Virtual block control system for railway vehicle
First Claim
1. An apparatus for control of a rail vehicle on a section of track having corresponding wayside interlocking equipment and carborne train operation equipment, such wayside interlocking equipment corresponding with at least one wayside zone, such apparatus comprising:
- receiving means for receiving data relating to the physical location of such rail vehicle within such zone;
wayside CPU means for translating said location into occupancy signals representative of a plurality of virtual blocks within such zone;
means for sending said occupancy signals representative of said virtual blocks to such wayside interlocking equipment;
such wayside equipment having means for generating profile data indicative of operation of such rail vehicle within such zone; and
wayside transmitter means for transmitting said profile data to said rail vehicle.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A virtual block system is provided in which a section of track is represented by a zone having a plurality of virtual track circuits. Communication between wayside and the vehicle is established within the zone, and may be used to provide the initial position of the vehicle to the carborne equipment. The carborne equipment can then calculate and up-date its position within the zone by using its initial position and sensor information relative to its movement within the zone. The actual position within the zone can be transmitted from the vehicle to the wayside equipment. The wayside equipment converts the actual position within the zone to a virtual track circuit occupancy. The wayside equipment may also use the train length to calculate one or more virtual blocks as being occupied. The wayside unit outputs the occupancy status, occupied or unoccupied, to the wayside interlocking equipment. The wayside equipment generates profile data which can be transmitted to the vehicle.
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Citations
61 Claims
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1. An apparatus for control of a rail vehicle on a section of track having corresponding wayside interlocking equipment and carborne train operation equipment, such wayside interlocking equipment corresponding with at least one wayside zone, such apparatus comprising:
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receiving means for receiving data relating to the physical location of such rail vehicle within such zone; wayside CPU means for translating said location into occupancy signals representative of a plurality of virtual blocks within such zone; means for sending said occupancy signals representative of said virtual blocks to such wayside interlocking equipment; such wayside equipment having means for generating profile data indicative of operation of such rail vehicle within such zone; and wayside transmitter means for transmitting said profile data to said rail vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for control of a rail vehicle on a section of track having corresponding wayside interlocking equipment and carborne train operation equipment, such wayside interlocking equipment corresponding with at least one wayside zone, such apparatus comprising:
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wayside transmitter means for transmitting a zone signal within such zone; carborne receiver means for receiving said zone signal; and location determining means on such rail vehicle for calculating the location of such rail vehicle within such zone from said zone signal. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An apparatus for control of a rail vehicle on a section of track having corresponding wayside interlocking equipment and carborne train operation equipment, such wayside interlocking equipment corresponding with at least one wayside zone, such apparatus comprising:
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wayside transmitter means for transmitting a zone signal within such zone; carborne receiver means for receiving said zone signal; location determining means on such rail vehicle for calculating the location of such rail vehicle within such zone from said zone signal and said location is transmitted from such rail vehicle by a data radio on such rail vehicle; and wayside CPU means for translating said location in occupancy signals representative of a plurality of virtual blocks within such zone. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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44. A method of controlling a rail vehicle on a section of track, such section of track having at least one wayside zone, said method comprising:
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receiving at wayside a location signal from such rail vehicle that is representative of the location of such rail vehicle within such zone; translating said location into occupancy signals representative of a plurality of virtual blocks within such zone; and sending such occupancy signals to interlocking equipment. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method of controlling a rail vehicle on a section of track, such section of track having at least one wayside zone, said method comprising:
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transmitting a zone signal adjacent such zone; receiving said zone signal upon such vehicle initially entering such zone; and calculating the position of such rail vehicle within such zone from the initial receipt of said zone signal. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 59, 60, 61)
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58. A method of controlling a rail vehicle on a section of track, such section of track being representative of at least one wayside zone, said method comprising:
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transmitting a zone signal adjacent such zone; receiving said zone signal upon such vehicle initially entering such zone; calculating the position of such rail vehicle within such zone from the initial receipt of said zone signal; sensing movement of such rail vehicle within such zone; calculating the location of such rail vehicle from the initial receipt of said zone signal within such zone and from the movement of such rail vehicle within such zone; transmitting said location to wayside; and translating at wayside said location into occupancy signals for a plurality of virtual track blocks.
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Specification