Exclusive track resource sharing system

A system for exclusive track resource sharing, comprising:

• a plurality of onboard control units comprising an onboard control unit that is provided in each of a plurality of trains and configured to communicate with another onboard control unit in another one of the plurality of trains;
• and
• a resource manager configured to record ownership status information about track resources of the plurality of trains, to provide the ownership status information about the track resources to the onboard control unit, and to generate and deliver a resource authority to the onboard control unit,
• wherein the resource authority is configured to be owned by a single onboard control unit,
• wherein the onboard control unit possessing the resource authority is configured to seize or release the track resources corresponding to the resource authority and to control the track resources corresponding to the resource authority, and
• wherein the resource manager comprises:
• a memory configured to record one or more of ownership status information, a protection zone, and a temporary speed limit zone for the track resource;
• a track resource database (DB) including location information for each track resource;
• a resource integrity verifier configured to monitor each track resource for abnormalities;
• a resource authority generator configured to generate a resource authority corresponding to each track resource;
• and
• a processor configured to determine a request validity for at least one request for securing, releasing, controlling and updating each resource authority received from the onboard control unit.

A system for exclusive track resource sharing, comprising:

• a plurality of onboard control units comprising an onboard control unit that is provided in each of a plurality of trains and configured to communicate with another onboard control unit in another one of the plurality of trains;
• and
• a resource manager configured to record ownership status information about track resources of the plurality of trains, to provide the ownership status information about the track resources to the onboard control unit, and to generate and deliver a resource authority to the onboard control unit,
• wherein the resource authority is configured to be owned by a single onboard control unit, and
• wherein the onboard control unit possessing the resource authority is configured to seize or release the track resources corresponding to the resource authority and to control the track resources corresponding to the resource authority,
• wherein the system further comprises a twin point machine (PM) including a first PM provided in a first track and a second PM provided in a second track adjacent to the first track, the first PM and the second PM each being configured to have a resource authority corresponding to each of the first PM and the second PM, and
• wherein the onboard control unit is configured to control the first PM upon a grant of the resource authority corresponding to the first PM, and to control the second PM upon a grant of the resource authority corresponding to the second PM.

A system for exclusive track resource sharing, comprising:

• a plurality of onboard control units comprising an onboard control unit that is provided in each of a plurality of trains and configured to communicate with another onboard control unit in another one of the plurality of trains;
• and
• a resource manager configured to record ownership status information about track resources of the plurality of trains, to provide the ownership status information about the track resources to the onboard control unit, and to generate and deliver a resource authority to the onboard control unit,
• wherein the resource authority is configured to be owned by a single onboard control unit,
• wherein the onboard control unit possessing the resource authority is configured to seize or release the track resources corresponding to the resource authority and to control the track resources corresponding to the resource authority,
• wherein the plurality of onboard control units comprises a first onboard control unit provided in a first train and a second onboard control unit provided in a second train following the first train,
• wherein the second onboard control unit is configured to transfer a resource authority owned by the second onboard control unit to the first onboard control unit when the first train and the second train are coupled to each other, and
• wherein:
• the first onboard control unit is configured to recognize the length of the first train as including a rear portion of the second train, or
• the first onboard control unit is configured to be responsive to the first train and the second train when coupled to each other for releasing track resources used by the first train and the second train through the resource manager and requesting the resource manager for resource authorities corresponding to the track resources required for the second train to run.

A system for exclusive track resource sharing, comprising:

• a plurality of onboard control units comprising an onboard control unit that is provided in each of a plurality of trains and configured to communicate with another onboard control unit in another one of the plurality of trains;
• and
• a resource manager configured to record ownership status information about track resources of the plurality of trains, to provide the ownership status information about the track resources to the onboard control unit, and to generate and deliver a resource authority to the onboard control unit,
• wherein the resource authority is configured to be owned by a single onboard control unit,
• wherein the onboard control unit possessing the resource authority is configured to seize or release the track resources corresponding to the resource authority and to control the track resources corresponding to the resource authority,
• wherein the system further comprises an automatic train supervision (ATS) unit configured to possess a special resource authority to seize or release all track resources, and control all track resources by using the special resource authority, and
• wherein:
• the onboard control unit and the ATS unit are configured to set or release a temporary speed limit zone on a track owned by the onboard control unit, and the ATS unit is configured to set or release a protection zone on the track owned by the onboard control unit,
• the ATS unit is configured to release or control track resources owned by one of the plurality of onboard control units provided in one of plurality of trains by using the special resource authority when a failure occurs in the one of the plurality of trains, or
• the ATS unit is configured to request the one of the plurality of onboard control units provided in the one of plurality of trains to transfer a resource authority owned by the one of the plurality of trains to the ATS unit when a failure occurs in the one of the plurality of trains.