Intelligent lighting controller for locomotive headlamp and control method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of locomotive lighting, in particular to an intelligent lighting controller for a locomotive headlamp and a control method. The shell is composed of an upper shell body, a lower shell body, a left end cover and a right end cover, the control panel assembly is fixed in the shell body, and an indicating lamp, an SD card slot, a lamp panel temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface, a noise and TVOC data interface, a power supply and light state conversion data interface and an ETH Ethernet communication interface are integrated on the control panel assembly. And a power supply circuit, a main control chip, a clock chip, a data acquisition circuit, a light state switching circuit, a storage circuit, an Ethernet communication circuit and a display circuit are integrated in the control panel assembly. According to the application, full-light and semi-light automatic switching of the headlamp under the scenes of entering and exiting a tunnel and the like is realized through an external illuminance sensor; by collecting the temperature, voltage and internal illuminance data of the lamp panel and combining with the accumulated lighting time, the pre-estimation and early warning of the service life of the headlamp are realized.

Description

A smart lighting controller and control method for railway locomotive headlights Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of railway locomotive lighting technology, and more specifically, to an intelligent lighting controller and control method for railway locomotive headlights. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the headlights on railway locomotives operating online primarily provide basic functional lighting. Their power supply components are limited in function, typically offering only constant voltage or constant current output capabilities and a simple switch between full-beam and half-beam modes. The vast majority of locomotive headlights lack intelligent control units, meaning that the switching on / off and brightness adjustment rely entirely on manual operation by the driver and crew, increasing their workload. More importantly, key operating parameters of the headlights, such as lamp panel temperature, operating voltage, and luminous flux attenuation, cannot be monitored in real time.

[0003] As railway transportation develops towards intelligence and safety, the shortcomings of traditional functional lighting fixtures are becoming increasingly apparent. In practice, the following problems frequently arise: First, headlights may suddenly extinguish during operation when they reach the end of their lifespan, seriously affecting driving safety, and current technology cannot provide lifespan warnings; second, drivers and passengers report that the comfort of the driver's cab working environment needs improvement, such as noise issues, but there is a lack of effective quantitative monitoring methods; third, in scenarios such as frequent daytime train traffic entering and exiting tunnels, manual switching of lights is required, which is cumbersome and prone to safety hazards.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to design an intelligent lighting controller that integrates intelligent control, condition monitoring and environmental perception to achieve early warning of headlight lifespan, effective monitoring of the driver's cab environment and automatic adaptation to lighting status. This would transform the maintenance mode of locomotive headlights from the traditional "fault repair" to a more scientific "condition repair", significantly improving the safety of locomotive operation and the comfort of drivers and passengers. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, this application provides an intelligent lighting controller and control method for railway locomotive headlights.

[0006] The embodiments of this application are implemented as follows: Firstly, this application provides an intelligent lighting controller for railway locomotive headlights, comprising: a housing, the housing being formed by an upper housing, a lower housing, a left end cover, and a right end cover fixedly connected by a slot and screws; a control board assembly, fixed within the slot formed by the upper and lower housings; an indicator light, soldered to the control board assembly and exposed through a hole in the left or right end cover; an SD card slot, soldered to the control board assembly and exposed through a hole in the left or right end cover; and a lamp board temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface, soldered to the control board assembly and exposed through a hole in the left or right end cover. The control board assembly includes a noise and TVOC data interface, soldered to the control board assembly and connected to the outside through a hole on the left or right end cover; a power supply and lighting status switching data interface, soldered to the control board assembly and connected to the outside through a hole on the left or right end cover; and an ETH Ethernet communication interface, soldered to the control board assembly and connected to the outside through a hole on the left or right end cover. The control board assembly integrates a power supply circuit, whose input terminal is electrically connected to the power supply and lighting status switching data interface for... The locomotive's DC 110V power supply is converted into multiple DC power supplies of different voltages to power various functional modules. The main control chip, with its power supply terminal electrically connected to the output terminal of the power supply circuit, is used to execute control logic and data processing. A clock chip, electrically connected to the main control chip, provides a real-time clock and accumulates the headlight illumination time for the main control chip. A data acquisition circuit, with its input terminals electrically connected to the lamp panel temperature / voltage and illuminance data interfaces, noise and TVOC data interfaces, and its output terminal electrically connected to the main control chip's ADC interface or communication interface, is used to acquire external sensor signals and convert them into digital values ​​for input. The system includes: a main control chip; a headlight state switching circuit, whose input is electrically connected to the I / O port of the main control chip and whose output is electrically connected to the power supply and headlight state conversion data interface, used to switch the headlights to full beam, half beam, or off state according to the instructions of the main control chip; a storage circuit, electrically connected to the storage interface of the main control chip, and the SD card slot is electrically connected to the storage circuit, used to write data to the SD card inserted into the SD card slot; and an Ethernet communication circuit, whose input is electrically connected to the MAC interface of the main control chip and whose output is electrically connected to the ETH Ethernet communication interface, used to exchange data with an external vehicle computer.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the data acquisition circuit includes: a voltage acquisition unit for connecting to a voltage sensor via the lamp panel temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface to acquire the lamp panel's operating voltage; a temperature acquisition unit for connecting to a temperature sensor via the lamp panel temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface and reading the lamp panel temperature data using a single-bus protocol; an illuminance acquisition unit for connecting to an external illuminance sensor and an internal illuminance sensor via the lamp panel temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface and reading illuminance data using a 485 communication protocol; a noise acquisition unit for connecting to a noise sensor via the noise and TVOC data interface, acquiring the 4-20mA current signal output by the noise sensor via an ADC, and converting it into a noise value; and a TVOC acquisition unit for connecting to a TVOC sensor via the noise and TVOC data interface, acquiring the 4-20mA current signal output by the TVOC sensor via an ADC, and converting it into a TVOC concentration value.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the headlight state switching circuit includes at least one relay, the coil of which is electrically connected to the I / O port of the main control chip, and the contacts of which are connected in series in the headlight power supply circuit. The main control chip controls the activation or deactivation of the relay to switch the headlight to full-light, half-light, or off states.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the storage circuit includes an SD card controller electrically connected to the SDIO interface of the main control chip, and the SD card slot electrically connected to the SD card controller for reading and writing SD cards inserted into the SD card slot.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the Ethernet communication circuit includes an Ethernet physical layer transceiver, which is electrically connected to the MAC interface of the main control chip, and the ETH Ethernet communication interface is an M12-D type interface, which is electrically connected to the Ethernet physical layer transceiver.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the control board assembly also integrates a display circuit, which is electrically connected to the I / O port of the main control chip. The indicator light is electrically connected to the display circuit and is a multi-color LED used to indicate the device's operating status, fault alarms, and lifespan warning information.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the power supply circuit includes: a first DC-DC module for converting DC110V to DC5V to power the light intensity sensor, temperature sensor, and some circuits; a second DC-DC module for converting DC5V to DC12V to power the noise sensor and TVOC sensor; and a third DC-DC module for converting DC5V to DC3.3V to power the main control chip, clock chip, and other logic devices.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the main control chip is further configured to compare the accumulated headlight illumination time of the clock chip with a preset lifespan threshold, and when the accumulated illumination time reaches or exceeds the lifespan threshold, issue a lifespan warning signal through the indicator light.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the main control chip is also used to compare the lamp board voltage acquired by the data acquisition circuit with a preset voltage range, and to compare the acquired lamp board temperature with a preset temperature threshold. When the lamp board voltage exceeds the preset voltage range or the lamp board temperature exceeds the preset temperature threshold, a fault alarm signal is issued through the indicator light.

