Process and device for control and monitoring a traffic control system

• US 6,122,590 A
• Filed: 02/05/1999
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Germann, Stephan, Zund, Urs, Gutknecht, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/147,642
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 701/19, 701/117, 246/134
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 19/06 Interlocking devices having electrical operation

Abstract

Process and device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system which has actuators and monitoring elements and by means of which at least two traffic tracks for railborne vehicles can be controlled by a control process which, upon request for allocation of a route, blocks all the actuators belonging to this route against other requests to create additional routes and control operations and carries out the request. To that effect, each of the changes in the positions or conditions of the actuators to be carried out by the control process, takes place only after successful testing for permissibility by a test process which is independent of the control process and which, in each case, tests whether the actuators and/or monitoring elements to be blocked or to be actuated for the allocation or release of the route already are in use and, thus, have been blocked.

Claims

1. A process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system, the system having actuators, monitoring units and at least two tracks for rail vehicles, comprising:

blocking, by a control process, all of a plurality of actuators corresponding to a requested travel route against further requests to allocate further travel routes and further control operations, upon request for allocation of a requested travel route;

testing, by a test process, whether one of the actuators and monitoring units to be blocked and actuated for the allocation and release of a requested travel route, are being used for a previously allocated requested travel route, and are thus already blocked, the test process being independent of the control process; and

setting each actuator in correspondence with the requested travel route.

2. The process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 1, wherein the system further comprises switches that are controlled by the control process, the switches automatically seeking flank protection.

3. The process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 1, wherein the control process operates according to one of a track diagram principle and a secured chart principle.

4. The process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 1, wherein the test process operates according to one of a track diagram principle and a secured chart principle.

5. The process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 4, further comprising:

verifying, element by element, in the test process according to the track diagram principle, all control commands generated by the control process according to the secured chart principle, said verification being performed on the basis of the actual positions of the actuators and the existing information from the monitoring elements;

testing possible conflicts with at least one of already assigned travel routes and needed flank protection;

evaluating predefined criteria in the testing process, the criteria comprising the travel route to be assigned; and

clearing the control commands if no conflicts are discovered.

6. The process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 4, further comprising:

verifying all control commands generated by the control process according to the secured chart principle, in the test process according to the track diagram principle, element by element, on the basis of the actual positions of the actuators and the existing information from the monitoring elements;

testing possible conflicts with at least one of already assigned travel routes and needed flank protection;

evaluating at least one of travel routes already assigned, incompatible travel routes, and needed flank protection; and

clearing the control commands if no conflicts with the evaluated travel routes and needed flank protection are discovered.

7. The process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 6, further comprising:

storing the data for the travel route cleared by the test process in a memory controlled by the test process, the memory containing data of previously assigned travel routes; and

using the data for the travel route cleared by the test process to check further travel routes to be assigned.

8. The process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 7, comprising deleting a travel route recorded in the memory, element-by-element, using standard release as the elements become cleared by the test process, after a vehicle for which the travel route was assigned has passed the cleared elements.

9. The process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 1, wherein the test by the test process takes places as a whole after one of:

a) blocking all control units, and

b) blocking each individual control unit before changing each individual control unit.

10. The process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 1, wherein the setting of each actuator in correspondence with the requested travel route occurs only after the test process successfully tests for the permissibility of each setting.

11. The process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 10, wherein the test process operates according to the track diagram principle, the process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system further comprising a list of parameters, the list of parameters serving to check settings which are not directly connected with the track to be assigned.

12. The process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 1 further comprising performing said testing in accordance with safety regulations of railroad technology.

13. The process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by the control process, the establishment of the requested travel route; and

releasing, by the control process, the actuators for release of the requested travel route.

14. A device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system, the system having actuators, monitoring units and at least two tracks for rail vehicles, the device comprising:

a control process system configured to operate a control process, the control process adapted to block all of a plurality of actuators corresponding to a requested travel route against further requests to allocate further travel routes and further control operations, upon request for allocation of a requested travel route;

a test process system configured to operate a test process, the test process system being independent of said control process system; and

a controller adapted to control said control process system and said test process system.

15. The device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 14, wherein said controller is stored in a plurality of computers operating in parallel.

16. The device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 14, wherein said controller is stored in a plurality of computers operating independently.

17. The device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 14, wherein said controller is stored in a single computer.

18. The device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 14, wherein the control process system is adapted to operate according to one of a track diagram principle and a secured chart principle.

19. The process for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 14, wherein the test process system is adapted to operate according to one of a track diagram principle and a secured chart principle.

20. The device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a control process computer adapted to control said control process system; and

a test process computer adapted to control the test process system.

21. The device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 20, further comprising:

a memory located within said control process computer adapted to store a secured chart; and

a memory located within said test process computer adapted to store assigned travel routes.

22. The device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 21, wherein said memory located within said test process computer is further adapted to store a track diagram of a monitored route network.

23. The device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 21, wherein said memory located within said control process computer is further adapted to store a track diagram of a monitored route network.

24. The device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 20, further comprising:

a memory located within said control process computer adapted to store data of a secured chart; and

a memory located within said test process computer adapted to store assigned travel routes.

25. The device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 24, wherein said memory located within said test process computer is further adapted to store a track diagram of a monitored route network.

26. The device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 20, further comprising:

a memory located within said test process computer adapted to store data of a secured chart; and

a memory located within said control process computer adapted to store assigned travel routes.

27. The device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 26, wherein said memory located within said control process computer is further adapted to store a track diagram of a monitored route network.

28. The device for controlling and monitoring of a traffic control system according to claim 14, the test process system being adapted to test the permissibility of each setting of each actuator in correspondence with the requested travel route only after the test process successfully tests for the permissibility of each setting.