Automatic train control system and corresponding method

Abstract

This system includes a ground ATC and an on board ATC, which is switched from an active mode toward a standby mode and vice versa by a wake-up unit. In the standby mode, only the following components remain powered: odometry device; a main computer; a radio communication device between the on board ATC and the ground ATC; the wake-up unit. The main computer is programmed so as, in the standby mode, to verify that the movement of the train measured by the odometry device from the switching from the active mode to the standby mode is zero and, in the affirmative, to send the ground ATC an instantaneous position of the train using the radio communication device.

Claims

1. An automatic train control system of the type with communication-based train management, including a ground component, called a ground ATC, and an on board component that is on board a train, called an on board ATC, wherein the on board ATC is able to be switched from an active operating mode to a standby operating mode and vice versa through a wake-up unit, and in that, in the standby operating mode, only the following components remaining supplied with electricity using an electrical power source: an odometry device measuring a movement of the train; a main computer; and a radio communication device between the on board ATC and the ground ATC; wherein the main computer being programmed so as, in the standby operating mode, to verify that the movement of the train measured by the odometry device from a switching moment from the active operating mode to the standby operating mode is zero and, in the affirmative, to send the ground ATC an instantaneous position of the train using the radio communication device, at least at a switching moment from the standby operating mode to the active operating mode.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, in the negative, the main computer is able to invalidate the instantaneous position of the train and not send the ground ATC an instantaneous position of the train until a predetermined moment, corresponding to the detection of a positioning beacon, placed along a railway track on which the train is traveling.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the instantaneous position of the train sent from the on board ATC to the ground ATC is an instantaneous position of the train determined by the main computer.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the odometry system includes a detector detecting the movement of the train, the detector comprising a phonic wheel and acquisition electronics connected to the computer.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said on board ATC includes a first subsystem and a second subsystem, the second subsystem being redundant relative to the first subsystem, each subsystem including an odometry device, a main computer and a radio communicator, the first and second subsystems being connected to one another by at least one local communication network.

6. A method for using an automatic train control system of the type with communication-based train management, including a ground component, called a ground ATC, and an on board component that is on board a train, called an on board ATC, wherein the on board ATC is able to be switched from an active operating mode to a standby operating mode and vice versa through a wake-up unit, and in that, in the standby operating mode, only the following components remaining supplied with electricity using an electrical power source: an odometry device measuring a movement of the train, a main computer, and a radio communication device between the on board ATC and the ground ATC, the method comprising: when the on board ATC is the standby operating mode, iterating the steps consisting of measuring a movement of the train between a current iteration and a preceding iteration and verifying that the measured movement is zero, and in the affirmative, sending the ground ATC an instantaneous position of the train at least at a switching moment from the standby operating mode to the active operating mode.

7. The method according to claim 6, consisting, in the negative, invalidating the instantaneous position of the train and not send the ground ATC an instantaneous position of the train until a predetermined moment, corresponding to the detection of a positioning beacon, placed along a railway track on which the train is traveling.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein, when the on board ATC is in a standby operating mode, the instantaneous position of the train is a position recalculated by the on board ATC upon each iteration.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein, when the on board ATC is in a standby operating mode, the instantaneous position of the train is a position calculated by the on board ATC before switching into the standby operating mode.

10. The method according to any claim 6, wherein during the switching of the on board ATC from the standby operating mode to the active operating mode, if the on board ATC has not detected movement of the train while it was in the standby mode, the instantaneous position of the train is used as instantaneous position thereof for the active operating mode and, if the on board ATC has detected a movement of the train while it was in the standby mode, the method comprises a phase for initializing the instantaneous position of the train before switching to the active operating mode.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention and its advantages will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description of one particular embodiment, provided solely as an illustrative and non-limiting example, this description being done in reference to the appended drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic block illustration of an on board ATC in the active operating mode;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an on board ATC according to the invention in the standby operating mode; and

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows an ATC system 8 including a ground ATC 9 and an on board ATC 10, which is on board a train 1 traveling on a track 2.