[0015] Secondly, this application provides an intelligent lighting control method for railway locomotive headlights, comprising: S1, initialization: the main control chip reads configuration parameters stored internally, including light switching threshold, delay time, voltage range, temperature threshold, and lifespan threshold; S2, data acquisition: the main control chip controls the data acquisition circuit to acquire external illuminance, internal illuminance, lamp board temperature, lamp board voltage, noise value, and TVOC concentration value at a frequency of 1 time / second, and obtains the current time from the clock chip; S3, automatic light switching: the main control chip compares the acquired external illuminance value with a preset tunnel entry threshold. The comparison is as follows: If the external illuminance value is lower than the tunnel entry threshold and the current lighting state is not full light, the main control chip switches the headlights to full light state through the lighting state switching circuit and resets the exit delay timer; if the external illuminance value is not lower than the tunnel entry threshold and the current lighting state is full light, the main control chip starts the exit delay timer and continuously monitors the external illuminance during the delay period; if the external illuminance value falls below the tunnel entry threshold again during the delay period, the exit delay timer is stopped and reset, maintaining the full light state; if the exit delay timer reaches the preset delay time and the external illuminance value during the delay period is not lower than the tunnel entry threshold, the exit delay timer is stopped and reset, maintaining the full light state; if the exit delay timer reaches the preset delay time and the external illuminance value during the delay period is not lower than the tunnel entry threshold, the exit delay timer is reset. If the headlights remain at or above the tunnel entry threshold, the main control chip will switch the headlights to half-light or off state via the light state switching circuit; S4, Fault Diagnosis and Alarm: The main control chip compares the collected lamp board voltage with a preset voltage range and the collected lamp board temperature with a preset temperature threshold. If the voltage exceeds the range or the temperature exceeds the threshold, the main control chip will control the indicator light to issue a fault alarm signal; S5, Lifespan Warning: The main control chip compares the accumulated headlight illumination time of the clock chip with a preset lifespan threshold. When the accumulated illumination time reaches or exceeds the lifespan threshold, the main control chip will control the headlights to activate the alarm. S6. Data Storage: The main control chip formats all collected data and timestamps at a preset storage frequency and writes them into the SD card inserted into the SD card slot; S7. Remote Communication: The main control chip establishes a connection with the external vehicle computer through the Ethernet communication circuit, sends the latest data packet to the vehicle computer at preset intervals, and retryes if the transmission fails; at the same time, the main control chip receives the time information of the vehicle computer through Ethernet and updates the clock chip synchronously; S8. Loop Execution: Repeat steps S2 to S7 to achieve continuous monitoring and control.

[0016] The technical solution provided in this application can achieve at least the following beneficial effects: The intelligent lighting controller and control method for railway locomotive headlights provided in this application realizes the transformation of railway locomotive headlights from a single lighting function to an intelligent perception and condition-based maintenance mode by constructing an intelligent lighting controller that integrates multi-sensor fusion, automatic control logic and standardized data management.

[0017] This controller utilizes a comparison logic between an external illuminance sensor and an internal preset threshold to automatically switch between full-light and half-light modes in scenarios such as entering and exiting tunnels. This solves the response delays and safety hazards caused by traditional manual operation, significantly reducing the workload of drivers and passengers. At the same time, by collecting and analyzing real-time operating parameters such as lamp panel temperature, voltage, and internal illuminance, as well as the cumulative lighting time, a headlight lifespan prediction and fault warning model is constructed. This transforms the maintenance mode from "post-fault repair" to "condition-based repair," effectively preventing traffic accidents caused by sudden lamp failure.

