Virtual block control system for railway vehicle

An apparatus for control of a rail vehicle on a section of track having corresponding wayside interlocking equipment and carborne train operation equipment, such wayside interlocking equipment corresponding with at least one wayside zone, such apparatus comprising:

• wayside transmitter means for transmitting a zone signal within such zone;
• carborne receiver means for receiving said zone signal;
• and
• location determining means on such rail vehicle for calculating the location of such rail vehicle within such zone from said zone signal.

An apparatus for control of a rail vehicle on a section of track having corresponding wayside interlocking equipment and carborne train operation equipment, such wayside interlocking equipment corresponding with at least one wayside zone, such apparatus comprising:

• wayside transmitter means for transmitting a zone signal within such zone;
• carborne receiver means for receiving said zone signal;
• location determining means on such rail vehicle for calculating the location of such rail vehicle within such zone from said zone signal and said location is transmitted from such rail vehicle by a data radio on such rail vehicle;
• and
• wayside CPU means for translating said location in occupancy signals representative of a plurality of virtual blocks within such zone.

A method of controlling a rail vehicle on a section of track, such section of track having at least one wayside zone, said method comprising:

• receiving at wayside a location signal from such rail vehicle that is representative of the location of such rail vehicle within such zone;
• translating said location into occupancy signals representative of a plurality of virtual blocks within such zone;
• and
• sending such occupancy signals to interlocking equipment.

A method of controlling a rail vehicle on a section of track, such section of track having at least one wayside zone, said method comprising:

• transmitting a zone signal adjacent such zone;
• receiving said zone signal upon such vehicle initially entering such zone;
• and
• calculating the position of such rail vehicle within such zone from the initial receipt of said zone signal.

A method of controlling a rail vehicle on a section of track, such section of track being representative of at least one wayside zone, said method comprising:

• transmitting a zone signal adjacent such zone;
• receiving said zone signal upon such vehicle initially entering such zone;
• calculating the position of such rail vehicle within such zone from the initial receipt of said zone signal;
• sensing movement of such rail vehicle within such zone;
• calculating the location of such rail vehicle from the initial receipt of said zone signal within such zone and from the movement of such rail vehicle within such zone;
• transmitting said location to wayside;
• and
• translating at wayside said location into occupancy signals for a plurality of virtual track blocks.