MXPA96006367A - Method and signaling device in cab - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a cab signaling apparatus and a method for being used on board a railway vehicle driven on a set of rails separated by a traction motor. The cab signaling apparatus can reduce a noise component by some signal having a primary cabin signal component and reduce a cabin signal component within a signal having a primary noise component. The car signaling apparatus may further include an adaptive filter for canceling the noise component within the signal having a primary car signal component, without specialized tuning of the car signaling apparatus. The cockpit signaling apparatus may include a false code monitor to identify a true cockpit signal code and a track signal monitor to identify a true cockpit signal in the presence of noise.

Description

METHOD AND SIGNALING DEVICE IN CABIN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In railway transport systems it is usually desired to transmit information to a railway vehicle by the use of signaling in the cabin. The information that is to be transmitted is coded in a track signal current that is transmitted to the vehicle through the rails. When the signal signal current reaches the vehicle, the signal information can be detected and can be used on board the vehicle. A part of the information transmitted may be of such a nature that it is desirable that those on board the vehicle know it, and / or the information may be redundant to the signaling information that occurs in the side margins or gaps of the road. . However, in some cases it may be desired that the signaling information in the cabin transmits to the vehicle aspects of the track signal, such as the speed controls, which are vital for the operation of the vehicle and the road conditions that effect the operation. vehicle. For example, the signal to the car can transmit four aspects of the track signal and each aspect of the track signal can have a maximum speed associated with which the train can travel within the next block. For example, the four aspects can be "libie" "medium approach", "approach", "restriction". This information can be received by the vehicle through an antenna normally placed on the front of the front axle and which is inductively coupled to the signal stream to the car, which is on the rail in front of the front axle. The front axle tends to act as a bypass between the rails and therefore the positioning of the car signal antenna or the inductive coupling are normally carried out in close proxim but in front of the front axle. Other systems can also be used for the reception of the cockpit signals. The inductively coupled receivers can be a suitable means for receiving the cabin signal information from vehicles that are not energized by variable frequency electric motors. Variable-frequency electric drive motors, such as AC propulsion motors used in on-board locomotives, use high-current variable-frequency electric power. Variable frequency electric drive motors, with AC locomotive motors, can produce a high level of electromagnetic interference in the car signal. The cabin signal frequencies of the rail current are normally frequencies from 60 hertz to 100 hertz, although other frequencies may be used. AC drive locomotives use variable amplitude and variable frequency control techniques to drive multi-phase traction motors. These traction motors draw current in the order of magnitude of hundreds of amperes. Furthermore, in the operating speed range of the locomotive, the frequency range of the propulsion motor current varies over a wide range. At certain speeds and / or propulsion currents, the locomotor motor current will have frequency components that will be close to or equal to the cabin signal frequency. Since the locomotive operates routinely in several speed ranges, it is to be expected that the interference presented by the AC propulsion current will be present at any time during the operation with a frequency such that it is probable that there will be problems in receiving a AC track signal information. The cabin signaling frequencies have been used for many years and most of the existing equipment operates at those frequency intervals. It would not be practical to change all existing cab signal equipment to different frequencies. Similarly, in the AC locomotive propulsion equipment that is currently used, the horsepower and the ranges of speed required by the AC traction motors make it desirable to use frequencies between 50 and 100. Therefore, it is desired to have a system that allows compatibility between the cabin signaling equipment existing and current AC drive motor vehicle drive. Cancellation schemes have been constructed to reduce the effect of interference, including electromagnetic interference, on AC traction motors. These schemes are revealed in the Patent of the State; -. United of America No. 5,501,417 granted the 2b de maizo of 1996.. The apparatus disclosed in the above patent and the methods for receiving cabin signal information from the rails and realizing that that cabin signal has combined with it a certain component, which is related to the electromagnetic interference of the engine of propulsion of corresponding alteina, are mentioned in said patent. In addition to receiving the railroad car signals, these devices show a signal that is characteristic of the electromagnetic interference that is being subjected to the reception of the car signal. The interference component of the car signal can be removed or essentially reduced by subtracting the sampled signal from the received car signal. The effect is to cancel the electromagnetic interference component of the detected track car signal. It may be desired to sample a signal that is characteristic of the electromagnetic interference component but that has an opposite polarity. In this case, the sampled signal can be added to the detected car signal. The signals will tend to cancel because the polarities of the detected car signal and the noise signal are reversed. The apparatus disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,501,417 may use noise sampling devices including noise receiving coils positioned in relation to existing cab signal reception coils. The coil or noise receiving coils are placed on board the locomotive at a location where the noise sampling device "sees" mainly an interference signal and as a signal, low current of current or no current signal of rail. The flow spectrum techniques can be used to determine an optimal location for the noise sampling device. Since electromagnetic interference (EMI) can vary from vehicle to vehicle and can be difficult to predict due to variable metal structures on the edge of the rail vehicle, the optimal position of the noise sampling device can be found by adjusting the position of the noise detector in relation to the vehicle, and / or the cabin signal detection unit. Some of the modalities use a structure that allows the coils to adjust after they have been mounted on the vehicle. The optimal position, for some applications, may be that the noise detection coil is behind the front axle. Other vehicles may have the optimum position on the front of the front axle, generally perpendicular to the cab signal coil. To optimize the placement or magnitude of the detected signal in some embodiments, it may be desirable to use magnetic shunts between the cores of the respective cabin signal sensors and noise sensors. For ease of installation and determination of the zone of silence in which the noise coils cancel the noise components of the cab signal coil, it is desired that the two coils be mounted so that they can be adjusted to the angle between the Cabin signal and noise devices. The use of noise coils in addition to the signal coils provides some cancellation of the noise that comes from the track signal. However, some adjustment of the cancellation system may be necessary in each individual locomotive to fine-tune the coils to achieve the desired performance. In addition, the noise signal is normally scaled before the received track signal is subtracted. Special tuning or tuning of a conventional cab signaling device is normally required when the apparatus is installed in a locomotive to determine the appropriate scaling factor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A cabin signaling device that is used on the edge of a railway vehicle, driven on a set of separate tracks, by means of a traction motor.

