JP2022164064A - Railway vehicle operation control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To adjust a traveling speed in accordance with a maximum detection distance of an obstacle by a sensor.SOLUTION: A railway vehicle operation control device includes a sensor detecting an obstacle in a traveling direction of a traveling railway vehicle, a maximum detection distance calculation unit calculating a maximum detection distance in which the obstacle can be detected by the sensor, a stop distance calculation unit calculating a stop distance when an emergency brake is applied to the railway vehicle, a temporary speed limit calculation unit calculating a temporary speed limit of a vehicle speed at which the railway vehicle can be stopped by the emergency brake within any smaller one among the maximum detection distance and the stop distance, a regular speed limit calculation unit calculating a regular speed limit corresponding to a position of the railway vehicle during normal traveling, a traveling pattern setting unit calculating and setting a traveling pattern showing a relation between the position of the railway vehicle and a target speed based on the temporary speed limit and the regular speed limit, and a target speed generation unit generating a target speed based on the traveling pattern and transmitting the target speed to the control device of the railway vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a railway vehicle operation control device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when operating a railway vehicle such as a train or an electric train, a railway administrator needs to confirm whether or not there is an obstacle on the route in order to ensure the safety of the railway vehicle. For this purpose, for example, there is a technique of detecting an obstacle in front of a running railroad vehicle with a sensor (for example, a camera).

Japanese Patent No. 3244870 JP 2019-84881 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-357399 Japanese Patent No. 3160793 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-62899 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-537534 JP-A-2000-264209

In the above-described method, the maximum detection distance of an obstacle by a sensor varies depending on geographical conditions and environmental conditions (weather conditions, etc.). Therefore, for example, when the maximum detection distance of an obstacle by a sensor is short, it may not be possible to avoid a collision between a railway vehicle and the obstacle by starting braking after the obstacle is detected unless the running speed is slowed down. can occur. However, in the prior art, no countermeasures have been taken for this point.

Therefore, an object of the present embodiment is to provide a railroad vehicle operation control device capable of adjusting the running speed of the railroad vehicle according to the maximum detection distance of an obstacle detected by a sensor.

A railway vehicle operation control device according to an embodiment includes a sensor that detects an obstacle in a traveling direction of a running railway vehicle, a maximum detection distance calculation unit that calculates a maximum detection distance at which the obstacle can be detected by the sensor, and the railway a stopping distance calculating unit for calculating a stopping distance when the emergency brake of the vehicle is applied; A temporary speed limit calculator that calculates the speed limit, a regular speed limit calculator that calculates the regular speed limit according to the position of the railway vehicle during normal running, the temporary speed limit, and the regular speed limit; A running pattern setting unit that calculates and sets a running pattern representing the relationship between the position of the railway vehicle and the target speed based on the and a target speed generator for transmitting to the control device.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a rail vehicle according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the speed calculation device of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of an image captured by the traveling obstacle detection sensor of the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing by the railway vehicle operation control device of the embodiment.

Hereinafter, a railway vehicle operation control device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to facilitate understanding of the railway vehicle operation control device of the embodiment, first, the related art will be explained again.

(conventional technology)
2. Description of the Related Art In operating railway vehicles such as trains, trains, etc., railway administrators need to confirm the presence or absence of obstacles on the route in order to ensure the safety of the railway vehicles. For example, the following items are installed in sections where obstacles are likely to occur in the course of railway vehicles due to falling passengers and luggage from station platforms, stranded cars and bicycles at railroad crossings, etc. Sometimes.
・Station platform fences and railroad crossing circuit breakers that prevent obstacles from entering ・Station platform fall detection devices such as pressure-sensitive mats that detect the presence of obstacles and image recognition devices that recognize images of obstacles ・Obstacles on railroad crossings Railroad crossing obstacle detection device such as optical type or loop coil type that detects the presence of

In addition, an emergency stop warning button for notifying the occurrence of an emergency such as a train or a station may be installed in a section where obstacles are likely to occur on the route of the railroad vehicle.

However, these facilities are only installed at locations where obstructions are likely to occur on the route of the railroad vehicle, and it is difficult to cover the entire route of the railroad vehicle. In addition, since it is necessary for these facilities to detect obstacles in cooperation with ground facilities and on-board facilities, there is a concern that the system will become complicated and bloated. Therefore, a mechanism has been developed in which an obstacle in front of a running railroad vehicle is detected by a sensor (for example, a camera) mounted on the railroad vehicle.

By the way, railroad vehicles are divided into the idling distance that the driver and the above-mentioned equipment detect an obstacle and decelerate the railroad vehicle, and the braking distance that the railroad vehicle travels from when it starts decelerating until it stops. If the obstacle is not detected before the stopping distance obtained by adding , there is a high possibility that collision with the obstacle cannot be avoided.

