JP2000134704A - Train location detector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily identify the present location of a train by detecting the present location of a train with an external physical quantity compared to route data on, and, if the detected present location deviates from the present location which is identified by a train location measuring part, correction is instructed to the train location measuring part. SOLUTION: An echo sounder transmitting signal, outputted from an echo sounder transmitting circuit part 21 of a roughness detecting part 2 is converted into ultrasonic wave by an echo sounder transducer 22 and is transmitted directly above a train car. The rebounded reflecting wave is received and amplified, converted into a digital signal by an A/D converter 24, and inputted into a control part 4. The control part 4 compares the information regarding roughness on the outside of the train car, which serves as the external physical quantity of the inputted digital signal, with the route data storing the location information measured by a train location measuring part 3 to detect the present location of a train. If the detected present location deviates from the present location identified by the train location measuring part 3, a location correction command is outputted into the train location measuring part 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a train position detecting device for detecting a current position of a train running on a track such as a train or a monorail.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a train position detecting device calculates the traveling distance of a vehicle by counting the number of rotations of wheels, and corrects the train position every time the vehicle passes a ground mounted on the ground side.

As a prior art, there is JP-A-60-157957.

Further, as a conventional technique for correcting a train position without using a ground child, there are Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. Hei 6-212132 and Hei 7-108933.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-211132, a curve radius is calculated from a relative rotational displacement between a vehicle body and a bogie, and a position of a curve (curve start point position) to be paid to this curve radius is obtained from track data. It describes that the traveling position of the vehicle is corrected using the difference between the curve position of the track data and the traveling distance (at the time of entering the curve) integrated from the vehicle rotation speed as a correction amount.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 7-108933 similarly describes correcting the train position from the position of the curve, but the radius of the curve is
It is calculated from the inclination angle of the vehicle body, acceleration in the horizontal direction parallel to the vehicle body floor, and cant.

[0006]

However, the above-described prior art in which the position of the train is corrected by using the grounding element requires a cost for installing the grounding element and also requires maintenance. JP
The prior art described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-211132 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-108933 estimates a curve by calculating a curve radius from a train's own condition such as a train inclination angle and a train floor surface parallel acceleration, and obtains data. This is a process of correcting the train position based on the middle curve position. In other words, the process is complicated because the position of the train external equipment (rail curve) is determined from the state of the train itself.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a current position detection system that can specify a current position by relatively simple processing without newly installing ground equipment.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an external physical quantity detection unit mounted on a vehicle for converting a physical quantity outside the vehicle into an electric signal, and integrates a signal from a speed generator. By comparing the train position measurement unit that measures the position information of the train and the external physical quantity detected by the external physical quantity detection unit with the route data that stores the position information measured by the train position measurement unit The control unit is configured to detect the current position of the train, and instruct the train position measurement unit to perform correction when the detected current position is different from the current position recognized by the train position measurement unit.

In the train position detecting device having the above configuration, a change in the physical quantity outside the vehicle along the track is stored in advance in the storage unit in the control unit as route data. By comparing the actual physical quantity change outside the vehicle obtained from the external physical quantity detection unit and the train position obtained from the train position measurement unit with the route data in the processing unit, the train grasped by the train position measurement unit The positional information is calculated and corrected.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall system configuration diagram of a train position detecting device using ultrasonic waves. The train position detecting device uses an ultrasonic wave to detect unevenness along a track such as a tunnel or an overpass, a train position measuring unit 3 that measures a train position, and a control unit that stores and processes data. Consists of four.

An unevenness detecting section 2 outputs a transmitting signal, and a transmitting circuit section 21 converts the transmitting signal output from the transmitting circuit section into an ultrasonic wave, transmits the ultrasonic wave directly above the vehicle, and rebounds. A transmitter / receiver 22 for receiving the reflected wave, an amplifier circuit 23 for amplifying an analog signal output from the transmitter / receiver 22,
An AD converter 24 converts a signal output from the amplifier circuit 23 into a digital signal.

The train position measuring unit 3 includes a speed generator 31 for generating electricity by rotation of wheels, and an integrating unit 32 for integrating outputs from the speed generator and outputting the travel distance to the control unit 4 as a digital signal. .

The control unit 4 includes a storage unit 42 for recording route data collected in advance, and information from the storage unit 42, information from the unevenness detection unit 2 and information from the train position measurement unit 3 to collectively measure a train position. The processing unit 41 outputs a position correction amount and a position correction command to the unit 3.

The unevenness information outside the vehicle detected by the unevenness detecting unit 2 and the position information measured by the train position measuring unit 3 are input to the control unit 4. The control unit 4 detects the current position from the input irregularity information outside the vehicle, the current position of the train recognized by the train position measurement device 3, and the route data stored in the storage unit 42 of the control unit 4. When the calculated current position is different from the position information recognized by the train position measuring unit 3, the control unit 4 outputs a position correction command to the train position measuring unit 3.