The cab signaling apparatus includes a first input device that generates a first output signal with a primary component of the car signal and a secondary component of noise, and a second output device that generates a second output signal with a component secondary output signal and a secondary component of noise. The output signal apparatus according to the present invention includes an adaptive filter connected to receive those signals from the first input device and the second input device. The adaptive filter receives the first output signals and the second output signals from the first input device and the second input device. The adaptive filter preferably operates to cancel those secondary noise components from the first output signal without specialized tuning of the car signal device. The cab signaling apparatus according to the present invention further includes a demodulation connected to the adaptive filter. The demodulator receives the first output signal and retrieves a code signal from the car's primary signal component. The code signal includes aspects of the cockpit signal to assist in the operation of that rail vehicle. The cab signaling apparatus may include an intermediate pre-cancelation module to the first input device, the second device of entiada and the adaptable filtio. The pre-cancellation module reduces, preferably, the secondary component of your dent? of the first output signal and a second cabin signal component within the second output signal. The invention provides a method for reducing noise within a track signal received on board the rail vehicle. The invention further provides an apparatus and method for identifying false codes within a track signal. A false code monitor can be used inside the railway vehicle to receive a code signal from a transmitted track signal through a set of designated rails and identify a false code within that code signal of that track signal. That false code monitor preferably includes a signal conditioner for modifying the code signal received by the car signaling apparatus in order to differentiate that code signal from a car signal code. The false code monitor may additionally include an analyzer to detect a false code within that code signal and a switch to discard that code signal in response to detecting a false code therein. The invention also provides an apparatus and method for identifying a track signal within a first output signal, which includes a car signal component having the same frequency as the fundamental function of a noise component. The apparatus preferably includes a track signal monitor having a noise detector to monitor the noise component of that first output signal and a track signal generator coupled to that noise detector, to create a signal of substitute path in response to the frequency of that noise component that overlaps the track signal component and for the detection of the presence of a car signal. The track signal monitor additionally includes a phase detector for monitoring the phase of a residual signal derived from that first output signal and a logic device coupled to the phase detector for removing the substitute from the car signal in response to a signal. change in the phase of said residual signal. A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and from the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a typical cabin signal arrangement; Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the cab signaling apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a schematic view of a modality of the track signal preprocessing module, Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of the adaptive filter interposed between the processing module and the demodulator; Figure 5a is a functional block diagram of a direct adaptive filter type Recursive Least Squares; Figure 5b is a schematic of an adaptive grid-scaler type filter; Fig. 6 is a functional block diagram of the digital signal process of the cab signaling apparatus; Figure 7 is a functional block diagram of the false code monitor of the cab signaling apparatus, - Figure 8 is a block functional diagram of the track signal monitor of the cab signaling apparatus; Figure 9 is a timing diagram of the track signal process and the test signal restoration and processing functions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 shows a typical cabin signal system where a pair of rails 1, 2 form a track that can be used to carry a coded track signal with information to a railway vehicle placed on the via. The rail vehicle, like the locomotive 4, is shown moving in a right-to-left direction and the axis of the front wheel 5 is also shown. A track signal transmitter 3 is connected to rails 1 and 2 to feed a track signal current to rails 1, 2. The primary circuit path goes from the track signal transmitter 3, through the rail 1 and through the deviation provided for the wheel and axle unit 5, and returns to the track signal transmitter via rail 2. This is a typical track circuit scheme where the vehicle supplies the deflection between adjacent rails. Normally most of the track circuit current will pass through the front axle of the vehicle as it advances to the transmitter 3. Other portions of the track signal stream can go through the lost paths in the ballast, between The rails and a small portion can also go through the following wheel and axle units of the vehicle. Therefore, it may be desirable to place a first input device to receive the track signal in advance of the front axle, typically 6 to 10 inches above the rail. The track signal from the transmitter 3 is received by the first input device. The first input device may include the track signal detecting coils 7 and 8. However, as already mentioned, the signal received by the track signal receiving coils 7, 8 may be corrupted (i.e. the track signal). it may include an electomagnetic interference component especially if an AC traction motor is used to drive the locomotive 4). Therefore, a second input device, for example noise coil, 9, 10, are also provided in the locomotive 4 as shown in Figure 1. The coils of rails 9, 10 are preferably placed on the locomotive 4. to mainly receive an interference / noise signal and either a low rail current signal or no rail current signal. Some possible positions of the track signal receiving coils 7, 8 and the noise coils 9, 10 are discussed in U.S. Patent No. 5,501,417. A block diagram of a modality of the cabin signaling device mounted on the locomotive 4 and according to the present invention is shown in Figure 2. In particular, the track signal receiving coils 7, 8 and the coils 9, 10 of noise are represented by the signal receiver 12 and, as noted above, the cabin signal may be corrupted by a noise component and the noise signal may include