In addition, compared with collision avoidance systems for automobiles, railway vehicles have a longer braking distance and cannot avoid obstacles by steering due to the restriction of traveling on rails. Therefore, railway vehicles are required to detect obstacles existing on the route from a distance with high accuracy.

However, the size of the detectable area (distance) of a sensor (for example, a camera) changes from moment to moment depending on the running state due to geographical conditions and environmental conditions (weather conditions, etc.). Under the condition that the detectable distance is shorter than the stopping distance, there is a high possibility that collision with obstacles cannot be avoided. However, in the conventional technology, there is only a restriction that the vehicle travels at a speed equal to or lower than the preset speed limit for each section, so even if an obstacle is actually detected, there is a possibility that the vehicle cannot travel at a speed that can avoid a collision.

Therefore, a technique capable of adjusting the running speed of a railway vehicle in accordance with the maximum detection distance of an obstacle by a sensor will be described below.

(embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a rail vehicle RV of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1 , the railway vehicle RV of the present embodiment includes a travel obstacle detection sensor 10 , a position/speed sensor 20 , a speed calculation device 30 , and a drive/braking control device 40 .

The travel obstacle detection sensor 10 is an example of a device that detects an obstacle in the traveling direction of the traveling railway vehicle RV. Note that the range in which the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 detects obstacles may be limited to the track.

The position/speed sensor 20 is an example of a device that measures the position and running speed of the railway vehicle RV.

The speed calculation device 30 is a device for calculating a target speed based on the obstacle detection result and detectable distance by the travel obstacle detection sensor 10, the position of the railway vehicle RV obtained by the position/speed sensor 20, the traveling speed, and the like. An example.

The drive/braking control device 40 is an example of a device that controls the traveling speed of the railroad vehicle RV by powering, coasting, and braking based on a target speed or the like.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the speed calculation device 30 of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the speed calculation device 30 includes a maximum detectable distance calculation unit 301, a stopping distance calculation unit 302, a temporary speed limit calculation unit 303, a regular speed limit calculation unit 304, a driving pattern setting unit 305, and a target speed generation unit. 306 and a storage unit 307 . Some or all of the units 301 to 306 are realized by executing software stored in the storage unit 307 by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the railway vehicle RV.

Further, some or all of the units 301 to 306 may be realized by hardware such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc., which is a circuit board. . Also, each unit 301 to 306 may be implemented by cooperation of software executed by a processor and hardware.

The storage unit 307 includes non-volatile storage media such as ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and SD (Secure Digital) card, and volatile storage media such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and registers. Including storage media. The storage unit 307 stores various information such as programs executed by the processors of the railway vehicle RV.

The maximum detectable distance calculation unit 301 timely calculates the maximum detectable distance at which an obstacle can be detected in the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV by the travel obstacle detection sensor 10 . The travel obstacle detection sensor 10 may be of any sensor type, such as a camera image recognition sensor (photographing device), stereo camera sensor, millimeter wave radar sensor, 3D LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) sensor, or the like. Here, FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of an image captured by the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 of the embodiment. When the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 is a camera image recognition sensor, image data as shown in FIG. 3 can be obtained.

If the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 is a sensor that uses a camera image of visible light, the detection performance may deteriorate due to the sunshine environment. For example, when the sun is captured within the angle of view of the camera, halation (overexposed highlights) may occur in the camera image, or blackout may occur in areas other than the sun due to adjusting the brightness level of the entire image. . In addition, in a low-illumination environment such as at night or in a tunnel, there are cases where accurate detection can only be performed within the reach of the headlights of the railway vehicle RV. Further, weather conditions such as clouds, rain, snow, fog, temperature, humidity, wind, and tornadoes may reduce the detection performance regardless of the type of travel obstacle detection sensor 10 .

Based on these circumstances, the maximum detectable distance calculation unit 301 timely calculates the maximum detectable distance of the travel obstacle detection sensor 10 based on predetermined weather information acquired from the outside. As a method, for example, a method of analyzing the actual measurement data of the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 to calculate the maximum detection distance, or a method of measuring the sunshine conditions and environmental conditions, and measuring those conditions and the maximum detection of the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 There is a method of storing the relationship of the distance in advance as a database in the recording unit 307 and calculating it. For example, the continuity of the rail area is analyzed from the image of the railroad track using the image analysis technology of the visible light camera as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-84881 (Patent Document 2). Determine the distance and set it as the maximum detectable distance.

