An automatic turnout method, system, and computing mechanism

Abstract

This invention provides an automatic turnout method and system. The automatic turnout method includes: an interlocking system setting the attribute of a turnout deviating from its normal position as an automatic turnout attribute; determining whether the turnout with the automatic turnout attribute meets the conditions for turnout operation; after the turnout with the automatic turnout attribute meets the conditions for turnout operation, the interlocking system starts a delay countdown for automatic turnout, and continuously determines whether the turnout with the automatic turnout attribute meets the conditions for turnout operation within the delay countdown; when the delay countdown for automatic turnout ends and the turnout still meets the conditions for turnout operation, the interlocking system controls the turnout to complete the turnout operation. This invention improves the automation level in the rail transit field, reduces the workload of operators, and ensures the safety and reliability of the automatic turnout system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of rail transit technology, and in particular to an automatic turning method, system and computing mechanism for a turnout. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with the development of my country's rail transit industry, various complex operational scenarios are emerging. For specific operational scenarios, signaling systems are required to provide measures to reduce manual intervention and improve system automation efficiency. In certain scenarios, it is necessary to be able to set switches to a designated position under normal conditions. For example, in national railway stations with safety lines, switches should normally be continuously open to the safety line to ensure operational safety if the train cannot stop completely due to unforeseen circumstances.

[0003] In rail transit signaling systems, turnout control is generally achieved through interlocking systems. Currently, for turnouts continuously moving in a specific direction, when the turnout is in the opposite position and not locked, a turnout alarm is typically set to remind on-duty personnel to perform turnout operations. While this method provides timely alerts to on-duty personnel, under heavy operational pressure, they may not be able to respond to the alarm and operate the turnout in a timely manner. Therefore, to address the shortcomings of the current method, a safe and reliable approach is proposed that can detect when a turnout is not locked and automatically reverse the turnout operation when the necessary conditions are met. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic turnout method, system, and computing mechanism for turnouts, which improves the level of automation in the rail transit field, reduces the workload of operators, and ensures the safety and reliability of the automatic turnout system.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, the present invention provides an automatic turnout method, comprising:

[0006] The interlocking system sets the attribute of turnouts that deviate from their normal position to automatic slewing attribute, and determines whether the turnouts with automatic slewing attribute meet the conditions for turnout operation.

[0007] After a turnout with automatic slewing attribute meets the conditions for turnout operation, the interlocking system starts the delay countdown for automatic turnout and continuously judges whether the turnout with automatic slewing attribute meets the conditions for turnout operation within the delay countdown.

[0008] When the countdown for the automatic turnout rotation ends and the turnout still meets the conditions for operation, the interlocking system controls the turnout to complete the rotation.

[0009] Optionally, the turnout's positioning position is set to the normal position, and the interlocking system sets the attribute of the turnout in the reverse position to automatic rotation; or, the turnout's reverse position is set to the normal position, and the interlocking system sets the attribute of the turnout in the positioning position to automatic rotation. Optionally, the turnout rotating to the reverse position includes at least the following situations:

[0010] The turnout needs to be in the reverse position due to the requirements of the train's route;

[0011] The turnout needs to be moved to the reverse position separately for track debugging.

[0012] Because the train passes through the positioning position of one set of single-action turnouts of the Y-type turnout, it is necessary to operate and lock the other set of double-action turnouts of the Y-type turnout to the reverse position.

[0013] Optionally, the conditions for the turnout to operate include: the turnout is not in a blocked state and the turnout is not in a single-lock state, and the turnout is not in a locked state, and the turnout has not received an operation command to the positioning position or is in the process of positioning operation.

[0014] Optionally, the situations in which the turnout is not in a locked state include: the turnout is not in a route-locked state in the reverse position, the track section where the turnout is located is not occupied, the turnout is not protected and locked, the turnout is not deadlocked or non-route locked, and in urban rail projects, the turnout is not continuously protected and locked.

[0015] Optionally, the method by which the interlocking system determines whether the turnout meets the conditions for turnout operation includes:

[0016] If the conditions for any turnout to operate are not met, the interlocking system will continuously determine whether the conditions for turnout operation are met in each operation cycle until the turnout meets the conditions for turnout operation.

[0017] The operation cycle of the interlocking system is the time required for the interlocking system to complete a condition check for one turnout operation.

