Train control method and apparatus

• US 6,732,023 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Watanabe, Dai, Sugita, Yoichi, Yokosuka, Yasushi, Chiba, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/237,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20030105560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/19, 701/20, 701/17, 246/1.R, 246/1.C, 246/2.R, 246/182, 246/3, 246/4, 246/5, 434/29, 434/62, 434/63, 434/65, 434/69, 273/442, 706/45, 706/16, 706/23, 706/41, 706/932
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/20 Trackside control of safe travel of vehicle or train, e.g. braking curve calculation

Abstract

A train control method and apparatus for controlling the movement of trains with high safety by detecting trains on sections of track by an electronic blocking system.

A wayside communication element (wayside transponder) 5 is placed in each block section on a track on which a train 1 runs. A cab communication element (cab transponder) 3 which can communicate with the wayside communication elements on the track is placed on the train 1. When receiving a train identifier (ID) from a train, a wayside control device transmits the current position information and the stop position information to the train. The cab communication element of the train 1 receives the current position information and the stop position information, creates a protection speed pattern between the current train position and the stop position from the received information, and limits the speed of the train 1 by the protection speed pattern.

Claims

1. A train control method of detecting trains on a track, comprising the steps of dividing the track into a plural of block sections, placing a wayside communication element in each block section, placing a cab communication element on each train to communicate with said wayside communication element when said cab communication element enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, and letting a wayside control device communicate with an onboard control device through said wayside communication element and said cab communication element:

wherein said wayside control device receives a train identifier (ID) from said onboard control device and transmits the current position information and the stop position information to said onboard control device and

wherein said onboard control device creates a protection speed pattern between the current train position and the stop position from said current position information and said stop position information and limits the high-limit speed of said train by said protection speed pattern.

2. A train control method of detecting trains on a track, comprising the steps of dividing the track into a plural of block sections, placing a wayside communication element in each block section, placing a cab communication element on each train to communicate with said wayside communication element when said cab communication element enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, and letting a wayside control device communicate with an onboard control device through said wayside communication element and said cab communication element:

wherein a database constituting said onboard control device stores a lot of predetermined protection speed patterns for said block sections in advance,

wherein said wayside control device receives a train identifier (ID) from said onboard control device when said cab communication element of a train enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element and transmits the current position information and the stop position information to said onboard control device, and

wherein said onboard control device loads a protection speed pattern between the current train position and the stop position from said database according to said current position information and said stop position information and limits the high-limit speed of said train by said protection speed pattern.

3. A train control method of detecting trains on a track, comprising the steps of dividing the track into a plural of block sections, placing a wayside communication element in each block section, placing a cab communication element on each train to communicate with said wayside communication element when said cab communication element enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, and letting a wayside control device communicate with an onboard control device through said wayside communication element and said cab communication element:

wherein said wayside control device receives a train identifier (ID) from said onboard control device and transmits the current position information and the stop position information to said onboard control device and

wherein said onboard control device creates a protection speed pattern between the current train position and the stop position from said current position information and said stop position information, compares the current speed of said train with said protection speed pattern, and limits the high-limit speed of said train by said protection speed pattern according to the position of said train.

4. A train control method of detecting trains on a track, comprising the steps of dividing the track into a plural of block sections, placing a wayside communication element in each block section, placing a cab communication element on each train to communicate with said wayside communication element when said cab communication element enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, and letting a wayside control device communicate with an onboard control device through said wayside communication element and said cab communication element:

wherein said wayside control device receives a train identifier (ID) from said onboard control device and transmits the current position information and the stop position information to said onboard control device and

wherein said onboard control device creates a protection speed pattern between the current train position and the stop position from said current position information and said stop position information, and limits the high-limit speed of said train by said protection speed pattern according to the position of said train calculated from the number of revolutions of the wheel of said train.

5. A train control method of detecting trains on a track, comprising the steps of dividing the track into a plural of block sections, placing a wayside communication element in each block section, placing two cab communication elements on each train in two different longitudinal positions of the train to communicate with said wayside communication element when said cab communication element enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, and letting a wayside control device communicate with an onboard control device through said wayside communication element and said two cab communication elements:

wherein said wayside control device receives a train identifier (ID) from said onboard control device and transmits the current position information and the stop position information to said onboard control device, and

wherein said onboard control device creates a protection speed pattern between the current train position and the stop position from said current position information and said stop position information, limits the high-limit speed of said train by said protection speed pattern according to the position of said train calculated from integration of the number of revolutions of the train wheel, and corrects the position of said train calculated from integration of the number of revolutions of the train wheel by said current position information.

6. A train control method of detecting monorail cars (trains) on a track, comprising the steps of dividing the track into a plural of block sections, placing two wayside communication elements on different points along the rail in each block section, longitudinally placing two cab communication elements on each car to communicate with said wayside communication element when one of said cab communication elements enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, and letting a wayside control device communicate with an onboard control device through said two wayside communication elements and said two cab communication elements:

wherein a database constituting said onboard control device stores a lot of predetermined protection speed patterns for said block sections in advance,

wherein said wayside control device receives a monorail car identifier (ID) from said onboard control device, transmits the current position information and the stop position information to said onboard control device, and

wherein said onboard control device loads a protection speed pattern between the current train position and the stop position from said database according to said current position information and said stop position information, compares the current speed of said train with said protection speed pattern, compares the speed of the train with said protection speed pattern at the position of said train calculated from integration of the number of revolutions of the axle of said train, limits the high-limit speed of said train by said protection speed pattern, and corrects the position of said train calculated from integration of the number of revolutions of the train axle by said current position information.

