US3593022A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Control of a vehicle along a path divided into a plurality of signal blocks
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1968-09-25
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Granted: 1971-07-13
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Expires: 1988-09-25
Abstract
Abstract A train control signalling system is provided for train speed command signals and train position detection signals, which system is operative in a fail-safe manner with a plurality of isolated track circuit blocks. For a given train system, a plurality of wayside stations is provided, with each station being operative through a limited number of conductors to energize a predetermined number of track circuit blocks. Each station includes a crystal controlled signal generator to assure an accurate coherent base frequency control of the communicated signals and provide control signals for the signal communication operation relative to each station to thereby control, in effect as an extension of the crystal control concept, accuracy to each of the associated track circuit blocks. Up to 32 separated track circuit block locations receive information from each wayside station, for this particular system as described, over a common time division multiplexed signalling system, so it is necessary that each location receive its particular information only at the correct time period. This is accomplished by an appropriate control signal sent for this purpose to each track circuit block location.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert C Hoyler
- 👤 George M Thorne-Booth
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 03:11
CPC Classifications
B; B61; B61L; B61L3/00; B61L3/16; B61L3/22; B61L3/221; B61L27/00; B61L27/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
218 words
In a control system for a vehicle operating along a predetermined path with a sequence of linearly extending vehicle movement control signal circuits disposed along said path, each signal circuit being operative with the vehicle when the latter is traveling along the section of the path coextensive with the signal circuit, said vehicle in its movement being selectively responsive to any one of a predetermined set of repetitive binary sequence signals introduced into the signal circuit which is operative with the vehicle, the combination of, transmitter means for providing a selected one of said predetermined set of repetitive binary sequence signals to each of said signal circuits in accordance with the respective desired movement conditions for the operation of said vehicle along the sections of the path coextensive with those same signal circuits, receiver means for sensing the repetitive binary sequence signal in each of said signal circuits, and signal comparison means operative with said transmitter means and with said receiver means for comparing the repetitive binary sequence signal provided to each of said signal circuits with the repetitive binary sequence signal sensed in that same signal circuit and upon a mismatch of said signals operative to modify the movement condition of said vehicle within at least the portion of the path coextensive with an adjacent signal circuit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
218 words
In a control system for a vehicle operating along a predetermined path with a sequence of linearly extending vehicle movement control signal circuits disposed along said path, each signal circuit being operative with the vehicle when the latter is traveling along the section of the path coextensive with the signal circuit, said vehicle in its movement being selectively responsive to any one of a predetermined set of repetitive binary sequence signals introduced into the signal circuit which is operative with the vehicle, the combination of, transmitter means for providing a selected one of said predetermined set of repetitive binary sequence signals to each of said signal circuits in accordance with the respective desired movement conditions for the operation of said vehicle along the sections of the path coextensive with those same signal circuits, receiver means for sensing the repetitive binary sequence signal in each of said signal circuits, and signal comparison means operative with said transmitter means and with said receiver means for comparing the repetitive binary sequence signal provided to each of said signal circuits with the repetitive binary sequence signal sensed in that same signal circuit and upon a mismatch of said signals operative to modify the movement condition of said vehicle within at least the portion of the path coextensive with an adjacent signal circuit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
The control system of claim 1, each sequence of said repetitive binary sequence signal being composed of a predetermined number of bits, said signal comparison means comparing each bit of the repetitive binary sequence signal provided to each signal circuit with the corresponding bit of the repetitive binary sequence signal sensed in that same signal circuit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
70 words
The control system of claim 1, including signal memory means operative with each of said signal circuits for storing the last-received signal bit of said repetitive binary sequence signal from said transmitter means, with said transmitter means providing a stored signal bit release pulse to said signal memory means for supplying the associated signal circuit with the stored signal bit upon the occurrence of said stored signal bit release pulse.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
105 words
The control system of claim 1, with said transmitter means providing multiplexed binary signal bits over a common signal transmission path to the respective signal circuits such that the signal bits of each said selected one of said repetitive binary sequence signals are assigned a particular time period associated with the corresponding signal circuit, said transmitter means further providing a different time period selected pulse for each signal circuit such that the repetitive binary sequence signal bit provided for each signal circuit is selected for application to that signal circuit during the occurrence of said time period selection pulse associated with that same signal circuit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
