Networking operation dispatch system based on electronic zones for rail vehicle

• US 9,283,972 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bai Wei, Baolong Feng, Jing Bai, Qing-Bai, Xianbing Bai
• Original Assignee: Bai Wei, Baolong Feng, Jing Bai, Qing-Bai, Xianbing Bai
• Inventors: Bai, Wei, Bai, Jing, Bai, Qing, Bai, Xianbing, Feng, Baolong
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stroud, James E
• Application Number:
  US14/360,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20150191184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0027 Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/041 Obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/048 Road bed changes, e.g. road bed erosion
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/26 with means for actuating signals from the vehicle or by passage of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/28 using non-automatic blocking from a place along the route
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/30 using automatic section blocking
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/20 Trackside control of safe travel of vehicle or train, e.g. braking curve calculation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/225 using separate conductors along the route

Abstract

A networking operation dispatch system based on electronic zones for rail vehicle comprises: a zone-end relay computer, a communication ranging antenna along rail, a locomotive-mounted response computer and a road networking computer, wherein: the zone-end relay computer is installed on an end of each electronic zone; the communication ranging antenna along rail has an equivalent length to the electronic zone, a first end of the communication ranging antenna along rail is connected with the zone-end relay computer and a second thereof is disposed in the air; the locomotive-mounted response computer is installed on each locomotive and communicates with the zone-end relay computer in the electronic zone occupied by the locomotive via the communication ranging antenna; and the road networking computer connects each zone-end relay computer to form a network. A rail security detecting sensor is provided in the electronic zone.

Claims

1. A networking operation dispatch system based on electronic zones for rail vehicle, comprising:

a zone-end relay computer, a communication ranging antenna along rail, a locomotive-mounted response computer and a road networking computer,

wherein the zone-end relay computer is installed on an end of each electronic zone, ends of the electronic zone are divided into a forward direction end and a reverse direction end according to running directions, in addition, geographic coordinate is precisely determined;

wherein when a locomotive runs in a certain electronic zone, the locomotive learns that whether two adjacent zones in front and behind are occupied by other locomotives, if yes, two locomotives simultaneously alarm and directly exchange information offline via corresponding zone-end relay computers, so as to calculate a distance between the two locomotives, a relative velocity thereof and an early warning level, so as to warn a driver or otherwise automatically take measures for preventing the locomotive from head-on collision and rear-ending collision;

wherein the zone-end relay computer collects and stores information of locomotive passing through current zone, and relaying the information to network communication;

wherein the zone-end relay computer is capable of downloading a driving command or information from the road networking computer, and forwarding by authorization to the locomotive passing through the current zone, and

wherein actually, all of the locomotives in the road network are processed with range based localization in a certain zone and further processed with subsection dispatch and control by the zone-end relay computer, in such a manner that all of the locomotives are capable of achieving an unmanned operation;

wherein the communication ranging antenna along rail has an equivalent length to the electronic zone, a first end of the communication ranging antenna along rail is connected with the zone-end relay computer and a second thereof is disposed in the air;

wherein the communication ranging antenna along rail is lying at a short distance along the rail, so as to ensure that a length thereof is equal to an actual traveling rail of the locomotive;

wherein when the locomotive is traveling in a certain electronic zone, the zone-end relay computer in this zone sends out a ranging signal to the locomotive via the communication ranging antenna along rail connected therewith, after the locomotive-mounted response computer receives the ranging signal, the ranging signal is marked thereby and then sent back to the zone-end relay computer via the communication ranging antenna along rail, the zone-end relay computer calculates a time of sending the ranging signal, a time of retrieving the ranging signal and a time of marking the ranging signal by the locomotive-mounted response computer, so as to obtain a transmission time of the ranging signal in the communication ranging antenna along rail, in such a manner that a length of the communication ranging antenna along rail is calculated, wherein the length of the communication ranging antenna along rail is also a distance between the locomotive and the zone-end relay computer and thus is called a zone distance;

wherein ranging communication between the locomotive-mounted response computer and the zone-end relay computer is ensured to be transmitted back and forth on line inside the communication ranging antenna along rail, wherein a wireless coupling communication gap is at minimum, so as to decrease a deterministic transmission distance of radio waves to improve precision of ranging and locating the locomotive along rail;

wherein the locomotive-mounted response computer is installed on each locomotive and communicates with the zone-end relay computer in the electronic zone occupied by the locomotive via the communication ranging antenna;

the locomotive-mounted response computer transmits driving information of the electronic zone occupied by the locomotive to corresponding zone-end relay computer for storing, or otherwise switches relay continuously via the zone-end relay computer of each electronic zone, so as to maintain continuous communication with the road networking computer;

after receiving the ranging signal sent by the zone-end relay computer, the locomotive-mounted response computer marks the ranging signal with precise working time, calculates driving distance of the locomotive during this working time according to driving speed thereof, wherein the driving distance along relevant data of locomotive combination and length thereof, positions of the locomotive and the locomotive-mounted response computer in the locomotive combination and driving speed of the locomotive are all sent back to the zone-end relay computer;

wherein the road networking computer connects each zone-end relay computer to form a network, in such a manner that the road networking computer is capable of switching on/off a electronic zone or turnout in a long distance.

2. The system, as recited in claim 1, wherein a rail security detecting sensor is disposed in the electronic zone, so as to detect rail deformation caused by natural disasters of collapse, windstorm or flood, or other accident potentials that do not accord with security operation condition, and transmits detected information to the zone-end relay computer, wherein the zone-end relay computer is capable of automatically closing the electronic zone and stopping entrance of the locomotive according to a detecting result, or otherwise uploading the detecting result added with the geographic coordinate to the road networking computer.