a component of the car signal. With reference to Figure 3, a first output signal including a primary signal component of the car and a secondary component of the noise signal, and a second output signal including a primary noise component and a secondary signal component of output, are preferably sent from the signal receiver 12 via lines 30, 31, respectively, to the cancellation architecture within the preprocessing module 14, for preliminary analog processing. The preprocessing module 14 conditions the output signals received by the track signal receiving coils 7, 8 and the noise coils 9, 10. Especially, the preprocessing module 14 attempts to remove a cabin signal component from the second signal of output and a noise component placed on the first output signal. One embodiment of the preprocessing module 14 is shown in Figure 3. The preprocessing module 14 preferably develops three functions. First, subtract certain K multiples:? of the noise from the cockpit signal resulting in a new cab signal reference with a considerably reduced amount of interference. This cancellation of a first noise component from the signal received by the track signal receiving coils 7, 8 allows the apparatus according to the invention to use an adaptive filter 18 with a lower learning speed than that which would be required if preprocessing was not present. Additional methods and apparatus for noise cancellation from the cockpit signal are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,501,417. The second function of the preprocessing module 14 is to reduce the cross coupling of the cabin signal component within the noise coils 9, 10. A fundamental assumption in the use of an adaptive filter 18 is that the noise reference does not contain a signal of cabin. However, the noise coils 9, 10 receive cabin signals at a fraction (for example 30%) of the level of the track signal receiving coils 7, 8. As shown in Figure 3, the signal from the track signal receiving coils 7, 8 can be multiplied or scaled by some multiple Ks (for example 0.3) and subtracted subsequently from the signal received by the noise coils 9, 10. As a result, a noise reference is generated that is largely free of the car signal component. A third function of the preprocessing module 14 is to limit the band of the track signal and the reference noise signal through the low pass filters 40a, 40b. Band limitation is used when sampling digital data to avoid synonymous frequencies originally above the Nyquest rate. The subsequent processing can be carried out in a digital signal processing board (for example, an SBC31 digital signal processing board from Innovative Integration of Westlake Village, California). As shown in Figure 3, the cab signal (first output signal) and the noise signal (second output signal) are sent to a digital signal processor 16. The digital signal processor 16 preferably includes an adaptive filter 18, a demodulator 20, a false code monitor 22 and a track signal monitor 80. • The adaptive filter 18 is shown in Figure 4. The received car signal and the noise signal can be digitized in an analog converter. to digital 41 and applied to the high-pass filters 42a, 42b before being applied to the adaptive filter 18. The high-pass filters of the first stage 42a, 42b may be digital filters of autoregressive movement of the first order, intended to remove any DC level in the car signal or in the noise reference. The adaptive filter 18 used within the cab signaling apparatus may be selected from the known filters, including recursive least-squares filters and least-squares media filters. The adaptive filter 18 may receive a corrupted information signal (eg, first output signal including a primary signal component of the car and a secondary component of the noise signal) by line 32 from the high pass filter 42a and the signal which corrupts the information signal (for example second output signal including a primary noise signal and a secondary output signal) by line ii from the high pass filter 42b. The adaptive filter 18 attempts to remove the noise from the information signal. The use of an adaptive filter 18 provides a robust cab signaling apparatus, as long as the need to specifically tune the apparatus installed in each loco 4 is eliminated to determine the particular elevation factor? N <; for the adequate cancellation of the noise coming from the information signal. - - In particular, the adaptive filter 18 receives the signals coming from the receiver coils 7, 8 of the track signal and the noise coils 9, 10. A predictor 29 within the adaptive filter 18 estimates the noise component within the corrupted signal received by the line 32. The output of the predictor 29 is subtracted from the corrupted signal within the adaptive filter 18. The adaptive filter 18 decides how to remove the noise from the car signal to a plurality of iterations by continuously varying its spectrum characteristic to cancel the noise component generated by this railway vehicle. Therefore, the cab signaling apparatus according to the present invention is autotuned to the railway vehicle on which it is mounted and no specialized tuning is required. The adaptive filter 18 can also be a direct filter as shown in Figure 5a or a grid filter as shown in Figure 5b. Referring to Figure 5a, the filter can be used directly if several noise channels are present. The use of multiple noise references has the potential to improve cancellation if each noise reference carries different information about the specific noise that corrupts the car signal. As shown in Figure 5a, the output from the p-signal receiving coils 8 can be combined and applied to the analog-to-digital converter 41. The digital and co-current signal can be filtered in the high-pass filter 42a and applied via line 32 to the adaptive filter 18. The output from each noise coil 9, 10 can be digitized individually within the analog-to-digital converter 41 and applied to the high-pass filters 42b, 42c. The filtered noise coil signals are applied to the predictor 29 within the adaptive filter 18 by the lines 33a, 33b. The adaptive filter 18 attempts to remove any noise within the corrupted information signal by subtracting from it the output of the predictor 29. A residual signal is produced by the adaptive filter 18 and can be applied to the demodulator 20 via the line 37. Alternatively, the The grid filter shown in Figure 5b can be used, if a pre-cancellation module 14 has been implemented, to provide a simple noise reference signal from the noise coils 9, 10. The grid filter is an efficient embodiment, in computational sense, of an adaptive filter 18 that is more stable in terms of finite precision arithmetic. A residual signal generated by the adaptive filter 18 can be applied to the demodulator 20 via line 37. A detailed