In addition, the growth of vegetation on the inside of the curve may reduce visibility due to temporary concealment. Although the obstacle itself does not interfere with traveling, the distance that can be detected by the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 is reduced due to the poor visibility. Also in this case, as in the technique of Patent Document 2, in the case of image analysis of a visible light camera, by analyzing the continuity of the rail area on the image, it is possible to calculate the maximum detection distance up to the divided position.

On the other hand, the detection performance may deteriorate due to a malfunction of the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 itself. In the case of an active sensor, there are cases in which a self-diagnostic function is provided for deterioration in output signal, deterioration in sensitivity due to contamination of the sensor, etc., deterioration in performance due to external noise, and the like. In that case, the maximum detectable distance calculation unit 301 calculates the maximum detectable distance based on the self-diagnosis result of the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 .

The stopping distance calculation unit 302 calculates the stopping distance when the emergency brake is applied based on the own vehicle speed obtained from the position/speed sensor 20 . At this time, the idling distance from when the emergency brake command is issued until the brakes are applied is also taken into account, and the actual vehicle weight, braking characteristics, and rail surface conditions are taken into account for the braking distance, which enables the railway vehicle RV to stop reliably. Timely calculation of the static distance.

Temporary speed limit calculator 303 calculates the upper limit of the running speed, that is, the railway A temporary speed limit, which is a vehicle speed at which the vehicle RV can be stopped by emergency braking, is calculated. During normal running, Ld>Ls, and the railroad vehicle RV is running in a state in which it is possible to detect a distance longer than the distance at which it can stop.

On the other hand, when Ld<Ls, the railway vehicle RV cannot always stop at all distances that can be detected by the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 . Therefore, a vehicle speed that can avoid contact with obstacles or reduce damage is calculated. For example, in order to avoid contact with obstacles, the speed is limited to Ld>Ls. This is timely calculated as the temporary speed limit.

However, when an obstacle approaches the railway vehicle RV, contact with the obstacle may be unavoidable even if the railway vehicle RV can be stopped at the stopping distance value Ls. If the travel obstacle detection sensor 10 can also measure the moving speed of the detected obstacle, the temporary speed limit is set smaller than usual in consideration of the relative speed of the obstacle (relative approach speed) to prevent contact damage. can also be reduced.

In addition, when the obstacle moves away from the railroad vehicle RV, the temporary speed limit can be set higher than usual in consideration of the relative speed of the obstacle (relative separation speed). Further, when the moving direction of the detected obstacle is the direction of exiting from the track, it is possible to perform control so that the temporary speed limit is not applied.

Further, when the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 can recognize the type of the detected obstacle, the temporary speed limit is calculated according to the type of the detected obstacle. If the type of obstacle is a wild animal or the like and there is a high possibility that the vehicle will evacuate with an alarm whistle or the like, for example, the temporary speed limit may not be applied. In addition, if the type of obstacle is a fire along the railway line, depending on the situation, it may be possible to reduce the damage by allowing the railway vehicle RV to pass through without stopping. good.

The regular speed limit calculation unit 304 calculates a predetermined speed limit (regular speed limit) for the section based on the position information of the own vehicle (railway vehicle RV) during normal running obtained from the position/speed sensor 20. calculate.

Further, in the case where the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 is a photographing device that photographs an area including the track in the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV, the maximum detectable distance calculation unit 301 calculates the maximum detectable distance based on the photographed image by the photographing device. calculate. For example, the detection performance of the imaging device deteriorates due to obscuration due to structures on curves (station platforms, pillars, peripheral equipment such as distribution boards, etc.) that occur according to the running position of the vehicle, and poor visibility due to uphill slopes. do. Depending on the type, position, traveling direction, etc. of the own vehicle, it is often possible to grasp in advance the deterioration of the detection performance. Reference may be made based on position information.

The travel pattern setting unit 305 calculates and sets a travel pattern representing the relationship between the position of the railway vehicle RV and the target speed based on the temporary speed limit and the regular speed limit. For example, the travel pattern setting unit 305 calculates and sets a travel pattern representing the relationship between the position of the railway vehicle RV and the target speed as a vehicle travel plan between the arrival time of the next station and the current time. For example, taking into consideration the temporary speed limit that changes from time to time, a driving pattern is generated using conventional techniques such as Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-357399 (Patent Document 3) and Japanese Patent No. 3160793 (Patent Document 4).

The target speed generator 306 generates a target speed based on the position and running pattern of the railroad vehicle RV, and transmits the target speed to the drive/brake control device 40 .

The drive/brake control device 40 compares the target speed and the actual vehicle speed by a known feedback control technique, performs compensation calculation for stabilization of the control system, determines a thrust command, and controls the thrust. give to the device. As a result, the railroad vehicle RV can travel between stations according to the travel pattern and arrive at the next station at the target time.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing by the railway vehicle operation control device 1 of the embodiment. First, in step S1, the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 detects an obstacle in the traveling direction of the traveling railway vehicle RV.

