Method, controller and system for detecting a leakage of a track signal on at least one railway track

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10527660-B2
Application number	US-201615278451-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

According to another aspect a system is provided for detecting a track signal leakage of a track signal on at least one railway track, a track signal being a signal transmitted via the rails of a railway track to detect the presence of a railway vehicle and/or transmit a provide information to a railway vehicle, the at least one railway track comprising at least two adjacent track sections being isolated against each other, the system comprising: a controller according to an embodiment disclosed herein; at least one transmitter for emitting a test signal via a first track section, the at least one transmitter being connected to the controller; and a plurality of receivers for receiving the test signal via one or more track sections, wherein each receiver is associated to at least one track section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for detecting a leakage of a track signal on two railway tracks, the track signal being a signal transmitted via the rails of the railway tracks to detect the presence of a railway vehicle and/or to transmit information to a railway vehicle, each railway track comprising at least two adjacent track sections being electrically isolated against each other, wherein at least two adjacent track sections are on railway tracks which are located side by side with a length of a first track section extending alongside and adjacent of a length of a second track section, wherein at least one receiver is associated to each track section, the method comprising: transmitting a test signal via the first track section, wherein a respective test signal is transmitted via each track section, wherein a time slot is associated to each track section, and wherein each test signal is transmitted via the respective track section at their respective time slot, wherein the test signal is transmitted and/or generated by a controller only when no railway vehicle is present on the respective track section, and wherein the same controller provides the signals for the track signal and the test signal, wherein the test signal includes a signature, wherein a respective test signal is transmitted via each track section, and wherein the test signals transmitted via different track sections each have a different signature; activating one or more receivers associated to the track sections, wherein the receivers are adapted to receive the test signal; receiving the test signal via one or more track sections; determining the one or more track sections, where the test signal has been received; and determining whether a leakage between the first track section and the second track section exists.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the test signal is injected on a first end of the first track section and received at the second end, being opposite to the first end, and wherein the first end of the first track section is adjacent a first end of the second track section, and the second end of the first track section is adjacent a second end of the second track section.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the test signal is coded.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the test signal is modulated.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein a modulation frequency of the test signal is greater than a modulation frequency of the track signal.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein a carrier frequency of the test signal is between 200 Hz and 800 Hz.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the test signal is added onto the track signal.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a carrier frequency of the track signal is between 20 Hz and 100 Hz.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the track signal includes a speed information for the railway vehicle.

10. A controller for detecting a track signal leakage of a track signal on two railway tracks, the track signal being a signal transmitted via the rails of the railway tracks to detect the presence of a railway vehicle and/or to transmit information to a railway vehicle, each railway track comprising at least two adjacent track sections being electrically isolated against each other, wherein at least two adjacent track sections are on railway tracks which are located side by side with a length of a first track section extending alongside and adjacent of a length of a second track section, wherein at least one receiver is associated to each track section, wherein the controller is adapted to: transmit a test signal via the first track section, wherein a respective test signal is transmitted via each track section, wherein a time slot is associated to each track section, wherein the each test signal is transmitted via the respective track section at their respective time slot, wherein the test signal is transmitted and/or generated by the controller only when no railway vehicle is present on the respective track section, and wherein the same controller provides the signals for the track signal and the test signal, wherein the test signal includes a signature, wherein a respective test signal is transmitted via each track section, and wherein the test signals transmitted via different track sections each have a different signature; activate one or more receivers associated to the track sections, wherein the receivers are adapted to receive the test signal; receive the test signal via one or more track sections; determine the one or more sections, where the test signal has been received; and determine whether a leakage between the first track section and the second track section exists.

11. The controller according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is adapted to transmit the track signal.

12. The controller according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is adapted to modulate the test signal and the track signal.

13. A system for detecting a track signal leakage of a track signal on two railway tracks, the track signal being a signal transmitted via the rails of the railway tracks to detect the presence of a railway vehicle and/or transmit a provide information to a railway vehicle, each railway track comprising at least two adjacent track sections being isolated against each other, the system comprising: a controller for detecting the track signal leakage of the track signal on the railway tracks, the track signal being a signal transmitted via the rails of the railway tracks to detect the presence of a railway vehicle and/or to transmit information to a railway vehicle, each railway track comprising at least two adjacent track sections being electrically isolated against each other, wherein at least two adjacent track sections are on railway tracks which are located side by side with a length of a first track section extending alongside and adjacent of a length of a second track section, wherein at least one receiver is associated to each track section, wherein the controller is adapted to: transmit a test signal via the first track section, wherein a respective test signal is transmitted via each track section, wherein a time slot is associated to each track section, wherein each test signal is transmitted via the respective track section at their respective time slot, wherein the test signal is transmitted and/or generated by the controller only when no railway vehicle is present on the respective track section, and wherein the same controller provides the signals for the track signal and the test signal, wherein the test signal includes a signature, wherein a respective test signal is transmitted via each track section, and wherein the test signals transmitted via different track sections each have a different signature; activate one or more receivers associated to the track sections, wherein the receivers are adapted to receive the test signal; receive the test signal via one or more track sections; determine the one or more sections, where the test signal has been received; and determine whether a leakage between the first track section and the second track section exists; at least one transmitter for emitting a test signal via the first track section, the at least one transmitter being connected to the controller; and a plurality of receivers for receiving the test signal via one or more track sections, wherein each receiver is associated to at least one track section.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one transmitter is provided at a first end of the first track section and at least one receiver is provided at a second end of the first track section bein

Assignees

• Alstom Transp Tech

Inventors

• Aisa Pier-Alessandro

Classifications

• B61L1/188

  Use of coded current · CPC title

• B61L1/184 Primary

  Use of additional conductors for examining leakages between rails · CPC title

• B61L1/187

  Use of alternating current · CPC title

• B61L25/025

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

• G01V3/02

  operating with propagation of electric current · CPC title