Radio based railway signaling and traffic control system
First Claim
1. A railway signaling and traffic control system in which the use of train stop apparatus can be avoided wherein first radio signals are transmitted from trains travelling along tracks and received at a central office and second radio signals are transmitted from the central office to the trains, said system comprising means for transmitting said first signals which represent the locations of each of said trains with respect to boundaries of successive zones along the tracks and identify the train which is transmitting said signals and the zones which the identified trains are entering and leaving, means responsive to said first signals for transmitting to identified trains said second signals which represent a signal aspect for the zone occupied by each of said identified trains and for the next zone, means on each train for displaying the aspect of the zone which it occupies and for storing the aspect for the next zone, means on each train for automatically operating said displaying means for displaying the stored aspect for the next zone ahead when the train enters the next zone, and means for automatically operating said displaying means for displaying in each train a signal aspect for said next zone more restricted than the signal aspect displayed by said displaying means in said train for the preceding occupied zone in the event that the signal aspect for said next zone is not being stored when said train enters said next zone.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A railway signaling and traffic control system which minimizes the wayside equipment and eliminates the pole lines which carry power and signals along the right-of-way using instead the radio channel between the trains and the central office. Each train communicates with devices, such as passive beacons, which provide zone boundary messages. These devices provide secure messages to a control unit containing a microprocessor which responds to zone boundary messages and provides location information to the central office via radio when the train enters and leaves each zone. The central office has an input and communication processor and a vital processor. The vital processor converts route requests and the zone occupancy messages which are received by the input and communications processor into messages representing the signal aspects (the maximum speed at which the train can proceed), not only for the zone currently occupied, but also for the zone next ahead. The train control unit stores both aspects and displays the aspect for the currently occupied zone. When the train crosses a zone boundary and enters the next zone the new aspect is displayed. The distance for which the aspect remains valid is restricted by the zone boundary beacons and cross-checked by the locomotive odometer. Train stops, which were previously used to limit the distance an aspect is valid, are avoided thereby simplifying the signaling system.
181 Citations
19 Claims
- 1. A railway signaling and traffic control system in which the use of train stop apparatus can be avoided wherein first radio signals are transmitted from trains travelling along tracks and received at a central office and second radio signals are transmitted from the central office to the trains, said system comprising means for transmitting said first signals which represent the locations of each of said trains with respect to boundaries of successive zones along the tracks and identify the train which is transmitting said signals and the zones which the identified trains are entering and leaving, means responsive to said first signals for transmitting to identified trains said second signals which represent a signal aspect for the zone occupied by each of said identified trains and for the next zone, means on each train for displaying the aspect of the zone which it occupies and for storing the aspect for the next zone, means on each train for automatically operating said displaying means for displaying the stored aspect for the next zone ahead when the train enters the next zone, and means for automatically operating said displaying means for displaying in each train a signal aspect for said next zone more restricted than the signal aspect displayed by said displaying means in said train for the preceding occupied zone in the event that the signal aspect for said next zone is not being stored when said train enters said next zone.
Specification