description of the algorithms for the adaptive filters can be found in J.G. Proakis and D.G. Manolakis, Introduction to Digital Signal Processing (McMillan Publishing 1988). The residual signal from the adaptive filter 18 is the closest approximation of the original signal from the car signal transmitter 3. The residual signal can be applied to the demodulator 20 via line 37. An adaptive filter mode 18 can have a sampling rate 1200 Hz and an RLS filter of the order of 15. In addition, the initial inverse covariance may be 0.01, the forgetting factor may be 1.0, and the restoration interval may be 2.358 seconds. The demodulator 20 is shown in Figure 6. The residual signal applied to the demodulator 20 via the line 37 can include a car signal modulated by one of a plurality of carriers (for example 60 Hz or 100 Hz). The cab signaling apparatus according to the present invention can preferably demodulate the carriers simultaneously in parallel (only one channel is shown in Figure 6). For example, the bandpass filter 44a shown in Figure 6 can pass a signal modulated by a first carrier (e.g. 60 Hz) and the bandpass filter 44b shown in Figure 8 can pass a signal modulated by a second carrier (e.g. 100 Hz) for simultaneous processing by the cab signaling apparatus. In particular, the residual signal can be applied to a plurality of bandpass filters 44a, 44b, as shown in Figures 6 and Figure 8, if more than one carrier frequency can be used. The bandpass filters 44a, 44b are finite impulse digital response filters with 200 derivations selected from the linear phase property. The spectrum of the residual signal is limited by the bandpass filters 44a, 44b to the band corresponding to the respective carrier frequency (for example 60 Hz or 100 Hz) of the car signal. The band filtered residual signal may be applied subsequently to the demodulator 20 which may include rectifiers 46 and bandpass filters 48. The rectifiers 46 and the bandpass filters 48 implement the standard envelope detection demodulation of a modulated car signal by amplitude. The demodulated residual signal or the code signal may be sent to the false code monitor 22. A false code monitor 22 may be used within the car signal device to provide additional protection against false code conditions within the code signal. False signals and codes can be detected when an environment of the carrier frequency (for example 60 Hz from the power line coupling) is combined with the noise of the AC motor whose fundamental frequency is approximately equal to the carrier frequency (for example 57 Hz, 58 Hz, 61.25 Hz, 62 Hz, 62 Hz). In particular, the given signals can be added constructively and destructively to form a coded carrier whose envelope can be interpreted as a false appearance by the decoder 26, when either of these conditions occurs in a segment of the track having the zero-cabin signal. The false code monitor 22 can identify a false code and prevent the car signaling device from passing a false signal to the decoder 26. For example, the true car door signal code and the false code can be of different waveforms. In particular, the modulated envelope can be a square wave for a true cabin signal code and a sine wave for a false code. Consequently, in this example, the difference can be observed very remarkably in the derivative of the modulated envelope because the derivative of a square wave in general has a greater magnitude than that derived from a sine wave. A mode of the false code monitor 22 is shown in detail in Figure 7. The false code monitor 22 preferably includes a cabin signal conditioner 34 for conditioning the code signal.

IM • / ii demodulated M received by this cabin signaling apparatus, in order to allow a false code to be differentiated from a suitable cabin signal code corresponding to an aspect of the signal box of the cabin signaling path from the cab signal transmitter 3. The cab signal conditioner 34 preferably includes a normalizer 50 which receives the output of the demodulator 20. The output of the demodulator is normalized allowing the false code monitor 22 to interpret signals having a variety of amplitudes in the same way. In particular, the normalizer 50 may provide a movable window and within the movable window the voltage of the signal may be divided by the square root of the average square voltage, to provide a normalized output. The cabin signal conditioner 34 may also include a first medium filter 52. The normalized output is preferably applied to a first medium filter 52 to soften the signal. The output of the first medium filter 52 is the statistical average of a given number of samples (for example 21). The use of the first medium filter 52 herein can be useful as long as the fast transitions in the signal amplitude are preserved and the edges of the square wave can be used as the discriminator between a positive cabin signal and a false code. The output from the first medium filter 52 can be applied to a shunt 54 inside the car signal conditioner 34, where the discrete derivative of the demodulated signal can be calculated. A method for calculating the discrete derivative includes subtracting the value of the measured envelope three samples before the value of the most recent sample. A delay of three samples can be used to improve the discrimination between a true code and a false code. The calculated discrete derivative can be applied to a second medium filter 56 and a low pass filter 58 inside the cabin signal conditioner 34. The second medium filter 56 is preferably an average filter of fifteen samples and the low pass filter 58 of preference is a short-time digital filter of average constant autoregressive movement. The second medium filter 56 and the low pass filter 58 help to remove the noise from the output of the shunt 54 while retaining the particularities within the output, so that the false codes and the true cab signal codes of the same can distinguish The second medium filter 56 removes the noise but retains the edges within the waveform. The low pass filter 58 removes the parasitic peaks that may remain at the outlet of the second medium filter 56. The output of the second medium filter 56 may be applied to a peak detector 60. The peak detector 60 may be provided within the signal conditioner of booth 34 to identify peaks within the derivative of the demodulated signal. The output of the cabin signal conditioner 34 can be applied to an analyzer 35. The analyzer 35 can include a first logic device, such as an amplitude and period logic 62, to search for positive peaks and negative peaks within the preselected intervals. The period and amplitude logic 62 can identify the signal as a candidate for a false code if the amplitude of the peaks are within the specified windows (for example the positive window can