TRAIN COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 3,787,679 A
• Filed: 01/26/1972
• Issued: 01/22/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michael S. Birkin, William T. Parkman
• Original Assignee: Michael S. Birkin, William T. Parkman
• Inventors: Birkin, Michael S., Parkman, William T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Forlenza, Gerald M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Libman, George H.
• Application Number:
  US05/220,991
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 246/1R,30,2S,2E,2F,187B,178 340/32 343/6.5R,6.5SS
• US Class Current: 246/30
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/121 using magnetic induction

Abstract

This invention relates to a train communication system in which trackside transponder devices containing coded information as to track gradient, speed restrictions etc, pass this information to receiver equipment on the train on receipt of an activating signal from a transmitter on the train. The system is operative to declare a fault if a transponder, at an expected location for said transponder, fails to respond to the activating signal so as to fail to pass information to the receiver equipment.

Claims

1. A train communication system comprising a track having a train moving thereon, said train carrying a transmitter and a receiver, at least one transponder mounted adjacent the track, said transmitter being operative to transmit an activating signal for activating said transponder when said train passes said transponder, said transponder, when so activated, being operative to transmit data contained therein to the receiver carried on the passing train, a fail-safe triggering device associated with each transponder for transmitting a signal to said train operative to trigger said receiver on said train to render said receiver operative to accept said data from said transponder, and means responsive to the failure of a transponder to respond to the activating signal from said transmitter after reception by said receiver of a signal from said triggering device for declaring a fault, said last-named means including a program device carried by said train to provide information regarding the expected location of each transponder whereby the failure of a transponder at the expected location to respond to the activating signal will result in a fault being declared.

2. The train communication system of claim 1 wherein said system comprises a plurality of said transponders disposed in spaced relation to one another along the track, the spacing between adjacent transponders being such as to provide a required resolution of data.

3. The train communication system of claim 1 wherein said fail-safe triggering device comprises a permanent magnet located adjacent said transponder, and detector means carried by said train responsive to the presence of said permanent magnet.