Method to high availability control for railway doors systems, on board system and application to accessories and surroundings of doors

A control method for use with a railway car, the method comprising:

• (a) detecting a failure with regard to a first railway car door;
• (b) automatically checking control signals from a controller associated with at least a second railway car door;
• (c) automatically causing the controller associated with the second door to takeover control of the first door if the failure is detected, at least in part by transferring authorization to the controller from a combination of a low speed signal and a validation side selection signal;
• and
• (d) locking opening/closing authorizations by processing of the low speed signal and authorization signals of exclusive opening of one of the doors, according to a double validation logic suite in order to make a takeover selection of a motor control of at least one of doors on one side depending on the validation of the opening authorization on the same side.

A high availability control method for use with a railway car, the railway car having a first door disposed on a first longitudinal side of the railway car and a second door disposed on a second opposing longitudinal side of the railway car, the control method comprising:

• providing a first control operably coupled to the first railway car door, the first control operably managing opening actuation of the first door;
• providing a second control operably coupled to the second railway car door, the second control operably managing opening actuation of the second door;
• outputting periodic mutual checking signals between the first control and the second control;
• detecting cessation of at least some of the periodic mutual checking signals and determining the first control to be a failed control;
• and transferring management authorization from the first control to the second control in response to the determination of the first control to be the failed control, the second control operably managing opening actuation of both the first door and the second door;
• causing the first and second controls to interact even if no failure is detected;
• and automatically causing the transferring management authorization step and the second control operably managing opening actuation of both doors step.

A high availability control method for use with a railway car, the railway car having a first door disposed on a first longitudinal side of the railway car and a second door disposed on a second opposing longitudinal side of the railway car, the control method comprising:

• providing a first control operably coupled to the first railway car door, the first control operably managing opening actuation of the first door;
• providing a second control operably coupled to the second railway car door, the second control operably managing opening actuation of the second door;
• outputting periodic mutual checking signals between the first control and the second control;
• detecting cessation of at least some of the periodic mutual checking signals and determining the first control to be a failed control;
• and transferring management authorization from the first control to the second control in response to the determination of the first control to be the failed control, the second control operably managing opening actuation of both the first door and the second door;
• transmitting digital door position and triggering signals to assist in transferring the control of at least one of the doors;
• sending signals from a door position encoder and door switch to the first control;
• automatically transferring the signals from the door position encoder and door switch to the second control if a failure is detected;
• switching control of the doors using an H bridge circuit;
• and actuating a motor commutator to open and close the first door based on a signal from the second control.