The control system of claim 4, with said receiver means being cooperative with said time period selection pulses such that the signal sensed in each of said signal circuits is selected for application to said signal comparison means during the occurrence of the time period selection pulse associated with that signal circuit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The control system of claiM 2, said predetermined set of repetitive binary sequence signals being of the comma-free code type.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
103 words
The control system of claim 1, said signal comparison means being responsive to a mismatch between the repetitive binary sequence signal provided to a signal circuit and the repetitive binary sequence signal sensed in that same signal circuit to select for application to at least an adjacent signal circuit a repetitive binary sequence signal representing a reduced speed of movement condition, said signal comparison means including time buffering means to provide a predetermined delay between the time a signal is selected for application to a given signal circuit and the time it is compared with the signal sensed in said given signal circuit.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
224 words
The method of controlling the operation of a vehicle along a predetermined path with a sequence of linearly extending vehicle movement control signal circuits disposed along said path, each movement control circuit being operative with the vehicle when the latter is traveling along the section of the path coextensive with that same control circuit, said vehicle in its movement being selectively responsive to any one of a predetermined set of repetitive binary sequence signals introduced into the signal circuit which is operative with the vehicle; including the steps of sending a selected one of said predetermined set of repetitive binary sequence signals to each of said signal circuits for controlling the operation of said vehicle in accordance with the respective desired movement conditions for the operation of said vehicle along the sections of the path coextensive with those same signal circuits, sensing and returning from each of said signal circuits the repetitive binary sequence signal in those same circuits, and comparing the repetitive binary sequence signal sent to each of said signal circuits with the repetitive binary sequence signal returned from that same signal circuit and when said repetitive sequence signals sent to and sensed in a signal circuit do not match, selecting a repetitive binary sequence signal representing a reduced speed of movement condition for sending to at least an adjacent signal circuit.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
224 words
The method of controlling the operation of a vehicle along a predetermined path with a sequence of linearly extending vehicle movement control signal circuits disposed along said path, each movement control circuit being operative with the vehicle when the latter is traveling along the section of the path coextensive with that same control circuit, said vehicle in its movement being selectively responsive to any one of a predetermined set of repetitive binary sequence signals introduced into the signal circuit which is operative with the vehicle; including the steps of sending a selected one of said predetermined set of repetitive binary sequence signals to each of said signal circuits for controlling the operation of said vehicle in accordance with the respective desired movement conditions for the operation of said vehicle along the sections of the path coextensive with those same signal circuits, sensing and returning from each of said signal circuits the repetitive binary sequence signal in those same circuits, and comparing the repetitive binary sequence signal sent to each of said signal circuits with the repetitive binary sequence signal returned from that same signal circuit and when said repetitive sequence signals sent to and sensed in a signal circuit do not match, selecting a repetitive binary sequence signal representing a reduced speed of movement condition for sending to at least an adjacent signal circuit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method of claim 9, including providing a different characteristic to the vehicle control signal sent to each of said signal blocks relative to the control signal characteristics for the adjacent signal blocks, and sensing said control signal characteristic for each signal block in relation to the comparison of the control signal sent to that same signal block with the vehicle presence-indicating signal returned from that same signal block.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 9, including coding said vehicle control signal to comprise a plurality of ONE and ZERO digital bits suitable for comma-free signal control of said vehicle in one of a selected number of vehicle operation conditions within each of said signal blocks.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 11, with said coding being such that a ZERO digital bit is a higher frequency signal than is a ONE digital bit, with the assignment of a predetermined vehicle operating conditions being related to the greater portion of ONE digital bits.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 9, including coding said vehicle control signal to comprise a multiple bit comma-free signal for the control of said vehicle within each of said signal blocks, phase-shifting the multiple bits of the control signal sent to each signal block relative to the control signals sent to the adjacent signal blocks.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 9, including coding said vehicle control signal for each one of said signal blocks to control the respective speeds of the vehicle when operating within said signal blocks, and sending a reduced speed vehicle control signal to a given signal block when it is determined that another vehicle is present within the last said signal block.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 9, with said predetermined set of repetiTive binary sequence signals being of the comma-free code type.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
