Wireless train control system, ground control device, and wireless train control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11040732-B2
Application number	US-201616078457-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2016
Priority date	Mar 9, 2016
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

A wireless train control system includes: a device that generates a track circuit state signal indicating whether a track circuit is picked up or dropped and a time-triggered track circuit state signal indicating a drop at a timing delayed by a set time after the track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is dropped; and a controller that generates a stop limit point of a wireless-control-compliant train by using presence information if a preceding train is a wireless-control-compliant train, and generates the stop limit point by using the track circuit state signal and the time-triggered track circuit state signal if the preceding train is a non-wireless-control-compliant train. The controller does not update the stop limit point if the track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is dropped while the time-triggered track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is picked up.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wireless train control system to control, by a track circuit state information obtainer and a ground controller, a wireless-control-compliant train on a track in which one or more wireless-control-compliant trains and one or more non-wireless-control-compliant trains coexist, the wireless train control system comprising:
the track circuit state information obtainer to generate a track circuit state signal and a time-triggered track circuit state signal, the track circuit state signal indicating whether a track circuit of the track is picked up or dropped, the time-triggered track circuit state signal indicating a drop of the track circuit at a timing delayed by a set time after the track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is dropped; and
the ground controller to generate a stop limit point of the wireless-control-compliant train by using presence information if a preceding train for the wireless-control-compliant train is another wireless-control-compliant train, and generate the stop limit point of the wireless-control-compliant train by using the track circuit state signal and the time-triggered track circuit state signal if the preceding train for the wireless-control-compliant train is the non-wireless-control-compliant train.

2. The wireless train control system according to claim 1 , wherein the ground controller
does not update the stop limit point if the track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is dropped while the time-triggered track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is picked up, and
updates the stop limit point if the track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is dropped while the time-triggered track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is dropped.

3. The wireless train control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the set time is a maximum transmission delay time in acquiring position information on the wireless-control-compliant train by the ground controller.

4. The wireless train control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the track circuit state information obtainer drops the time-triggered track circuit state signal in response to detecting an improper drop of the track circuit.

5. The wireless train control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the ground controller determines whether the preceding train is the wireless-control-compliant train or the non-wireless-control-compliant train on a basis of the presence information, the track circuit state signal, and a type of the stop limit point stored.

6. A ground control device to control a wireless-control-compliant train on a track in which one or more wireless-control-compliant trains and one or more non-wireless-control-compliant trains coexist, the ground control device comprising:
a position information receiver to receive presence information on the wireless-control-compliant train;
a track circuit state information receiver to receive track circuit state information of the track;
a train controller to generate control information including a stop limit point of the wireless-control-compliant train, by using the presence information and the track circuit state information; and
a control information transmitter to transmit the control information to the wireless-control-compliant train, wherein
the train controller:
generates the stop limit point by using the presence information if a preceding train for the wireless-control-compliant train is another wireless-control-compliant train;
generates the stop limit point by using the track circuit state information if the preceding train is the non-wireless-control-compliant train; and
uses a track circuit state signal, indicating whether the track circuit is picked up or dropped, and a time-triggered track circuit state signal, indicating a drop of the track circuit at a timing delayed by a set time after the track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is dropped, to update the stop limit point.

7. The ground control device according to claim 6 , wherein the train controller
does not update the stop limit point if the track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is dropped while the time-triggered track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is picked up, and
updates the stop limit point if the track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is dropped while the time-triggered track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is dropped,
wherein the track circuit state signal and the time-triggered track circuit state signal are included in the track circuit state information.

8. The ground control device according to claim 7 , wherein
the set time is a maximum transmission delay time in acquiring position information on the wireless-control-compliant train.

9. The ground control device according to claim 7 , wherein
the train controller manages the time-triggered track circuit state signal.

10. A wireless train control method for controlling a wireless-control-compliant train on a track in which one or more wireless-control-compliant trains and one or more non-wireless-control-compliant trains coexist, the method comprising:
generating a track circuit state signal and a time-triggered track circuit state signal, the track circuit state signal indicating whether a track circuit of the track is picked up or dropped, the time-triggered track circuit state signal indicating a drop of the track circuit at a timing delayed by a set time after the track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is dropped;
generating a stop limit point of the wireless-control-compliant train by using presence information if a preceding train for the wireless-control-compliant train is another wireless-control-compliant train; and
generating the stop limit point of the wireless-control-compliant train by using the track circuit state signal and the time-triggered track circuit state signal if the preceding train for the wireless-control-compliant train is the non-wireless-control-compliant train.

11. The wireless train control method according to claim 10 , wherein
if the track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is dropped while the time-triggered track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is picked up, the stop limit point is not updated, and
if the track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is dropped while the time-triggered track circuit state signal indicates that the track circuit is dropped, the stop limit point is updated.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Asuka Masashi
• Takami Atsushi

Classifications

• B61L23/16 Primary

  Track circuits specially adapted for section blocking · CPC title

• B61L27/30

  Trackside multiple control systems, e.g. switch-over between different systems · CPC title

• B61L27/20

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

• B61L27/40

  Handling position reports or trackside vehicle data · CPC title

• B61L2027/204

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