Rail vehicle signal enforcement and separation control

• US 9,731,738 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2015
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrom Rail, LLC
• Original Assignee: Metrom Rail, LLC
• Inventors: Carlson, Richard C., Gunther, Kurt A., Cygnus, Marc W.
• Primary Examiner(s): KUHFUSS, ZACHARY L
• Application Number:
  US14/809,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20150329130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1705 for rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/021 Measuring and recording of train speed
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/20 Trackside control of safe travel of vehicle or train, e.g. braking curve calculation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/40 Handling position reports or trackside vehicle data
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/125 using short-range radio transmission

Abstract

A system for vehicle management includes a control signal interface subsystem and a vehicle-mounted subsystem. Each of these subsystems includes an ultra-wideband (UWB) communications component. The subsystems communicate with each other through the UWB components. The vehicle mounted subsystem interfaces with a braking system of the vehicle. The vehicle mounted subsystem determines the distance between it and the control signal interface subsystem based on the time-of-flight of at least one communication between the subsystems. The vehicle-mounted subsystem can cause the braking system of the vehicle to activate if the distance between the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the control signal interface subsystem is less than a threshold.

Claims

1. A system for evaluating vehicle operation compliance, wherein the system comprises:

a control signal interface subsystem; and

a vehicle-mounted subsystem configured to;

communicate with the control signal interface subsystem to receive information corresponding to a status of a control signal;

determine a rule for behavior of a vehicle according to the information corresponding to the status of the control signal; and

observe operation of the vehicle to evaluate compliance with the rule;

wherein;

the control signal interface subsystem comprises an ultra-wideband (UWB) communications component;

the vehicle-mounted subsystem comprises an ultra-wideband (UWB) communications component; and

the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the control signal interface subsystem are further configured to communicate UWB signals carrying data pertinent to evaluating vehicle operation compliance, the data comprising at least one of;

a unique ID associated with the vehicle-mounted subsystem, a signal indication, a track number, a track direction, speed, and direction of travel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the rule corresponds to the status of the control signal being at least one of red, double red, yellow, or double yellow.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the rule specifies a stop-time duration for the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the rule specifies a speed for the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the rule specifies a maximum speed for the vehicle after an expiration of the stop-time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-mounted subsystem is configured to:

interface with a braking system of the vehicle;

communicate with the UWB communications component of the control signal interface subsystem via the UWB communications component of the vehicle-mounted subsystem; and

determine a distance between the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the control signal interface subsystem based on a time-of-flight of at least one communication between the UWB communications component of the control signal interface subsystem and the UWB communications component of the vehicle-mounted subsystem.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-mounted subsystem is further configured to generate an alert if a distance between the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the control signal interface subsystem is less than a threshold.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-mounted subsystem is further configured to cause a braking system of the vehicle to activate if a distance between the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the control signal interface subsystem is less than a threshold.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-mounted subsystem further comprises

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) subsystem configured to scan at least one RFID tag external to the vehicle to retrieve information stored on the at least one RFID tag.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the vehicle-mounted subsystem is further configured to substantially continuously receive information relating to speed of the vehicle; and

the vehicle-mounted subsystem determines a changing distance between the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the control signal interface subsystem based on the information stored on the at least one RFID tag and the information relating to speed of the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle-mounted subsystem is further configured to determine a distance between the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the control signal interface subsystem based on the information stored on the at least one RFID tag.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an access point external to the vehicle; and

wherein the vehicle-mounted subsystem is further configured to;

store data relating to prior behavior of the vehicle; and

communicate the data relating to prior behavior of the vehicle with the access point.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second vehicle-mounted subsystem including a UWB communications component, wherein the second vehicle-mounted subsystem is configured to be mounted on another vehicle; and

wherein the vehicle-mounted subsystem is configured to;

communicate with the UWB communications component of the control signal interface subsystem via the UWB communications component of the vehicle-mounted subsystem;

communicate with the UWB communications component of the second vehicle-mounted subsystem via the UWB communications component of the vehicle-mounted subsystem;

determine a distance between the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the control signal interface subsystem based on a time-of-flight of at least one communication between the UWB communications component of the control signal interface subsystem and the UWB communications component of the vehicle-mounted subsystem; and

determine a distance between the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the second vehicle-mounted subsystem based on a time-of-flight of at least one communication between the UWB communications component of the second vehicle-mounted subsystem and the UWB communications component of the vehicle-mounted subsystem.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle-mounted subsystem is further configured to:

generate an alert if the distance between the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the control signal interface subsystem is less than a first threshold; and

generate an alert if the distance between the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the second vehicle-mounted subsystem is less than a second threshold.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle-mounted subsystem is further configured to:

cause a braking system of the vehicle to activate if the distance between the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the control signal interface subsystem is less than a first threshold; and

cause the braking system of the vehicle to activate if the distance between the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the second vehicle-mounted subsystem is less than a second threshold.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle-mounted subsystem further comprises:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) subsystem configured to scan at least one RFID tag external to the vehicle to retrieve information stored on the at least one RFID tag; and

wherein the vehicle-mounted subsystem is further configured to determine a distance between the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the control signal interface subsystem based on the information stored on the at least one RFID tag.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the vehicle-mounted subsystem is further configured to substantially continuously receive information relating to speed of the vehicle; and

the vehicle-mounted subsystem determines a changing distance between the vehicle-mounted subsystem and the control signal interface subsystem based on the information stored on the at least one RFID tag and the information relating to speed of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

an access point external to the vehicle; and

wherein the vehicle-mounted subsystem is further configured to;

store data relating to prior behavior of the vehicle; and

communicate the data relating to prior behavior of the vehicle with the access point.