Vehicle traffic control apparatus

• US 6,246,956 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1999
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Yuji, Koyama, Toshihiro, Nagashima, Kizo, Oba, Yoshikazu, Miyoshi, Miyako, Seki, Yoshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US09/410,027
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 701/117, 701/19, 701/20, 701/118, 701/119, 701/301, 701/213, 246/182.R, 246/167.R, 246/122.R, 246/3, 246/6, 340/903, 340/905
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/16 Track circuits specially adapted for section blocking
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/021 Measuring and recording of train speed
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/023 Determination of driving direction of vehicle or train
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/026 Relative localisation, e.g. using odometer
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station

Abstract

A vehicle traffic control apparatus includes a vehicle location detection unit for detecting the locations of vehicles within a track, a track monopolized state control unit for storing and controlling the monopolized state of the track which is monopolized by the vehicles, an allocation request unit for requesting allocation of a dynamic monopolized section as a range, in which each vehicle can freely run in both inbound and outbound directions, on the basis of the locations of the vehicles which are detected by the vehicle location detection unit, and an allocation unit for collating the allocation of the dynamic monopolized section to each vehicle with the track monopolized state control unit, executing actual allocation of dynamic monopolized sections on the basis of a collation result, and causing the track monopolized state control unit to store the allocation result. The allocated dynamic monopolized section is transferred from a ground/vehicle transfer unit to each vehicle, and a vehicle speed control unit performs speed control on each vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle traffic control apparatus for performing running control and traveling control on vehicles that run on a track, comprising:

a vehicle location detection unit configured for detecting locations of the vehicles on the track;

a control unit configured for storing and controlling a monopolized state of the track which is monopolized by the vehicles;

an allocation request unit configured for requesting allocation of a dynamic monopolized section as a range, in which each vehicle can freely run in both inbound and outbound directions, on the basis of the locations of the vehicles which are detected by said vehicle location detection unit;

an allocation unit configured for inquiring of said control unit as to the allocation of the dynamic monopolized section to each vehicle, which is requested by said allocation request unit, to perform collating operation, executing actual allocation of dynamic monopolized sections on the basis of a collation result, causing said control unit to store an allocation result, and outputting the allocation result;

a transfer unit configured for transferring the dynamic monopolized sections allocated by said allocation unit to the respective vehicles; and

a vehicle speed control unit configured for performing speed control on the vehicles in accordance with the allocated dynamic monopolized sections transferred by said transfer unit.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, which further comprises a running diagram input unit configured for inputting a vehicle running diagram, and wherein said allocation request unit determines an allocation request range of a dynamic monopolized section by using the vehicle running diagram input by said running diagram input unit.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a deallocation request unit configured for determining a range of a dynamic monopolized section which is located behind each vehicle and deallocated as the vehicle runs, together with a deallocation timing, on the basis of the location of each vehicle which is detected by said vehicle location detection unit, and requesting said allocation unit to deallocate the dynamic monopolized section when an initial running plan is changed because of an accident.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said deallocation request unit sets a timing of deallocating a dynamic monopolized section to be the same as a timing of requesting allocation of a dynamic monopolized section.

5. A vehicle traffic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle speed control unit has a function of forming a deceleration curve from an end position of a dynamic monopolized section (end point of a vehicle in a running direction) to a start position of the dynamic monopolized section in consideration of performance of the vehicle and linearity of a track, and automatically adjusting a speed of the vehicle to make the vehicle decelerate along the deceleration curve.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a vehicle location error correction unit configured for detecting locations of depots scattered on the track, measuring an error between the detected located and an actual location, and correcting the location of the vehicle which is detected by said vehicle location detection unit.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising dynamic monopolized section manually setting unit configured for manually setting a section to which accesses of vehicles are to be inhibited.

8. A vehicle traffic control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said allocation unit performs allocation in consideration of not only dynamic monopolized sections that have already been allocated to other vehicles but also information from a running obstacle detection device, railroad crossing control device, and rail closing control device, said running obstacle detection device being arranged along a railroad and including an amount-of-rainfall detector, fallen stone detector, obstacle detector.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said allocation request unit sets a maximum allocation request range of a dynamic monopolized section up to a next depot at which a vehicle stops.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said allocation request unit always sets a predetermined distance as an allocation request range of a dynamic monopolized section.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said allocation request unit always sets a distance that the corresponding vehicle runs in a predetermined period of time as an allocation request range of a dynamic monopolized section.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a level railroad crossing control device which is set on a vehicle and controls at least one of a barrier and level crossing signal at a railroad crossing which level-crosses the track on the basis of the location and running direction of each vehicle which is detected by said vehicle location detection unit.

13. A vehicle traffic control apparatus for performing running control and traveling control on vehicles that run on a track having a branch, comprising:

a vehicle location detection unit configured for detecting locations of the vehicles on the track;

a first control unit configured for controlling a joining direction of a branch device installed at a branch point on the track and a state of the branch device whose direction is being changed or fixed;

a second control unit configured for storing and controlling a monopolized state of the track which is monopolized by the vehicles and a monopolized state of the branch device;

an allocation request unit configured for requesting allocation of a dynamic monopolized section as a range in which each vehicle can freely run in both inbound and outbound directions and allocation of the branch device on the basis of the locations of the vehicles, which are detected by said vehicle location detection unit, and the state of the branch device, which is controlled by said first control unit;