[0018] Furthermore, the controller integrates noise and TVOC sensors, expanding the quantitative monitoring capabilities of the driver's cab environment and providing data support for improving driving comfort. By establishing a unified data acquisition and storage standard and utilizing local storage on SD cards and remote transmission via Ethernet, it solves the problems of traditional data dispersion, multi-head acquisition, and coverage lag, realizing integrated management of the entire lifecycle of station operation data and improving the timeliness and availability of data. The hardware and software architecture of this application has good flexibility and scalability, and can quickly adjust parameters and functions according to changes in on-site processes to meet the application needs of different locomotive models and environments, thereby significantly improving the safety, reliability, and intelligence level of railway locomotive operation. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an intelligent lighting controller for railway locomotive headlights according to an exemplary embodiment of this application; Figure 2 is an electrical principle schematic diagram of a control board assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of this application; Figure 3 is a hardware block diagram of a control board assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of this application; Figure 4 is a component layout schematic diagram of a control board assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of this application; Figure 5 is a power flow schematic diagram of a control board assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of this application; Figure 6 is a wiring schematic diagram of a toggle switch according to an exemplary embodiment of this application; Figure 7 is a headlight state switching logic schematic diagram according to an exemplary embodiment of this application; Figure 8 is a flowchart of an intelligent lighting controller for railway locomotive headlights according to an exemplary embodiment of this application.

[0021] Reference numerals: 1. Upper / lower housing; 2. Left / right end cover; 3. Control board assembly; 4. Indicator light; 5. SD card slot; 6. Light board temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface; 7. Noise and TVOC data interface; 8. Power supply and lighting status switching data interface; 9. ETH Ethernet communication interface. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, implementation methods and advantages of this application clearer, the exemplary implementation methods of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the exemplary embodiments of this application. Obviously, the exemplary embodiments described are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0023] It should be noted that the brief descriptions of terms in this application are only for the convenience of understanding the embodiments described below, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this application. Unless otherwise stated, these terms should be understood in their ordinary and common meaning.

[0024] The terms "first," "second," "third," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar or related objects or entities, and do not necessarily imply a specific order or sequence, unless otherwise specified. It should be understood that such terms are interchangeable where appropriate.

[0025] The terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover but not exclude inclusion, for example, a product or device that includes a range of components is not necessarily limited to all of the components that are clearly listed, but may include other components that are not clearly listed or that are inherent to such product or device.

[0026] Next, the technical solutions of this application and how they solve the aforementioned technical problems will be described in detail through embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG1, an intelligent lighting controller for railway locomotive headlights is provided. In this embodiment, the intelligent lighting controller may include: a housing, the housing being formed by an upper housing, a lower housing, a left end cover, and a right end cover fixedly connected by a slot and screws; a control board assembly, fixed in the slot formed by the upper housing and the lower housing; an indicator light, soldered to the control board assembly and exposed through a hole opened on the left end cover or the right end cover; an SD card slot, soldered to the control board assembly and exposed through a hole opened on the left end cover or the right end cover; and a lamp board temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface, soldered to the control board assembly. The control board assembly includes a noise and TVOC data interface, soldered to the control board assembly and connected to the outside through holes in the left or right end cover; a power supply and lighting status switching data interface, soldered to the control board assembly and connected to the outside through holes in the left or right end cover; and an ETH Ethernet communication interface, soldered to the control board assembly and connected to the outside through holes in the left or right end cover. The control board assembly integrates a power supply circuit, whose input terminal is connected to the power supply and lighting status switching data interface. The system includes a connection for converting the DC 110V power supplied by the locomotive into multiple DC power supplies of different voltages to power various functional modules; a main control chip, whose power supply terminal is electrically connected to the output terminal of the power supply circuit, for executing control logic and data processing; a clock chip, electrically connected to the main control chip, for providing a real-time clock and accumulating the headlight illumination time for the main control chip; and a data acquisition circuit, whose input terminals are electrically connected to the lamp board temperature / voltage and illuminance data interfaces, noise and TVOC data interfaces, respectively, and whose output terminal is electrically connected to the ADC interface or communication interface of the main control chip, for acquiring external sensor signals and converting them into digital signals. The power supply is fed into the main control chip; the headlight state switching circuit, whose input is electrically connected to the I / O port of the main control chip and whose output is electrically connected to the power supply and headlight state switching data interface, is used to switch the headlights to full light, half light, or off state according to the instructions of the main control chip; the storage circuit, which is electrically connected to the storage interface of the main control chip and the SD card slot is electrically connected to the storage circuit, is used to write data into the SD card inserted into the SD card slot; the Ethernet communication circuit, whose input is electrically connected to the MAC interface of the main control chip and whose output is electrically connected to the ETH Ethernet communication interface, is used to exchange data with an external vehicle computer.

[0028] In one embodiment, the intelligent lighting controller is specifically implemented by including a housing, which is formed by an upper housing, a lower housing, a left end cover, and a right end cover 2 fixedly connected by slots and screws. The upper / lower housing 1 and the left / right end covers 2 together form a sealed cavity with a high protection level, which internally accommodates and protects the control board assembly 3.

[0029] The control board assembly 3 is fixed in the slot formed by the upper and lower housings. The slot positioning ensures a stable installation. Multiple components and interfaces are welded on the control board assembly 3, including: indicator lights 4, which are welded to the control board assembly 3 and exposed through holes opened on the left or right end cover 2, for intuitively displaying the working status, fault alarms and lifespan warning information of the equipment to the user.

[0030] The SD card slot 5 is soldered onto the control board assembly 3 and is exposed through a hole opened on the left or right end cover 2. It is used to insert a standard SD card to realize local data storage.

[0031] The lamp panel temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface 6 adopts the DB9 interface form, is soldered to the control board assembly 3, and is led out through the holes opened on the left end cover or right end cover 2, for connecting the temperature sensor, voltage sensor and internal / external illuminance sensor on the headlight lamp panel.

[0032] The noise and TVOC data interface 7 adopts the DB9 interface form, is soldered to the control board assembly 3, and is led out through the holes opened on the left end cover or the right end cover 2, for connecting the noise sensor and TVOC sensor in the driver's cab.

[0033] The power supply and lighting status switching data interface 8 is soldered onto the control board assembly 3 and led out through the holes opened on the left or right end cover 2 for connecting the locomotive power system (DC110V) and the headlight lighting control circuit.

[0034] The ETH Ethernet communication interface 9, using an M12-D type interface, is soldered onto the control board assembly 3 and led out through holes opened on the left or right end cover 2 for establishing high-speed data communication with an external vehicle computer.

