions data, analyzing of horizontal rail alignment data, analyzing of vertical rail alignment data, and said analyzing of the ground conditions data; and

estimating the lower risk point of passing if the threshold level of safety is not met.

18. A system for managing trains on a railway track, said system including:

a plurality of track sensors positioned along the railway track to collect track measurement data, the track measurement data indicating physical loads exerted on the railway track at the track sensors;

a scheduling module connected to said track sensors, said scheduling module estimates, based on the track measurement data from said track sensors, at least one of;

at least one lower risk point of passing between a first train and at least one second train, the first train traveling in a first direction along the railway track, and the second train traveling in a second direction along the railway track opposite the first direction,

at least one speed of the first train to arrive at the lower risk point of passing at the same time as the second train, and

at least one speed of the second train to arrive at the lower risk point of passing at the same time as the first train.

19. The system according to claim 18, further including an electronic database connected to said track sensors, said electronic database including historical track measurement data from the plurality of track sensors,

wherein said scheduling module analyzes at least one of the historical track measurement data in said electronic database and real-time track measurement data from said track sensors to estimate at least one of the lower risk point of passing, the speed of the first train, and the speed of the second train.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein said scheduling module further analyzes at least one of horizontal rail alignment data and vertical rail alignment data to estimate of at least one of the lower risk point of passing, the speed of the first train, and the speed of the second train,

wherein the horizontal rail alignment data identifying at least one of a curved area of the railway track and a straight area of the railway track, and the vertical rail alignment data identifying at least one of a banked area of the railway track and a flat area of the railway track.

21. The system according to claim 18, further including ground sensors connected to said scheduling module, said ground sensors collect ground conditions data, the ground conditions data including at least one of ground moisture, air moisture, current weather conditions, and a weather forecast.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said ground sensors are housed in said track sensors.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein said scheduling module further analyzes the ground conditions data to estimate at least one of the lower risk point of passing, the speed of the first train, and the speed of the second train.

24. The system according to claim 18, further including a map generation module in said scheduling module, said map generation module generates a map based on at least one of the track measurement data, ground conditions data, horizontal rail alignment data, and vertical rail alignment data, the map including at least one higher risk point of passing.

25. A computer program product for managing trains on a railway track, said computer program product including:

a computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions for analyzing track measurement data from a plurality of track sensors positioned along the railway track to collect the track measurement data, the track measurement data indicating physical loads exerted on the railway track at the track sensors; and

second program instructions for estimating, based on said analyzing of the track measurement data from the plurality of track sensors, at least one of;

at least one lower risk point of passing between a first train and at least one second train, the first train traveling in a first direction along the railway track, and the second train traveling in a second direction along the railway track opposite the first direction,

at least one speed of the first train to arrive at the lower risk point of passing at the same time as the second train, and

at least one speed of the second train to arrive at the lower risk point of passing at the same time as the first train,

said first program instructions and said second program instructions are stored on said computer readable storage medium.