COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM FOR RAIL LINE VEHICLES

• US 20120296562A1
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrom Rail, LLC
• Original Assignee: Metrom Rail, LLC
• Inventors: Carlson, Richard C., Gunther, Kurt A., Cygnus, Marc W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0027 Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/06 for warning men working on the route
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/34 for indicating the distance between vehicles or trains by the transmission of signals therebetween
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A collision avoidance system (CAS) is described that includes one or more sensor technologies, including, for example, an Ultra Wideband (UWB) sensing technology. The collision avoidance system is designed to reliably track the location and speed of vehicles and the distance between vehicles over a wide variety of track and terrain. The collision avoidance system may utilize information from a variety of sensor technologies to determine whether one or more vehicles violate speed and/or separation criteria, and may generate a warning.

Claims

1. A rail line vehicle having a vehicle mounted module, the vehicle mounted module comprising

a transponder sensor module including an ultra wideband unit and a wireless communications antenna,

wherein the ultra wideband unit is operable to detect a distance between the rail line vehicle and at least one other vehicle,

wherein the wireless communications antenna is operable to send and receive data over the air;

a control electronics module including a processor that is in communication with at least the ultra wideband unit; and

a user interface module including a user interface,

wherein the user interface is operable to provide a vehicle operator with

information and is operable to accept input from the vehicle operator.

2. The rail line vehicle of claim 1 wherein the vehicle mounted module is in communication with one or more central tracking units by way of the wireless communications antenna,

wherein the one or more central tracking units are operable to track the location of the rail line vehicle and at least one other vehicle.

3. The rail line vehicle of claim 1 wherein the vehicle mounted module further comprises a central tracking unit module that is operable to track the location of at least one other vehicle.

4. The rail line vehicle of claim 1 wherein the transponder sensor module further includes a global positioning system,

wherein the global positioning system is operable to receive information from one or more satellites and is operable to determine the absolute position of the rail line vehicle.

5. The rail line vehicle of claim 4 wherein the vehicle mounted module is operable to utilize information generated by the global positioning system and the ultra wideband unit to

determine whether one or more vehicle separation criteria are violated, and

generate a warning if one or more vehicle separation criteria are violated.

6. The rail line vehicle of claim 1 wherein the user interface module further includes a service interface operable to allow the vehicle operator to configure, calibrate, service, maintain, diagnose, update and/or install information on vehicle mounted module.

7. The rail line vehicle of claim 1 wherein the control electronics module further includes one or more interfaces that are operable to communicate with ground speed detection modules.

8. The rail line vehicle of claim 7 wherein the ground speed detection modules include one or more of a microwave radar, a laser device, an infrared sensor and an ultra wideband sensor.

9. The rail line vehicle of claim 1 wherein the control electronics module further includes one or more inertial measurement units.

10. The rail line vehicle of claim 1 wherein the vehicle mounted modules comprises one or more additional transponder sensor modules,

wherein the vehicle mounted module is operable to accept calibration information regarding the length of the rail line vehicle and the mounting locations of the transponder sensor module and the one or more additional transponder sensor modules.

11. The rail line vehicle of claim 1 wherein the vehicle mounted modules comprises an additional ultra wideband unit, wherein an offset exists between the ultra wideband unit and the additional ultra wideband unit once the two units are mounted on the rail line vehicle.

12. The rail line vehicle of claim 1 wherein the ultra wideband unit is adapted to transmit and receive signals with varying center frequencies.

13. The rail line vehicle of claim 1 wherein the transponder sensor module further includes one or more of a laser device, a radar sensor and an infrared sensor.

14. The rail line vehicle of claim 1 wherein the user interface is a touchscreen including a screen, the touchscreen being operable to

display one or more screens, menus, options and/or functions, and

accept user input from the vehicle operator by allowing the vehicle operator to touch the screen of the touchscreen.

15. The rail line vehicle of claim 1 wherein the vehicle mounted module is operable to utilize a progressive warning feature that generates a warning if one or more vehicle separation thresholds are violated,

wherein the rate, frequency, prominence and/or severity of the warning increases as the violation of the vehicle separation threshold becomes more critical.

16. The rail line vehicle of claim 15 wherein the progressive warning feature utilizes an adaptive threshold feature that modifies the one or more vehicle separation thresholds based on the speed of the rail line vehicle and the speed of one or more nearby vehicles.

17. The rail line vehicle of claim 1 wherein the vehicle mounted module is operable to utilize a stopping distance calibration feature that measures a stopping distance,

wherein the stopping distance indicates how quickly the rail line vehicle can stop under current conditions.

18. The rail line vehicle of claim 17 wherein the measured stopping distance is used to modify one or more safe separation distance thresholds.

19. The rail line vehicle of claim 1 wherein the control electronics module further includes an inertial measurement unit.

20. A collision avoidance system comprising:

one or more vehicle mounted modules, each mounted on a vehicle,

each vehicle mounted module comprising;

a transponder sensor module including an ultra wideband unit and a wireless communications antenna,

wherein the ultra wideband unit is operable to detect a distance between the vehicle on which the vehicle mounted module is mounted and at least one other vehicle,

wherein the wireless communications antenna is operable to send and receive data over the air;

a control electronics module including a processor that is in communication with at least the ultra wideband unit; and

a user interface module including a user interface,

wherein the user interface is operable to provide a vehicle operator with information and is operable to accept input from the vehicle operator; and

a central tracking unit that is in communication with the one or more vehicle mounted modules, the central tracking unit being operable to track the location of the one or more vehicle mounted modules.

21. The collision avoidance system of claim 20 wherein the central tracking unit is distributed among the one or more vehicle mounted modules, wherein

each of the one or more vehicle mounted modules includes a central tracking unit component,

each central tracking unit component is in communication with the vehicle'"'"'s control electronics module.

22. The collision avoidance system of claim 20 wherein the central tracking unit is disposed in a discrete housing.

23. The collision avoidance system of claim 20 wherein the transponder sensor module further includes a global positioning system,

wherein the global positioning system is operable to receive information from one or more satellites and is operable to determine the absolute position of the vehicle mounted module.

24. The collision avoidance system of claim 20 wherein each vehicle mounted module is operable to utilize information generated by the global positioning system, the ultra wideband unit and the central tracking unit to

determine whether one or more vehicle separation criteria are violated, and generate a warning if one or more vehicle separation criteria are violated.