(6) The on board ATC 10 is more particularly outlined. In a redundant configuration, it includes, for operation in an active mode, a first subsystem 11 and a second subsystem 12 that are identical to one another. Alternatively, in a simple and non-redundant configuration, the on board ATC 10 includes only one subsystem, 11 or 12.

(7) The first subsystem 11 is installed at a first end of the train 1, for example the head of the train (the train 1 moving from right to left in FIG. 1), while the second subsystem 12 is installed at a second end of the train 1, for example a tail end of the train.

(8) The first subsystem 11 and the second subsystem 12 are connected to one another by a first communication network 13 and by a second communication network 14.

(9) The first and second communication networks 13, 14 are for example local networks of the Ethernet type.

(10) The first subsystem 11 includes a first switch 15, a port of which is connected to the first communication network 13, and a second switch 16, a port of which is connected to the second communication network 14.

(11) The first subsystem 11 includes a radio communication device 20, for example connected to a port of the first switch 15.

(12) The radio communication device 20 includes a module connected to an antenna to allow the establishment of a wireless communication between the first subsystem 11 and an access point of a radio communication infrastructure 7 on the ground.

(13) The first subsystem 11 also includes a wake-up unit 21 for the first subsystem 11, this wake-up unit for example being connected to a port of the first switch 15.

(14) The wake-up unit 21 is for example capable of receiving a switching signal of the first subsystem from the active operating mode to the standby operating mode, or conversely from the standby operating mode to the active operating mode. This signal may for example be emitted by the ground ATC and received via the radio communication device 20. Alternatively, the signal may correspond to the fact that the train's conductor turns a security key in the active cabin and activates piloting of the train. In still another alternative, the wake-up unit incorporates an infrared receiver capable of receiving a switching signal emitted by a remote control used by an operator wishing to modify the operating mode of the train in one direction or the other.

(15) The first subsystem 11 includes a main computer 18 advantageously connected on the one hand to a port of the first switch 15, and on the other hand to a port of the second switch 16. The main computer 18 constitutes the on board computer of the train 1 and is able to be programmed so as to perform different functionalities.

(16) The first subsystem 11 includes an odometry device. This odometry device includes at least a detection member and acquisition electronics 17. In FIG. 1, the detection member is a phonic wheel 23 made up of a disc bearing a pattern and coupled to one of the wheels of the train 1 and an optical sensor coupled to a fixed part of the train 1 and able to detect the passage of the pattern borne by the disc. The raw signal generated by the phonic wheel 23 is applied at the input of the acquisition electronics 17, the latter being capable of calculating a movement property of the train.

(17) The odometric device also includes an antenna 24, for example of the RFID type, capable of capturing the signals emitted by positioning beacons installed in the ground, for example between the two lines of rails of the track 2. The signals received by the antenna 24 are sent to the acquisition electronics 17, the latter being capable of processing them to extract the information transmitted by a beacon, such as an identifier of this beacon, the installation position of this beacon, etc.

(18) In the active operating mode, the phonic wheel 23 makes it possible to determine the distance traveled by the train 1 from the last positioning beacon crossed and, from the position of this beacon, to determine the instantaneous position of the train, which the on board ATC next sends, via the communication module and the antenna, to the ground ATC.

(19) Lastly, the first subsystem 11 includes an input/output interface 19 making it possible to connect, to the communication networks of the train, various sensors and actuators (not shown in the figures), for example a braking system of the train 1.

(20) As shown in FIG. 1, the first subsystem 11 may also include a man/machine interface 22, for example connected to a port of the second switch 16. This man/machine interface 22 is installed in the head cabin of the train to be used by the conductor. Alternatively, in particular for a driverless train, such an interface is not provided.

(21) A similar description could be done for the subsystem 12, which includes: first and second connectors 35, 36; a radio communication device 40; a wake-up unit 41; an odometry device including a phonic wheel 43 and an antenna 44 connected to acquisition electronics 37; a main computer 38; an input-output interface 39; and, optionally a man/machine interface 42.

(22) In a known manner, the power supply of the on board ATC system 10 is done by two low-voltage power lines. The first power line 61 is connected via a converter 63 to the high-voltage power line 65 of the train.

