Train-position detection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10501101-B2
Application number	US-201515541745-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2015
Priority date	Jan 22, 2015
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A train-position detection device includes: a radio-wave's angle-of-arrival calculator configured to calculate an angle of arrival of a radio wave on the basis of a reception signal received by an array antenna and a receiver; a position acquisition unit configured to acquire information on an installation position of a ground-based wireless communication apparatus from the reception signal; a train-position calculator configured to calculate a train position on the basis of a movement distance of a train; a correction-amount-to-train-position calculator configured to calculate a train-position correction amount, by using the calculated angle of arrival, the installation position of the ground-based wireless communication apparatus acquired by the position acquisition unit, and the calculated train position; and a train-position correcting unit configured to correct the calculated train position by using the train-position correction amount calculated by the correction-amount-to-train-position calculator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A train-position detection device that detects a position of a train by using a reception signal which, when a ground-based wireless communication apparatus installed on a ground emits a transmission signal as a radio wave including information on an installation position, is extracted by an in-vehicle wireless communication apparatus mounted on the train from the radio wave that has been received by the in-vehicle wireless communication apparatus, the train-position detection device comprising:
a radio-wave's angle-of-arrival calculator configured to calculate an angle of arrival of a radio wave on a basis of the reception signal;
a position acquisition unit, for the ground-based wireless communication apparatus, configured to acquire information regarding the installation position of the ground-based wireless communication apparatus, from the reception signal;
a train-position calculator configured to calculate a train position based on a movement distance of the train;
a correction-amount-to-train-position calculator configured to calculate a train-position correction amount for correcting the train position calculated by the train-position calculator, by using the acquired information regarding the installation position, and a plurality of combinations of the angle of arrival of the radio wave and the train position related to a same ground-based wireless communication apparatus, the plurality of combinations calculated at a plurality of times corresponding to when the train runs through a plurality of points on a track road; and
a train-position correcting unit configured to correct the train position calculated by the train-position calculator, by using the train-position correction amount calculated by the correction-amount-to-train-position calculator.

2. The train-position detection device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a track-distance calculator to calculate a track distance between the ground-based wireless communication apparatus and a track road on which the train runs by using
the angle of arrival of the radio wave calculated by the radio-wave's angle-of-arrival calculator,
the installation position of the ground-based wireless communication apparatus acquired by the position acquisition unit for the ground-based wireless communication apparatus, and
the train position calculated by the train-position calculator; and

a track-number detector configured to detect an assigned number of the track road on which the train runs, by using the track distance calculated by the track-distance calculator.

3. The train-position detection device according to claim 2 , wherein the track-distance calculator calculates the track distance, by using the acquired information on the installation position, and a plurality of combinations of the angle of arrival of the radio wave and the train position related to the same ground-based wireless communication apparatus, calculated when the train runs through a plurality of points on the track road.

4. The train-position detection device according to claim 3 , wherein the track-distance calculator calculates an approximate straight line that represents a relationship between the angle of arrival of the radio wave and a distance from the train position to the installation position of the ground-based wireless communication apparatus, and sets a value of a slope of the approximate straight line as the track distance.

5. The train-position detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the correction-amount-to-train-position calculator calculates an approximate straight line that represents a relationship between the angle of arrival of the radio wave and a distance from the train position to the installation position of the ground-based wireless communication apparatus, and sets a value of an intercept of the approximate straight line as the train-position correction amount.

6. The train-position detection device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the in-vehicle wireless communication apparatus includes a first antenna, a second antenna, and a third antenna arranged on a straight line along a running direction of the train;
in a case where the angle of arrival of the radio wave that arrives from a direction orthogonal to a train's track road is 0 degrees, a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna is set in a manner that a dynamic range for the angle of arrival of the radio wave in monopulse angle measurement is a range between ±90 degrees, and a distance between the first antenna and the third antenna is set in a manner that the dynamic range is a predetermined angle range with which the calculation of the train-position correction amount is performed by the correction-amount-to-train-position calculator; and
the radio-wave's angle-of-arrival calculator calculates a first angle of arrival of a radio wave by using the first antenna and the second antenna and calculates a second angle of arrival of the radio wave by using the first antenna and the third antenna, by the monopulse angle measurement, outputs the second angle of arrival when the first angle of arrival is within the predetermined angle range, and outputs the first angle of arrival when the first angle of arrival is beyond the predetermined angle range.

7. A train-position detection device that detects a position of a train by using a reception signal which, when a ground-based wireless communication apparatus installed on a ground emits a transmission signal as a radio wave including information on an installation position, is extracted by an in-vehicle wireless communication apparatus mounted on the train from the radio wave that has been received by the in-vehicle wireless communication apparatus, the train-position detection device comprising:
angle-of-arrival calculation circuitry configured to calculate an angle of arrival of a radio wave on a basis of the reception signal;
position acquisition circuitry, for the ground-based wireless communication apparatus, configured to acquire information on the installation position of the ground-based wireless communication apparatus, from the reception signal;
train-position calculation circuitry configured to calculate a train position based on a movement distance of the train;
correction-amount-to-train-position calculation circuitry configured to calculate a train-position correction amount for correcting the train position calculated by the train-position calculation circuitry, by using the acquired information regarding the installation position, and a plurality of combinations of the angle of arrival of the radio wave and the train position related to a same ground-based wireless communication apparatus, the plurality of combinations calculated at a plurality of times corresponding to when the train runs through a plurality of points on a track road; and
train-position correcting circuitry configured to correct the train position calculated by the train-position calculation circuitry, by using the train-position correction amount calculated by the correction-amount-to-train-position calculation circuitry.

8. The train-position detection device according to claim 7 , further comprising:
track-distance calculation circuitry to calculate a track distance between the ground-based wireless communication apparatus and the track road on which the train runs by using
the angle of arrival of the radio wave calculated by the radio-wave's angle-of-arrival calculator,
the installation position of the ground-based wireless communication apparatus acquired by the position acquisition circuitry for the ground-based wireless communication apparatus, and
the train position calculated by the train-position calculation circuitry; and

a track-number detecti

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Tsujita Wataru
• Nagashima Seiya
• Yamamoto Tadashi
• Tahara Kazuhiro
• Kataoka Kenji

Classifications

• B61L3/12

  using magnetic or electrostatic induction; using radio waves · CPC title

• B61L25/021

  Measuring and recording of train speed · CPC title

• G01S3/14

  Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction {(aerial arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern H01Q3/00; combinations of different interacting aerial units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q21/29; aerials or aerial systems providing at least two radiation patterns H01Q25/00)} · CPC title

• G01S1/68

  Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information · CPC title

• B61L25/025 Primary

  Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates · CPC title