[0035] The control board assembly 3 integrates circuit modules that implement various functions. Its electrical schematic diagram is shown in Figure 2, its hardware block diagram is shown in Figure 3, and its component layout diagram is shown in Figure 4. Specifically, it includes a power supply circuit, whose input terminal is electrically connected to the power supply and lighting status conversion data interface 8, which is used to convert the DC110V power supply provided by the locomotive into multiple DC power supplies of different voltages to power each functional module. The specific conversion scheme will be described in detail later in conjunction with claim 7.

[0036] The main control chip, model STM32F407ZGT6, is electrically connected to the 3.3V output of the power supply circuit. It is used to execute control logic and data processing. The chip has a built-in ARM Cortex-M4 core and rich on-chip peripherals, including multiple ADCs, multiple UART / SPI / I2C interfaces, SDIO interface, MAC layer controller, etc., which can meet the needs of multi-sensor data acquisition, storage and communication.

[0037] The clock chip, model SD2505API-G, is electrically connected to the main control chip via an I2C bus. It is used to provide a high-precision real-time clock and to provide a time reference for the main control chip to accumulate the headlight illumination time.

[0038] The data acquisition circuit has its input terminals electrically connected to the lamp board temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface 6 and noise and TVOC data interface 7, respectively, and its output terminal electrically connected to the ADC interface or communication interface of the main control chip. It is used to acquire external sensor signals and convert them into digital quantities to be sent to the main control chip.

[0039] The headlight state switching circuit has its input terminal electrically connected to the I / O port of the main control chip, and its output terminal electrically connected to the power supply and headlight state switching data interface 8. It is used to switch the headlights to full light, half light, or off state according to the instructions of the main control chip. The core component of this circuit is a relay.

[0040] The storage circuit is electrically connected to the storage interface (SDIO) of the main control chip, and the SD card slot 5 is electrically connected to the storage circuit for writing data into the SD card inserted into the SD card slot 5.

[0041] The Ethernet communication circuit has its input terminal electrically connected to the MAC interface of the main control chip and its output terminal electrically connected to the ETH Ethernet communication interface 9, and is used to exchange data with an external vehicle computer.

[0042] The display circuit is electrically connected to the I / O port of the main control chip, and the indicator light 4 is electrically connected to the display circuit to drive the indicator light 4 to display different colors and flashing states.

[0043] In one embodiment, the data acquisition circuit is key to achieving multi-source information sensing in this application. It specifically includes the following units: a voltage acquisition unit, used to connect to a voltage sensor via the lamp panel temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface 6. In this embodiment, the voltage sensor is a voltage sensor module from LEM Corporation. This module linearly converts the lamp panel input voltage (typically 24V-28V) into a small current signal (e.g., 0-20mA). The data acquisition circuit is equipped with a high-precision sampling resistor (e.g., 100Ω ± 0.1%). After converting the current signal into voltage, it is sent to the ADC input channel of the main control chip. The main control chip calculates the actual current value based on the voltage across the sampling resistor, and then calculates the actual voltage value of the lamp panel based on the sensor's transformation ratio (e.g., 500:1). This unit has a sampling frequency of 1 time / second and an accuracy better than ±0.5%.

[0044] The temperature acquisition unit is used to connect a temperature sensor through the lamp board temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface 6. In this embodiment, the temperature sensor is a DS18B20 digital temperature sensor, which uses a single-bus protocol for communication. The data acquisition circuit provides an I / O port to connect to the data line of the DS18B20 and is configured with a pull-up resistor. The main control chip reads the 64-bit serial number and temperature value (-55℃ to +125℃, accuracy ±1℃) of the temperature sensor according to the single-bus timing sequence. The acquisition frequency is also 1 time / second. To improve reliability, multiple DS18B20 sensors can be arranged in key positions on the lamp board (such as near the lamp beads) and distinguished by their respective serial numbers.

[0045] The illuminance acquisition unit is used to connect to an external illuminance sensor and an internal illuminance sensor via the lamp panel temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface 6. In this embodiment, the illuminance sensor is a digital illuminance sensor module with an RS485 interface, measuring a range of 0-188000 lux. The data acquisition circuit includes a 485 communication chip, model RSM3485CHT, which has isolation capabilities to enhance anti-interference ability. The main control chip communicates with the sensor via the 485 chip through a UART interface, sending read commands and parsing the returned illuminance data. The external illuminance sensor is installed on a specific part outside the locomotive headlight (such as the front of the train) to sense ambient light; the internal illuminance sensor is installed inside the headlight to monitor the illuminance attenuation of the lamp beads. Both sensors acquire data at a frequency of 1 time per second.

[0046] The noise acquisition unit is used to connect to a noise sensor via the noise and TVOC data interface 7. In this embodiment, the noise sensor is an industrial noise transmitter with a 4-20mA current loop output and a range of 30-120dB. The corresponding channel in the data acquisition circuit is equipped with a high-precision sampling resistor (e.g., 250Ω±0.1%) to convert the 4-20mA current into a 1-5V voltage, which is then sent to the ADC input channel of the main control chip. The main control chip calculates the current value based on the acquired voltage value, and then calculates the current noise value based on the linear mapping relationship of the sensor (e.g., 4mA corresponds to 30dB, 20mA corresponds to 120dB). At the same time, the software can be configured with maximum and minimum value calibration functions, allowing users to correct sensor deviations through commands.

[0047] The TVOC acquisition unit is used to connect to a TVOC sensor via the noise and TVOC data interface 7. In this embodiment, the TVOC sensor also uses an industrial-grade TVOC transmitter with a 4-20mA current loop output, a range of 0-60000ppb, and its signal processing method is the same as that of the noise acquisition unit: it is converted into voltage through a high-precision sampling resistor, acquired by an ADC, and then the main control chip calculates the TVOC concentration value based on a linear relationship. It also supports maximum and minimum value calibration functions.

