Railway vehicle detection

• US 8,157,218 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Mobility Ltd. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Brake & Signal Holdings Limited (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Riley, Charles Edward, Chapman, Michael Kenneth John
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, IV, Joe
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCarry, Jr., R. J.
• Application Number:
  US10/571,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20070084972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,695 Days
• Field of Search: 246/20, 246/27, 246/122.R, 246/123, 246/167.R, 701/19, 701/200, 701/207, 342/126
• US Class Current: 246/122.R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 1/14 Devices for indicating the passing of the end of the vehicle or train
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0054 Train integrity supervision, e.g. end-of-train [EOT] devices
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2027/202 using European Train Control System [ETCS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/02 Global system for mobile communication - railways [GSM-R]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/24 using token systems, e.g. train staffs, tablets
• 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: B61L 27/20 Trackside control of safe travel of vehicle or train, e.g. braking curve calculation

Abstract

A method is disclosed of detecting a railway vehicle, comprising using the time difference between receiving at first and second points a signal sent from the vehicle at a given time to produce an indication of the location of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for detection of the location of a railway vehicle, comprising means for using the time difference between reception at first and second points of a only one signal pulse initially sent from the vehicle to the first and second points at a single given time and a single location to produce an indication of that location of the vehicle through navigational triangulation, said first and second points being spaced from the vehicle and separate from each other.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said signal is sent from the front of the leading vehicle of a train of such vehicles and from the rear of the last vehicle in the train.

3. A system according to claim 2, arranged so that receipt of the signals is used for checking train completeness.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein such a signal is unique to the identity of the railway vehicle.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the signal is used as a token in the system so that the system can act as a token block system.

6. A method of detecting a railway vehicle, comprising sending a only one initial pulse from the vehicle to a first point and a second point at a single time and location, determining the time difference between receiving at the first and second points the signal pulse and using that time difference to produce an indication of that location of the vehicle through navigational triangulation, said first and second points being spaced from the vehicle and separate from each other.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the signal is sent from the front of the vehicle.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the signal is sent from the rear of the vehicle.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle is the leading vehicle of a train of such vehicles, the signal being sent from the front of the leading vehicle, a further such signal being sent from the rear of the last vehicle in the train.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein receipt of the signals is used for checking train completeness.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein receipt of the signals is used for mitigating degradation conditions.

12. A method according to claim 6, wherein such a signal is unique to the identity of the railway vehicle.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the signal is used as a token for token block operation.

14. A system for detection of a railway vehicle, comprising means for using the time difference between reception at first and second points of only one signal pulse initially sent from the vehicle to the first and second points at a given time, and a reference clock wherein the time difference is measured against the reference clock, wherein said first and second points are spaced from the vehicle and separate from each other so that, through navigational triangulation an indication of the location of the vehicle results.

15. A system according to claim 14, arranged for using such a signal sent from the front of the leading vehicle of a train of such vehicles and such a signal sent from the rear of the last vehicle in the train.

16. A system according to claim 15, arranged so that receipt of the signals is used for checking train completeness.

17. A system according to claim 14, wherein such a signal is unique to the identity of the railway vehicle.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the signal is used as a token in the system so that the system can act as a token block system.

19. A method of detecting a railway vehicle, comprising using the time difference between receiving at first and second points a signal sent from the vehicle at a given time to produce an indication of the location of the vehicle, including the step of measuring the time difference against a reference clock.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the signal is sent from the front of the vehicle.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein the signal is sent from the rear of the vehicle.

22. A method according to claim 19, wherein the vehicle is the leading vehicle of a train of such vehicles, the signal being sent from the front of the leading vehicle, a further such signal being sent from the rear of the last vehicle in the train.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein receipt of the signals is used for checking train completeness.

24. A method according to claim 22, wherein receipt of the signals is used for mitigating degradation conditions.

25. A method according to claim 22, wherein such a signal is unique to the identity of the railway vehicle.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the signal is used as a token for token block operation.