FIG. 2 shows route data stored in the storage unit 42 in the control unit 4. The correction point No. is a serial number of the train position correction range in the running section of the train. The train position correction range indicates the range in which position correction is performed when the reflected wave changes across the threshold when the train is within this range, and the train position correction value is the train position measurement value when the position is corrected. A value to replace the position information grasped by the unit 3 is shown. Further, the threshold represents a reference value for judging that a large gap exists in the reflected wave level outside the vehicle when the signal input from the unevenness detection unit changes so as to exceed the threshold. The point where the level of the reflected wave changes most rapidly at each reflected wave level in the data obtained by the running test.

FIG. 3 shows a procedure for correcting train position information according to the embodiment. In this embodiment, in order to detect the irregularities along the track, an ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the transmitter / receiver 22 in a process 31a. The transmitted ultrasonic wave is not reflected unless there is an obstacle such as a tunnel or an overpass in the upward direction of the train, but is reflected and returns again when there is an obstacle. In process 32a, the reflected wave is received by the transmitter / receiver 22, amplified in process 33a, and AD-converted in process 34a to obtain unevenness information Y.

On the other hand, in the process 31b, the speed generator 31
In step 32b, the electricity generated in step (b) is integrated by the integration unit 32, and the A / D conversion is performed to obtain train position information X. Next, at the branch 350, if the train position information X is within the train position correction range, the process proceeds to the branch 360 to check whether the unevenness information Y has changed so as to cross the threshold. When the train position information X does not fall within the train position correction range, the process returns to the sensing of unevenness along the track in the process 31a and the power generation by the speed generator in the process 31b again. To collect.

If the unevenness information Y has changed so as to straddle the threshold value, the current position recognized by the train position measuring unit 3 is replaced with a train position correction value in step 370. If the unevenness information Y does not change over the threshold value, the process returns to the sensing of the unevenness information along the track in the process 31a and the power generation to the speed generator in the process 31b again, and the unevenness information Y and the train position information X To collect.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the route data is generated by converting an electric signal transmitted from the transmission circuit 21 into an ultrasonic wave by a transmitter / receiver 22 installed in the upward direction of the train, and converting the electric signal to the outside of the train. The vehicle travels in a state where there is no idling of the wheels and the like, and the unevenness detecting unit 2 measures unevenness outside the vehicle to obtain route data. The train position measuring unit 3 measures the position of the train and derives the relationship between the irregularities along the track and the position of the train.

This is repeated a plurality of times to obtain route data.
When (b ₁ ) to FIG. 4 (b _n ) are obtained, as shown in FIG. 4 (c), the arithmetic mean of the irregularities is taken along the track to increase the reliability of the route data. Further, as shown in FIG. 4D, the averaged unevenness is differentiated along the trajectory.

A point where the unevenness is sufficiently changed and the differential value of the unevenness takes a maximum value and a minimum value is defined as a train position correction point, and the position information of the point is defined as a train position correction value in FIG. The train position correction range is ± α before and after the train position correction point.
Within. However, α and the distance between adjacent position correction points are set to values that satisfy the following equation so that the position correction points are not erroneously recognized.

X _i −X _i−1 > 2α As in the above embodiment, the train position detecting device having a change means for transmitting an ultrasonic wave, receiving the reflected wave and detecting external irregularities is as follows. The present position can be detected and corrected without installing a grounding element for the purpose of position detection and without performing complicated processing.

In the above embodiment, the position of the train is corrected by detecting a change in an external physical quantity using ultrasonic waves. However, the position is corrected at the entrance and exit of a tunnel using an optical sensor, or a camera is mounted on the train. Alternatively, the train position may be corrected by recognizing existing facilities along the track by performing image processing on the camera image.

[0025]

Since the present invention is constructed and functions as described above, it is possible to detect and correct the position of a vehicle without installing a grounding element for position detection. Furthermore, unlike the case of estimating the current position based on the information indicating the state of the train itself, the current position can be specified relatively easily because the change in the physical quantity along the track where the absolute position can be easily specified is actively used. This has the effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a train position detecting device for detecting a position using a change in unevenness along a track according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing contents of route data.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of a train position detecting device using a change in unevenness along a track.

FIGS. 4A to 4D are characteristic diagrams showing generation of route data of a train position detecting device using a change in unevenness along a track.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... vehicle, 2 ... unevenness detection part, 3 ... train position measurement part, 4 ...
Control unit, 21: transmission circuit unit, 22: transducer, 23: amplification circuit, 24: AD converter, 31: speed generator, 32 ...
Integrator 41, processing unit 42 storage unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A train position detecting device for obtaining a train position by integrating signals from a speed generator mounted on a train,
Detecting means mounted on the train to detect a physical quantity outside the train, storage means for storing the physical quantity outside the train and its position data, and the position of the detected physical quantity is obtained from the data of the storing means. Means for correcting the train position obtained by the integration based on the position.