[0018] Optionally, the method by which the interlocking system continuously determines whether a turnout with automatic turning attribute meets the conditions for turnout operation within the countdown delay of the turnout automatic turning includes:

[0019] If the turnout meets the conditions for turnout action during the countdown delay of the turnout's automatic turn, the interlocking system will send the condition check information for turnout action during the operation cycle of this interlocking system to the monitoring system and the dispatching system.

[0020] If, during the countdown delay of the automatic turnout, the turnout does not meet the conditions for turnout operation in one interlocking cycle, the interlocking system will immediately stop the countdown delay of the automatic turnout and end the automatic turnout process.

[0021] The prompt information is used to reflect whether the turnout meets the conditions for turnout operation during the operation cycle of this interlocking system.

[0022] Optionally, the method by which the interlocking system controls the turnout to complete the slewing action includes:

[0023] After the automatic turnout delay countdown ends and the interlocking system checks that the turnout still meets the conditions for turnout operation, the interlocking system will send a turnout movement command to the positioning position to the turnout control machine that controls the turnout rotation, and keep the turnout movement command continuously valid.

[0024] Optionally, it also includes: obtaining the turnout through the interlocking system to complete the slewing action;

[0025] The methods for obtaining information about the turnout's rotation through the interlocking system include:

[0026] A maximum operating time is set in the interlocking system, where the maximum operating time is the maximum duration of continuous operation of the turnout.

[0027] When the interlocking system sends a turnout command, it will start the countdown of the maximum action time, which starts counting from the time the turnout machine executes the turnout command.

[0028] When the maximum action time is reached and the turnout machine is executing the turnout command normally, the interlocking system will send the turnout indication information to the monitoring system and the dispatching system, and cause the monitoring system and the dispatching system to simultaneously display the countdown of the maximum action time.

[0029] If the interlocking system collects the turnout's indication information as positioning information within the maximum operating time, the turnout will automatically rotate. At this time, the interlocking system will send the turnout's positioning information to the monitoring system and the dispatching system, and stop the countdown of the maximum operating time displayed synchronously by the monitoring system and the dispatching system.

[0030] Alternatively, the method for obtaining information about the turnout's completion of its rotation through the interlocking system also includes:

[0031] When the maximum action time is exceeded and the interlocking system fails to collect the position indication information of the turnout, the interlocking system will immediately stop the countdown of the maximum action time.

[0032] If the turnout is re-executed within the maximum operating time, the interlocking system will restart the countdown of the maximum operating time.

[0033] If the turnout cannot execute the turnout command after the countdown of the maximum action time has ended, the interlocking system will stop maintaining the validity of the turnout command and stop the monitoring system and dispatching system from synchronously displaying the countdown of the maximum action time. At the same time, after the interlocking system detects that the turnout is in a malfunctioning state, the interlocking system will start the countdown of the alarm delay and send an alarm message to the monitoring system and dispatching system after the countdown of the alarm delay has ended to remind the operators to handle the situation.

[0034] The alarm information is used to reflect that the turnout is out of order.

[0035] Secondly, the present invention also provides a computing mechanism comprising a processor and a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions that can be executed by the processor, and the processor executes the computer-executable instructions to implement the above-described automatic turnout method for turnouts.

[0036] Thirdly, the present invention also provides an automatic turnout system for railway switches, comprising:

[0037] A turnout is a switch placed between different tracks;

[0038] A turnout switch is installed at one end of the turnout; the turnout switch is equipped with a sensor, which determines whether the turnout is in close contact, and thus obtains the turnout's indication information.

[0039] The monitoring system is used to monitor the turnout operation process in real time.

[0040] The dispatching system is used to control the rotation of turnouts;

[0041] The interlocking system includes: a control console and the aforementioned computing mechanism; the control console is used for human-machine interaction; the computing mechanism transmits signals with the monitoring system and the dispatching system, receives turnout dispatching commands sent by the dispatching system, and sends prompt and alarm information to the dispatching system and the monitoring system; the computing mechanism transmits signals with the turnout switching machine, receives turnout indication information sent by the turnout switching machine, and can send turnout movement commands to the turnout switching machine to realize the aforementioned automatic turnout rotation method.

[0042] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0043] The automatic turnout rotation method of the present invention can automatically control the turnout machine to rotate the turnout by judging whether the turnout meets the conditions for turnout operation, so that the turnout can automatically rotate to the designated position. The logic operation of the automatic turnout rotation process is completely implemented by the interlocking system without manual intervention, which improves the automation level in the rail transit field and reduces the workload of operators.

