Railway iron shoe comprehensive management and control system

Abstract

The application discloses a railway iron shoe comprehensive management and control system, and belongs to the technical field of railway safety protection and information management and control. The system comprises five modules, namely, an RFID iron shoe cabinet monitoring module, an NFC label binding module, a wireless tracker anti-lost module, a handheld terminal module and a timing management and control module. The RFID module polls the iron shoe label in real time through the cabinet reader and writer, judges the in-cabinet or out-of-cabinet state and generates an access event. The NFC module completes the binding or unbinding through the handheld terminal scanning when setting shoes or removing shoes, and judges whether the operation is standard in combination with the mobile speed detection. The wireless tracker realizes the remote tracking of the iron shoes through the Bluetooth beacon and crowd positioning. The timing management and control module sets the time limit from taking out the cabinet to setting shoes, from removing shoes to returning to the cabinet, and automatically alarms when the time limit is exceeded. The system is deployed in combination with the existing positioning base station and the handheld terminal of the railway, has a small hardware investment, realizes the full-process closed-loop management of the iron shoes, and can effectively prevent the safety risks such as omission, misplacement and loss.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of railway safety protection equipment and information management technology. It relates to a comprehensive railway shoe management system that integrates radio frequency identification (RFID) cabinet monitoring, near field communication (NFC) tag binding, wireless tracker remote positioning, intelligent handheld terminal and timed management mechanism. It covers the whole process management and safety supervision of the shoes from taking them out of the cabinet, setting them up, removing them and returning them to the box. Background Technology

[0002] Rail shoes are safety devices used to prevent parked vehicles from rolling away. Their correct installation and timely removal are directly related to train operation safety. Currently, the management of rail shoes on railway sites is still mainly based on manual operations and paper records, which has the following problems: First, the real-time location and status of the track shoes cannot be automatically detected. After the track shoes are set up on the station tracks, their locations are scattered, and it is difficult to detect immediately whether they are left on the track surface after removal. Second, there is a lack of automatic records for taking and returning the metal shoes. The taking and returning of the metal shoes to the cabinets relies on manual registration, and omissions and errors in recording occur frequently. The staff on duty cannot know the actual amount of metal shoes in the cabinets in real time. Third, the shoe setting and removal operations lack technical verification methods, and there is a lack of a system-level confirmation mechanism to confirm whether the operators have completed the operations according to the procedures, which may lead to omissions. Fourth, there is a lack of time constraints at each stage. From the moment the iron shoe is brought out of the closet to the moment it is placed, and from the moment it is removed to the moment it is returned to the box, there is no time limit for control. The safety risks of not completing the operation within the time limit are difficult to detect proactively. Fifth, the overall usage process is not a closed loop. There is a lack of automatic connection and flow between the various links of taking, setting, removing, replacing and returning the iron shoes to the box, which cannot form a complete safety control chain. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by this invention: The purpose of this invention is to provide a comprehensive management and control system for railway track shoes. Through the collaborative work of RFID cabinet monitoring, NFC tag binding, wireless tracker remote positioning, and smart handheld terminals, an automatic recording, timed constraint, and abnormal alarm mechanism is established for each stage of track shoe retrieval, setting, removal, replacement, and return to the box, thereby solving the problems existing in the above-mentioned management.

[0004] The technical solution of this invention is as follows: The railway track shoe integrated management and control system proposed in this invention consists of the following subsystems.

