System for controlling vital wayside devices of a railway network, and vital switch for such vital devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11724724-B2
Application number	US-202016932169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2020
Priority date	Jul 17, 2020
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A system for controlling one or more vital wayside devices of a railway network, comprising one or more vital switches, each vital switch being comprised in or operatively connected to an associated device of the one or more vital wayside devices, and a controller which is configured to control the one or more vital wayside devices. The controller is connected to each of the one or more vital switches by means of at least one optical fiber cable and is configured to output one or more light command signals over the at least one optical fiber cable, and each vital switch is configured to switch from an open status to a closed status to provide power and ground to the associated vital wayside device upon receiving at least one corresponding light command signal outputted by the controller for commanding an action of the associated vital wayside device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling one or more vital wayside devices of a railway network, comprising:
one or more vital switches, each vital switch being comprised in or operatively connected to an associated device of said one or more vital wayside devices; and
a controller which is configured to control said one or more vital wayside devices,
wherein said controller is connected to each of the one or more vital switches by means of at least one optical fiber cable and is configured to output one or more light command signals over said at least one optical fiber cable, and
wherein each vital switch is configured to switch from an open status to a closed status to provide power and ground to the associated vital wayside device upon receiving at least one corresponding light command signal outputted by said controller for commanding an action of the associated vital wayside device.

2. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of optical fiber cables, each fiber cable connecting the controller with one corresponding vital switch and being arranged to transmit a light command signal selectively outputted by the controller for said corresponding vital switch.

3. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a single optical fiber cable connecting the controller with each vital switch, and a multiplexer which is adapted to transmit, to each of the one or more vital switches, each light command signal outputted by the controller.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises at least one optical transmitter adapted to generate, for each command to be outputted towards a corresponding vital switch, a first reference light command signal and a second safety signal, the second safety signal being configured to check the safe functioning of the transmitter.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein each vital switch comprises or is operatively connected to at least one associated optical receiver which is adapted to receive said first reference light command signal and to switch from the open to said closed status to provide power and ground to the associated device.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said one or more vital switches each comprise a solid state switch.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said one or more vital switches comprise a MOSFET connected in series with a fuse.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein said MOSFET is configured to be driven, based on a light command signal received from the controller, in a linear region of a functioning of said MOSFET.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein said fuse is adapted to prevent power from passing into an associated vital wayside device if impedance of the MOSFET falls below a predefined threshold.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said one or more vital switches comprise an electronic charge pump.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein said electronic charge pump comprises
a first switch and a second switch which are connected in series to each other along a first circuital branch of a vital switch,
a third switch and a fourth switch which are connected in series to each other along a second circuital branch of said vital switch, and
a capacitor which is connected along a third circuital branch of said vital switch,
said third circuital branch connecting a first point located along the first circuital branch between said first and second switches, with a second point located along the second circuital branch between said third and fourth switches.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said one or more vital switches comprise
a first switch connected in series with an inductor along a first circuital branch of the vital switch, and
a second switch which is located along a second circuital branch of the vital switch which is derived from the first circuital branch at a point intermediate between the first switch and the inductor.

13. A vital switch for a vital wayside device of a railway control system, comprising:
an optical receiver adapted to receive at least one light command signal emitted by a controller; and
a solid state switch which is configured to switch from an open status to a closed status to provide power and ground to the vital wayside device upon receiving the at least one light command signal outputted by the controller.

Assignees

• Alstom Transp Tech

Inventors

• Nagrodsky Nicholas
• Frisbie James
• Lawson Richard
• Schuchmann Chris

Classifications

• B61L1/18 Primary

  Railway track circuits (rail joints E01B11/00, e.g. insulated rail joints E01B11/54) · CPC title

• B61L7/00 Primary

  Remote control of local operating means for points, signals, or track-mounted scotch-blocks (B61L11/00, B61L13/00 take precedence; interlocking arrangements B61L19/00) · CPC title

• B61L7/081

  Direct line wire control · CPC title

• B61L7/083

  Common line wire control using currents of different amplitudes, polarities, frequencies, or the like · CPC title