Signal aspect enforcement
AssigneeThales Canada Inc.
InventorsAlon Green, Walter Kinio
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A signal aspect enforcement method for a rail vehicle includes determining if vehicle position is unknown. The system determines if rail vehicle speed is less than a line-of-sight threshold speed. The system determines the grade of the rail. A worst-case braking distance of rail vehicle is calculated. The signal aspect is determined using a camera system and a beacon system. The system determines if the signal aspect determined by camera system is same as signal aspect determined by beacon system and, if so, determines the route of rail vehicle and speed limit of rail vehicle.
Claims20
A signal aspect enforcement method for a rail vehicle with an unknown position comprising:
- receiving speed measurements from speed measuring device by an on-board controller;
- determining using the received speed measurements if rail vehicle speed is less than a predetermined line-of-sight threshold speed;
- receiving grade measurements from a grade measuring device by the on-board controller and determining grade of rail;
- determining worst-case braking distance of the rail vehicle using the rail vehicle speed and grade of rail;
- receiving image data including a first signal aspect from a camera system and beacon/radio data including a second signal aspect from a beacon/radio system by the on-board controller;
- determining if the first signal aspect matches the second signal aspect;
- and
- determining route of rail vehicle and speed limit of rail vehicle by the on-board controller based on the first signal aspect.
A signal aspect enforcement system for a rail vehicle comprises:
- an on-board controller;
- a camera system, in communication with the on-board controller, generating image data including signal aspect to the on-board controller;
- a beacon/radio system, in communication with the on-board controller, providing received beacon/radio data including signal aspect and signal location to the on-board controller;
- and
- a radar system, in communication with the on-board controller, providing radar data to the on-board controller;
- wherein the on-board controller is configured to use the image data, the received beacon/radio data and the radar data to determine signal aspect, and
- wherein the on-board controller is configured to use the rail vehicle speed and the rail grade to determine a worst case braking distance for the rail vehicle.
A signal aspect enforcement method for a rail vehicle comprising:
- receiving speed measurements from speed measuring device by an on-board controller;
- determining using the received speed measurements if rail vehicle speed is less than a predetermined line-of-sight threshold speed;
- receiving grade measurements from a grade measuring device by the on-board controller and determining grade of rail;
- determining worst-case braking distance of the rail vehicle using the rail vehicle speed and grade of rail;
- receiving image data including a first signal aspect from a camera system and beacon/radio data including a second signal aspect from a beacon/radio system by the on-board controller;
- determining if the first signal aspect matches the second signal aspect;
- determining route of rail vehicle and speed limit of rail vehicle by the on-board controller based on the first signal aspect;
- wherein when the rail vehicle speed is greater than a line-of-sight threshold speed, the on-board controller outputs a brake request;
- and
- wherein the image data includes signal identification and the on-board controller uses the signal identification to determine the position of the rail vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.