[0005] (1) RFID metal shoe cabinet monitoring subsystem Each metal shoe is equipped with an RFID tag. An RFID reader and receiving antenna are installed inside the metal shoe cabinet. The reader periodically scans the space inside the cabinet through the antenna to read the identification code of each metal shoe's RFID tag, thereby determining whether each metal shoe is currently in or out of the cabinet. When a metal shoe is taken out or put back, the disappearance or appearance of the tag signal is detected by the reader, and the system generates an event indicating whether the shoe is out of or back in the cabinet and uploads it to the backend. The metal shoe cabinets are located in the middle of the track. Each cabinet can store 6 metal shoes, of which 4 are for normal use and 2 are for redundancy. The metal shoes in the cabinet are placed upright. The metal shoes already set up on the track are displayed as flat icons on the front interface, while the metal shoes in the cabinet are displayed as upright icons, thus forming a visual distinction of the spatial status. On the front-end interface, each slot in each metal shoe cabinet is indicated by a different color: green: metal shoes are in the cabinet, red: metal shoes are out of the cabinet, gray: communication error. Once the status of the metal shoes in the cabinet changes, the corresponding indicator light will be updated in real time. The RFID tags are anti-metal interference type to solve the problem of reflection and absorption of radio frequency signals by the metal surface of the iron shoe. The reading and writing sensing devices are independently installed in the independent compartment where the iron shoe is placed to ensure that the tag on the side of the iron shoe in the fixed compartment is always within the effective reading range.

[0006] (2) NFC tag binding subsystem Each iron shoe is equipped with an NFC tag, which stores the unique number of the iron shoe. The operator uses a handheld terminal that supports NFC reading to scan and bind or unbind the iron shoe by bringing it close to the NFC tag when setting up and removing the iron shoe. After the metal shoe leaves the cabinet, the handheld terminal continuously collects its own location and calculates its movement speed in the background. The system correlates the movement speed with the NFC scan record already completed on the terminal: if the handheld terminal's movement speed exceeds the walking threshold (e.g., 6km / h), but the system has not yet received the NFC shoe setting scan record, it is considered that the operator may have moved the metal shoe quickly without completing the binding operation, triggering an alarm. The premise of this judgment is that the operator and the handheld terminal keep walking together after the metal shoe leaves the cabinet. If the terminal detects abnormal speed and the binding record is missing, it indicates that there is a deviation in the operation process. A time limit is set between when the metal shoe leaves the cabinet and when the NFC shoe scanning is completed (configurable, default value 15 minutes). If the shoe is not scanned within the time limit, a timeout alarm will be triggered. Similarly, a time limit is also set between when the NFC shoe removal scan is completed and when the RFID detects the metal shoe returning to the cabinet (default value 30 minutes). An alarm will also be triggered if the timeout is exceeded.

[0007] (3) Wireless tracking and anti-loss subsystem Each shoe is equipped with a wireless tracker that uses Bluetooth Low Energy to continuously broadcast encrypted location beacon signals. When smart devices connected to the corresponding search network enter the signal coverage area, these devices anonymously and in encrypted form upload the tracker's location information to the cloud server. The system obtains the tracker's latest location through a query interface, enabling remote location tracking of the shoe. The essence of this mechanism is to form a passive positioning network by leveraging a widely distributed group of smart devices. It is a crowdsourced positioning method and does not require the establishment of dedicated positioning base stations. For track shoes that have been set up on the track, the system maintains a desired position area: a circular range with the positioning coordinates at the time of setting up the shoe as the center and a preset radius. When the latest position returned by the tracker exceeds this area, or when no position update is received for more than a preset time (e.g., 30 minutes), the system triggers an abnormal position alarm for the track shoes. It should be noted that the location update of the wireless tracker depends on the density and distribution of surrounding smart devices. In areas with frequent personnel activity, such as stations, the location update is usually more timely. In sparsely populated areas, the location update interval may be longer. This is an inherent characteristic of this positioning method. The system adapts to different scenarios by reasonably setting timeout thresholds.

[0008] (4) Smart handheld terminals and APP The smart handheld terminals provided to the operators have a dedicated app installed, which includes the following functions: NFC scanning function: Reads the NFC tag of the iron shoe to complete the binding and unbinding of operations such as setting, removing, and changing shoes; Location acquisition function: Utilizes the terminal's built-in multi-source positioning methods (fusion of satellite positioning, base station positioning, etc.) to obtain its own location and movement speed in real time; Task management function: Receives the iron shoe operation task issued by the system and guides the operator to complete the operation step by step; Alarm notification function: Receive and display various alarms pushed by the system; Status reporting function: Uploads operation records and location information to the backend in real time.

