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| Summary / Description | An integrated train control system according to the present invention includes a wire trainline and a brake pipe extending through each car on the train. A master controller determines the conditions for each car and locomotive in the train and as a function of predetermined conditions transmits over the trainline individualized brake signals to each car and locomotive and individualized propulsion signals to each locomotive. |
| Type of Prior Art | Issued Patents - US |
| Country | United States of America |
| Patent/Application # | US 7073753 |
| Kind Code | United States (US) - United STATES Patent - A |
| Patentee Name | Kevin B. Root et al. |
| Relevant Pages, Columns, or Lines | |
| URL | |
| Filing Date | September 7, 2001 |
| Additional Information | |
| Notes | |
Excerpt Claim #1: an operator interface connected to the brake controller and the propulsion controller...a master controller which determines conditions for each car and locomotives in the train and as a function of the determined conditions transmits over the trainline individualized brake signals to each car and locomotive and individualized propulsion signal to each locomotive. Claim #2: The system according to claim 1, wherein the master controller determines the location of each car and locomotive on a track profile and determines the conditions of the cars and locomotives from the position on the track profile. |
A method for monitoring integrity of a railroad train (10) and determining passage of the train relative to a plurality of virtual blocks defined by wireless transmissions along a section of track (54) over which the train travels, with said virtual blocks providing safeguards for the travel of the train relative to other trains on the section of the track when there is a shared use of the section of track, said method comprising:
identifying a plurality of failure modes that may lead to an erroneous determination that the entire train has cleared a boundary for a respective one of said virtual blocks; collecting data at an end-of-train location, said data being collected from multiple sensing devices (14), wherein each of said sensing devices monitors a different parameter and generates data useful for evaluating whether at least one of said failure modes has occurred;
collecting data at a head-of-train location, with the data collected at the head-of-train corresponding to the type of data collected at the end-of-train location;
storing (40) a plurality of rules for relating the data collected at the head-of-train location to the data collected at the end-of-train location for reducing a probability of making an erroneous determination as to whether the entire train has cleared a boundary for a respective one of said virtual blocks;
processing (42) the data collected at said end-of-train and at said head-of train location using the stored rules to determine whether the entire train has cleared a respective one of said virtual blocks;
in the event said determination indicates clearance of said respective block, declaring said virtual block as being unoccupied and thus available for another train to enter the block; and
in the event said determination indicates a lack of clearance of said respective block, declaring said virtual block as being occupied and thus unavailable for another train to enter the block.
| Relevance | claims #1, #2 and #3 of '753 are applicable - '753 discloses determining the breaking settings of railroad cars as needed based on railroad track profile. This is analogous to determining whether a train has cleared a virtual block. |
The method of claim 1 wherein the collecting of data at an end-of-train location comprises collecting data from a pressure sensing device pneumatically coupled to a pneumatic line that extends along the entire train.
| Relevance | '753 specifically discloses a breaking system which is analogous to a "pressure sensing device". |
United States