Next, in step S2, the maximum detectable distance calculator 301 calculates the maximum detectable distance at which an obstacle can be detected by the travel obstacle sensor 10 in the traveling direction of the railway vehicle RV.

Next, in step S3, the stopping distance calculation unit 302 calculates the stopping distance when the emergency brake is applied based on the own vehicle speed obtained from the position/speed sensor 20 and the like.

Next, in step S4, the temporary speed limit calculator 303 calculates a temporary speed limit at which the railway vehicle RV can be stopped by emergency braking, based on the maximum detectable distance value and the stopping distance value.

Next, in step S5, the regular speed limit calculator 304 calculates the regular speed limit based on the position information of the railway vehicle RV during normal running obtained from the position/speed sensor 20. FIG.

Next, in step S6, the travel pattern setting unit 305 calculates and sets a travel pattern representing the relationship between the position of the railway vehicle RV and the target speed based on the temporary speed limit and the regular speed limit.

Next, in step S7, the target speed generator 306 generates a target speed based on the position and running pattern of the railroad vehicle RV.

Next, in step S8, the drive/braking control device 40 controls the speed of the railway vehicle RV by powering, coasting, and braking based on the target speed.

Thus, according to the railway vehicle RV of the present embodiment, the running speed of the railway vehicle RV can be adjusted according to the maximum detection distance of the obstacle detected by the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 . In other words, safer automatic operation control of the railway vehicle RV can be performed in consideration of the timely changing detection performance of the traveling obstacle detection sensor 10 mounted on the railway vehicle RV.

Further, the maximum detectable distance can be calculated with higher accuracy based on weather information, images captured by the travel obstacle detection sensor 10, self-diagnosis results of the travel obstacle detection sensor 10, and the like.

Also, the temporary speed limit can be calculated with higher accuracy based on the moving speed and type of the obstacle.

While embodiments of the invention have been described, the embodiments are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

For example, in the above-described embodiments, the present invention is applied to speed control technology (automatic driving technology) using feedback control that causes the actual vehicle speed to follow the target speed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to a guidance device that displays a target speed on the driver's cab for the driver's reference.

Further, various calculations may be performed using not only the data of the own vehicle but also the data of other railroad vehicles traveling on the same track.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Railway vehicle operation control apparatus 10... Travel obstacle detection sensor 20... Position/speed sensor 30... Speed arithmetic unit 40... Drive/brake control apparatus 301... Maximum detection distance calculation part 302... Stopping distance calculation Part 303 Temporary speed limit calculation unit 304 Regular speed limit calculation unit 305 Driving pattern setting unit 306 Target speed generation unit 307 Storage unit

Claims (6)

A sensor that detects obstacles in the traveling direction of a running railroad vehicle;
a maximum detection distance calculation unit that calculates a maximum detection distance at which the sensor can detect the obstacle;
A stopping distance calculation unit that calculates a stopping distance when the emergency brake is applied to the railway vehicle;
a temporary speed limit calculation unit that calculates a temporary speed limit, which is a vehicle speed at which the railway vehicle can be stopped by the emergency brake at a smaller distance between the maximum detection distance and the stopping distance;
A regular speed limit calculation unit that calculates a regular speed limit according to the position of the railway vehicle during normal running;
a travel pattern setting unit that calculates and sets a travel pattern representing the relationship between the position of the railway vehicle and the target speed based on the temporary speed limit and the regular speed limit;
and a target speed generation unit that generates a target speed based on the running pattern and transmits the target speed to the control device of the railroad vehicle. 2. The railway vehicle operation control device according to claim 1, wherein said maximum detectable distance calculation unit calculates said maximum detectable distance based on predetermined weather information acquired from the outside. The sensor is a photographing device that photographs an area including the track in the traveling direction of the railway vehicle,
The railway vehicle operation control device according to claim 1, wherein said maximum detectable distance calculation unit calculates said maximum detectable distance based on an image captured by said imaging device. The railway vehicle operation control device according to claim 1, wherein said maximum detectable distance calculation unit calculates said maximum detectable distance based on a self-diagnosis result by said sensor. The sensor measures the moving speed of the detected obstacle,
The railway vehicle operation control device according to claim 1, wherein the temporary speed limit calculator calculates the temporary speed limit based on a relative speed between the railway vehicle and the obstacle. The sensor recognizes the type of the detected obstacle,
The railway vehicle operation control device according to claim 1, wherein the temporary speed limit calculator calculates the temporary speed limit according to the type of the obstacle.

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