[0009] (5) Timed control and periodic closed-loop The system has set up timed monitoring for key points in the use of the wheel shoes, as shown in the table below: Operational steps Timed start point Timed End Point Timeout action From coming out to setting up shoes RFID detected the metal shoes leaving the cabinet Received NFC shoe scanning record Triggering the "Shoe timeout without shoe setting" alarm Remove the shoes and put them back in the box. Received NFC shoe scanning record RFID detected the metal shoe returning to the locker Triggering the "Iron Shoes Timed Out and Not Returned to Chest" alarm In-situ monitoring Shoe design completed Shoes scan or return to box Alarm when tracker position is abnormal / signal is lost The closed-loop cycle of the iron shoe project encompasses six stages: Retrieve: Take the metal shoes out of the metal shoe cabinet, record the departure event with RFID, and start the shoe setting timer; Set up: Place a shoe at a designated location on the track, use a handheld terminal to scan the NFC tag to complete the binding, the system records the shoe placement time, location and operator, and then closes the shoe placement timer; Removal: Upon reaching the shoe location, scan the NFC tag to complete the shoe removal and unbinding process. The system records the shoe removal time, the front icon changes from a flat position to a transition state, and the return-to-box timer is started. Return to box: When the metal shoe is placed in the metal shoe cabinet, the RFID detects the return signal, the return timer is turned off, and the front icon returns to the upright position in the cabinet, thus completing the use cycle of the metal shoe; Loading: The removed metal shoes are carried onto the vehicle by the operators and transported within the station area to the metal shoe cabinet. During this time, the position of the metal shoes is continuously monitored by a wireless tracker. Replacement: When the metal shoe is damaged or expires for replacement, first scan the NFC tag of the old shoe to mark it as scrapped or under repair, then scan the NFC tag of the new shoe to complete the replacement. The system automatically migrates the task and location information and updates the asset ledger.

[0010] The beneficial effects of this invention are: Compared with existing methods of managing track shoes, this invention has the following advantages: (1) Periodic closed-loop management: Every step of the iron shoe from leaving the cabinet to returning to the box is recorded and verified by technical means. Any timeout or omission in any step will trigger an alarm. (2) The three identification technologies complement each other in layers. RFID is responsible for batch real-time monitoring inside the cabinet without manual counting. NFC is responsible for accurate on-site binding to ensure that the operator confirms the location. The wireless tracker is responsible for remote location sensing to supplement the blind spots outside the cabinet. The three technologies cover all possible spatial locations where the iron shoes may appear. (3) Based on existing conditions, the investment in new hardware is small. It utilizes the existing railway positioning base station system, existing NFC handheld terminals and consumer tracker ecosystem, and does not require large-scale construction of new infrastructure. (4) Change passive tracing to proactive early warning, and issue immediate alarms for violations or timeouts in each operation, rather than checking records afterward; (5) Prevent forced opening of the box. Real-time RFID polling ensures that the removal and return of any metal shoes are monitored by the system. Operations that bypass the normal process will be directly recorded. (6) Operation behavior standard guidance: Through the correlation judgment of speed detection and binding records, the operator is prompted to complete each step of the operation according to the procedure. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 System overall architecture diagram; Figure 2 Iron shoe cycle closed-loop management flowchart; Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the RFID metal shoe cabinet monitoring subsystem; Figure 4 Flowchart of NFC binding and speed detection mechanism; Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the working principle of the wireless tracker anti-loss subsystem; Figure 6 : Schematic diagram of the functional modules of the smart handheld terminal APP; Figure 7 : A schematic diagram of the iron shoe status displayed on the front-end interface. Detailed Implementation

[0012] [Example 1] System Overall Architecture This system is divided into four levels: On-site equipment layer: Iron shoe body (equipped with NFC tag, wireless tracker, RFID tag), iron shoe cabinet (built-in RFID reader, receiving antenna array, cabinet door status sensor), smart handheld terminal (supports NFC reading and multi-source fusion positioning, and is equipped with railway iron shoe management APP). Communication transmission layer: wired or wireless links between RFID readers and the back-end, mobile communication networks (4G / 5G) or Wi-Fi between handheld terminals and the back-end, and indirect links between wireless trackers that broadcast via BLE beacons, are relayed by surrounding smart devices, and then transmitted back to the system back-end via the cloud. Data processing layer: backend server (runs control logic, performs scheduled monitoring, alarm judgment and other core algorithms), database server (stores iron shoe ledger, operation logs and alarm records); Application presentation layer: front-end monitoring display interface (real-time display of track shoe status, alarm pop-up, operation log query), handheld terminal APP interface (task guidance, scanning operation, alarm prompts).