[0044] In the automatic turnout method of the present invention, the automatic turnout attribute of the turnout can be set as needed. The interlocking system can determine whether the turnout meets the conditions for turning out (i.e. the conditions for the turnout to operate) based on the automatic turnout attribute, making the automatic turnout method of the present invention more flexible in practical applications.

[0045] In the automatic turnout method of the present invention, a delay countdown for automatic turnout can be set according to project needs, so that the turnout will execute the turnout command after the delay countdown ends, and complete the turnout action. This prevents the turnout from automatically turning back immediately after being operated to the reverse position, thus preventing the train from passing through the turnout normally and ensuring the reliability of the automatic turnout system.

[0046] The automatic slewing method of the present invention sets a maximum action time and an alarm delay to prevent the risk of motor damage caused by the turnout machine still executing the turnout command when the turnout cannot be slew to the correct position (i.e., slew to the positioning position) due to some reason. This ensures the safety of the automatic slewing system of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0047] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a track with turnouts.

[0048] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the automatic turnout method of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the logic operation of the automatic turnout method of the present invention.

[0050] In the diagram, AB is the turnout, 1 is the train, and S1 is the signal. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0052] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0053] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0054] For train tracks with switches, when a switch deviates from its normal or safe position for any reason, it needs to be promptly adjusted back to its normal or safe position to ensure train safety. For example... Figure 1 As shown, a safety line is provided parallel to the first track where train 1 travels, allowing train 1 to enter a route prepared for other trains. To ensure the safety of train 1, the position of turnout AB when train 1 passes through it and approaches the safety line is set to the normal position (or safe position), i.e., the positioning position, while the position of turnout AB when train 1 passes through it and continues traveling in the original direction is set to the reverse position. A signal S1 is provided at one end of the safety line. When train 1 is initially located outside signal S1 (i.e.,...), the safety line is activated. Figure 1 (Right side of signal S1), and when the route section begins at signal S1 and passes through the reverse position of turnout AB (i.e., the process of train 1 traveling from signal S1 on the safety line to the first track), the interlocking system operates turnout AB to the reverse position and locks turnout AB until train 1 sequentially occupies the route section and passes turnout AB, at which point turnout AB is unlocked and operated back to the correct position. In existing technology, the position of the turnout needs to be manually operated, which consumes a lot of manpower and results in untimely response.

[0055] This invention provides an automatic turnout system for realizing the automatic rotation of turnouts. The automatic turnout system includes: an interlocking system, a monitoring system, a dispatching system, a turnout, and a turn-off / reversing mechanism. The turnout is installed between different tracks and can change the direction of train travel. The turn-off / reversing mechanism is located at one end of the turnout and is used to operate the turnout to the correct or reverse position; the turn-off / reversing mechanism is equipped with sensors to determine whether the turnout is properly engaged, thereby obtaining the turnout's indication information. The monitoring system is used to monitor the turnout rotation process in real time and promptly alert operators to handle any abnormal situations. The dispatching system can send turnout dispatching commands to control the rotation of the turnout. The interlocking system includes a control console and a computing mechanism. The control console, a host computer (MMI), is used for human-machine interaction, displaying the real-time operating status of the turnouts and allowing manual operation of their positions. The computing mechanism, a slave computer, transmits signals with the monitoring and dispatching systems. It receives turnout dispatching commands from the dispatching system and sends prompts and alarms to the dispatching and monitoring systems to update the turnout operating status and provide timely feedback to the operators. The computing mechanism also transmits signals with the turnout control mechanism, receiving turnout indication information from it, thus enabling the interlocking system to collect turnout indication information. Furthermore, the computing mechanism can send turnout control commands to the turnout control mechanism, controlling it to execute these commands and achieve turnout rotation. Finally, the computing mechanism transmits signals with the control console, receiving manual operation instructions to allow manual control of the turnouts.

[0056] The indicated information is used to indicate whether the turnout is in the reverse or normal position, and includes: normal position indicated information and reverse position indicated information. The normal position indicated that the turnout is in the normal position, and the reverse position indicated that the turnout is in the reverse position. Both the normal position indicated information and the reverse position indicated information are binary variables, which can represent three states of the turnout: when the normal position indicated information is 1 and the reverse position indicated information is 0, it indicates that the turnout is in the normal position; when the reverse position indicated information is 1 and the normal position indicated information is 0, it indicates that the turnout is in the reverse position; when both the normal position indicated information and the reverse position indicated information are 0, it indicates that the turnout is out of position.

