Method and device for ascertaining a movement authority for a track-bound vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10752270-B2
Application number	US-201615580722-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2016
Priority date	Jun 8, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

A method and device for ascertaining movement authority for track-bound vehicles allow interference with a driving operation resulting in special operational situations or disturbances to be kept as low as possible. The position of the vehicle is determined and used to check whether the vehicle is located completely in an axle-counting section of an axle-counting system. The number of axles of the vehicle is compared with the number of axles located in the relevant section according to the system. If the vehicle is located completely in the relevant section and the number of axles of the vehicle matches the number of axles located in the section according to the system, a movement authority is ascertained for the vehicle. The part of the relevant section in front of the vehicle in the driving direction is assumed to be free of other vehicles when ascertaining the movement authority.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for ascertaining a movement authority for a track-bound vehicle traveling in a travel direction on a route divided into axle-counting sections by an axle-counting system, the method comprising the following steps:
determining a position of the track-bound vehicle;
using the determined position to check whether the track-bound vehicle is completely located in one of the axle-counting sections;
comparing a number of axles of the track-bound vehicle to a number of axles located in a relevant axle-counting section according to the axle-counting system;
ascertaining a movement authority for the track-bound vehicle if the track-bound vehicle is completely located in the relevant axle-counting section and the number of the axles of the track-bound vehicle corresponds to the number of the axles located in the axle-counting section according to the axle-counting system; and
during the ascertainment of the movement authority, assuming a part of the relevant axle-counting section located in front of the track-bound vehicle in the travel direction to be free of other track-bound vehicles.

2. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises taking at least one further track-bound vehicle located at least partially in the relevant track section into consideration during the ascertainment of the movement authority.

3. The method according to claim 2 , which further comprises taking the at least one further track-bound vehicle into consideration by only ascertaining the movement authority for the track-bound vehicle if the at least one further track-bound vehicle is also completely located in the relevant axle-counting section.

4. The method according to claim 2 , which further comprises:
taking the at least one further track-bound vehicle into consideration by comparing a total of the number of the axles of the track-bound vehicle and the at least one further track-bound vehicle to the number of the axles located in the axle-counting section according to the axle-counting system; and
ascertaining the movement authority for the track-bound vehicle if the at least one further track-bound vehicle is located behind the track-bound vehicle in the travel direction.

5. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises taking items of information regarding at least one of a position of other track-bound vehicles on the route or an occupancy of other axle-counting sections of the route into consideration during the ascertainment of the movement authority for the track-bound vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises using a stationary control device of a train control system to ascertain the movement authority for the track-bound vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 6 , which further comprises:
determining the position of the track-bound vehicle at the vehicle and transmitting the position of the track-bound vehicle to the stationary control device; and
using the stationary control device to ascertain whether the track-bound vehicle is completely located in one of the axle-counting sections based on the transmitted position.

8. The method according to claim 6 , which further comprises:
transmitting the number of axles of the track-bound vehicle from the track-bound vehicle to the stationary control device; and
using the stationary control device to compare the number of the axles of the track-bound vehicle to the number of the axles located in the relevant axle section according to the axle-counting system.

9. The method according to claim 6 , which further comprises transmitting the movement authority from the stationary control device to the track-bound vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises operating the track-bound vehicle in a CBTC system.

11. A device for ascertaining a movement authority for a track-bound vehicle traveling in a travel direction on a route divided into axle-counting sections by an axle-counting system, the device being configured:
to determine a position of the track-bound vehicle;
to check whether the track-bound vehicle is completely located in one of the axle-counting sections based on the determined position;
to compare a number of axles of the track-bound vehicle to a number of axles located in a relevant axle-counting section according to the axle-counting system;
to ascertain a movement authority for the track-bound vehicle if the track-bound vehicle is completely located in the relevant axle-counting section and the number of the axles of the track-bound vehicle corresponds to the number of the axles located in the axle-counting section according to the axle-counting system; and
to assume a part of the relevant axle-counting section located in front of the track-bound vehicle in the travel direction to be free of other track-bound vehicles during the ascertainment of the movement authority.

12. The device according to claim 11 , which further comprises at least one vehicle device disposed on the track-bound vehicle and at least one stationary control device of a train control system.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one stationary control device of the train control system ascertains the movement authority for the track-bound vehicle.

14. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the device is a component of a CBTC system.

Assignees

• Siemens Mobility GmbH

Inventors

• Driemel Andreas
• Norden Jan
• Rahn Karsten
• Zuralski Patrik

Classifications

• B61L27/33

  Backup systems, e.g. switching when failures occur · CPC title

• B61L2027/204

  using Communication-based Train Control [CBTC] · CPC title

• B61L27/20 Primary

  Trackside control of safe travel of vehicle or train, e.g. braking curve calculation · CPC title

• B61L1/161

  characterised by the counting methods · CPC title

• B61L25/025

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