[0013] [Example 2] Closed-Loop Management Process for Iron Shoes (1) Step 1, take out (out of cabinet): The operator takes out the iron shoes in front of the iron shoe cabinet according to the task. When the cabinet door is opened, the cabinet door status sensor triggers the RFID reader to enter the high frequency scanning mode. The moment the iron shoes are taken out, the RFID tag leaves the effective reading range of the reader. After the reader detects that the tag signal has disappeared, it generates an exit event and uploads the iron shoe number, exit time and the iron shoe cabinet number to the background. When the system starts setting the shoe time, the icon of the iron shoe slot on the front-end interface changes from green to red. (2) Step 2, setting (setting shoes): The operator carries the iron shoes to the designated position on the track, sets the iron shoes on the track surface, and uses a handheld terminal to scan the NFC tag on the iron shoes. The APP reads the iron shoe number in the NFC tag and collects the current terminal position. After associating the two, the APP uploads the data to the background. The system records the setting time, position coordinates and operator, and closes the setting timer. The iron shoe icon on the front-end interface changes to a flat icon on the track. From the time the iron shoes leave the cabinet until the setting binding is completed, the handheld terminal continuously collects the position and calculates the moving speed in the background. The system associates the speed data with the NFC scan record for judgment: If the terminal moving speed has exceeded the walking threshold (6km / h) but has not yet received the NFC setting shoe scan record for the iron shoes, and this state continues to exceed the preset minimum time (e.g., 5 seconds) excluding instantaneous fluctuations, a binding abnormal alarm is triggered. The terminal emits an audible and visual prompt, and the alarm information is uploaded to the background. If the setting time limit (default 15 minutes) is exceeded from the time the iron shoes leave the cabinet and no setting shoe scan record is received, the system triggers a timeout alarm. (3) Step 3, removal (removal of shoes): When it is necessary to remove shoes, the operator takes a handheld terminal to the location where the iron shoe is set, approaches the NFC tag to complete the removal of shoes scanning, the APP reads the iron shoe number and collects the current location, uploads the removal of shoes event to the background, the system records the removal of shoes is completed, the iron shoe icon on the front-end interface changes to a transition state (yellow), indicating that the shoes have been removed but have not yet been returned to the box, and the return box timer is started at the same time. (4) Step 4, return to box: When the operator arrives at the metal shoe cabinet, opens the cabinet door and puts the metal shoe in, the RFID reader detects that the metal shoe tag signal reappears, generates a return to box event and uploads it to the background, the system closes the return to box timer, the metal shoe icon on the front-end interface returns to vertical green, and the usage cycle is closed. (5) Step 5, loading (operation): The removed iron shoes are carried by the operators onto the vehicle (such as a shunting locomotive) and moved within the station area to the location of the iron shoe cabinet. At this stage, the iron shoes are in the "removed shoes waiting to be returned to the box" state. The wireless tracker continuously monitors the location of the iron shoes to ensure that the iron shoes are within the safe area of ​​the station. (6) Step six, shoe replacement: When the iron shoe is physically damaged, expired, or replaced according to the prescribed cycle, the shoe replacement operation is performed. The operator first scans the NFC tag of the old shoe and selects the "scrap" or "repair" operation. The iron shoe is marked as deactivated in the system. Then, the operator scans the NFC tag of the new shoe to complete the initial binding. The system automatically migrates the task and location information of the original iron shoe to the new shoe and updates the asset ledger.

