Train motion detection apparatus

• US 5,006,847 A
• Filed: 04/05/1988
• Issued: 04/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: AEG Westinghouse Transportation Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Rush, Donald L., May, Norman W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberley, Alvin E.
• Application Number:
  US07/180,702
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 246/122 R, 246/123, 246/182 R, 246/3, 246/4, 246/187 B, 364/436, 364/438, 364/437, 340/994
• US Class Current: 340/994
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/14 Following schedules

Abstract

An apparatus and method is provided for determining when a train operating in a transit system is not moving along a provided travel path in accordance with the sensed actual occupancy time of a track signal block by that train in relation to a desired occupancy time in that track signal block by that train.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for detecting when any of one or more trains operating in a transit system is not moving along the system track as desired, the system track being divided into successive track signal blocks each having means for generating a signal indicating whether a train is occupying any portion of the signal block, said monitoring system comprising:

computer means for storing the respective occupancy signals for the track blocks;

said computer means periodically comparing new and past occupancy signal values for the track blocks to indicate occupancy changes;

means for resetting an alarm timer for each block occupancy change;

means for enabling each running timer to continue operation if no occupancy change has occurred in the block to which the timer corresponds; and

means for generating a system operator alarm when any running timer reaches a present time limit to indicate a no-motion train condition requiring system level supervisory action.

2. A monitoring system as set forth in claim 1 wherein means are provided for detecting whether any of one or more predetermined train operator overrides apply to a detected no-motion train condition and for negating the generation of a system alarm for any no-motion train condition for which such an override exists.

3. A monitoring system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the operator overrides include an operator hold.