7. A train control apparatus for detecting trains on a track by dividing the track into a plural of block sections, placing a wayside communication element in each block section, placing a cab communication element on each train to communicate with said wayside communication element when said cab communication element enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, and letting a wayside control device communicate with an onboard control device through said wayside communication element and said cab communication element, wherein said apparatus a wayside control device which transmits the current position information and the stop position information to said onboard control device when receiving a train identifier (ID) from said onboard control device and an onboard control device which receives said current position information and said stop position information, creates a protection speed pattern between the current train position, and limits the high-limit speed of said train by said protection speed pattern.

8. A train control apparatus for detecting trains on a track by dividing the track into a plural of block sections, placing a wayside communication element in each block section, placing a cab communication element on each train to communicate with said wayside communication element when said cab communication element enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, and letting a wayside control device communicate with an onboard control device through said wayside communication element and said cab communication element, wherein said onboard control device comprises a database which stores a lot of pre-determined protection speed patterns for said block sections, a train ID transmitting means which transmits a train ID to said wayside control device when said cab communication element enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, a protection speed pattern generating means which selects and outputs a protection speed pattern for an area between the current train position and the stop position according to the current position information and the stop position information which said wayside control device transmits to said onboard control device in response to the train ID from said train ID transmitting means, and a speed limiting means which limits the high-limit speed of said train by said protection speed pattern which is output by said protection speed pattern generating means.

9. A train control apparatus for detecting trains on a track by dividing the track into a plural of block sections, placing a wayside communication element in each block section, placing a cab communication element on each train to communicate with said wayside communication element when said cab communication element enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, and letting a wayside control device communicate with an onboard control device through said wayside communication element and said cab communication element, wherein said onboard control device comprises a train ID transmitting means which transmits a train ID to said wayside control device when said cab communication element enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, a protection speed pattern generating means which generates a protection speed pattern for an area between the current train position and the stop position according to the current position information and the stop position information which said wayside control device transmits to said onboard control device in response to the train ID from said train ID transmitting means, a means for detecting the speed of said train, and a speed limiting means which compares the speed of said train with said protection speed pattern and limits the high-limit speed of said train by said protection speed pattern according to the position of said train.

10. A train control apparatus for detecting trains on a track by dividing the track into a plural of block sections, placing a wayside communication element in each block section, placing a cab communication element on each train to communicate with said wayside communication element when said cab communication element enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, and letting a wayside control device communicate with an onboard control device through said wayside communication element and said cab communication element, wherein said onboard control device comprises a train ID transmitting means which transmits a train ID to said wayside control device when said cab communication element enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, a protection speed pattern generating means which generates a protection speed pattern for an area between the current train position and the stop position according to the current position information and the stop position information which said wayside control device transmits to said onboard control device in response to the train ID from said train ID transmitting means, a means for integrating the number of revolutions of a wheel of said train and detecting the position of said train, and a speed limiting means which inputs said protection speed pattern and said train position and limits the high-limit speed of said train by said protection speed pattern.

11. A train control apparatus for detecting trains on a track by dividing the track into a plural of block sections, placing a wayside communication element in each block section, placing two cab communication elements on each train in two different longitudinal positions of the train to communicate with said wayside communication element when said cab communication element enters a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, and letting a wayside control device communicate with an onboard control device through said wayside communication element and said two cab communication elements, wherein said onboard control device comprises a train ID transmitting means which transmits a train ID to said wayside control device when said two cab communication elements enter a predetermined area of said wayside communication element, a protection speed pattern generating means which generates a protection speed pattern for an area between the current train position and the stop position according to the current position information and the stop position information which said wayside control device transmits to said onboard control device in response to the train ID from said train ID transmitting means, a means for integrating the number of revolutions of an axle of said train and detecting the position of said train, a speed limiting means which inputs said protection speed pattern and said train position and limits the high-limit speed of said train by said protection speed pattern, and a position correcting means which corrects the train position detected by said position detecting means by the current position information sent from said wayside control device.

12. A train control apparatus for detecting trains on a track by dividing the monorail track into a plural of block sections, placing two wayside communication elements on different points along the rail in each block section, longitudinally placing two cab communication elements on each car to communicate with said wayside communication elements when said cab communication elements enters a predetermined area of one of said wayside communication elements, and letting a wayside control device communicate with an onboard control device through said two wayside communication elements and said two cab communication elements, wherein said onboard control device comprises a database which stores a lot of pre-determined protection speed patterns for said block sections, a train ID transmitting means which transmits a train ID to said wayside control device when any of said two cab communication elements enters a predetermined area of any of said two wayside a protection speed pattern generating means which loads a protection speed pattern for an area between the current train position and the stop position from said database according to said current position information and said stop position information which said wayside control device transmits to said onboard control device in response to the train ID from said train ID transmitting means, a means for integrating the number of revolutions of an axle of said monorail train and detecting the position of said monorail train, a speed limiting means which inputs said protection speed pattern and said train position and limits the high-limit speed of said monorail train by said protection speed pattern, and a position correcting means which corrects the train position detected by said position detecting means by the current position information sent from said wayside control device.