[0048] The five acquisition units work in parallel. The main control chip ensures that data from each channel is acquired synchronously through timer interrupts or polling, and assigns a precise timestamp to each data point.

[0049] In one embodiment, the headlight state switching circuit includes at least one relay for switching between different brightness modes of the headlights. In this embodiment, the relay is an OMRON G2RG-2A-XDC12 relay with a coil rated voltage of DC12V and two sets of normally open contacts. The coil end is connected to the I / O port of the main control chip through a driving circuit consisting of an NPN transistor (such as 2N3904) and a freewheeling diode. When the I / O port of the main control chip outputs a high level, the transistor conducts, the relay coil is energized, and the contacts close; when the output is low, the relay releases.

[0050] The relay contacts are connected in series in the headlight power supply circuit. For specific wiring details, please refer to the toggle switch wiring diagram shown in Figure 6. The external toggle switch is used to select manual or automatic mode. In automatic mode, the headlight state switching circuit of this invention is controlled by the main control chip. When the main control chip determines that it needs to switch to full light mode, it controls the relay contacts to close and connects the headlight full light power supply circuit. When it needs to switch to half light mode, another set of relays can be activated to switch to the half light circuit, or half light can be achieved through PWM dimming (requires additional circuitry). In this embodiment, to simplify the design, two relays control the two independent circuits of full light and half light respectively to achieve state switching. When it is necessary to turn off the headlight, both relays are disconnected.

[0051] The relay contact capacity must meet the working current requirements of the headlight. In this embodiment, the rated current of the relay contact is 10A / 250VAC, which is sufficient to meet the switching requirements of the locomotive headlight (usually several hundred watts). To ensure reliability, the relay contact can be connected in parallel with an RC arc extinguishing circuit to suppress the arc when the contact is switched on and off.

[0052] In one embodiment, the storage circuit includes an SD card controller integrated within the main control chip (STM32F407ZGT6 with built-in SDIO interface controller). The SDIO interface is connected to the SD card slot 5 via PCB traces, employing a 4-bit data line mode to improve read and write speeds. The SD card slot 5 uses the self-ejecting SD-006S-T model manufactured by Supcon, supporting standard SD cards (compatible with SDHC). The main control chip sends read and write commands to the SD card through the SDIO interface to write data to a specified file. To ensure data reliability, the storage circuit is also equipped with necessary pull-up resistors and ESD protection devices.

[0053] On the software side, the main control chip runs the FATFS file system for file management on the SD card. Upon system startup, it checks if the SD card exists and is formatted; if not, it prompts the user. The data storage directory structure is "0: / add_XX / y_XX / m_XX", where "add_XX" is the device address, "y_XX" is the year, and "m_XX" is the month. One file is recorded daily, named with the date (e.g., "20231005.txt"). Data is stored every minute, and each storage entry includes: timestamp (year-month-day hour:minute:second), lamp board temperature, lamp board voltage, external illuminance, internal illuminance, noise level, and TVOC concentration. All data is stored in comma-separated text format for easy analysis using tools like Excel.

[0054] In one embodiment, the Ethernet communication circuit includes an Ethernet physical layer transceiver (PHY). In this embodiment, the LAN8720A chip, which is compatible with the STM32F407ZGT6, is selected. This chip is connected to the MAC layer of the main control chip through the RMII interface. The main control chip integrates an Ethernet MAC controller. The two work together to achieve 10 / 100M Ethernet communication. The ETH Ethernet communication interface 9 adopts an M12-D type interface, which meets the requirements of industrial site vibration resistance and waterproofing. It is connected to the PHY chip through a transformer. The main control chip runs the LwIP protocol stack and supports TCP / IP communication.

[0055] The Ethernet communication circuit has two main functions: first, to obtain accurate time from the onboard computer for time synchronization; and second, to upload all collected data to the onboard computer. The specific time synchronization process is as follows: the main control chip acts as a client, periodically (e.g., hourly) initiating a time synchronization request to the onboard computer's NTP server. After obtaining the standard time, it writes it to the clock chip via the I2C interface, achieving synchronized updates of the internal clock source. Regarding data upload, the main control chip actively sends the latest data packet to the onboard computer every 3 seconds. The data packet format uses a custom binary or JSON format. If transmission fails (e.g., no ACK is received), it retryes three times. If it still fails, it records an error log and waits for the next transmission cycle.

[0056] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the display circuit includes an LED driving circuit and an indicator light 4. The indicator light 4 uses a tri-color LED (red, green, and blue) or a dual-color LED (red and green). Different colors are displayed by controlling the switching of the transistor through the I / O port of the main control chip. The light guide column uses a TAA12 double-layer light guide column to guide the light from the LED to the surface of the outer shell, thereby improving visibility.

[0057] The display circuit is used to indicate the following states: Normal operating state: Green light is always on.

[0058] Automatic mode activated: Green light flashes slowly (1Hz).

[0059] Fault alarm: Red light flashing rapidly (2Hz).

[0060] Lifespan warning: Yellow light (red + green mixed) flashing slowly (0.5Hz).

[0061] Communication error: The red and green lights are flashing alternately.

[0062] The main control chip achieves the above-mentioned multiple colors and flashing modes by controlling the combined output of three I / O ports. The specific driving circuit uses a series current-limiting resistor for each LED and connects it to the I / O port of the main control chip through an NPN transistor to improve the driving capability.

[0063] In one embodiment, the power supply circuit includes three DC-DC modules to supply power to loads with different voltage requirements: The first DC-DC module is a Mornsun URB1D05LMD-15WR3. This module has an input voltage range of DC40-160V and an output of DC5V / 3A. It has isolation function. Its input terminal is connected to the locomotive's DC110V power supply (through the power supply and lighting status conversion data interface 8), and its output voltage is 5V to supply power to the illuminance sensor, temperature sensor, and some circuits that require 5V power supply (such as the 485 chip).