an allocation unit configured for inquiring of said second control unit as to the allocation of the dynamic monopolized section and the branch device to each vehicle, which is requested by said allocation request unit, to perform collating operation, executing actual allocation of a dynamic monopolized section and branch device to each vehicle on the basis of a collation result, causing said second control unit to store an allocation result, and outputting the allocation result;

a transfer unit configured for transferring the dynamic monopolized sections allocated by said allocation unit to the respective vehicles;

a vehicle speed control unit configured for performing speed control on the vehicles in accordance with the allocated dynamic monopolized sections transferred by said transfer unit; and

a control unit configured for changing and fixing a joining direction of the branch device allocated by said allocation unit.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, which further comprises a running diagram input unit configured for inputting a vehicle running diagram, and wherein said allocation request unit determines an allocation request range of a dynamic monopolized section by using the vehicle running diagram input by said running diagram input unit.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a deallocation request unit configured for determining a range of a dynamic monopolized section which is located behind each vehicle and deallocated as the vehicle runs, together with a deallocation timing, on the basis of the location of each vehicle which is detected by said vehicle location detection unit, and requesting said allocation unit to deallocate the dynamic monopolized section when an initial running plan is changed because of an accident.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said deallocation request unit sets a timing of deallocating a dynamic monopolized section to be the same as a timing of requesting allocation of a dynamic monopolized section.

17. A vehicle traffic control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said vehicle speed control unit has a function of forming a deceleration curve from an end position of a dynamic monopolized section which corresponds to an end point of a vehicle in a running direction to a start position of the dynamic monopolized section in consideration of performance of the vehicle and linearity of a track, and automatically adjusting a speed of the vehicle to make the vehicle decelerate along the deceleration curve.

18. An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a vehicle location error correction unit configured for detecting locations of depots scattered on the track, measuring an error between the detected located and an actual location, and correcting the location of the vehicle which is detected by said vehicle location detection unit.

19. An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising dynamic monopolized section manually setting unit configured for manually setting a section to which accesses of vehicles are to be inhibited.

20. A vehicle traffic control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said allocation unit performs allocation in consideration of not only dynamic monopolized sections that have already been allocated to other vehicles but also information from a running obstacle device, railroad crossing control device, and rail closing control device, said running obstacle device being arranged along a railroad and including an amount-of-rainfall detector, fallen stone detector, obstacle detector.

21. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said allocation request unit sets a maximum allocation request range of a dynamic monopolized section up to a next depot at which a vehicle stops.

22. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said allocation request unit always sets a predetermined distance as an allocation request range of a dynamic monopolized section.

23. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said allocation request unit always sets a distance that the corresponding vehicle runs in a predetermined period of time as an allocation request range of a dynamic monopolized section.

24. An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a level railroad crossing control device which is set on a vehicle and controls at least one of a barrier and level crossing signal at a railroad crossing which level-crosses the track on the basis of the location and running direction of each vehicle which is detected by said vehicle location detection unit.

25. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said vehicle location detection unit detects, on a vehicle, a location of the vehicle within a track, and further comprises a second transfer unit configured for transferring and inputting the location of the vehicle which is detected by said vehicle location detection unit from the vehicle to said second control unit.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising a second transfer unit configured for transferring and inputting, from the vehicle to said allocation unit, a dynamic monopolized section allocation request from said allocation request unit and a dynamic monopolized section deallocation request from said deallocation request unit on the basis of the location of each vehicle which is detected by said vehicle location detection unit in order to generate the dynamic monopolized section allocation request and dynamic monopolized section deallocation request on the vehicle.

27. A vehicle traffic control method of performing running control and traveling control on vehicles that run on a track, comprising the steps of:

detecting locations of the vehicles on the track;

storing a monopolized state of the track which is monopolized by the vehicles in a memory and managing it;

requesting allocation of a dynamic monopolized section as a range, in which each vehicle can freely run in both inbound and outbound directions, on the basis of the locations of the vehicles which are detected by said vehicle location detection step;

inquiring of said control unit as to the allocation of the dynamic monopolized section to each vehicle, which is requested by said allocation request step, to perform collating operation, executing actual allocation of dynamic monopolized sections on the basis of a collation result;

storing an allocation result in said memory;

transferring the dynamic monopolized sections allocated by said allocation step to the respective vehicles; and

performing speed control on the vehicles in accordance with the allocated dynamic monopolized sections transferred by said transfer step.

28. A vehicle traffic control method of performing running control and traveling control on vehicles that run on a track having a branch, comprising the steps of:

detecting locations of the vehicles on the track;

controlling a joining direction of a branch device installed at a branch point on the track and a state of the branch device whose direction is being changed or fixed;

storing and controlling a monopolized state of the track which is monopolized by the vehicles and a monopolized state of the branch device;

requesting allocation of a dynamic monopolized section as a range in which each vehicle can freely run in both inbound and outbound directions and allocation of the branch device on the basis of the locations of the vehicles, which are detected by said vehicle location detection step, and the state of the branch device, which is controlled by said step of controlling a joining direction;

inquiring of said memory as to the allocation of the dynamic monopolized section and the branch device to each vehicle, which is requested by said allocation request step, to perform collating operation, executing actual allocation of a dynamic monopolized section and branch device to each vehicle on the basis of a collation result;

storing an allocation result;

transferring the dynamic monopolized sections allocated by said allocation step to the respective vehicles;

performing speed control on the vehicles in accordance with the allocated dynamic monopolized sections transferred by said transfer step; and

changing and fixing a joining direction of the branch device allocated by said allocation step.