Method and apparatus for automatically testing a railroad interlocking

A method for automatically testing a railroad signal system interlocking having a plurality of components, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a plurality of control point interfaces, each corresponding to a predetermined function of an associated interlocking component and having an isolated section and a control section,
• (b) connecting the isolated section of each of said interfaces to a current source in the associated interlocking component having an electrical characteristic representing the status of the corresponding function executed by the interlocking component, and in each of said interfaces,
• (c) coupling the control section thereof to the isolated section of the interface,
• (d) commanding the isolated section to assume an electrical state indicative of the status of said corresponding function,
• (e) determining the electrical state of said isolated section, and
• (f) reporting the status of said corresponding function in response to the determined state.

In a system for automatically testing a railroad signal system interlocking:

• a control point interface corresponding to a predetermined function of an interlocking component and having an isolated section and a control section,
• said isolated section having a normal, inactivated state during operation of the interlocking component, and an activated state for testing the interlocking component by detecting an electrical characteristic representing the status of the predetermined function executed by the interlocking component,
• a server having a processor, a computer-readable medium and an interface to said control point interface,
• a configuration program stored on said computer-readable medium and executed by said processor to define a model object and interfaces corresponding to said interlocking component,
• a model compiler stored on said computer-readable medium and executed by said processor to determine legal routes through said interlocking and said model object on said routes, and to define logical relationships of said interlocking component in response to said determination, and store said definition as a model file, and
• a test compiler stored on said computer-readable medium and executed by said processor to read said model file and generate a test procedure and control commands to test said interlocking component,
• said control section of said control point interface responsive to control commands received from said processor of said server for driving said isolated section to its activated state in accordance with the test procedure executed by said processor and sending a signal to said processor indicative of the status of said predetermined function.

A method for automatically testing a railroad signal system interlocking having a plurality of interlocking components, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a plurality of model objects, each of which corresponds to a respective interlocking component of said railroad signal system interlocking,
• (b) configuring said model objects according to the operational characteristics of the respective interlocking components,
• (c) defining an interface between predetermined model objects corresponding to adjacent interlocking components,
• (d) defining signal routes through said model objects and interfaces to determine model information,
• (e) deriving a signal aspect chart from said model information to define logical relationships of said interlocking components,
• (f) generating test procedures from said model information and said logical relationships, and
• (g) testing said railroad signal system interlocking according to said test procedures.

A method for setting up automatic testing of a switch of a railroad signal system interlocking comprising the steps of:

• (a) visually verifying that a switch is in a normal position,
• (b) measuring system indications to validate that the switch is in said normal position,
• (c) commanding the switch to move to a reverse position,
• (d) visually verifying that the switch is in said reverse position,
• (e) measuring system indications to validate that the switch is in said reverse position, and
• (f) commanding the switch to move to said normal position.

A method for setting up automatic testing of a track section of a railroad signal system interlocking comprising the steps of:

• (a) shunting a track section with a predetermined track shunt,
• (b) determining the effect of said track shunt,
• (c) activating a control point interface to apply a CPI shunt to said track section,
• (d) determining the effect of said CPI shunt, and
• (e) deactivating said control point interface to remove said CPI shunt from said track section.

A method for automatically testing a signal lamp of a railroad signal system interlocking comprising the steps of:

• (a) activating a control point interface to illuminate a signal lamp,
• (b) verifying that said signal lamp is illuminated,
• (c) measuring a first electrical current to said signal lamp,
• (d) verifying that said first current is above a predetermined threshold,
• (e) deactivating said control point interface to extinguish said signal lamp,
• (f) verifying that said signal lamp is extinguished,
• (g) measuring a second electrical current to said signal lamp, and
• (h) verifying that said second current is below a predetermined threshold.

In a system for automatically testing a railroad signal system interlocking:

• a plurality of control point interfaces each corresponding to a predetermined function of an interlocking component and having an isolated section and a control section,
• said isolated section having a normal, inactivated state during operation of the corresponding interlocking component, and an activated state for testing the interlocking component by detecting an electrical characteristic representing the status of the predetermined function executed by the interlocking component, and
• a server computer having an interface to said control point interfaces,
• said control section of each of said control point interfaces responsive to control commands received from said server computer for driving the associated isolated section to its activated state in accordance with a test procedure executed by said server computer and sending a signal to said server computer indicative of the status of said predetermined function.