Method for determining the deviations of the actual position of a track section

• US 5,493,499 A
• Filed: 11/01/1994
• Issued: 02/20/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen-IndustrieGmbH
• Original Assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen-IndustrieGmbH
• Inventors: Theurer, Josef, Lichtberger, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walker, Tyrone V.
• Application Number:
  US08/332,637
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 364/44, 364/449, 342/357, 342/452, 73/146.4, 73/146
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: E01B 35/00 Applications of measuring apparatus or devices for track-building purposes apparatus on locomotives or cars to indicate or record bad track sections B61K9/00; measuring angles, linear dimensions, or irregularities in general G01B, G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/396 Determining accuracy or reliability of position or pseudorange measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems

Abstract

In a method for determining the deviations of the actual position of a track (6) with respect to the desired position a first measuring unit (1), movable on the track, and a further second measuring unit (2) are placed at the two end points of a track section to be measured, and their positions as an actual track position are defined relative to track reference points (11). The second measuring unit (2) is moved in stages from a starting point in the direction of the first measuring unit (1) to the end point, wherein at every stop for implementing a measuring procedure, the measurement data of the actual track position are compared with the measurement data of the desired position and a corresponding differential value is calculated and stored. The position of the two measuring units relative to one another are determined in a coordinate system as a result of the reception of a position signal from surveying satellites. With each stop of the second measuring unit (2)--during its measurement movement in the direction of the first measuring unit (1)--the particular relative position change is obtained by the respective reception of a further position signal from surveying satellites.

Claims

1. A method for determining deviations of an actual position of a track section with respect to a desired position thereof, comprising the steps of:

providing a first measuring unit, which is positioned at an end point of said track section to be measured, and a second measuring unit which is movable toward said first measuring unit, from a starting point of said track section to be measured,

defining positions of said end point and said starting point with respect to reference points in a track map,

defining initial positions of said first and second measuring units as actual track positions with respect to track reference points,

receiving a position signal at said first and second measuring units from surveying satellites,

establishing a coordinate system between said first and second measuring units as a result of receiving said position signal from said surveying satellites,

determining the position of said second measuring unit relative to said first measuring unit in said coordinate system, so that any position of said second measuring unit in said coordinate system can be determined,

moving said second measuring unit in stages from said starting point in the direction of said first measuring unit positioned at said end point,

at each stop of said second measuring unit, during measurement movement towards said first measuring unit, obtaining a position change in said coordinate system of said second measuring unit relative to said first measuring unit, as a result of the reception of a further position signal from said surveying satellites,

determining the position of said second measuring unit at each said stop, to determine said actual position of said track section in said coordinate system at each said stop location of said second measuring unit,

using a computing unit to compare measurement data of said actual position of said track section with measurement data of said desired position of said track section at each one of said stop locations of said second measuring unit,

calculating a corresponding differential value from each of said comparisons, and

storing, if appropriate, said corresponding differential values.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of

determining through use of said computing unit from desired position data of said track section, the curvature of said track section to be measured in its desired position in a vertical and horizontal plane.

3. The method of claims 2, wherein said measured curvature is aligned with said first and second end points of the track section, wherein said end points are defined relative to the desired position.

4. A system for determining deviations of an actual position of a track section with respect to a desired position thereof, comprising:

first and second measuring units, said first measuring unit being positioned at an end point of said track section, and said second measuring unit being positioned initially at a starting point of said track section, each of said measuring units comprising a measuring frame supported on said track section on flanged wheels and a motive drive for longitudinally moving said measuring units along said track section, said motive drive of said second measuring unit moving said second measuring unit towards said first measuring unit with a plurality of stops,

means for defining said initial positions of said measuring units as actual track positions relative to track reference points,

each of said first and second measuring units also comprising a satellite receiver for receiving a position signal from surveying satellites for determining the position of said measuring units relative to one another in a coordinate system, and for receiving a subsequent position signal from said surveying satellites when said second measuring unit is at each stop during movement towards said first measuring unit to determine the respective relative position change in said coordinate system of said second measuring unit with respect to said first measuring unit at each stop, thereby determining the actual position of said track section at each one of said stops of said second measuring unit in said coordinate system, and

a computing unit in one of said measuring units for comparing said actual track position to said desired track position to determine a deviation at each one of said stops.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said computing unit determines a desired path of track curve.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said desired path of track curve is aligned with said first and second end points, which end points are defined with reference to the desired position.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the satellite receiver is mounted on the measuring frame of each measuring unit so that it is rotatable by rotation drive means.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein each satellite receiver includes an antenna mounted on the measuring unit for swivel movement by means of swivel drive means.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein each measuring unit includes tilt measuring means which detects lateral tilt perpendicular to a track axis and longitudinal inclination in the longitudinal direction of the track.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein in each measuring unit the tilt measuring means controls the swivel drive means to swivel the antenna into a position in response to a tilt deviation.

11. The system of claim 4 wherein at least one of said measuring units includes a laser transmitter.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said laser transmitter is swivellable about vertical and horizontal axes and is connected to angle measuring means for determining the angles about said axes to which said laser transmitter is swivelled.

13. The system of claim 4 wherein said first measuring unit is disposed in front of a tamping machine and connected thereto.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the motive drive for the first measuring unit intermittently moves the first measuring unit longitudinally along the track in relation to the tamping machine.

15. The system of claim 4 wherein said motive drives are remotely controllable.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein said laser transmitter is remotely controllable.

17. The system of claim 16 further including video camera means for determining the position of said one measuring units with respect to one of more track reference points.