[0014] [Example 3] RFID Shoe Cabinet Monitoring Subsystem (1) Hardware configuration: Each iron shoe cabinet is equipped with an RFID reader and multiple receiving antennas. The antennas are arranged in an array on the inner wall (side) of each independent iron shoe compartment to ensure that the RFID tag of the iron shoe on one side of the cabinet is within the effective reading range of the antenna. The RFID tag is installed on the working surface of the iron shoe (the part that does not affect the normal use of the iron shoe). Anti-metal interference type tag is used. The anti-metal tag has a layer of ferrite or similar absorbing material between the tag chip and the metal surface to reduce the reflection of radio frequency electromagnetic waves and eddy current loss on the metal surface, so that the tag can still obtain sufficient activation energy on the metal surface and transmit signals back. (2) Real-time polling: The reader polls and scans all tags in the cabinet at a configurable fixed period (e.g., every 2 seconds). The reader maintains a "list of tags in the cabinet". Each scan result is compared with the list item by item: the tag ID that existed in the list last time but does not exist this time corresponds to the iron shoe leaving the cabinet; the tag ID that did not exist in the list last time but exists this time corresponds to the iron shoe returning to the cabinet; the tag ID that continues to exist in the list corresponds to the normal status of being in the cabinet. (3) Front-end status display: On the front-end monitoring display interface, each metal shoe cabinet is displayed as an independent card, with 6 slots displayed in the card, represented by metal shoe icons of different colors and shapes: green upright (in cabinet); red upright (out of cabinet); gray upright with a question mark (communication abnormality); yellow (replacing or maintenance). On the track plan, the installed metal shoes are displayed as green flat icons at the corresponding track positions, with the metal shoe number and installation time marked next to each metal shoe icon.

[0015] [Example 4] NFC Binding and Speed ​​Detection Mechanism (1) NFC tag data: The following fields are stored in the NFC tag of each iron shoe: unique iron shoe number (unique throughout the system), iron shoe type (normal / spare / special), iron shoe cabinet number, and initial binding date; (2) Speed ​​detection: The handheld terminal APP background obtains the terminal's position coordinates through multi-source fusion positioning at a fixed frequency (e.g., once per second). The position difference and time difference between two adjacent samples are used to calculate the instantaneous movement speed: , in The spherical distance between the two sampling points. The sampling interval; (3) Alarm triggering conditions: The binding abnormal alarm must meet three conditions at the same time: the iron shoe is out of the cabinet but not bound to the shoe, the instantaneous speed of the handheld terminal exceeds the preset threshold, and the overspeed state lasts for more than the preset minimum time (filtering out instantaneous fluctuations). After all three conditions are met, the handheld terminal sends an alarm locally, and the alarm information is uploaded to the backend and a prompt pops up on the front-end display interface.

[0016] [Example 5] Wireless Tracker Anti-Loss Subsystem (1) Working principle: The wireless tracker works based on the search network. Each tracker continuously broadcasts an encrypted and periodically changing Bluetooth beacon signal. When any smart device connected to the search network enters the Bluetooth coverage area (usually 10 to 30 meters), the device anonymously and end-to-end encryptedly associates its own location with the tracker beacon and uploads it to the cloud. The Iron Shoe Management System obtains the location and time of the last time the specified tracker was detected through the query interface. (2) Location anomaly judgment: The system maintains a desired location area for each iron shoe that has been set on the track: a circular range with the positioning coordinates when the shoe was set as the center and a preset radius. When the latest position returned by the tracker exceeds this area, or no position update is received for more than a preset time (e.g., 30 minutes), the system triggers a location anomaly alarm.

[0017] [Example 6] Timed Control Mechanism (1) Timed departure from the cabinet to the shoe setting timer: The RFID reader detects that the iron shoe has left the cabinet. The timer duration is configurable, with a default of 15 minutes. Timer termination: The system receives the NFC shoe setting scan record for the iron shoe. Timeout action: Triggers the "Iron shoe timeout without shoe setting" alarm. (2) Timed shoe removal and return to box: The system receives the NFC shoe removal scan record of the iron shoe. The timed duration is configurable, with a default of 30 minutes. Timed termination: The RFID reader detects the iron shoe return signal. Timeout action: Triggers the "Iron shoe not returned to box after timeout" alarm. (3) In-situ monitoring: After the iron shoe is bound, it will continue to monitor. Abnormal conditions: The tracker position exceeds the expected area or the signal loss timeout occurs. Abnormal actions: Trigger the alarm for "abnormal movement of iron shoe" or "loss of iron shoe signal".