180 words
In a train presence detection system for a railway vehicle operating along a track divided into a plurality of track circuit blocks, the combination of transmitter means for providing a predetermined multiple bit digital signal over a single path to each of said track circuit blocks, a given bit of said predetermined multiple bit digital signal being provided to each of said track circuit blocks at the same time, receiver means for sensing any multiple bit digital signals in each of said track circuit blocks, said signal receiver means being operative with said vehicle such that the presence of said vehicle in a given track circuit block will prevent the receiver means from sensing the predetermined multiple bit digital signal transmitted to said given track circuit block, and signal comparison means operative with said transmitter means and said receiver means for comparing the multiple bit digital signal sent to said given track circuit block with the multiple bit digital signal sensed within said given track circuit block for determining the presence of said vehicle within said given track circuit block.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
180 words
In a train presence detection system for a railway vehicle operating along a track divided into a plurality of track circuit blocks, the combination of transmitter means for providing a predetermined multiple bit digital signal over a single path to each of said track circuit blocks, a given bit of said predetermined multiple bit digital signal being provided to each of said track circuit blocks at the same time, receiver means for sensing any multiple bit digital signals in each of said track circuit blocks, said signal receiver means being operative with said vehicle such that the presence of said vehicle in a given track circuit block will prevent the receiver means from sensing the predetermined multiple bit digital signal transmitted to said given track circuit block, and signal comparison means operative with said transmitter means and said receiver means for comparing the multiple bit digital signal sent to said given track circuit block with the multiple bit digital signal sensed within said given track circuit block for determining the presence of said vehicle within said given track circuit block.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
71 words
The train presence detection system of claim 16, the predetermined multiple bit digital signal sent to each of said track circuit blocks being a repetitive binary sequence signal composed of a predetermined number of bits, said signal comparison means comparing each bit of the repetitive binary sequence signal provided to said given circuit block with the corresponding bit of the repetitive binary sequence signal sensed in said given track circuit block.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
61 words
The train presence detection system of claim 16, said signal comparison means being operative to determine presence of a vehicle through cooperation of said transmitter means and said receiver means such that the multiple bit digital signal is not present in a track circuit block when the block is occupied due to the short-circuiting effect of said vehicle between the tracks.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
75 words
The train presence detection system of claim 17 including signal memory means operative with each of said track circuit blocks for storing the signal bit of said repetitive binary sequence signal last received from said transmitter means, with said transmitter means providing a stored signal bit release pulse to said signal memory means for supplying the associated track circuit signal block with the stored signal bit upon occurrence of said stored signal bit release pulse.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
117 words
The train presence detection system of claim 17 said transmitter means providing multiplexed signal bits over a common signal transmission path to the respective track circuit blocks such that the signal bits of the repetitive binary sequence signal to be provided to said given track circuit block are assigned a particular time period associated with that same track circuit block, said transmitter means further providing a different time period selection pulse for each track circuit block such that the binary sequence signal bit provided for said given track circuit block is selected for application to said given track circuit block during the occurrence of the time period selection pulse associated with said given track circuit signal block.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
107 words
The train presence detection system of claim 20, with said receiver means being cooperative with the time period selection pulses such that the signal sensed in said given track circuit block is supplied to said signal comparison means during the occurrence of the time period selection pulse associated with said given track circuit block. 22. The time presence detection system of claim 21, said signal comparison means including time buffering means to provide a predetermined delay between the time a signal is selected for application to said given track circuit block and the time it is compared with the signal sensed in said given track circuit block.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
70 words
The time presence detectIon system of claim 16, with signal means for providing a different characteristic to the multiple bit digital signal sent to said given track circuit block relative to said multiple bit digital signals sent to at least the next adjacent track circuit blocks, said receiver means in sensing the signal in each track circuit block being selectively responsive to the different characteristic associated with the respective blocks.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
22 words
The time presence detection system of claim 17, said predetermined set of repetitive binary sequence signals being of the comma-free code type.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-07-12 | 1975-01-11 | 1975-07-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-07-12 | 1979-01-11 | 1979-07-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-07-12 | 1983-01-11 | 1983-07-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |