Microprocessor based track circuit for occupancy detection and bidirectional code communication
First Claim
1. A railroad track circuit comprising a transmitter and a receiver spaced apart along a section of railroad track,in which said transmitter comprises:
- a source of electrical energy and means coupling said source of electrical energy to said section of railroad track,and in which said receiver comprises;
microprocessor means with at least one input port and at least one output port for producing signals at said output port in response to signals at said input port, means connecting said input port to said section of track at a location spaced from said means coupling said source of electrical energy, output means for driving an indication device coupled to said output port,whereby said output means is capable of controlling an indication device to indicate the occupancy condition of said section of track between said transmitter and said receiver.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A railroad train detector and communication system relies on the track rails for communicating information among a plurality of locations. The equipment located at each of the locations eliminates relay based current detection, relay based current transmission, and relay based logic functions, and rather these functions are implemented with microprocessors. An extent of signal trackway is defined between a pair of head ends, intermediate the head ends at intermediate insulated joint locations, a microprocessor implemented transmitter/receiver pair is provided. One half of the transmitter/receiver pair manages communication flow for each direction of information flow at the joint. At each of the head locations, only a single transmitter/receiver is required. Associated with each microprocessor in a transmitter/receiver is auxiliary apparatus to couple the microprocessor'"'"'s input/output ports to the track rails themselves. This auxiliary apparatus includes non-relay based track signal detector (or receiver) for sensing current flow in the track rails, a track current generator for transmitting information through the track rails and optionally a non-relay based approach detector to sense changes in track current flow. Based on signals detected in the track rail, the microprocessor of a receiver for example can determine the occupancy condition of a portion of the railroad track rails between the receiver and associated transmitter. Based on the signals, therefore, the microprocessor outputs an indication identifying the occupancy/non-occupancy condition of this portion of the track rails.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A railroad track circuit comprising a transmitter and a receiver spaced apart along a section of railroad track,
in which said transmitter comprises: -
a source of electrical energy and means coupling said source of electrical energy to said section of railroad track, and in which said receiver comprises; microprocessor means with at least one input port and at least one output port for producing signals at said output port in response to signals at said input port, means connecting said input port to said section of track at a location spaced from said means coupling said source of electrical energy, output means for driving an indication device coupled to said output port, whereby said output means is capable of controlling an indication device to indicate the occupancy condition of said section of track between said transmitter and said receiver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. An occupancy detection and communication system for railroads which eliminates the necessity for signalling line wires running parallel to a section of track, comprising:
-
a plurality of transmitter-receiver pairs, each pair located at a different one of a plurality of insulated joints in a railroad territory and a single transmitter-receiver located at each end of said railroad territory, each said transmitter-receiver comprising; a microprocessor with plural input and output ports, a pair of pulse generators of different polarity coupled between microprocessor output ports and said track adjacent a transmitter-receiver, a receiver coupled between an input port and said track adjacent a transmitter-receiver, said microprocessor including; first means responsive to receipt of one or more pulses from said receiver to select a code group output, second means responsive to selection of a code group output to identify said code group output to the other transmitter-receiver of said pair, third means responsive to identification of a code group output by the other of said transmitter-receiver pair to stimulate said pulse generators to transmit a corresponding code group, and driver means responsive to said first means for maintaining a lack of occupancy output only so long as said first means selects a pulse group output within a fixed timing period. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
-
20. An occupancy detection and communication system for railroads which eliminates the necessity for signalling line wires running parallel to a section of track, comprising:
-
a plurality of transmitter-receiver pairs, each pair located at a different one of a plurality of insulated joints in a railroad territory and a single transmitter-receiver located at each end of said railroad territory, each said transmitter-receiver comprising; a microprocessor with plural input and output ports, a pair of pulse generators of different polarity coupled between microprocessor output ports and said track adjacent a transmitter-receiver, a receiver coupled between an input port and said track adjacent a transmitter-receiver, a signal connection to an associated microprocessor of a transmitter-receiver pair, at least one output indicator for indicating an occupancy condition of a selected portion of said section of track, each said microprocessor including; one or more personalization inputs identifying a functional location of the microprocessor as a head, follower or intermediate, an executive routine responsive to signals received by said receiver, to signals from any associated microprocessor and to said personalization inputs for iteratively executing and during such executing for calling one or more subroutines, and a plurality of subroutines for executing transmit, receive, stick or head functions, wherein said receive function provides control of said at least one output indicator. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
-
Specification