[0064] The second DC-DC module is Mornsun's VRA0512S-10WR3. This module has a DC5V input and a DC12V / 0.83A output. It also has isolation function. Its input is connected to the 5V output of the first DC-DC module, and its output is 12V to power the noise sensor and TVOC sensor (the sensor requires DC10-30V, and 12V is within the range).

[0065] The third DC-DC module, implemented by an onboard low-dropout linear regulator (LDO), such as the AMS1117-3.3, converts the 5V output from the first DC-DC module to 3.3V, powering the main control chip, clock chip, Ethernet PHY, and other logic devices. This LDO has a maximum output current of 1A, meeting the power consumption requirements of the core system.

[0066] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the power flow, clearly illustrating the path from the DC 110V input, through three stages of conversion, to the various loads. Each module's input and output terminals are equipped with filter capacitors and TVS diodes to improve power quality and suppress surges.

[0067] In one embodiment, the main control chip is further configured to compare the accumulated headlight illumination time of the clock chip with a preset lifespan threshold, and when the accumulated illumination time reaches or exceeds the lifespan threshold, issue a lifespan warning signal through the indicator light.

[0068] The specific implementation method is as follows: After the system is powered on, the main control chip reads the previously accumulated lighting time (in hours) from the internal RAM or external EEPROM of the clock chip through the I2C bus. During operation, whenever the headlight is switched to full light or half light by the light state switching circuit, the main control chip records the lighting duration through a timer and updates the accumulated time periodically (e.g., every minute) and writes it back to the RAM or EEPROM of the clock chip to ensure that the data is not lost after power failure.

[0069] The preset lifespan threshold is set by the user in the configuration parameters, such as 20,000 hours (depending on the specific LED model). When the cumulative lighting time reaches 90% of the threshold (i.e., 18,000 hours), the main control chip determines that the lifespan is nearing its end and drives indicator light 4 to flash yellow (red + green) at a frequency of 0.5Hz through the display circuit, indicating that the LED group needs to be replaced. When the cumulative lighting time reaches or exceeds the threshold (20,000 hours), indicator light 4 turns into a solid red light, indicating that it needs to be replaced immediately. If the LED group is replaced, the cumulative time can be cleared to zero through the maintenance command and the accumulation can start again.

[0070] This feature can effectively prevent the safety hazard of the lamp suddenly turning off while driving due to the exhaustion of the lamp's lifespan.

[0071] In one embodiment, the main control chip is further configured to compare the lamp board voltage acquired by the data acquisition circuit with a preset voltage range, and compare the acquired lamp board temperature with a preset temperature threshold. When the lamp board voltage exceeds the preset voltage range or the lamp board temperature exceeds the preset temperature threshold, a fault alarm signal is issued through the indicator light.

[0072] In this embodiment, the preset voltage range is 24V-28V (corresponding to the normal operating voltage range of the headlight), and the preset temperature threshold is 100℃ (exceeding this temperature may damage the LED). After the main control chip collects the voltage and temperature of the lamp board each time, it compares them with the threshold. To prevent false alarms, a three-times-out-of-limit confirmation mechanism is adopted: that is, only if the values ​​collected three times in a row exceed the range is it determined to be a fault. Once a fault is determined, the indicator light 4 is immediately controlled to flash red light rapidly at a frequency of 2Hz. At the same time, the fault event is recorded in the log file of the SD card and can be uploaded to the vehicle computer via Ethernet.

[0073] This feature enables drivers, passengers, or ground maintenance personnel to be aware of any abnormal headlight status immediately and take timely measures to prevent the malfunction from escalating.

[0074] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0075] Corresponding to the aforementioned embodiments of the intelligent lighting controller for railway locomotive headlights, this application also provides embodiments of the intelligent lighting control method for railway locomotive headlights.

[0076] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG8, the intelligent lighting control method for railway locomotive headlights may include the following steps: S1, initialization: the main control chip reads the configuration parameters stored internally, including light switching threshold, delay time, voltage range, temperature threshold, and lifespan threshold; S2, data acquisition: the main control chip controls the data acquisition circuit to acquire external illuminance, internal illuminance, lamp board temperature, lamp board voltage, noise value, and TVOC concentration value at a frequency of 1 time / second, and obtains the current time from the clock chip; S3, automatic light switching: the main control chip compares the acquired external illuminance value with a preset value. The external illuminance is compared with the tunnel entry threshold. If the external illuminance is lower than the tunnel entry threshold and the current lighting state is not full light, the main control chip switches the headlights to full light state through the lighting state switching circuit and resets the exit delay timer. If the external illuminance is not lower than the tunnel entry threshold and the current lighting state is full light, the main control chip starts the exit delay timer and continuously monitors the external illuminance during the delay period. If the external illuminance is lower than the tunnel entry threshold again during the delay period, the exit delay timer is stopped and reset, maintaining the full light state. If the exit delay timer reaches the preset delay time and the expected delay is reached... If the external illuminance is consistently not lower than the tunnel entry threshold, the main control chip switches the headlights to half-light or off state via the light state switching circuit; S4, Fault Diagnosis and Alarm: The main control chip compares the collected lamp board voltage with a preset voltage range and the collected lamp board temperature with a preset temperature threshold. If the voltage exceeds the range or the temperature exceeds the threshold, the main control chip controls the indicator light to issue a fault alarm signal; S5, Lifespan Warning: The main control chip compares the accumulated headlight illumination time from the clock chip with a preset lifespan threshold. When the accumulated illumination time reaches or exceeds the lifespan threshold... S6. Data storage: The main control chip formats all collected data and timestamps at a preset storage frequency and writes them into the SD card inserted into the SD card slot; S7. Remote communication: The main control chip establishes a connection with the external vehicle computer through the Ethernet communication circuit, sends the latest data packet to the vehicle computer at preset intervals, and retryes if the transmission fails; at the same time, the main control chip receives the time information of the vehicle computer through Ethernet and updates the clock chip synchronously; S8. Loop execution: Repeat steps S2 to S7 to achieve continuous monitoring and control.