(23) The second power line 62 is connected to a battery 64 adapted so as, in case of interruption of the high-voltage power supply of the train, to allow the operation of the on board ATC system 11.

(24) According to the invention, the on board ATC system 10 can be placed in a standby operating mode.

(25) In this operating mode, only the components shown in FIG. 2 are kept powered on and then supplied by the battery 64.

(26) Symmetrically for the first and second subsystems 11 and 12, this involves the first and second switches 15, 16 and 35, 36, the radio communication devices 20 and 40, the wake-up unit 21 and 41, the main computer 18 and 38, and, from among the odometry device, the phonic wheel 23 and 43 and the acquisition electronics 17 and 37 of the signal delivered by the corresponding phonic wheel.

(27) Thus, the input/output interface 19 and 39 for connecting to other systems of the train, the man/machine interface 22 and 42 in the cabin and the antenna 24 and 44 of the odometry device are deactivated.

(28) In reference to FIG. 3, a method for using the ATC system 8 will now be described.

(29) The phase 100, which corresponds to the active operating mode, comprises a step 110, during which the on board ATC, for example the subsystem 11, determines the instantaneous position of the train from signals received from the odometry device, i.e., both from the antenna 24 to recover the position of the last beacon crossed and the phonic wheel 23 so as to determine the distance traveled since this last beacon was crossed.

(30) Next, during a step 120, the determined instantaneous position is stored in a random-access memory of the main computer 18.

(31) Lastly, in step 130, this updated instantaneous position is sent to the ground ATC, via the radio communication device 20 and the radio communication infrastructure 7 on the ground.

(32) Steps 110, 120 and 130 are repeated periodically.

(33) The phase 200 begins when the wake-up unit 21 of the train 1 receives a switching signal from the active operating mode to the standby operating mode. This control signal is for example emitted by the ground ATC 9 via the infrastructure 7 and the radio communication device 20.

(34) In step 210, the wake-up unit 21 asks the main computer 18 to verify a certain number of conditions to allow the on board ATC to be placed in standby. For example, it is verified that the train has no current assignment to carry out; the instantaneous position on the railway network corresponds to a garage track (the random-access memory of the main computer 18 including a description database of the railway network); or that the train is stopped, i.e., that no movement is detected by the odometry device.

(35) Once these various conditions are verified, in step 220, the train, on command from the main computer 18, interrupts the power supply of the input/output interface 19, the man/machine interface 22 in the cabin and the short-range communication antenna 24 with the positioning beacons on the track.

(36) Once these operations are carried out, in step 230, the wake-up unit 21 sends the ground ATC 9 an acknowledgment message indicating that the train 1 has been placed in the standby operating mode. This message is transmitted by the radio communication device 20.

(37) The train 1 being parked and the on board ATC system being in the standby operating mode, the following steps take place during the phase 300.

(38) In step 310, from signals received from the phonic wheel 23 and processed by the acquisition electronics 17, the main computer 18 determines a movement d of the train from the last iteration of the step 310.

(39) In step 320, it is verified whether this movement d is zero (optionally to within a measurement margin).

(40) In the affirmative, i.e., if this movement d is zero, then in step 330, the main computer 18 computes the position F of the train. This position is computed, like in the active mode, from the total movement since the last beacon crossed (i.e., the last beacon crossed in the active mode before switching into the standby mode). Since the movement is zero since the switching to the standby mode, this instantaneous position F is also the last instantaneous position determined by the on board ATC in the active mode.

(41) Advantageously, the on board ATC in standby mode communicates this instantaneous position F to the ground ATC each time it recalculates it. In this way, the ground ATC knows the position of the trains stopped on the network and may account for this in supervising the traffic of the other traveling trains. Security is therefore enhanced.

(42) Steps 310, 320 and 330 are iterated periodically.

(43) If, in step 320, it is determined that the movement d of the train is nonzero, i.e., if the train has been moved for one reason or another since the last iteration of the step 310, then in step 340, the main computer 18 invalidates the instantaneous position F of the train, which is henceforth undefined for the main computer 18. This is symbolized by the expression F==0 in FIG. 3. The latter ceases to send the ground ATC position information for the train.

