Train control method, apparatus, and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11623670-B2
Application number	US-201816959885-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 25, 2018
Priority date	Jan 8, 2018
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

A train control method is provided for a vehicle on-board controller (VOBC) configured on one end of a train. The method includes: performing a train awakening process; acquiring a running plan sent by an automatic train supervision (ATS) system after the train is successfully awakened; setting, according to a direction indicated by the running plan, a running direction of the train to be downward or upward; when the running direction is set to downward, using, as a head for train positioning, one end of the train not configured with the VOBC, to acquire positioning information of the train; when the running direction is set to upward, using, as the head for train positioning, one end of the train configured with the VOBC, to acquire the positioning information of the train; and controlling, according to the positioning information of the train, the train to pull out of a parking garage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A train control method for a train, wherein one end of the train is configured with a vehicle on-board controller (VOBC) and the other end of the train is not configured with a VOBC, the method comprising:
performing, by the VOBC, a train awakening process;
acquiring, by the VOBC, a running plan sent by an automatic train supervision (ATS) system after a train is successfully awakened;
setting, by the VOBC according to a direction indicated by the running plan, a running direction of the train to be downward or upward;
when the running direction is set to be downward, using, by the VOBC, as a head for train positioning, the other end of the train not configured with the VOBC, to acquire positioning information of the train;
when the running direction is set to be upward, using, by the VOBC, as the head for train positioning, the one end of the train configured with the VOBC, to acquire positioning information of the train; and
controlling, according to the positioning information of the train, the train to pull out of a parking garage.

2. The train control method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling, according to the positioning information of the train, the train to pull out of a parking garage comprises:
during downward pulling out of the parking garage, controlling, by the VOBC when determining that the train needs to travel toward the other end not configured with the VOBC, the train to move forward in the downward direction; and
during downward pulling out of the parking garage, controlling, by the VOBC when determining that the train needs to travel toward the one end configured with the VOBC, the train to move backward in the downward direction.

3. The train control method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling, according to the positioning information of the train, the train to pull out of a parking garage comprises:
during upward pulling out of the parking garage, controlling, by the VOBC when determining that the train needs to travel toward the other end not configured with the VOBC, the train to move backward in the upward direction; and
during upward pulling out of the parking garage, controlling, by the VOBC when determining that the train needs to travel toward the one end configured with the VOBC, the train to move forward in the upward direction.

4. The train control method according to claim 1 , wherein the performing, by the VOBC, a train awakening process comprises:
reading, when the VOBC is powered on and an awakening instruction is received, by the VOBC from a non-volatile storage area, positioning information of the train stored before power-off;
initializing, by the VOBC, a train position according to the positioning information of the train stored before power-off;
performing, by the VOBC, a cab activation process according to the initialized train position;
after the cab is successfully activated, initializing, by the VOBC, the running direction to be downward, and entering an automatic running mode;
in the automatic running mode, interacting, by the VOBC, with a zone controller (ZC) to perform a ZC registration process;
acquiring, by the VOBC, movement authorization of the ZC after the registration process is completed; and
completing, by the VOBC, the awakening process after performing a static test and a dynamic test.

5. The train control method according to claim 4 , wherein after the VOBC is powered on, the method further comprises:
performing, by the VOBC, a self-check process; and
when the self-check process is successfully completed and the awakening instruction is received, determining that the VOBC is in an awakening start state, and notifying a power-on awakening module that the self-check of the VOBC is successful.

6. The train control method according to claim 4 , wherein the performing, by the VOBC, a cab activation process according to the initialized train position comprises:
outputting an equivalent key signal to a device in a cab if the VOBC determines that the initialized train position is within a preset parking area of the parking garage, the equivalent key signal is used to activate the cab; and
entering, by the VOBC, a standby mode, and/or sending prompt information for fault positioning to the ATS system if the VOBC determines that the initialized train position is not within a preset parking area of the parking garage, the standby mode being used to wait for manual troubleshooting.

7. The train control method according to claim 4 , wherein after the reading, by the VOBC from a non-volatile storage area, positioning information of the train stored before power-off, the method further comprises:
performing, by the VOBC, cyclic redundancy check (CRC) according to the positioning information of the train stored before power-off;
if the CRC succeeds, establishing, by the VOBC, a communication connection with the ATS system, and initializing, by the VOBC, a train position according to the positioning information of the train stored before power-off; and
if the CRC fails, entering, by the VOBC, a manual driving mode.

8. The train control method according to claim 1 , wherein the using, by the VOBC, as a head for train positioning, the other end of the train not configured with the VOBC, to acquire positioning information of the train comprises:
acquiring a distance between the one end of the train configured with the VOBC and a ground transponder;
subtracting a length of the train from the distance between the end of the train configured with the VOBC and the ground transponder, to obtain a distance between the other end of the train not configured with the VOBC and the ground transponder; and
determining a position of the head of the train according to the distance between the other end of the train not configured with the VOBC and the ground transponder.

9. A train control system, comprising:
a vehicle on-board controller (VOBC) and an automatic train supervision (ATS) system communicating with each other, wherein one end of a train is configured with the VOBC and the other end of the train is not configured with a VOBC,
the VOBC being configured to perform:
performing, by the VOBC, a train awakening process;
acquiring, by the VOBC, a running plan sent by an automatic train supervision (ATS) system after a train is successfully awakened;
setting, by the VOBC according to a direction indicated by the running plan, a running direction of the train to be downward or upward;
when the running direction is set to be downward, using, by the VOBC, as a head for train positioning, the other end of the train not configured with the VOBC, to acquire positioning information of the train;
when the running direction is set to be upward, using, by the VOBC, as the head for train positioning, the one end of the train configured with the VOBC, to acquire positioning information of the train; and
controlling, according to the positioning information of the train, the train to pull out of a parking garage, and

the ATS system being configured to send a running plan to the VOBC after the VOBC is successfully awakened.

10. The train control system according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a vehicle on-board power-on awakening module communicating with the ATS system;
the ATS system being further configured to: acquire a power-on awakening command for power-on awakening of each system of the train, each system of the train comprising the VOBC;
send the power-on awakening command to the vehicle on-board power-on awakening module;
receive the power-on awakening command returned by the vehicle on-board power-on awakening module, and display, on an interface, the power-on awakening command returned by

Assignees

• Byd Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wu Dandan
• Wang Faping
• Wu Zhili
• Bao Yunlan
• Zhuo Kaikuo

Classifications

• B61L25/023

  Determination of driving direction of vehicle or train · CPC title

• B61L25/025

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

• B61L25/02

  Indicating or recording positions or identities of vehicles or trains · CPC title

• B61L25/028 Primary

  Determination of vehicle position and orientation within a train consist, e.g. serialisation · CPC title

• B61L23/00 Primary

  Control, warning or like safety means along the route or between vehicles or trains · CPC title