[0057] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, this invention provides an automatic turnout rotation method, implemented using the aforementioned computing mechanism. By setting an automatic rotation countdown, the turnout can automatically rotate to the positioning position after AB is in the reverse position, reducing manual operation and improving the reliability and safety of turnout operation. The automatic rotation method includes:

[0058] Step S1: Determine whether the turnout meets the automatic turn-around check conditions.

[0059] Step S11: Set the automatic slewing attribute of the turnout so that the turnout can enable the automatic slewing function.

[0060] As required by the project, the automatic slewing indicator (ICON) of the turnout is set through the interlocking system to enable the turnout to have an automatic slewing function.

[0061] During the automatic slewing process of the turnout, the interlocking system identifies whether the turnout has an automatic slewing indicator (ICON). For turnouts with an automatic slewing indicator, the automatic slewing attribute can be set.

[0062] The interlocking system sets the attribute of turnouts deviating from their normal position to an automatic slewing attribute. Depending on project needs, the automatic slewing attribute of the turnout in the normal or reverse position can be set via the interlocking system's computing mechanism (i.e., the lower-level machine). Simultaneously, the interlocking system's computing mechanism collects the turnout's indication information to determine whether it is in the normal or reverse position, and thus determines whether to activate the automatic slewing function. Typically, the turnout's normal position is set. Therefore, the interlocking system is used to set the automatic slewing attribute of the turnout in the reverse position. If the turnout is in the reverse position, the automatic slewing function is activated, and it automatically slew from the reverse position to the normal position, executing step S12. No operation is performed when the turnout is in the normal position.

[0063] In another embodiment, the reverse position of the turnout can be set to the normal position as needed. The automatic rotation attribute of the turnout in the positioning position can be set by the calculation mechanism of the interlocking system. If the turnout is in the positioning position, the automatic rotation function is activated, so that the turnout automatically rotates from the positioning position to the reverse position.

[0064] The automatic slewing attribute includes a delay countdown T_YS for automatic turnout, which is used to keep the turnout in its original position for a period of time before it automatically turns back.

[0065] Step S12: The interlocking system is used to determine whether the turnout positioning operation meets the conditions for turnout operation.

[0066] The interlocking system's processing mechanism receives and collects the turnout's indication information and determines whether the turnout is in the reverse position based on this information. When a turnout rotates to the reverse position for any reason, the interlocking system receives the reverse position indication information sent by the turnout, simultaneously activating the turnout's automatic slewing function and performing a condition check for turnout operation. The situations that cause a turnout to rotate to the reverse position include at least: the train's route requirements necessitate the turnout being in the reverse position; track debugging requires the turnout to be operated independently to the reverse position; in urban rail projects, Y-type turnouts (i.e., double-acting turnouts) are typically used in combination with a set of double-acting turnouts and a set of single-acting turnouts, allowing trains to enter either direction from the main line. When a train route passes through the positioning position of a set of single-acting turnouts of the Y-type turnout, the double-acting turnout must be protectively operated and locked to the reverse position.

[0067] Specifically, the interlocking system's processing unit receives the turnout's indication information (i.e., reverse position indication information) and the turnout dispatching command sent by the dispatching system (CTC / ATS), confirms that the turnout has been authorized to perform a slewing operation, and begins to determine whether the turnout meets the conditions for the turnout's action (i.e., the turnout movement condition). The turnout dispatching command indicates that the dispatching system permits the turnout to be operated to its designated position.

[0068] The conditions for the turnout to operate include: the turnout is not in a blocked state and not in a single-locked state, and the turnout is not in a locked state, and the turnout has not received an operation command to the positioning position or is in the process of positioning. When the interlocking system determines that the turnout meets the above conditions for turnout operation, it indicates that the turnout has reached the requirement to perform a slewing operation, and executes step S2 to start the delay countdown T_YS for automatic turnout of the turnout; when any condition for turnout operation is not met, the current operation cycle of the interlocking system ends (i.e., if...). Figure 3 As shown, the time for the interlocking system to complete the condition check for one turnout action is as follows, and in each subsequent operation cycle of the interlocking system, it continuously judges whether the turnout meets the conditions for turnout action until the conditions for turnout action are met.

