Automated voice transmission of movement authorities in railroad non-signaled territory

• US 6,959,233 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Hungate, Joseph, Haag, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/678,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20040176884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 701/19, 701/23, 701/70, 701/50, 701/117, 370/313, 370/350, 340/7.21, 340/7.31, 455/517, 455/521, 246/2.R
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/02 Manual systems

Abstract

A method and system to authorize a locomotive engineer to move a train along the track in a non-signaled territory wherein a non-verbal movement authority is generated, converted to verbal form via voice synthesis, communicating to the designated train, and accepted or rejected by a locomotive engineer on such train. Secure codes can be utilized to regulate reception of, and/or acceptance or rejection of, the movement authority.

Claims

1. An automated voice transmission method to authorize the movement of trains in non-signaled territory, said automated voice transmission method comprising:

a. generating a non-verbal movement authority for a designated train in said non-signaled territory;

b. converting said non-verbal movement authority to a verbal movement authority;

c. communicating said verbal movement authority to said designated train;

d. receiving said verbal movement authority on-board said designated train; and

e. communicating acceptance or rejection of said verbal movement authority from on-board said designated train.

2. The automated voice transmission method of claim 1 further comprising communicating to said designated train confirmation of said acceptance or rejection.

3. The automated voice transmission method of claim 1 further comprising requiring a secure code to authorize receiving said verbal movement authority.

4. The automated voice transmission method of claim 1 further comprising requiring a secure code to authorize acceptance or rejection of said verbal movement authority.

5. The automated voice transmission method of claim 1 further comprising:

a. requiring a first secure code to authorize receiving said verbal movement authority; and

b. requiring a second secure code to authorize acceptance or rejection of said verbal movement authority.

6. The automated voice transmission method of claim 1 further comprising:

a. identifying a location of said designated train;

b. selecting a communication device nearest said location of said designated train; and

c. communicating said verbal movement authority to said designated train via said communication device.

7. The automated voice transmission method of claim 6 wherein said identifying further comprises communicating position information from said designated train to a dispatch office at which said movement authority is generated.

8. The automated voice transmission method of claim 7 further comprising:

a. receiving GPS position information on-board said designated train; and

b. communicating said GPS position information from said designated train to said dispatch office.

9. The automated voice transmission method of claim 8 further comprising communicating locomotive identification information from said designated train to said dispatch office.

10. The automated voice transmission method of claim 1 further comprising communicating said non-verbal movement authority to said designated train in text format for comparison with said verbal movement authority.

11. The automated voice transmission method of claim 10 further comprising generating said non-verbal movement authority using a computer aided system that assures only non-conflicting movement authorities are generated.

12. An automated voice transmission system to authorize the movement of trains in non-signaled territory, said automated voice transmission system comprising:

a. a movement authority generator which generates a non-verbal movement authority for a designated train in said non-signaled territory;

b. a movement authority voice-synthesizer which converts said non-verbal movement authority to a verbal movement authority;

c. a first voice communications device which communicates said verbal movement authority to said designated train; and

d. a second voice communications device on-board said designated train which receives said verbal movement authority and communicates acceptance or rejection thereof to said first voice communication device.

13. The automated voice transmission system of claim 12 further comprising said first communication device communicating confirmation of said acceptance or rejection to said second communication device.

14. The automated voice transmission system of claim 12 further comprising a first secure code generator generating a first secure code associated with said verbal movement authority wherein said designated train must communicate a second secure code corresponding to said first secure code in order to authorize the communication of said verbal movement authority to said designated train.

15. The automated voice transmission system of claim 14 further comprising a movement authority train crew acknowledgment verifier which compares said first secure code to said second secure code and authorizes communication of said verbal movement authority to said designated train if said first and second secure codes correspond.

16. The automated voice transmission system of claim 15 further comprising said movement authority train crew acknowledgment verifier comparing said first secure code to said second secure code to verify acceptance or rejection of said verbal movement authority communicated from said designated train in response to reception of said verbal movement authority.

17. The automated voice transmission system of claim 14 further comprising a second secure code generator on-board said designated train, said second secure code generator generating said second secure code corresponding to said first secure code in order to authorize communication of said verbal movement authority.

18. The automated voice transmission system of claim 12 further comprising:

a. a plurality of third voice communication devices selectively communicable between said first and second voice communication devices; and

b. a train position decoder which selects one of said plurality of third communication devices nearest said designated train to communicate said verbal movement authority from said first communications device to said second communications device.

19. The automated voice transmission system of claim 12 further comprising said second communication device communicating at least one of GPS position information and train identification information to said first communication device, said first communication device communicating said at least one of GPS position information and train identification information to said train position decoder for determine said one of said plurality of third communication devices nearest said designated train.

20. The automated voice transmission system of claim 19 further comprising:

a. a train position encoder on-board said designated train;

b. a GPS receiver on-board said designated train receiving GPS position information and communicating said GPS position information to said train position encoder; and

c. said train position encoder communicating said GPS position information to said second voice communications device for communication thereby to said train position decoder via said first voice communications device.

21. The automated voice transmission system of claim 12 further comprising:

a. said non-verbal movement authority generated by said movement authority generator communicated to said designated train in a text format; and

b. a display screen on-board said designated train which displays said non-verbal movement authority in said text format to enable verification of said verbal movement authority.

22. The automated voice transmission system of claim 12 wherein said movement authority generator further comprises a computer aided system that assures only non-conflicting movement authorities are generated.