Method for operating a switching yard and control device for a switching yard

• US 9,260,121 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Jung, Ingo
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Soofi, Yazan A
• Application Number:
  US14/113,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20140042278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 701/20, 246/122
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 1/18 Railway track circuits rail joints E01B11/00, e.g. insulated rail joints E01B11/54
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 17/00 Switching systems for classification yards
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 17/02 Details, e.g. indicating degree of track filling
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/24 using token systems, e.g. train staffs, tablets

Abstract

A particularly efficient method for operating a switching yard includes determining a position of a locomotive on an inbound track of the switching yard, determining a position of a front end of a unit to be divided facing a hump of the switching yard relative to a unit to be divided to be pushed by the locomotive from the inbound track to the hump, determining a distance between the locomotive and the front end of the unit to be divided on the basis of the determined positions, and comparing the determined distance to a reference value for the length of the unit to be divided. A control device for a switching yard is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for operating a switching yard, the method comprising the following steps:

determining a position of a locomotive on an inbound track of the switching yard;

determining a position of a front end of a unit to be divided facing a hump of the switching yard, for a unit to be divided to be pushed by the locomotive from the inbound track to the hump;

using an evaluation device for;

determining a distance between the locomotive and the front end of the unit to be divided on a basis of the determined positions;

comparing the determined distance with a reference value for a length of the unit to be divided; and

generating a control signal for the locomotive by taking a result of the comparing step into consideration.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises controlling a speed of the locomotive by using the control signal.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises outputting the control signal on a display device.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises carrying out the step of determining the position of the locomotive relative to a reference position.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the reference position is a position of a balise.

6. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises carrying out the step of determining the position of the front end of the unit to be divided by using a track-free length measurement to determine a distance between a front-most axle of the unit to be divided facing the hump and an insulated rail joint.

7. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises additionally determining a distance between the locomotive and a rear end of the unit to be divided facing away from the hump.

8. A control device for a switching yard, the control device comprising:

a first measuring device configured to determine a position of a locomotive on an inbound track of the switching yard;

a second measuring device configured to determine a position of a front end of a unit to be divided facing a hump of the switching yard, for a unit to be divided to be pushed by the locomotive from the inbound track to the hump; and

an evaluation device;

configured to determine a distance between the locomotive and the front end of the unit to be divided on a basis of the determined positions;

configured to compare the determined distance with a reference value for a length of the unit to be divided; and

configured to generate a control signal for the locomotive by taking a result of the comparison into consideration.

9. The control device according to claim 8, wherein a speed of the locomotive is controlled by using said control signal.

10. The control device according to claim 8, which further comprises a display device configured to display said control signal.

11. The control device according to claim 8, wherein said first measuring device is configured to determine said position of the locomotive relative to a reference position.

12. The control device according to claim 11, wherein said reference position is a position of a balise.

13. The control device according to claim 8, wherein said second measuring device is configured to determine the position of the front end of the unit to be divided by using a track free-length measurement to determine a distance between a front-most axle of the unit to be divided facing the hump and an insulated rail joint.

14. The control device according to claim 8, wherein the control device is additionally configured to determine a distance between the locomotive and a rear end of the unit to be divided facing away from the hump.