[0077] In one embodiment, the control method is implemented as follows: S1. Initialization: After the system is powered on, the main control chip first initializes the clock, peripherals, and interrupts, and then reads the configuration parameters stored in the internal Flash, including the light switching threshold (such as the tunnel entry threshold of 300 lux and the tunnel exit threshold of 300 lux), the exit delay time (such as 120 seconds), the voltage range (24V-28V), the temperature threshold (100℃), the lifespan threshold (such as 20,000 hours), etc. At the same time, it detects whether the SD card exists and its status, initializes the file system, and initializes the Ethernet protocol stack.

[0078] S2. Data Acquisition: The main control chip controls the data acquisition circuit to acquire external illuminance, internal illuminance, lamp board temperature, lamp board voltage, noise value, and TVOC concentration value at a frequency of 1 time / second. After each acquisition, the current time (year-month-day hour:minute:second) is obtained from the clock chip and associated with the acquired data, and temporarily stored in the memory buffer.

[0079] S3, Automatic headlight switching: The main control chip compares the collected external illuminance value with the preset tunnel entry threshold. If the external illuminance value is lower than the tunnel entry threshold (e.g., 300 lux) and the current headlight state is not full light, the main control chip switches the headlights to full light state through the headlight state switching circuit and resets the exit delay timer (stops the timer or clears it).

[0080] If the external illuminance value is not lower than the tunnel entry threshold and the current lighting state is full light, the main control chip starts the exit delay timer (if it has not yet started) and continuously monitors the external illuminance during the delay period. If the external illuminance value falls below the tunnel entry threshold again during the delay period, the exit delay timer is stopped and reset, and the full light state is maintained. If the exit delay timer reaches the preset delay time (e.g., 120 seconds) and the external illuminance is not lower than the tunnel entry threshold during the delay period, the main control chip switches the headlights to half light or off state through the lighting state switching circuit (determined by the configuration parameters).

[0081] This logic enables automatic light adaptation when entering and exiting tunnels, ensuring driving safety while avoiding frequent switching.

[0082] S4. Fault Diagnosis and Alarm: The main control chip compares the collected lamp board voltage with the preset voltage range (24V-28V) and the collected lamp board temperature with the preset temperature threshold (100℃). If the voltage exceeds the range three times in a row or the temperature exceeds the threshold three times in a row, it is determined to be a fault. The control indicator 4 flashes red light quickly at a frequency of 2Hz and records the fault code and time to the SD card.

[0083] S5. Lifetime Warning: The main control chip compares the cumulative headlight illumination time accumulated by the clock chip with the preset lifetime threshold. When the cumulative illumination time reaches 90% of the threshold, the control indicator 4 flashes yellow (red + green) at a frequency of 0.5Hz. When the threshold is reached or exceeded, the indicator 4 turns into a solid red light.

[0084] S6. Data Storage: The main control chip formats all data collected in the past minute (average or last value can be taken) and timestamps once per minute, and writes it to the SD card inserted into SD card slot 5 via the file system. The files are stored according to date and directory structure to ensure data traceability.

[0085] S7. Remote Communication: The main control chip establishes a TCP connection with the external vehicle computer through the Ethernet communication circuit. Every 3 seconds, it actively sends the latest data packet (containing timestamp and all sensor data) to the vehicle computer. After sending, it waits for ACK confirmation. If no ACK is received within the timeout period, it will retry three times. If it still fails, it records the communication error and waits for the next cycle. At the same time, the main control chip initiates a time synchronization request to the vehicle computer's NTP server through Ethernet every hour to obtain the accurate time and synchronize the clock chip to ensure a unified time base.

[0086] S8. Cyclic execution: Repeat steps S2 to S7 to achieve continuous monitoring and control. The entire process is coordinated by the real-time operating system of the main control chip or the front-end and back-end systems to ensure that each task is executed periodically.

[0087] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowcharts of the above embodiments are shown sequentially as indicated, these steps are not necessarily executed in the indicated order. Unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in the flowcharts of the above embodiments may include multiple steps or multiple stages. These steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the steps or stages in other steps.

[0088] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An intelligent lighting controller for railway locomotive headlights, characterized in that, include: The housing consists of an upper housing, a lower housing, a left end cover, and a right end cover, all fixedly connected by slots and screws. A control board assembly is fixed within the slot formed by the upper and lower housings. An indicator light is soldered to the control board assembly and protrudes through a hole in the left or right end cover. An SD card slot is soldered to the control board assembly and protrudes through a hole in the left or right end cover. A lamp board temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface is soldered to the control board assembly and connects to the outside through a hole in the left or right end cover. Noise and TVOC data interfaces are soldered to the control board assembly and connect to the outside through a hole in the left or right end cover. A power supply and lighting status switching data interface is also included. A power supply circuit is soldered onto the control board assembly and connected to the outside through a hole on the left or right end cover; an ETH Ethernet communication interface is soldered onto the control board assembly and connected to the outside through a hole on the left or right end cover; the control board assembly integrates: a power supply circuit, whose input terminal is electrically connected to the power supply and lighting status conversion data interface, used to convert the DC110V power provided by the locomotive into multiple DC power supplies of different voltages to power each functional module; a main control chip, whose power supply terminal is electrically connected to the output terminal of the power supply circuit, used to execute control logic and data processing; and a clock chip, electrically connected to the main control chip, used to provide a real-time clock and accumulate the headlight illumination time for the main control chip; The data acquisition circuit has its input terminals electrically connected to the lamp panel temperature / voltage and illuminance data interfaces, noise and TVOC data interfaces, and its output terminal electrically connected to the ADC interface or communication interface of the main control chip. It is used to acquire external sensor signals and convert them into digital quantities for input to the main control chip. The headlight state switching circuit has its input terminal electrically connected to the I / O port of the main control chip, and its output terminal electrically connected to the power supply and headlight state switching data interface. It is used to switch the headlights to full-light, half-light, or off states according to instructions from the main control chip. The storage circuit is electrically connected to the storage interface of the main control chip, and the SD card slot is electrically connected to the storage circuit. It is used to write data to the SD card inserted into the SD card slot. The Ethernet communication circuit has its input terminal electrically connected to the MAC interface of the main control chip, and its output terminal electrically connected to the ETH Ethernet communication interface. It is used to exchange data with an external vehicle computer.