[0069] Specifically, the blocking state of a turnout means that trains are prohibited from approaching the turnout, and only individual operation is permitted; the single-locking state of a turnout means that the turnout is manually locked in a designated position; and the locked state of a turnout means that operation of the turnout in any form is prohibited. See the "Computer Interlocking Technical Conditions".

[0070] Furthermore, the situations in which the turnout is not in a locked state include: the turnout is not in a reverse position route locked state, the track section where the turnout is located is not occupied, the turnout is not protected and locked, the turnout is not deadlocked or non-route locked, and in urban rail projects, the turnout is not continuously protected (overlap) locked.

[0071] Step S2: The delay countdown for the automatic turnout of the turnout is performed through the interlocking system.

[0072] After the interlocking system determines that the turnout operation meets the conditions for turnout action, it initiates a countdown timer T_YS for automatic turnout. During this time, the turnout remains in its original position, and the interlocking system continuously checks the conditions for turnout action during the countdown. The automatic turnout countdown can be set according to project needs to prevent the turnout from automatically turning back immediately after being moved to the reverse position, thus preventing it from remaining in the reverse position to meet the needs of normal train operation or track adjustment by operators.

[0073] The interlocking system will complete the condition check for turnout operation in each operation cycle of the interlocking system during the delay countdown T_YS process of the turnout automatic rotation, and determine whether the turnout meets the conditions for turnout operation in the operation cycle of the interlocking system.

[0074] When the turnout meets the conditions for turnout operation during one interlocking system operation cycle of the automatic turnout countdown T_YS process, the interlocking system will send a prompt message regarding the condition check for turnout operation during its operation cycle to the monitoring system and the dispatching system. This prompt message reflects whether the turnout meets the conditions for turnout operation during the operation cycle of the interlocking system, thus informing the operator of the result of the condition check for turnout operation during each interlocking system operation cycle of the automatic turnout countdown T_YS.

[0075] Furthermore, if the turnout meets the conditions for turnout operation in each interlocking cycle during the automatic turnout countdown T_YS process (i.e., the operator does not send other operation commands to the turnout within the automatic turnout countdown T_YS), then the number of times the interlocking system sends the prompt message is the same as the number of interlocking system cycles included in the automatic turnout countdown T_YS process. The prompt message will continue to be sent until the automatic turnout countdown T_YS ends, and the interlocking system will execute step S3 to send a turnout operation command to the turnout / removal machine.

[0076] If, during the countdown delay of the automatic turnout, the turnout does not meet the conditions for turnout operation in one interlocking cycle, the interlocking system will immediately stop the countdown delay T_YS of the automatic turnout and end the automatic turnout process (i.e., disable the automatic turnout function of the turnout).

[0077] In step S3, the interlocking system sends a turnout command to the turnout machine, driving the turnout to rotate back to the positioning position.

[0078] After the automatic turnout rotation delay countdown ends and the interlocking system checks that the turnout still meets the conditions for turnout operation, the interlocking system will send a turnout command to the turnout control machine that controls the turnout rotation to the positioning position, controlling the turnout to complete the turnout rotation from the reverse position to the positioning position.

[0079] At this time, the interlocking system should keep the turnout command valid so that it can drive the turnout to the positioning position.

[0080] Step S4: The interlocking system collects the turnout's indication information and reports back the status of the turnout's execution of the turnout command.

[0081] The interlocking system is configured with a maximum operating time T_DCQD and an alarm delay T_JC. The maximum operating time T_DCQD is the maximum duration of continuous turnout operation, used to reflect whether the turnout can complete its rotation normally. The alarm delay T_JC is the reliable time for the interlocking system to collect turnout indication information. Both the maximum operating time T_DCQD and the alarm delay T_JC are determined by the model of the turnout / removal machine.

[0082] When the interlocking system sends a turnout command, it will start the countdown to the maximum action time and continuously send turnout indication information to the monitoring system and the dispatching system. At this time, the interlocking system sends turnout indication information to the monitoring system and the dispatching system and synchronizes the countdown to the maximum action time.

[0083] Specifically, when the interlocking system starts the countdown for the maximum action time T_DCQD, the countdown begins from the moment the turnout machine executes the turnout command. Within the maximum action time T_DCQD, and when the turnout machine normally executes the turnout command, the interlocking system sends the turnout's indication information to the monitoring and dispatching systems, and simultaneously displays the countdown for the maximum action time T_DCQD. At this time, if the interlocking system detects a turnout positioning indication of 1 and a reverse positioning indication of 0 within the maximum action time T_DCQD, it indicates that the turnout has returned to its positioning position, meaning the turnout has completed its automatic return. The interlocking system then sends the turnout's current indication information (i.e., positioning indication information) to the monitoring and dispatching systems and stops the countdown for the maximum action time T_DCQD simultaneously displayed by the monitoring and dispatching systems, indicating that the turnout has completed its automatic return process.