(44) When one wishes to restart the train 1 and switch the on board ATC 10 from the standby mode to the active mode, the wake-up phase 400 of the train is initiated by the reception of a suitable command signal by the wake-up unit 21.

(45) In step 410, the wake-up unit 21 commands the main computer 18 to turn on the train by powering on all of the equipment that is off (input/output interface, man/machine interface, communication antenna with the positioning beacons on the ground).

(46) In step 420, the on board ATC verifies whether the instantaneous position F of the train is defined.

(47) In the affirmative, i.e., if there has been no movement d while the on board ATC was in standby, then in step 430, the main computer 18 sends the ground ATC the instantaneous position F of the train.

(48) In this way, the ATC is immediately placed in the active operating mode and the train is fully supervised (step 440).

(49) However, if, in step 420, it is observed by the on board ATC that the instantaneous position F of the train is undefined, then in step 450, the train 1 is moved by sight until it crosses a positioning beacon from which the on board ATC will be capable of calculating the instantaneous position of the train. It is only at this moment and with this instantaneous position information of the train that the on board ATC is switched into the active operating mode, it communicates an instantaneous position of the train to the ground ATS and the travel of the train can be supervised by the ATS and controlled safely by the ATC (step 440).

(50) Alternatively, in step 340, noting that it has not received any more position information of the train for several periods, the ground ATC 9 places a flag for the train remained immobile (zero) state at train moved (one).

(51) In this alternative, when one wishes to restart the train 1 and switch the on board ATC 10 from the standby mode to the active mode, a wake-up command is developed during the phase 400. To that end, the ground ATC reads the current value of the flag and compares it to the zero value. If the flag has the zero value, indicating that the train 1 has not been moved while it was parked and its on board ATC is in standby, the ground ATC indicates in the wake-up command that the on board ATC may consider the value of the position of the train to be stored in the main computer 18 as instantaneous position of the train to initialize the active operating mode. Conversely, if it is noted that the flag assumes the unit value, indicating that the train 1 has been moved while its on board ATC was in standby, the ground ATC develops a wake-up command indicating to conduct an initialization phase for the instantaneous position of the train.

(52) Alternatively, to still further reduce the electricity consumption in standby mode, and since the first and second subsystems are redundant, it is possible to consider keeping only one of the two subsystems supplied with power. However, this embodiment has the weakness of not being able to allow the detection, when the train is parked and the on board ATC is in standby, of the unhitching of one or several cars from the cabin, whose subsystem is kept in standby.

(53) Conversely, the embodiment described in detail above makes it possible, at any time, to verify the integrity of the train, for example by having a toggle bit travel along the first and second communication networks 13 and 14 between the first and second subsystems 11 and 12, so as to guarantee that the communication networks of the train are functional, and consequently that the cars of the train are not unhitched. This information regarding the integrity of the train can advantageously be sent to the ground ATC at the same time as the position of the train, for example when the train is woken up.

(54) In another alternative independent of the previous one, the position of the train sent at each moment from the on board ATC to the ground ATC in the standby operating mode is the instantaneous position of the train, calculated by the main computer before switching from the active operating mode to the standby operating mode.

(55) Thus, the present invention has the following advantages:

(56) It offers increased availability, since the train, when it is restarted, is immediately capable of knowing its precise instantaneous position and traveling without manual intervention. This is particularly advantageous in the case of a driverless automatic subway.

(57) The determination of the instantaneous position upon waking up of the train is obtained safely. It is in fact not possible to use an incorrect instantaneous position to calculate a movement authorization.

(58) Lastly, the on board ATC, to be able to carry out the method as previously described, is only very slightly modified relative to those of the state of the art. This simply involves defining the components that should be turned off when switching from the active mode to the standby mode and reprogramming the main computer so that it verifies the movement of the train from information obtained by the phonic wheel, and periodically resending the position of the train as long as it has not moved or invalidating the position of the train once it has moved.

(59) It should be noted that in the advantageous embodiment described in FIG. 3, the on board ATC determines the validity of the calculated current position independently of the ground ATC, which may therefore fall out of order or be reset without losing the information allowing a train to restart immediately in supervision mode.