2. The intelligent lighting controller for railway locomotive headlights as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The data acquisition circuit includes: a voltage acquisition unit, used to connect to a voltage sensor through the lamp panel temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface to acquire the operating voltage of the lamp panel; a temperature acquisition unit, used to connect to a temperature sensor through the lamp panel temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface and read the lamp panel temperature data using a single-bus protocol; an illuminance acquisition unit, used to connect to an external illuminance sensor and an internal illuminance sensor through the lamp panel temperature / voltage and illuminance data interface and read the illuminance data using a 485 communication protocol; a noise acquisition unit, used to connect to a noise sensor through the noise and TVOC data interface, acquire the 4-20mA current signal output by the noise sensor through an ADC, and convert it into a noise value; and a TVOC acquisition unit, used to connect to a TVOC sensor through the noise and TVOC data interface, acquire the 4-20mA current signal output by the TVOC sensor through an ADC, and convert it into a TVOC concentration value.

3. The intelligent lighting controller for railway locomotive headlights as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The headlight state switching circuit includes at least one relay. The coil of the relay is electrically connected to the I / O port of the main control chip, and the contact of the relay is connected in series in the headlight power supply circuit. The main control chip controls the activation or deactivation of the relay to switch the headlight to full light, half light, or off state.

4. The intelligent lighting controller for railway locomotive headlights as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The storage circuit includes an SD card controller, which is electrically connected to the SDIO interface of the main control chip. The SD card slot is electrically connected to the SD card controller and is used to read and write SD cards inserted into the SD card slot.

5. The intelligent lighting controller for railway locomotive headlights as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The Ethernet communication circuit includes an Ethernet physical layer transceiver, which is electrically connected to the MAC interface of the main control chip. The ETH Ethernet communication interface is an M12-D type interface, which is electrically connected to the Ethernet physical layer transceiver.

6. The intelligent lighting controller for railway locomotive headlights as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The control board assembly also integrates a display circuit, which is electrically connected to the I / O port of the main control chip. The indicator light is electrically connected to the display circuit and is a multi-color LED used to indicate the device's working status, fault alarm, and lifespan warning information.

7. The intelligent lighting controller for railway locomotive headlights as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The power supply circuit includes: a first DC-DC module for converting DC110V to DC5V to power the light intensity sensor, temperature sensor, and some circuits; a second DC-DC module for converting DC5V to DC12V to power the noise sensor and TVOC sensor; and a third DC-DC module for converting DC5V to DC3.3V to power the main control chip, clock chip, and other logic devices.

8. The intelligent lighting controller for railway locomotive headlights as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The main control chip is also used to compare the cumulative headlight illumination time of the clock chip with a preset lifespan threshold. When the cumulative illumination time reaches or exceeds the lifespan threshold, a lifespan warning signal is issued through the indicator light.

9. The intelligent lighting controller for railway locomotive headlights as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The main control chip is also used to compare the lamp board voltage acquired by the data acquisition circuit with a preset voltage range, and to compare the acquired lamp board temperature with a preset temperature threshold. When the lamp board voltage exceeds the preset voltage range or the lamp board temperature exceeds the preset temperature threshold, a fault alarm signal is issued through the indicator light.

10. A method for intelligent lighting control of railway locomotive headlights, characterized in that, include: S1. Initialization: The main control chip reads the configuration parameters stored internally, including the light switching threshold, delay time, voltage range, temperature threshold, and lifespan threshold. S2. Data Acquisition: The main control chip controls the data acquisition circuit to acquire external illuminance, internal illuminance, lamp board temperature, lamp board voltage, noise level, and TVOC concentration at a frequency of 1 time / second, and obtains the current time from the clock chip. S3. Automatic Light Switching: The main control chip compares the acquired external illuminance value with a preset tunnel entry threshold. If the external illuminance value is lower than the tunnel entry threshold, and the current light state is not full-light, the main control chip switches the headlights to full-light state through the light state switching circuit and resets the exit delay timer. If the external illuminance value is not lower than the tunnel entry threshold and the current lighting state is full light, the main control chip starts the exit delay timer and continuously monitors the external illuminance during the delay period. If the external illuminance value falls below the tunnel entry threshold again during the delay period, the exit delay timer is stopped and reset, maintaining full-light status. If the exit delay timer reaches the preset delay time and the external illuminance remains above the tunnel entry threshold during this period, the main control chip switches the headlights to half-light or off status via the light state switching circuit. S4, Fault Diagnosis and Alarm: The main control chip compares the collected lamp board voltage with a preset voltage range and the collected lamp board temperature with a preset temperature threshold. If the voltage exceeds the range or the temperature exceeds the threshold, the indicator light is controlled to issue a fault alarm signal. S5, Lifespan Warning: The main control chip, based on the... The clock chip accumulates the headlight illumination time and compares it with a preset lifespan threshold. When the accumulated illumination time reaches or exceeds the lifespan threshold, it controls the indicator light to emit a lifespan warning signal; S6, Data storage: The main control chip formats all collected data and timestamps at a preset storage frequency and writes them into the SD card inserted into the SD card slot; S7, Remote communication: The main control chip establishes a connection with an external vehicle computer through the Ethernet communication circuit, sends the latest data packet to the vehicle computer at preset intervals, and retryes if the transmission fails; at the same time, the main control chip receives the time information of the vehicle computer through Ethernet and updates the clock chip synchronously; S8. Repeat steps S2 to S7 to achieve continuous monitoring and control.

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