be from 0.015 to 0.05 and the negative window from -0.0083 to -0.046). In addition, the logic of period and amplitude 62 can monitor the periodicity of the consecutive peaks. If a negative peak is identified, the period and amplitude logic 62 monitors the length of the integer of t i or m or between the last two peaks and the amplitudes of these peaks. An analogous sequence of logical operations is performed for negative peaks when a positive peak is identified. A false code is identified in the time interval, if appropriate, for the code rates of interest and the amplitudes remain within the predefined windows. A switch 36 is preferably provided to prevent a false code from being applied to the decoder 26. The switch 36 may include an interrupt device control 64 for operating a first interrupt device 25 interposed between the demodulator 20 and the decoder 26. The period and amplitude logic 62 can operate to the first interrupting device 25 by means of the control 64 of the interrupting device, in response to the false code requirements (amplitude and periodicity) being eaten within the analyzer 35. The output of the demodulator 20 does not passes to the decoder 26 when the first interrupting device 25 is opened. The first interrupting device 25 can be closed at any other time. The output of the demodulator 20 is preferably applied to a limiter 24 and a digital-to-analog converter 68 when the first interrupting device 25 is closed. The limiter 24 ensures that the digital-to-analog converter 68 is not overloaded and the digital-to-analog converter 68 transforms the digitized output of the demodulator into an analog signal that can be read by the decoder 26. Accordingly the false code monitor 22 is used. preferably to detect a false code within a code signal from a coded carrier (eg 60 Hz modulated signal) having a modulated envelope as already discussed. It is also desired to include a track signal monitor 80 as shown in FIG. 8, to provide reliable cabin signal processing when the track signal aspects are indicated simply by the presence or absence of the carrier (for example signal from 100 Hz) and not by modulation of the carrier (eg 60 Hz modulated signal). Specifically, the track signal monitor 80 identifies false indications that may arise when the fundamental frequency of the interference is approximately the same as the carrier (or overlaps). The track signal monitor 80 is shown in detail in Figure 8. The track signal monitor 80 preferably includes a noise detector 82 to determine when the frequency of the noise component overlaps the frequency of the signal carrier L of via. A preferred embodiment of the noise detector 82 may include a harmonic filter for detecting higher harmonics (for example 500 Hz) of the interference, as an indicator of when the interference frequency overlaps the frequency of the car signal carrier (for example 100 Hz). In particular, the harmonic filter can monitor the output of the signal receiving coils 7, 8 which can be a first output signal including a primary component of the car signal and a secondary noise component. The first output signal from the track signal receiving coils 7, 8 can be applied to a band pass filter 90 within the harmonic filter. The bandpass filter 90 preferably has a pitch band centered at a harmonic of the carrier frequency (eg 500 Hz to monitor the fifth harmonic of a 100 Hz carrier). The bandpass filter output 90 can be converted to DC in a rectifier 92 and filtered in a low pass filter 94 within the harmonic filter. The output of the noise detector 82 or harmonic filter is preferably high when the frequency of the secondary noise component overlaps the frequency of the car signal carrier, and is low at any other time. The track signal monitor 80 preferably includes a second interruption device 88 that can be controlled by a logic device 86 and a second interrupt device control 85. Based on the output of the noise detector 82, the logic device 86 can be applied selectively by the second interrupt device control 85 and the second interrupt device 88, either the signal coming from the demodulator 20 to the decoded fuse? G or a substitute path signal from a track signal generator 87 to the decoder 26. The logic device 86 may couple the output of the demodulator 20 to the decoder 26, by the second interrupt device control 85 and the second interrupt device 88, for normal operation, when the output of the noise detector 82 is low (thus indicating that the fundamental frequency of the secondary noise component and the frequency of the car signal carrier do not overlap). Alternatively, the logic device 86 may couple a track signal generator 87 within the track signal monitor 80 3e to the decoder 26, by a second switch device 88 when the noise detector 82 is raised (thereby indicating that the frequency fundamental of the secondary or measured component and the frequency of the car signal carrier are overlapping). A track signal generator 87 may preferably be used to generate a substitute track signal to approximate the demodulated output when a car signal is present, as long as the adaptive filter 18 attenuates the car signal and the interference when the frequency of the interface (secondary noise component) and the frequency of the signal carrier in the car (primary component) of the car signal) overlap. In addition, the logic device 86 preferably continuously monitors the output of the demodulator 20, the logic device 86 can thus determine whether the car signals were present at the time when the output of the noise detector 82 changes from low to high. Accordingly, the logic device 86 can instruct the signal signal generator 87 to generate a substitute path signal to be applied to the decoder 26, by the limiter 24 and the digital-to-analog converter 68, if the output of the demodulator 20 was high when the noise detector 82 changed from low to high. The application of the substitute path signal to the decoder 26 by the second interruption device 88 avoids a restrictive false signal that would otherwise result from the attenuation of the car door signal of the adaptive filter 18. Alternatively, the logic device 86 can instruct to the signal generator of track 87 not to generate a substitute track signal if the output of the demodulator 20 is low, when the noise detector 82 goes from low to high. The. absence of a substitute signal coming from the signal generator of track 87, corresponds to the absence of a track signal. The logic device 86 may additionally monitor the phase of the attenuated residual signal from the adaptive filter 18 when the output of the noise detector 82 is high. The track signal monitor 80 monitors the phase of the residual signal in order to determine if the status of the car signal changes while the frequencies of the interference