[0084] When the maximum operating time T_DCQD is exceeded and the interlocking system fails to collect the turnout's positioning information, it indicates that the switch machine has stopped working due to a fault, and the interlocking system immediately stops the countdown of the maximum operating time T_DCQD. At this time, if the switch machine re-executes the turnout command within the maximum operating time T_DCQD, the interlocking system will restart the countdown of the maximum operating time T_DCQD. If the switch machine still cannot execute the turnout command after the countdown of the maximum operating time T_DCQD ends, in order to protect the outdoor switch machine from damage due to prolonged continuous operation, the interlocking system will stop maintaining the validity of the turnout command and stop the monitoring system and dispatching system from synchronously displaying the countdown of the maximum operating time T_DCQD. At the same time, when the interlocking system detects that the turnout is in a state of malfunction, the interlocking system will start the countdown of the alarm delay T_JC and send an alarm message to the monitoring system and dispatching system after the countdown of the alarm delay T_JC ends. The alarm message is used to reflect that the turnout is in a state of malfunction (i.e., a derailed state) to remind the operators to handle the situation.

[0085] Among the situations where the turnout fails to meet the conditions for operation after the interlocking system sends a turnout command, the following situations occur: the turnout is not in the correct position due to improper operation, resulting in a malfunction where the turnout is neither in the reverse position nor the correct position. In this case, the interlocking system will not trigger the automatic slewing function to prevent damage to the turnout caused by repeated triggering of the automatic slewing function when the turnout cannot be operated normally due to a malfunction.

[0086] Furthermore, this invention also provides a computing mechanism comprising a processor and a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions that can be executed by the processor, which executes the computer-executable instructions to implement the aforementioned automatic turnout method. In summary, this invention uses an interlocking system to determine whether the turnout meets the conditions for turnout operation, and utilizes a delay countdown for automatic turnout operation to allow the turnout to remain in its original position for a period of time before performing the turnout operation. It also automatically controls the turnout retraction machine to perform the turnout operation, enabling the turnout to automatically turn back to the designated positioning position. This achieves automatic turnout of the turnout while ensuring normal train passage or single-operation of the turnout, improving the automation level in the rail transit field and reducing the workload of operators. Simultaneously, this invention uses an interlocking system to set a maximum action time and alarm delay to prevent damage to the turnout retraction machine's motor, ensuring the safety and reliability of the automatic turnout system.

[0087] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the preferred embodiments above, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. Various modifications and substitutions to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above description. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automatic turning method for a turnout, characterized in that, Include: The interlocking system sets the attribute of a turnout that deviates from its normal position to an automatic slewing attribute, and determines whether the turnout with the automatic slewing attribute meets the conditions for turnout operation. Specifically, the system sets the turnout's positioning position to the normal position, and sets the attribute of a turnout in the reverse position to an automatic slewing attribute; or, the system sets the turnout's reverse position to the normal position, and sets the attribute of a turnout in the positioning position to an automatic slewing attribute. The conditions for turnout operation include: the turnout is not in a blocked state and the turnout is not in a single-lock state, and the turnout is not in a locked state, and the turnout has not received an operation command to the positioning position or is in the process of positioning. After a turnout with automatic slewing attribute meets the conditions for turnout operation, the interlocking system starts the delay countdown for automatic turnout and continuously judges whether the turnout with automatic slewing attribute meets the conditions for turnout operation within the delay countdown. When the countdown for the automatic turnout rotation ends and the turnout still meets the conditions for operation, the interlocking system controls the turnout to complete the rotation.

2. The automatic turnout rotation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conditions under which a turnout rotates to the reverse position include at least the following: The turnout needs to be in the reverse position due to the requirements of the train's route. The turnout needs to be moved to the reverse position separately for track debugging. Because the train passes through the positioning position of one set of single-action turnouts of the Y-type turnout, it is necessary to operate and lock the other set of double-action turnouts of the Y-type turnout to the reverse position.

3. The automatic turnout method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The situations in which the turnout is not in a locked state include: the turnout is not in a reverse position route locked state, the track section where the turnout is located is not occupied, the turnout is not protected locked, the turnout is not deadlocked or non-route locked, and in urban rail projects, the turnout is not continuously protected locked.

