Railway signalling system and on-board signalling system

• US 8,924,050 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Katsuta, Keiichi, Imamoto, Kenji, Sugita, Yoichi, Maekawa, Keiji, Shibata, Naoki, Suzuki, Motonari
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US13/550,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20130024054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 701/19
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0063 Multiple on-board control systems, e.g. "2 out of 3"-systems
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2027/202 using European Train Control System [ETCS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/30 Trackside multiple control systems, e.g. switch-over between different systems

Abstract

In a railway signalling system which transmits a control order to an on-board signalling system by a trackside signalling system, the on-board signalling system being mounted on a train running on a line and the control order being compliant with a signalling system of the line, the present invention allows the train to run through into lines with different signalling systems using a single on-board signalling system. When the train enters a line with a different signalling system from a current line, the on-board signalling system installs a train control application program compliant with the signalling system of the entering line. Then, the on-board signalling system executes the train control application program, allowing the train to be controlled on the entering line according to a control order created by the trackside signalling system of the entering line.

Claims

1. A railway signalling system which transmits a control order to an on-board signalling system by a trackside signalling system, the on-board signalling system being mounted on a train running on a line and the control order being compliant with a signalling system of the line, wherein when the train transitions to a different line with a different signalling system from a current line, the trackside signalling system transmits both an order to the on-board signalling system in order to change the train control application program executed at a boundary with the different line with the different signaling system, and a train control application program compliant with the signalling system of the different line, to the on-board signalling system, and makes the on-board signalling system execute the train control application program, thereby allowing the train to be controlled on the different line according to a control order created by the trackside signalling system of the different line.

3. The railway signalling system according to claim 1, wherein more than one train control application program are provided per signalling system to accommodate differences in performance of a computing machine of the on-board signalling system;

and the trackside signalling system selects a train control application program which satisfies operating conditions of the computing machine from among the train control application programs, and transmits the selected train control application program to the on-board signalling system.

4. The railway signalling system according to claim 1, wherein more than one train control application program are provided per signalling system to accommodate differences in configuration of peripheral components connected to the on-board signalling system via an interface;

and the trackside signalling system selects a train control application program which satisfies operating conditions of the peripheral components from among the train control application programs, and transmits the selected train control application program to the on-board signalling system.

2. A railway signalling system which transmits a control order to an on-board signalling system by a trackside signalling system, the on-board signalling system being mounted on a train running on a line and the control order being compliant with a signalling system of the line, wherein when the train transitions to a different line with a different signalling system from a current line, the trackside signalling system transmits both a train control application program compliant with the signalling system of the different line and an order to start the train control application program compliant with the signalling system of the different line ahead of a boundary with the line with the different signalling system, to enable control based on the train control application program compliant with the signalling system of the different line upon passage through the boundary while disabling control based on the train control application program compliant with the signalling system of an exiting said current line, and subsequently to terminate the train control application program compliant with the signalling system of the exiting said current line to the on-board signalling system, and makes the on-board signalling system execute the train control application program compliant with the different line, thereby allowing the train to be controlled on the different line according to a control order created by the trackside signalling system of the different line.

5. An on-board signalling system mounted on a train and adapted to receive a control order compliant with a signalling system of a line on which the train runs, from a trackside signalling system, wherein when the train transitions to a different line with a different signalling system from a current line, both an order to change the train control application program executed at a boundary with the different line with the different signalling system sent from the trackside signalling system is received, and a train control application program compliant with a signalling system of the different line is received from the trackside signalling system, installed, and executed, allowing the train to be controlled on the different line according to a control order created by the trackside signalling system of the different line.

7. The on-board signalling system according to claim 5, wherein the on-board signalling system informs a peripheral component connected to the on-board signalling system via an interface about the type of the train control application program currently being executed.

8. The on-board signalling system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a computing machine; and

an interface adapted to interconnect a peripheral component and the computing machine, wherein for each line on which the train runs, the computing machine installs and executes the train control application program compliant with the signalling system of the each line.

9. The on-board signalling system according to claim 5, wherein the on-board signalling system selects a train control application program which satisfies operating conditions from among more than one train control application program provided to accommodate differences in performance of a computing machine of the on-board signalling system, and executes the selected train control application program.

10. The on-board signalling system according to claim 5, wherein the on-board signalling system selects a train control application program which satisfies operating conditions from among more than one train control application program provided to accommodate differences in configuration of peripheral components connected to the on-board signalling system via an interface, and executes the selected train control application program.

6. An on-board signalling system mounted on a train and adapted to receive a control order compliant with a signalling system of a line on which the train runs, from a trackside signalling system, wherein when the train transitions to a different line with a different signalling system from a current line, a train control application program compliant with a signalling system of the different line is received from the trackside signalling system, installed, and executed, allowing the train to be controlled on the different line according to a control order created by the trackside signalling system of the different line,

wherein the on-board signalling system starts the train control application program compliant with the signalling system of the different line ahead of the boundary with the line with the different signalling system, enables control based on the train control application program compliant with the signalling system of the different line upon passage through the boundary while disabling control based on the train control application program compliant with the signalling system of an exiting said current line, and subsequently terminates the train control application program compliant with the signalling system of the exiting said current line.