[0018] [Example 7] Smart Handheld Terminal APP The main interface of the app displays the current user's task list. Each task includes the iron shoe number, operation type (set shoe, remove shoe, change shoe, return to box), target location, and remaining time limit. After the user selects a specific task, they enter the scanning operation interface. The NFC sensing area indicator is displayed in the center of the interface. The user automatically completes the reading when they bring their handheld terminal close to the NFC tag on the iron shoe. When the alarm conditions are triggered, the alarm interface will automatically pop up, displaying the alarm type, the number of the affected shoe, and handling suggestions; After the app is moved to the background, the location acquisition module and speed detection module continue to run, ensuring that the binding anomaly detection is not interrupted when the app is switched to the background.

[0019] [Example 8] Interface with other systems This system reserves data interfaces with the following existing railway information systems: Interlocking system with the station: Obtain track occupancy status to help determine the validity of track shoe placement; Integration with train dispatching and command systems: Incorporating train status information into the dispatching and command system's scope; Integrated with the centralized signal monitoring system: Integrate the alarms from the metal shoe control system into the signal equipment monitoring system for unified alarm management.

[0020] System operating environment The deployment and operation of this system rely on the following existing conditions: the existing personnel and equipment positioning base station system in the railway station, the existing smart handheld terminals that support NFC, the existing wired and wireless communication networks in the station, and the widespread distribution of smart devices within the station area (providing signal pickup nodes for the trackers). The system works on the basis of the above existing conditions, without the need to build a new positioning base station network or to equip the trackers with a separate battery-powered positioning module.

Claims

1. A comprehensive management and control system for railway tracks, characterized in that, include: The RFID metal shoe cabinet monitoring subsystem includes an RFID tag installed on each metal shoe, and an RFID reader and receiving antenna installed inside the metal shoe cabinet. The RFID reader periodically scans the space inside the cabinet through the receiving antenna, reads the identification information of each metal shoe's RFID tag, determines the status of each metal shoe in the cabinet, and generates and uploads an event when a metal shoe is taken out or put back into the cabinet. The NFC tag binding subsystem includes an NFC tag installed on each iron shoe and a handheld terminal with NFC reading function. When setting up and removing the iron shoes, the handheld terminal is brought close to the NFC tag to complete the scanning binding or unbinding. The wireless tracker anti-loss subsystem includes a wireless tracker installed on each iron shoe. The wireless tracker broadcasts a positioning beacon signal and uploads the location information to the cloud in an anonymous and encrypted manner through surrounding smart devices connected to the corresponding search network. The system can remotely track the location of the iron shoe by querying the cloud location information. The handheld terminal and application are equipped with the Iron Shoe Management Application, which integrates NFC scanning, location acquisition, task management and alarm functions; The timing control module sets timing constraints for the metal shoe operation nodes, including the time from when the metal shoe leaves the cabinet to when the shoe placement scan is completed, and the time from when the shoe removal scan is completed to when the shoe is removed and returned to the cabinet for detection. An alarm will be triggered if the time limit is exceeded. The aforementioned subsystems work together to form a closed-loop management system covering the entire process of taking the shoes out of the locker, setting up the shoe rack, removing and recycling the shoes, and returning them to their original boxes.

2. The railway track maintenance and control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the NFC tag binding subsystem, after the metal shoe leaves the cabinet and before the shoe binding is completed, the handheld terminal continuously collects its own location and calculates its movement speed. When the terminal's movement speed exceeds a preset walking threshold, but the system has not yet received the NFC shoe binding scan record for the metal shoe, and the duration of this state exceeds a preset minimum time, a binding abnormality alarm is triggered.

3. The railway track maintenance and control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the wireless tracker anti-loss subsystem, the system maintains a desired location area with the tracker's positioning coordinates as the center and a preset radius for each tracker. When the latest location returned by the tracker exceeds this area, or when no location update is received for more than a preset time, the system triggers an abnormal tracker location alarm.

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