4. The automatic turnout method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The interlocking system uses the following methods to determine whether a turnout meets the conditions for turnout operation: If the conditions for any turnout to operate are not met, the interlocking system will continuously determine whether the conditions for turnout operation are met in each operation cycle until the turnout meets the conditions for turnout operation. The operation cycle of the interlocking system is the time required for the interlocking system to complete a condition check for one turnout operation.

5. The automatic turnout rotation method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method by which the interlocking system continuously determines whether a turnout with automatic turnout attribute meets the conditions for turnout operation within the countdown delay of the turnout automatic turnout includes: If the turnout meets the conditions for turnout action during the countdown delay of the turnout's automatic turn, the interlocking system will send the condition check information for turnout action during the operation cycle of this interlocking system to the monitoring system and the dispatching system. If, during the countdown delay of the automatic turnout, the turnout does not meet the conditions for turnout operation in one interlocking cycle, the interlocking system will immediately stop the countdown delay of the automatic turnout and end the automatic turnout process. The prompt information is used to reflect whether the turnout meets the conditions for turnout operation during the operation cycle of this interlocking system.

6. The automatic turning method for a turnout according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method by which the interlocking system controls the turnout to complete the slewing action includes: After the automatic turnout delay countdown ends and the interlocking system checks that the turnout still meets the conditions for turnout operation, the interlocking system will send a turnout movement command to the positioning position to the turnout control machine that controls the turnout rotation, and keep the turnout movement command continuously valid.

7. The automatic turnout method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: The turning action is completed by obtaining the turnout through the interlocking system; The methods for obtaining information about the turnout's rotation through the interlocking system include: A maximum operating time is set in the interlocking system, where the maximum operating time is the maximum duration of continuous operation of the turnout. When the interlocking system sends a turnout command, it will start the countdown of the maximum action time, which starts counting from the time the turnout machine executes the turnout command. When the maximum action time is reached and the turnout machine is executing the turnout command normally, the interlocking system will send the turnout indication information to the monitoring system and the dispatching system, and cause the monitoring system and the dispatching system to simultaneously display the countdown of the maximum action time. If the interlocking system collects the turnout's indication information as positioning information within the maximum operating time, the turnout will automatically rotate. At this time, the interlocking system will send the turnout's positioning information to the monitoring system and the dispatching system, and stop the countdown of the maximum operating time displayed synchronously by the monitoring system and the dispatching system.

8. The automatic turnout method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Other methods for obtaining information about the completion of turnout rotation through the interlocking system include: When the maximum action time is exceeded and the interlocking system fails to collect the position indication information of the turnout, the interlocking system will immediately stop the countdown of the maximum action time. If the turnout is re-executed within the maximum operating time, the interlocking system will restart the countdown of the maximum operating time. If the turnout cannot execute the turnout command after the countdown of the maximum action time has ended, the interlocking system will stop maintaining the validity of the turnout command and stop the monitoring system and dispatching system from synchronously displaying the countdown of the maximum action time. At the same time, after the interlocking system detects that the turnout is in a malfunctioning state, the interlocking system will start the countdown of the alarm delay and send an alarm message to the monitoring system and dispatching system after the countdown of the alarm delay has ended to remind the operators to handle the situation. The alarm information is used to reflect that the turnout is out of order.

9. A computing device comprising a processor and a computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions that can be executed by the processor, which executes the computer-executable instructions to implement the automatic turnout method for a turnout as described in any one of claims 1-8.

10. An automatic turning system for a turnout, characterized in that, include: A turnout is a switch placed between different tracks; A turnout switch is installed at one end of the turnout; the turnout switch is equipped with a sensor, which determines whether the turnout is in close contact, and thus obtains the turnout's indication information. The monitoring system is used to monitor the turnout operation process in real time. The dispatching system is used to control the rotation of turnouts; The interlocking system includes: a control console and a computing mechanism as described in claim 9; The console is used for human-computer interaction; the computing mechanism transmits signals with the monitoring system and the scheduling system, receives turnout scheduling commands sent by the scheduling system, and sends prompt and alarm information to the scheduling system and the monitoring system; the computing mechanism transmits signals with the turnout switch, receives turnout indication information sent by the turnout switch, and can send turnout movement commands to the turnout switch, thereby realizing the automatic turnout rotation method as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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