SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM FOR TRACK CIRCUIT MONITORING AND ALERTING IN AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS

• US 20140012438A1
• Filed: 07/09/2012
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
• Original Assignee: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
• Inventors: SHOPPA, Timothy, Glansdorp, Johann B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 1/188 Use of coded current
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/53 for trackside elements or systems, e.g. trackside supervision of trackside control system conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/221 using track circuits

Abstract

A method, system, and computer readable medium may be provided for train monitoring. Track circuit data may be received including an indication of a shunted track circuit on a train track. The received track circuit data and shunted track circuit may be analyzed. A train may be tracked on the train track based on the received track circuit data. A loss in physically expected track circuit occupancy in a path of the train may be detected. A graph may be generated showing the at least one shunted track circuit over time. The graph may indicate losses or abnormalities in physically expected track circuit occupancy in the path of the train, velocity of the train, acceleration of the train, and/or a size of the train. An alert with the severity and track circuit identifier may be generated and transmitted.

Claims

1. A train circuit monitoring method comprising:

receiving track circuit data by a computer, wherein the track circuit data includes an indication of at least one shunted track circuit on at least one train track;

analyzing the received track circuit data and the at least one shunted track circuit by the computer;

tracking at least one train on the at least one train track based on the received track circuit data by the computer;

detecting a loss in physically expected track circuit occupancy in a path of at least one train by the computer;

generating a graph of the at least one shunted track circuit over time by the computer, wherein the graph indicates at least one of;

losses in physically expected track circuit occupancy in the path of the train, velocity of the train, acceleration of the train, or size of the train;

generating an alert by the computer, wherein the alert comprises a severity and a track circuit identifier; and

transmitting the alert by the computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting at least one of;

a broken wire, bobbing, parasitic oscillation, corrugated rail, impedance bond, broken J-bar, broken rail clamp, broken rail connector, failed automatic train protection (ATP) module transmit printed circuit board (PCB), non-vital processor failure, rusty rail surface, contaminated rail surface, defective cable, remote terminal unit defective input PCB, arcing, spurious signals capable of exploiting unintended signal paths, interference, communication problems, insulating axle, or network problems.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating an enhanced train length, wherein the enhanced train length includes the physical length of a selected train of the at least one train and train length adjustments;

identifying boundaries of the at least one shunted track circuit;

fitting the selected train within the boundaries of the at least one shunted track circuit; and

attempting to locate the selected train on the train track within the boundaries of the at least one shunted track circuit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein if the selected train cannot be located on the train track within the boundaries of the at least one shunted track circuit:

identifying a vacant track circuit inside the enhanced train length; and

transmitting an indication of the vacant track circuit.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the train length adjustments include at least one of an overhang adjustment, a remote terminal unit adjustment, errors in track circuit length, or an empirical adjustment for change in domain between remote terminal units.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

discounting shunted track circuit indications when not physically possible by the selected train.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting an event if one of the following occurs in a period of time;

the train is located on the vacant track circuit,

the train exceeds a maximum velocity of the train, or

the train exceeds a maximum acceleration of the train.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the maximum velocity of the train is 120 feet per second, the maximum acceleration of the train is 5 feet per second squared, or the period of time is 30 seconds.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

executing a scoring algorithm to analyze an area of interest around a location of the detected event, wherein the scoring algorithm is based on a track occupancy history;

identifying occupancy gaps in the at least one shunted track circuit in the area of interest, wherein the occupancy gaps are filled in and the train is fit into the occupancy gaps;

if no occupancy gaps are detected in the area of interest, then the scoring algorithm fits the train extending outside the one or more shunted track circuit;

measuring a distance that the train was not detected by the vacant track circuit;

obtaining a severity value by multiplying the distance that the train was not detected by the vacant track circuit by a number of seconds that the vacancy occurred.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the track occupancy history corresponds to a location of the train 12 seconds before detecting the event, a second location of the train 12 seconds after detecting the event, plus a radius of 1440 feet around the detected event.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting the severity value;

or

indicating the severity value in the graph of the plurality of shunted track circuit indications.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the alert is generated when one or more of the following occur:

five consecutive train events in a same area of interest indicating severity values of at least 300 ft*seconds, wherein the same area of interest includes at least two track circuits;

three consecutive train events in the same area of interest indicating severity values of at least 800 ft*seconds, or

two consecutive train events in the area of interest indicating the severity value of at least 1500 ft*seconds.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a bobbing circuit when the shunted track circuit indication data indicates circuit occupancy on the train track without a train.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an event when the shunted track circuit indication data indicates the train is performing something not physically possible or is violating operating rules.

15. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

using a graphic to identify a malfunctioning track circuit as the identified vacant track circuit.

16. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

indicating the train on the graph based on the located train on the train track within the boundary of the at least one shunted track circuit.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the graph of the at least one shunted track circuit over time by the computer further comprises:

plotting the at least one shunted track circuit based on time the shunted track circuit indication was received; and

plotting a location of the train within the shunted track circuit based on time as at least one curve, wherein at least one of;

a length of the at least one curve is based on a length of the train, a slope of the at least one curve is based on a velocity of the train, and a curvature of the at least one curve is based on an acceleration of the train.

18. A train monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of track circuits providing track circuit data;

an output device;

a processor connected to the output device, wherein the processor is capable of performing the following;

receiving the track circuit data, wherein the track circuit data comprises at least one indication of a shunted track circuit;

analyzing the received track circuit data and the at least one shunted track circuit;

tracking at least one train on the train track based on the received track circuit data;

detecting a loss in physically expected track circuit occupancy in a path of the at least one train;

generating a graph on the output device of the at least one shunted track circuit over time, wherein the graph indicates at least one of;

losses in physically expected track circuit occupancy in the path of the at least one train, velocity of the at least one train, acceleration of the at least one train, or size of the at least one train; and

generate an alert based on a severity value.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform operations for train monitoring comprising:

receiving track circuit data, wherein the track circuit data includes an indication of at least one shunted track circuit on at least one train track;

analyzing the received track circuit data and the at least one shunted track circuit;

tracking at least one train on the train track based on the received track circuit data;

detecting a loss in physically expected track circuit occupancy in a path of the train;

generating a graph of the at least one shunted track circuit over time, wherein the graph indicates at least one of;

losses in physically expected track circuit occupancy in the path of the at least one train, velocity of the train, acceleration of the at least one train, or size of the at least one train; and

generating an alert, wherein the alert comprises a severity and a track circuit identifier.