and the carrier overlap. In particular, the residual signal from the adaptive filter 18 can be filtered in band pass filter 44b at the appropriate carrier frequency (for example 100 Hz) and applied to a phase detector 84 which calculates the phase of the signal as a function of the entry time. The phase information may subsequently be applied to the logic device 86 within the track signal monitor 80 as shown in Figure 8. The logic device 86 may preferably detect a rapid change in the phase of the residual signal corresponding to a change in the status of the cabin signal. The rapid change in phase will indicate a change in the status of the car signal which corresponds either to a sudden loss of the car signal or to the sudden presence of a car signal. The attenuated residual signal of the adaptive filter 18 is a composite wave that includes a noise signal component and a track signal component when the carrier signal carrier and interference overlap. Accordingly, the phase of the residual signal is a combination of the phase of the noise signal and the track signal. Therefore, the phase of the attenuated residual signal from the adaptive filter will change once the state of the track signal component changes (ie appears or is removed). This phase change can be detected within the logic device 86. Alternatively, the logic device 86 can establish a reference phase corresponding to the residual signal from the adaptive filter 18 when the frequency of the secondary noise component and the frequency of the primary signal component of the car overlap. The logic device 86 can subsequently detect a change in the state of the track signal component by detecting a deviation of the phase of the residual signal from the reference phase. The logic device 86 can change the operation of the signal generator 87 in response to I 1 • / • / M 'the detection of a change in phase within the residual signal, which corresponds to a change in the state of the track signal. In particular, the track signal generator 87 will cease to generate a substitute track signal if a rapid phase change is detected while the signal signal generator 87 is generating a signal. Alternatively, the track signal generator 87 may begin to generate a DC level that indicates the presence of a car signal if a rapid change in phase is detected, while the track signal generator 87 is not generating a DC level. The logic device 86 controls the second interrupt device 88 by a second interrupt device control 85, to couple the output of the demodulator 20 to the decoder 26, in response to a change in the noise detector 82 going from high to low. The cockpit signaling device may subsequently conclude the operation as already described. The decoder 26 may be a Decoder model No. N451910-0104 which is currently manufactured by Union Switch and Signal Inc. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The decoder 26 receives the demodulated output when the first interrupting device closes and processes the car signal therein. The decoder 26 may be interfaced with a contiol of ti at 70. The train contol 70 may include a processor and / or hardware to control an LED display to indicate a suitable signal signal aspect, an audio alarm to indicate a change to a more restrictive cab signal appearance, and train brakes if a penalty application is required. The decoder 26 can perform additional test and reset functions to confirm the proper operation of the digital signal processor 16 and ensure vital operation. Referring to Figure 9, the cab signaling apparatus according to the present invention can process car signals from the car signal transmitter 3 during fixed cab signal processing periods 74. Additionally, the signaling apparatus of The booth can undergo a self-test during a test signal processing period 76. The decoder 26 sends test control commands at a given speed (for example at 3.1 seconds and every 4.7 seconds thereafter) towards the function generators 66 as shown in the timing diagram in Figure 9. The function generator 66, in response to the control command signal, generates an input signal that is digitized in the analog to digital converter 41 and filtered in the high pass filter 42. The input signal may subsequently be applied to one of the preprocessing modules 14 and the adaptive filter 18.

The decoder 26 interprets the results after the input signals from the function generators 66 have propagated through the adaptive filter 18. In particular, the decoder 26 confirms that the adaptive filter 18 is performing its intended function. A variety of components can be tested by the detector 26. In particular the low pass filters 40 can be tested to ensure that the low pass filters 40 remove the first two components that resemble 100 Hz and 60 Hz for a sampling rate of 1200 Hz , and that the track signal receiving coils 7, 8 and the noise coils 9, 10 within the signal receiver 12 can be derived. In particular, the components of the signal receiver 12 can be derived and a noise silence zone can be applied via line 33 to the predictor 29 and a sinusoidal signal 1100 Hz and 1400 Hz via the line 30 to the signal channel (within the module of preprocessing 14, if present, or directly to the adaptive filter 18) and the output of the demodulator 20 can be monitored to perform the test of the low pass filters 40 and the derivation of the components of the signal receiver 12. The test can also verify that the function generator 66 can be coupled, that the noise silence signal incapacitates the adaptation and that the demodulation is being carried properly. In i i < v ii p in particular, the components 12 of the signal receiver are derived and a noise silence space is determined. A signal, for example a 60 Hz, 100 Hz sinusoid, can be applied to the signal channel and a desired level in the decoder 26 can be detected. The false code monitor 22 can also be monitored functionally. The components of the signal receiver 12 can be derived and a certain noise silence space and a signal, for example a signal of 60 Hz and 63 Hz, can be applied to the signal channel. The demodulator 20 can then be monitored to open a first signal device. interruption 25. An open circuit within the components of the signal receiver 12 can be detected by shunting each of the components, determining a noise space of 68X15 noise, by capacitating (disabling) the high-side signal channel (low side) or the input of noise channel from the function generator 66, applying a 110 Hz sinusoidal signal to the signal channel or the noise channel and monitoring the output of the demodulator 20. The components of the signal receiver 12 can be derived and all the inputs of the The function generator 66 is disabled and the output of the decoder 26 can be monitored to test the disabling of the test signals.

The adaptive filter 18 and the preprocessing module 14 can be tested to bypass the signal receiver components 12, de-determine the noise silence space and apply a sinusoidal signal to the noise channels and simultaneously monitor the output of the demodulator 20 for the expected transient currents. The decoder 26 may additionally perform a reset function 72 wherein the adaptive filter 18 is reset to an initial state after a given period of time (ie every 2.358 seconds). The time of the reset function 72 is shown in Figure 9. The reset function 72 is desired since the adaptive filter 18 can learn to cancel the desired car signal over time, if there is a cross coupling of the cabin over the noise reference. This allows the learned error to collapse periodically. The output of the demodulator 20 can also be monitored for a transient current due to the reset function. This test verifies that a reset of the adaptive filter 18 occurs at the end of the frequency test. The function of the signal receiver 12, and of the signal receiving coils of track 7, 8 and of the noise coils 9, 10 therein, are temporarily suspended while the test and reset functions are being performed. Preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in the foregoing, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives may be made in the embodiments set forth in the light of the foregoing teachings. Accordingly, the disclosed embodiments have a meaning that is only illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention, which will be given in its broadest aspect in the following claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims (57)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, the content of the following CLAIMS is claimed as property: 1. A cabin signal device to be used on board a railway vehicle, driven on a set of separate rails, by means of a traction motor, and said driven vehicle includes a first input device that generates a first output signal with a primary signal component of the car and a secondary component of noise, and a second transmission device. an input signal that generates a second output signal with a secondary component of the car signal and a primary noise component, the car signal device comprises: a. an adaptive filter connected to receive the signals from the first input device and the second input device; b. the adaptive filter receives this first output signal and this second output signal and operates to cancel the secondary noise components from the first output signal; and c. a demodulator connected to the adaptive filter for receiving the first output signal and removing a code signal from the primary car signal component thereof, and said code signal includes aspects of the car signal to aid in the operation of the rail vehicle . The cabin signal apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a false code monitor coupled with the demodulator to distinguish a false code from a code signal and prevent the false code from passing through the signal device of the cabin. 3. The car signal device according to claim 2, wherein the false code monitor analyzes the rate of change of the code signal. The cab signal apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a track signal monitor coupled to the demodulator to identify the presence of a false-cabin signal component within the first output signal. The cab signal apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a track signal monitor coupled with the demodulator to identify the presence of a false-cabin signal component within the first output signal. The cabin signal apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a decoder connected to the demodulator and the decoder generates a signal of a track aspect corresponding to the signal of the i-i i /? / ''? rr-: code received from the demodulator. The cab signaling apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the decoder periodically resets the adaptive filter. The cabin signal apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a false code monitor coupled with the demodulator and the decoder and the false code monitor to distinguish a false code from that code signal and prevent the false code passes through the cab signaling device. The cabin signal apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a track signal monitor coupled with the demodulator and the decoder to identify the presence of a false-cabin signal component within the first output signal. The cab signal apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a track signal monitor coupled with the demodulator and the decoder to identify the presence of a false cabin signal component within the first output signal. The cabin signal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adaptive filter is a recursive least-squares filter. 12. The cabin signaling device according to claim 1, wherein the adaptive filter is a recursive least squares filter l1 i '' / 'directly. The cabin signaling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adaptive filter is a recursive least-squares grid-scaler filter. 1 . The car signal device according to claim 1, wherein the adaptive filter functions to continuously vary its spectrum characteristics in order to cancel the secondary noise components generated by the railway vehicle and in this way the car signaling apparatus is self-tuned to that rail vehicle. The cab signaling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a pre-cancellation module connected to the first input device and the second input device and the adaptive filter, - and the pre-cancellation module cancels the secondary component assembled within of the first output signal and a secondary component of the car signal within the second output signal. The cab signal apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a false code monitor coupled to the demodulator to distinguish a false code from the code signal and prevent the false code from passing through the cab signaling apparatus . 17. The cabin signaling device according to I 1 f. ' ? / 'l? .MX claim 16, wherein the false code monitor analyzes the rate of change of the code signal. The cab signal apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a track signal monitor coupled with the demodulator to identify the presence of a false-cabin signal component within the first output signal. The cab signaling apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a track signal monitor coupled to the demodulator to identify the presence of a false cabin signal component within the first output signal. The cab signal apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a decoder connected to the demodulator and the decoder generates a track-like signal corresponding to the code signal received from the demodulator. 21. The cab signaling apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the decoder periodically resets the adaptive filter. 22. The cab signal apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising a false code monitor coupled with the demodulator and the decoder and the false code monitor to distinguish a false code from the code signal and prevent the code l'l! 'i /' in "false pass through the cockpit signaling device 23. The cockpit signaling device according to claim 20, further comprising a track signal monitor coupled with the demodulator and the decoder and the monitor track signal to identify the presence of a false cabin signal component within that first output signal 24. The car signal apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a track signal monitor coupled to the demodulator and to the decoder and the track signal monitor to identify the presence of a false car signal component with the first output signal 25. The car signal device according to claim 15, wherein the adaptive filter is a recursive filter of least squares 26. The booth signal apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the adaptive filter is a recursive least squares filter directly. to the cabin according to claim 15, wherein the adaptive filter is a recursive least-squares grid-scaler filter. 28. The cab signaling apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the adaptive filter functions In order to continuously vary the spectrum characteristics in order to cancel out the secondary noise components generated by the railway vehicle, the cab signaling apparatus is self-tuned to that noise vehicle. 29. A false code monitor to be used within a cabin signaling device that is being used inside a railway vehicle, to receive a code signal from a transmitted track signal through a set of separate rails, and said false code monitor to identify a false code within the code signal, the false code monitor comprises: a. a signal conditioner for modifying the code signal received by that cabin signaling apparatus in order to differentiate the false code from the cabin signal code, -. an analyzer to detect the false code within the code signal, - and c. a switch to discard said code signal in response to the detection of the false code in it. The false code monitor according to claim 29, further comprising an interrupt device control for opening a device of Pl i ') / tc.MX interruption, interposed between an input device and a train control, inside the cab signaling apparatus, in response to the identification of the false code. 31. The false code monitor according to claim 29, wherein the signal conditioner comprises: a. a normalizer to receive the code signal and establish a reference to analyze that code signal; . a derivator connected to the normalizer to calculate a derivative of the code signal; and c. a peak detector connected to the shunt to identify peaks that correspond to the given shift rates within the code signal. 32. The false code monitor according to claim 31, wherein the analyzer includes a first logical device for comparing the peaks with the characteristics of the false code. 33. The false code monitor according to claim 32, wherein the first logical device monitors the amplitude and periodicity of those peaks. 34. The false code monitor according to claim 31, further comprising an intermediate filter interposed between the shunt and the peak detector to remove the noise within that code signal. Pl 1 / '! /' I MX 35. The false code monitor according to claim 31, further comprising an interrupt device control coupled to the first logic device for opening a first interrupt device interposed between an input device and a train control, within the cab signaling apparatus , in response to the identification of that false code. 36. The false code monitor according to claim 35, further comprising an intermediate filter interposed between the shunt and the peak detector to remove the noise within that code signal. 37. A method for reducing noise within a car signal transmitted from a car side signal transmitter or boundary to a rail vehicle, by a set of separate rails, the method comprises the steps of: a. receiving a modulated signal and a noise signal, and wherein the modulated signal and the noise signal each include a cabin signal component and a noise component, - b. reduce the noise component within the modulated signal; c. reduce the cabin signal component within the noise signal, - d. cancel the noise component inside l'l 1 / 'i /' li? MX of the modulated signal, - e. demodulate the modulated signal to generate a code signal, - and f. decode the code signal to obtain a track signal aspect from it. 38. The method according to claim 37, wherein a preprocessing module reduces the noise component within the modulated signal and reduces the cabin signal component within the noise signal. 39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the adaptive filter cancels the noise component within the modulated signal. 40. The method according to claim 37, wherein the adaptive filter cancels the noise component within the modulated signal. 41. The method according to claim 37, further comprising the following steps before step f: differentiating a false code from the code signal, and discarding that false code. 42. The method according to claim 41, wherein the preprocessing module reduces the noise component within the modulated signal and reduces the cabin signal component within the noise signal. 43. The method according to claim 42, wherein the adaptive filter cancels the noise component within the modulated signal. 44. The method according to claim 41, wherein the adaptive filter cancels the noise component within the modulated signal. 45. The method according to claim 41, wherein a false code monitor differentiates the false code from the signal code. 46. The method according to claim 41, wherein a track signal monitor differentiates the false code from the code signal. 47. The method according to claim 43, wherein a false code monitor and a track signal monitor differentiate the false code from the code signal. 48. A track signal monitor for use within a signaling device that is being used within a rail vehicle to receive a transmitted track signal through a set of separate rails and that track signal monitor to identify the track signal within a first output signal, including a track signal component and a noise component, the track signal monitor comprises: a. a noise detector to monitor the noise component of that first output signal, - b. a track signal generator coupled to the noise detector to create a substitute signal path Pl 1 /''//'"'.MX in response to the frequency of that noise component that overlaps the track signal component, - c a phase detector to monitor the phase of a residual signal derived from the first signal output, and d) a logic device coupled to the phase detector to remove that substitute car signal, in response to a change in the phase of that residual signal 49. The track signal monitor according to claim 48, wherein the noise detector includes a harmonic filter to determine when the frequency of the noise component overlaps the track signal component within the first output signal. 50. The track signal monitor according to claim 48, wherein the logic device detects changes in the phase of the residual signal. 51. The track signal monitor according to claim 48, wherein the logic device detects a phase deviation between the residual signal and a reference signal. 52. The track signal monitor according to claim 48, further comprising a second switch device coupled to the logic device and the switch device selectively coupled to the generator Pl l / l / 'l MX track signal, with a decoder used to derive a track signal aspect from that track signal. 53. The track signal monitor according to claim 48, wherein the first output signal is filtered by an adaptive filter to create the residual signal. 54. A method for processing a first output signal that includes a primary component of the car signal and a secondary component of the noise signal and that primary component of the car signal is transmitted from a transmitter, in the lateral margin or dimension, Towards the railway vehicle, by means of a set of separate rails, the method comprises the steps of: a. monitor the frequency of the noise signal component, - b. generating a substitute path signal in response to the frequency of that noise signal component which overlaps the frequency of that primary cabin signal component and the presence of the primary cabin signal component within the first output signal; c. monitor the phase of a residual signal derived from the first output signal, - d. detect a change in the phase of the residual signal that corresponds to a change in the aspect of the track signal, - and e. withdraw the substitute path signal in response to a change in the phase of that residual signal. 55. The method according to claim 54, further comprising the step, before step c, of establishing a reference phase for comparing the phase of that residual signal with it. 56. The method according to claim 54, wherein the phase of the residual signal changes rapidly in response to a change in the appearance of the track signal. 57. The method according to claim 54, which; it further comprises a step, before step a, of filtering read the first output signal to allow the detection of a harmonic of that noise component.