Rail navigation system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A navigation system for a railway vehicle travelling on a track system, said navigation system comprising:
- (a) a storage device for storing a database including data pertaining to locations of railway track routes and locations and orientations of switches and curves in such railway track routes of such track system;
(b) a rate of turn measuring apparatus for measuring a rate at which such railway vehicle turns on such railway track so as to generate a signal indicative of a turn rate of such railway vehicle;
(c) a speed sensing device for sensing rotation of a wheel of such railway vehicle so as to generate a signal indicative of at least one of speed of and distance traveled by such railway vehicle;
(d) a computing devicefor deriving a signal indicative of curvature of such railway track on which such railway vehicle is travelling from said signal indicative of turn rate and said signal indicative of at least one of speed and distance and for comparing said signal indicative of curvature with said data pertaining to said locations and orientations of switches and curves in such track system to determine more accurately said position such railway vehicle occupies in relation to a particular one of such curves and such switches in said database and to generate a position signal indicative thereof; and
(e) a means for using said position signal for at least one of an operator display, an input to a control means of such railway vehicle, and as a signal for computations in said computing device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for a railway navigation system which provides information defining the position of a railway vehicle on a track system. The system uses an on-board computer with a track database representing the locations of the rail lines, including locations of curves and switches. The system uses a turn rate indicator and a speedometer means to obtain a value for the curvature of the track on which the railway vehicle moves. Curvature data so obtained is compared with data in the track database to determine the position of the railway vehicle in relation to curves and switches of the track system.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A navigation system for a railway vehicle travelling on a track system, said navigation system comprising:
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(a) a storage device for storing a database including data pertaining to locations of railway track routes and locations and orientations of switches and curves in such railway track routes of such track system; (b) a rate of turn measuring apparatus for measuring a rate at which such railway vehicle turns on such railway track so as to generate a signal indicative of a turn rate of such railway vehicle; (c) a speed sensing device for sensing rotation of a wheel of such railway vehicle so as to generate a signal indicative of at least one of speed of and distance traveled by such railway vehicle; (d) a computing device for deriving a signal indicative of curvature of such railway track on which such railway vehicle is travelling from said signal indicative of turn rate and said signal indicative of at least one of speed and distance and for comparing said signal indicative of curvature with said data pertaining to said locations and orientations of switches and curves in such track system to determine more accurately said position such railway vehicle occupies in relation to a particular one of such curves and such switches in said database and to generate a position signal indicative thereof; and (e) a means for using said position signal for at least one of an operator display, an input to a control means of such railway vehicle, and as a signal for computations in said computing device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A navigation system for a railway vehicle travelling on a track system, said navigation system comprising:
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(a) radio navigation first means for generating a first signal indicative of a first position of such railway vehicle; (b) a database disposed in a computer system within such railway vehicle for providing a set of second signals indicative of a geographical disposition of switches and curves of such track system; (c) second means disposed on such railway vehicle for communicating a third signal indicative of a turn rate of such railway vehicle to such computer system; (d) third means disposed on such railway vehicle for communicating a fourth signal indicative of a speed of such railway vehicle to such computer system; (e) a set of fifth signals disposed within said computer to provide instructions for generating a sixth signal based on said third signal and said fourth signal, said sixth signal indicative of a curvature of at least one of a curve and a switch on which such railway vehicle is moving; (f) said computer system having means for using said first signal to select a first portion of said set of second signals representing a portion of such track system in a vicinity of said first position, and comparing said sixth signal with said first portion of said set of second signals to generate a seventh signal indicative of a second position of such railway vehicle in relation to said database at a time when such railway vehicle is traversing at least one of a curve and a switch; said second position indicated by said seventh signal being more accurate than said first position indicated by said first signal; and said computer system having means for using said seventh signal for at least one of an operator display, input to a control means of said railway vehicle, and a signal for computations in said computer system. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of determining a track identifier for a railway vehicle moving on a track in a track system, said method comprising:
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(a) providing a computer disposed on said railway vehicle; (b) providing said computer with signals indicative of a track database having information defining locations and orientations of curves, switches and track identifiers of said track system; (c) providing said computer with at least one signal representative of an approximate position for said railway vehicle; (d) providing said computer with at least one signal indicative of a time changing heading of said railway vehicle; (e) providing said computer with at least one signal indicative of at least one of odometer reading and speed of said railway vehicle; (f) providing said computer with signals indicative of instructions for determining an event of said railway vehicle passing over a switch of said track system based on said at least one signal representative of an approximate position of said railway vehicle and said at least one signal indicative of a time changing heading of said railway vehicle to generate a signal indicative of a particular switch on said track database and thereby generate a signal indicative of a track identifier for said railway vehicle; and (g) providing said signal indicative of said track identifier to at least one of an operator display and a train control system. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification