Patent Grant
12037034
This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of European Patent Application EP 21 290 016.1, filed Mar. 10, 2021; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a system and a method for managing guided vehicle traffic within a railway network, and more particularly at a junction point.
The present invention basically relates to the field of guided vehicles, wherein the expression “guided vehicle” refers to public transport systems such as subways, trains or train subunits, etc., as well as load transporting systems such as, for example, freight trains, for which safety is a very important factor and which are guided along a route or railway by at least one rail, in particular by two rails. More specifically, the present invention concerns safety aspects with respect to a railway network including such guided vehicles and focuses on the traffic of guided vehicles over the railway network.
Usually, the railway network is divided into different geographical areas, called regulation domains, each managed by an Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) system, the task of which is to manage the guided vehicle traffic on its assigned regulation domain according to specific regulation criteria or rules.
A typical guided vehicle management process follows the following steps:
Step 1: before any operation of a guided vehicle on an ATS system regulation domain, the ATS system managing the regulation domain receives a nominal timetable, i.e. a theoretical timetable, defining or including, for each guided vehicle having to move within its regulation domain and for a predefined time period (typically 1 day), a nominal schedule corresponding to a nominal operation (the nominal schedule might also be called a nominal “circulation”: it defines the different positions of the guided vehicle within the regulation domain as a function of the time) of the considered guided vehicle within the regulation domain and within the predefined time period, the nominal schedule defining typically an objective arrival time and an objective departure time for successive positions, e.g. stations, within the regulation domain, the successive positions defining a planned route for the guided vehicle.
Step 2: during the operation of guided vehicles on its regulation domain, the ATS system continually tracks and monitors in real time guided vehicle effective operations on its regulation domain and builds a reference timetable, i.e. a real timetable, based on the effective operations. The reference timetable represents or shows a reference schedule. The reference schedule includes a real-time schedule for each guided vehicle having moved or moving on the regulation domain of the ATS system, as well as an estimated future schedule for guided vehicles moving or going to move on the regulation domain. The real-time schedule includes typically an effective arrival time and an effective departure time for successive positions already reached by a considered guided vehicle. The estimated future schedule includes an estimated future arrival time and an estimated future departure time for successive future positions of a considered guided vehicle. In particular, the ATS system is configured for determining an estimated future schedule that takes into account an effective delay in the real-time schedule with respect to the nominal schedule. For this purpose, it is preferentially configured for automatically adding, to the objective arrival time and/or objective departure time and for all guided vehicles moving or having to move on its regulation domain within a predefined timeframe (typically 60-90 minutes), a time value determined as a function of the effective delay. For all other guided vehicles which are moving or going to move within its regulation domain but outside of the timeframe, then the estimated future arrival time and/or the estimated future departure time are taken by the ATS system as equal to the objective arrival and departure time of the nominal timetable. The real-time schedule of a guided vehicle is thus based on the real operation of the guided vehicle and may differ from the nominal schedule, while the estimated future schedule is based on estimated guided vehicle operations in a near future.
For instance, and as explained in the next steps, if a tracked guided vehicle is delayed for an effective delay in respect to its nominal schedule, then its reference schedule in the reference timetable shall be adapted. In particular, the ATS system may calculate from the effective guided vehicle operations and the nominal timetable, the estimated future arrival time and departure time for a next position of a considered guided vehicle. The estimated future arrival and departure times might be shifted towards the future with the time value typically equal to the effective delay. This impacts also part or all the following guided vehicles within the considered timeframe: their nominal schedule might have also to be shifted if the effective delay of the tracked guided vehicle leads to breaking some specific regulation criteria like temporal rules of minimal headway between consecutive guided vehicles. Therefore, within its regulation domain, the ATS is configured for rescheduling guided vehicles in real time according to information provided by traffic monitoring devices equipping its regulation domain if a response to an event, e.g. delay, requires such rescheduling.
Step 3: during the operation of guided vehicles on its regulation domain, the ATS system continually compares the reference timetable to the nominal timetable in order to detect effective delays for a guided vehicle moving within its regulation domain.
Step 4: during the operation of guided vehicles on its regulation domain, the ATS system uses a set of algorithms configured for outputting an optimized timetable, the latter including typically the estimated future arrival and departure times for the guided vehicles, modifying thus the nominal timetable while satisfying specific regulation criteria. The ATS system uses the optimized timetable for creating or updating its reference timetable. Typically, before operation of any guided vehicle, e.g. at the beginning of the day, the reference timetable and the nominal timetable are identical. Then, as the day progresses, the reference timetable will diverge from the nominal timetable in real-time due to detected effective delays and their impact on future guided vehicle schedules considered within the above-mentioned timeframe. The ATS system uses the algorithm with, as inputs, the nominal timetable and the most recently determined reference timetable, for periodically (e.g. every 3 seconds) outputting the optimized timetable. The optimization is preferentially always done within the timeframe. The optimized timetable is then used to modify/update the most recently determined reference timetable before launching another optimization cycle. The modified/updated reference timetable is finally used by the ATS system to command interlocking and guided vehicle motion on its regulation domain.
The regulation criteria used for determining an optimized timetable are for instance:
The algorithms might be configured for:
Step 5: during operation of guided vehicles on its regulation domain, the ATS system provides a guided vehicle control system (e.g. a CBTC system), if any available, with a changed dwell and/or run time.
Step 6: during the operation of guided vehicles on its regulation domain, the ATS system commands interlocking mechanisms to set routes according to the reference timetable.
One problem related to ATS systems is the management of guided vehicles at junction points. Two types of junction points might be defined:
An ATS system in charge of traffic regulation at a convergent junction point will be called hereafter “convergent junction ATS system”. An ATS system in charge of traffic regulation at a divergent junction point will be called hereafter “divergent junction ATS system”. Unless otherwise specified, the wording “junction ATS system” will refer to an ATS system including a junction point within its regulation domain, wherein the junction point might be a convergent or divergent junction point. The junction ATS system wording will thus be used for describing features common to both a convergent junction ATS system and a divergent junction ATS system.
Problems arise then when two distinct ATS systems try to handle the regulation of guided vehicle traffic at a convergent junction or at a divergent junction, as schematically illustrated by
A first problem P1 is related to the handling of traffic regulation between ATS_1, ATS_2 and ATS_3. A second problem P2 is related to the handling of traffic regulation between the ATS_3 and ATS_4. At the moment, the management of a single convergent junction or of a track section containing a convergent junction followed by a divergent junction shared between multiple ATS systems is handled by operators of the different systems implicated through radio/telephone communication. Any issues leading to a change of the timetable in respect to the order in which trains should cross the convergent junction or divergent junction must be handled manually by operators of the different ATS systems. There is thus no simple and efficient solution capable of automatically handling guided vehicle traffic regulation for a convergent junction point followed by a divergent junction point when multiple ATS systems are involved in the traffic regulation.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method and a system for managing guided vehicle traffic within a railway network, which overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known methods and systems of this general type and which improve the management of guided vehicle traffic at a junction point involving traffic regulation handled by multiple ATS systems.
In order to achieve this object, the present invention proposes notably a system and a method for managing traffic of guided vehicles within a railway network as recited in the independent claims. Other advantages of the invention are presented in dependent claims.
For an ATS system to ensure smooth guided vehicle traffic regulation at a convergent junction point it should ideally contain in its regulation domain the following railway network elements:
Similarly, for an ATS system to ensure smooth guided vehicle traffic regulation on a track section including a convergent junction point followed by a divergent junction point it should ideally contain in its regulation domain the following railway network elements:
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a system for managing traffic of guided vehicles within a railway network, the system comprising:
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a method for managing traffic of guided vehicles over a railway network, the method comprising:
The present invention thus proposes that the second ATS system determines regulation data for an area, i.e. the part, which does not belong to the regulation domain of the second ATS, but which belongs to another ATS system that is the first ATS system. Indeed, the set of regulation data sent by the second ATS system to the first ATS system will oblige the latter to apply the regulation data included within the set, even if they contradict the traffic regulation criteria of the first ATS system. The latter, on the basis of the received set of regulation data, configuration and circulation data for the first regulation domain, and its own traffic regulation criteria, will determine regulation data that satisfy a maximum number of its traffic regulation criteria, while keeping the regulation data received within the set as “fixed” or “imposed” regulation data. For this purpose and preferentially, the first ATS system includes an algorithm for regulating and optimizing the traffic flow on its regulation domain, wherein the received regulation data (i.e. that are included within the set) are used as fixed parameters (i.e. as constraints) by the algorithm, and the latter outputs an optimized timetable that is based on the received regulation data and that maximizes the number of its traffic regulation criteria that are satisfied. Together with the received regulation data, other inputs might be used by the algorithm for outputting the optimized timetable, like the reference timetable, the nominal timetable, its traffic regulation criteria, and its own current configuration and circulation data for the first regulation domain.
In order to enable the extension of the regulation domain of the second ATS system to the part, additional data have to be exchanged between the first and second ATS system compared to prior art ATS systems. For enabling the communication between the first and second ATS systems of the additional data (which are actually the configuration and circulation data and then the set of regulation data), the present invention proposes to use a functional interface configured for enabling the transmission of the configuration and circulation data as well as of the set of regulation data between the first and second ATS systems.
According to the present invention, the configuration data include information regarding the leeway of guided vehicles that are moving and/or going to move on tracks within the part of the regulation domain and/or constraints for regulating the traffic of the guided vehicles on the part of the regulation domain. Typically, the configuration data includes, for each guided vehicle moving or having to move on the track, at least one, preferentially all, of the following data:
Typically, the circulation data includes, for each guided vehicle having to move on the track, at least one, preferentially all, of the following data:
Typically, the set of regulation data includes, for each guided vehicle having to move on the track, at least one, preferentially all, of the following data:
According to the present invention, the set of regulation data do not include any data defining a position of an interlocking within the part of the first regulation domain.
The previously described extension of the regulation domain of an ATS system might be embodied for different configurations of the railway network. For instance, guided vehicles might move from the first position towards the second position (from upstream towards downstream), wherein a convergent junction point is installed at the second position and managed or controlled by the second ATS system and the part corresponds to an upstream extension of the second regulation domain of the second ATS system. In this case, the set of regulation data includes preferentially routing data, wherein the routing data includes at least the set point value for a run profile and the set point value for a dwell time. Alternately, guided vehicles are moving from the second position towards the first position (the second position being thus upstream and the first position downstream), and the railway network including at the first position a divergent junction point managed or controlled by the first ATS system, and the part corresponds to a downstream extension of the second regulation domain of the second ATS system. In this case, the set of regulation data includes preferentially a list that includes at least the time of arrival at the boundary for each guided vehicle moving on the track. These two cases will be described in more details afterwards in connection with the figures.
According to another configuration, the railway network includes at least three regulation domains, namely the first regulation domain managed by the first ATS system, the second regulation domain managed by the second ATS system, and a third regulation domain managed by a third ATS system, wherein the third regulation domain has a common boundary with the second regulation domain—let's call this common boundary the additional boundary-, and includes at least one position, called third position, located within the third regulation domain and that is connected by a track to this second position. In such a case, in addition to the extension of the regulation domain of the second ATS system to the part of the regulation domain of the first ATS system, the system according to the invention is further configured for extending the second regulation domain to an additional part, wherein the additional part extends preferentially from the additional boundary to the third position, the latter being preferentially included in the extension, e.g. from the additional boundary to the first station that a guided vehicle would cross after crossing the additional boundary when moving on the track in the third regulation domain.
In such a case, the third ATS system is configured for sending, to the second ATS system, configuration and circulation data for the additional part, and for regulating the traffic of guided vehicles on the additional part according to a set of regulation data received from the second ATS system. As previously described, the second ATS system already receives the configuration and circulation data from the first ATS system. In the present case, it will additionally receive the configuration and circulation data from the third ATS system. It will then determine from all configuration and circulation data that have been received from all directly neighboring ATS systems (i.e. notably from those sent by the first ATS system and those sent by the third ATS system) regulation data for an extended regulation domain, wherein the extended regulation domain includes this time the second regulation domain, the part, and additionally the additional part. As usual, the regulation data are determined by the second ATS system based at least on all received configuration and circulation data, and optionally its reference timetable, its nominal timetable, the configuration and circulation data, and its traffic regulation criteria. The second ATS system is then configured for sending to each of its directly neighboring ATS systems from which it received configuration and circulation data, notably in the present case to the first ATS system and to the third ATS system, their respective set of regulation data configured for regulating the traffic of guided vehicles on the area of their respective regulation domain for which the regulation data have been determined, i.e. notably a set of regulation data sent to the first ATS system for regulating the traffic on the part of the first regulation domain and a set of regulation data sent to the third ATS system for regulating the traffic on the additional part of the third regulation domain.
For instance, for this case of the second ATS system having the first and third ATS systems as neighbors, the second position may include a convergent junction point managed by the second ATS system, the first position a station managed by the first ATS system, wherein guided vehicles are moving from the station towards the convergent junction point, the track being thus an upstream branch connected to the convergent junction point, and at the third position is installed a divergent junction point managed by the third ATS system, wherein guided vehicles are moving from the second position towards the third position. In such a case, the set of regulation data sent to the first ATS system includes the routing data as previously explained and the set of regulation data sent to the third ATS system includes a list defining at least the time of arrival at the additional boundary for each guided vehicle moving on the track from the second position towards the third position.
Of course, other railway network configurations might be envisaged by the skilled person, wherein the present solution for managing the traffic of guided vehicles between two directly adjacent regulation domains managed each by an ATS system might be implemented. In particular, in
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a method and a system for managing guided vehicle traffic within a railway network, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to
An ATS system according to the invention includes a processor, a memory, and communication devices. The memory, or an external database may include a set of traffic regulation criteria, a nominal timetable, a reference timetable based on the nominal timetable, and one or several algorithms based on the traffic regulation criteria. The ATS system is configured for applying the one or several algorithms to acquired or received traffic data (typically circulation and configuration data) for continuously or periodically updating its reference timetable and determining regulation data that are then applied at least within its regulation domain for controlling the guided vehicle traffic at least within the regulation domain. As further explained below in preferred embodiments, the present invention proposes indeed that at least one ATS system, among ATS systems having respective regulation domains which share a common boundary, is configured for extending its regulation domain by acquiring or receiving traffic data for a part of the regulation domain of another ATS system among the ATS systems having regulation domains which share the common boundary, determining regulation data for the part, sending the regulation data to the another ATS system, the latter being configured for applying the received regulation data when regulating guided vehicle traffic within its regulation domain. The received regulation data have thus to be applied by the another ATS system even if it contradicts its own traffic regulation criteria. The another ATS system is preferentially configured for optimizing the guided vehicle traffic or flow within its regulation domain as a function of the received regulation data, notably by updating its reference timetable, i.e. by determining the so-called optimized timetable. For such an update, the received regulation data are considered as fixed parameters when determining updated guided vehicle circulations or flows, and the ATS system automatically determines then the optimized timetable that will maximize the number of its traffic regulation criteria that are satisfied.
According to
In the following, we will describe a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein at least one ATS system includes a junction point within its regulation domain. Indeed, one advantage of the present invention is to enable an automatic traffic flow regulation at a junction point, so that guided vehicle traffic at the junction becomes more efficient and congestion problems are minimized. The junction point is typically a place where multiple railway lines interconnect, meet, and/or cross, requiring thus a physical connection between tracks of the multiple railway lines, and wherein the traffic regulation at the junction point involves at least two different ATS systems having regulation domains which share a common boundary or border, namely a junction ATS system in charge of the junction point, i.e. configured for handling traffic regulation at the junction point, and a directly neighboring ATS system in charge of regulating traffic for at least one of the multiple railway line which extends through the common boundary and connects with the other railway lines at the junction point. The solution proposed by the present invention is notably based on a functional interface between the at least two different ATS systems.
The junction point is considered as a point (or place) connecting at least three lines, wherein at least two lines—the so-called branches—are characterized by a flow of guided vehicles having the same first motion direction with respect to the junction point—i.e. the junction point is defined as a reference point for the motion direction, which devices that the guided vehicles are moving either towards or away from the junction point, or in other words that they are either entering or leaving the junction point or area—, and wherein a single line, the so-called main line, among the three lines is characterized by a flow of guided vehicle having a second motion direction with respect to the junction point, wherein the second motion direction is opposite to the first motion direction with respect to the junction point—that is if guided vehicles moving according to the first motion direction are moving towards the junction point, then guided vehicles moving according to the second motion direction are moving away from the junction point, and vice versa for guided vehicle moving away from the junction point according to the first motion direction. In other words, guided vehicles moving on the main line are leaving the junction if guided vehicle moving on the branches are entering the junction, and vice versa.
In order to illustrate the present invention, we will describe hereafter a specific case wherein a convergent junction point is directly followed by a divergent junction point as shown in
The system according to the present invention includes preferentially a functional interface configured for providing an extension of the regulation domain of the ATS_3, in particular an upstream and/or a downstream extension of its regulation domain. For the upstream extension of its regulation domain, the functional interface is an interface between the ATS_3 and each of the upstream ATS systems that regulates traffic on a branch 11, 21, upstream the convergent junction point CP, i.e. ATS_1 and ATS_2 according to
The upstream extension configuration of the functional interface is dedicated to the management of guided vehicle traffic flows at a single convergent junction point CP and is configured for ensuring that:
The downstream extension configuration of the functional interface is dedicated to the management of guided vehicle traffic flows at a track section including a convergent junction point CP directly followed by a divergent junction point DP and is configured for ensuring that:
Advantageously, the upstream extension configuration of the functional interface enables a smooth flow of guided vehicles on the mainline ML downstream of the convergent junction point CP with respect to the flow of guided vehicles on each upstream branch 11, 21.
According to the present invention, the upstream extension configuration of the functional interface enables the ATS_3 to extend its regulation domain to a portion of each of the upstream branches 11, 21. This makes the ATS_3 capable of regulating at the same time traffic flow for a small portion of each of the upstream branches 11, 21 upstream of the convergent junction point CP and for a portion of the mainline ML downstream of the convergent junction point CP. Thanks to the upstream extension configuration of the functional interface, the ATS_3 may communicate with each upstream ATS system and exchange traffic regulation information for handling guided vehicle traffic on each portion of the upstream branches 11,21 and on the portion of the mainline ML that belong to its regulation domain.
In particular, according to the present invention and as illustrated by
According to the present invention, the configuration and circulation data which enable the ATS_3 to extend its regulation domain up to, and optionally including, the first station 10, 20 upstream of the convergent junction point CP on each upstream branch 11, 21 depend on each particular ATS system impacted by the extension and how the particular ATS system has been deployed. Preferentially, the circulation data are sent by each upstream ATS system at a predetermined frequency. Preferentially, the configuration data are sent by each upstream ATS system on an event-driven basis.
According to the present invention, the configuration data sent by an upstream ATS system ATS_1, ATS_2 to the ATS_3 include at least the following data:
Preferentially, the upstream ATS system is configured for automatically sending updated configuration data if an operator command would apply a temporal constraint to the guided vehicle, the temporal constraint impacting a motion of the guided vehicle at a position falling within the extension defined within the upstream ATS system regulation domain. For instance, a temporal constraint issued by an operator command and applying to the platform of the first upstream station 10, 20 of the considered upstream branch 11, 21 and/or applying to an interstation, i.e. portion of track, going from the platform of the first upstream station 10, 20 of the considered upstream branch 11, 21 to the boundary between the regulation domains of the considered upstream ATS system and the ATS_3 may automatically trigger the determination of the updated allowed minimum travel time, and/or of an updated minimum dwell time at the platform, and/or of an updated run profile, that is or are then automatically sent to the ATS_3.
According to the present invention, the circulation data sent by an upstream ATS system ATS_1, ATS_2 to the ATS_3 include at least the following data:
According to the present invention, the regulation data include routing data that are configured for impacting the guided vehicle traffic flow within the extended part of the extended regulation domain of the ATS_3, the extended part being a part of the regulation domain of each upstream ATS system ATS_1, ATS_2 which includes at least one upstream branch that connects with the convergent junction point CP, the regulation data, and consequently routing data, depending on each particular ATS system impacted by the extension and how the particular ATS system has been deployed.
According to the present invention, the routing data sent by the ATS_3 to each upstream ATS system ATS_1, ATS_2 include at least the following data:
Preferentially, the routing data that impact the guided vehicle motion in the extended part of the ATS_3 regulation domain are free of any setpoint value configured for defining a position of an interlocking mechanism located within the extended part. Indeed, according to the present invention, while the guided vehicle running conditions (e.g. its speed as a function of its position, a travel time between two locations of the railway network) and its dwell times might be impacted according to the previously described method, each ATS system (upstream, convergent or divergent ATS system) remains independent with respect to guided vehicle route settings (i.e. the setting of the route that will be effectively followed by the guided vehicle for reaching a specific location on the railway network) once the guided vehicle running conditions and dwell times are defined or established.
An illustration of the upstream extension configuration of the functional interface might be provided by the following scenario, based on
Trains on the upstream branch 21—let's call it branch A—regulated by the ATS_2 are on time and one train, called second train T2, is arriving at the convergent junction station 30 and another, called third train T3, is arriving at the first upstream station 20 on branch A 21.
In this scenario, the ATS_3, having received, according to the present invention, all the configuration and train circulation data from both upstream ATS systems ATS_1 and ATS_2, becomes able to take the following decisions, based on its own traffic regulation criteria:
After sending to the upstream ATS systems ATS_1 and ATS_2 their respective routing data, the ATS_1 will adapt the traffic flow of trains within its regulation domain so that the routing data it received are satisfied, and the same will apply to the ATS_2 which will adapt for instance all traffic flows upstream of the first upstream station 20 on branch A 21 taking into account the new regulation data for the third train T3. As a result, no train will inadvertently stop on the tracks between the first upstream train stations on each upstream branch 11, 21 and the convergent junction station 30.
According to the present invention, the downstream extension configuration of the functional interface is configured for enabling and securing a smooth flow of guided vehicles moving on the mainline ML downstream of the convergent junction point CP towards the divergent junction point DP by enabling a sending from the ATS_4 to the ATS_3 of detailed traffic information, i.e. guided vehicle flow information, for an area extending outside of the ATS_3 regulation domain, the area extending from the mainline ML, including preferentially at least a part of the latter, down to, and preferentially including, the divergent junction station 40, wherein the guided vehicle flow on this area is, according to prior techniques, only regulated by the ATS_4 that is a divergent junction ATS system having a common boundary with the ATS_3. The area is the extended part of the regulation domain of the ATS_3 for the downstream extension configuration of the functional interface, the extended part together with its regulation domain forming a (downstream) extended regulation domain. When the functional interface includes both the upstream and downstream extension configurations, then the regulation domain of the ATS_3 is extended upstream and downstream by respectively the upstream extended part and the downstream extended part, forming therefore an extended regulation domain including the “nominal” regulation domain of the ATS_3, the upstream extended part and the downstream extended part.
The downstream extension configuration of the functional interface enables notably the ATS_3 to extend its regulation domain to the downstream extended part which includes a portion of the main line ML, the divergent junction point DP, and preferentially also the divergent junction station 40. Thanks to the downstream extension configuration of the functional interface, the ATS_3 may communicate with the ATS_4 and exchange traffic regulation information for handling guided vehicle traffic on the downstream extended part of the railway network.
As usual, the ATS_3 is the system that determines and regulates the flow of guided vehicles, e.g. a circulation order of the guided vehicles, on the mainline ML. Thanks to the downstream extension configuration and compared to existing ATS systems, the ATS_3 is further configured for:
According to the present invention, the configuration and circulation data which enables the ATS_3 to extend its regulation domain down to, and optionally including, the divergent junction station 40 depend on each particular ATS system impacted by the extension and how the particular ATS system has been deployed. Preferentially, the circulation data are sent by the ATS_4 at a predetermined frequency. Preferentially, the configuration data are sent by the ATS_4 on an event-driven basis, e.g. in case of a temporal constraint impacting the traffic on an extension.
According to the present invention, the configuration data sent by the ATS_4 to the ATS_3 include at least the following data:
Preferentially, the downstream ATS system ATS_4 is configured for automatically sending updated configuration data if an operator command would apply a temporal constraint to the guided vehicle, the temporal constraint impacting a motion of the guided vehicle at a position falling within the extension defined within the downstream ATS system regulation domain. For instance, a temporal constraint issued by operator command and applying to the platform of the divergent junction station 40 and/or applying to an interstation going from the boundary between the regulation domains of the ATS_3 and ATS_4 to the platform of the divergent junction station 40 may automatically trigger the determination of the updated allowed minimum travel time, and/or of an updated minimum dwell time at the platform, and/or of an updated run profile, that is or are then automatically sent to the ATS_3 by the ATS_4.
According to the present invention, the circulation data sent by the divergent junction ATS system ATS_4 to the ATS_3 include at least the following data:
According to the present invention, the regulation data may include the routing data and/or the list. The list is preferentially sent within the regulation data in the case of the downstream extension and the routing data are preferentially sent in the case of the upstream extension. The list includes the order according to which guided vehicles have to cross the boundary between the regulation domain of the ATS_4 and the regulation domain of the ATS_3, i.e. it defines which guided vehicle is the first to cross the boundary, then which one is in second position, which one in third position, etc., and according to which time.
Preferentially, the list sent by the ATS_3 to the ATS_4 includes:
An illustration of the downstream extension configuration of the functional interface might be provided by the following scenario, based on
In this scenario, the ATS_3, having received, according to the present invention, all the configuration and train circulation data from the downstream ATS system ATS_4, becomes able to take the following decisions, based on its own traffic regulation criteria:
This process will be repeated for all trains having a route which goes from branch B 11 towards branch D 41 as long as the third train T3 on branch C 42 is blocked at the platform of the divergent junction station 40. As a result, no train on branch A 21 will inadvertently stop on the tracks of the mainline ML between the convergent junction station 30 and the divergent junction station 40. Furthermore, the traffic congestion problem for trains moving from branch A 21 to branch C 42 will never delay trains moving from branch B 11 towards branch D 41.
In conclusion, the present invention provides an automatic regulation of the flow of guided vehicles between consecutive ATS systems when an incident or event occurs and requires an update of guided vehicle circulations/schedules. This invention thus considerably reduces the workload of operators of ATS systems in stressing situations resulting from incidents or events impacting train traffic around junction points. Among the main advantages of the present invention, there are notably ensuring a smooth guided vehicle traffic on the mainline ML downstream of the junction point and automatically adjusting guided vehicle traffic on any of the branches upstream of the junction point.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21290016 | Mar 2021 | EP | regional |
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| 7512481 | Julich | Mar 2009 | B2 |
| 9744981 | Niinomi et al. | Aug 2017 | B2 |
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| 103264714 | Aug 2015 | CN |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220289259 A1 | Sep 2022 | US |
