Railway vehicle set integrity management method, railway vehicle set integrity management device, and railway vehicle set integrity management system

Abstract

Aspects relate to providing a low-cost, reliable rail consist integrity management technique for facilitating determining the integrity of a rail consist using existing rail infrastructure. A rail consist integrity management method includes transmitting a first analog signal from a first car of a rail consist to a second car of the rail consist over a power conductor disposed separate from the rail consist, determining an integrity status of the rail consist by analyzing a frequency of the first analog signal, and outputting a rail consist integrity notification indicative of the integrity status of the rail consist.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a railway vehicle set integrity management method, a railway vehicle set integrity management device, and a railway vehicle set integrity management system. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, a railroad car "consist" is a group of two or more railroad cars mechanically linked together for movement as a single unit on a railroad track defined by a rail or set of rails that support and propel the cars. A train is an example of such a railroad car consist, typically characterized by its ability to move itself along a track to transport cargo or passengers.

[0003] In recent years, as rail networks have become more complex, the importance of reliably monitoring, collecting, and transmitting information regarding the operation of rail cars in a rail consist has likewise increased. By analyzing operational information collected from vehicle systems, useful insights regarding operational efficiency and safety can be gained.

[0004] Conventionally, techniques have been devised for facilitating data communication between rail cars in a rail car configuration. As an example of railway vehicle consist communication technology, U.S. Patent No. 963,714 B2 (Patent Document 1) discloses the following: "A data communications system is configured to obtain operational data related to a control system of the vehicle consist. The operational data is obtained at a first car of the consist. The operational data is transmitted from the first car to one or more second cars within the consist. In response to a loss of operational data in the first car, the operational data lost at least in the first car may be transmitted from one or more of the second cars to the first car. The operational data lost in the first car and transmitted from at least one of the one or more second cars to the first car may be used in the first car to determine the operational capability of the consist to perform the movement event." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 9,637,147 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Monitoring the health of a rail consist to quickly detect and respond to anomalies in the integrity of the consist (e.g., if one or more rail cars become separated from the consist) is an important aspect of maintaining rail safety.

[0007] Previously, techniques have been proposed for verifying the integrity of a rail consist using wireless communication from the last car in the consist to the first car, where characteristics such as brake pressure or geographic location can be measured at the rear of the train and then reported via wireless communication to the first car, which can verify the integrity of the consist based on whether the reported characteristics correspond to expectations. Additionally, the integrity of the railcar consist may also be determined by detecting electrical signals at the lead car of the railcar consist transmitted from the rear of the train through one or more electrical wires attached to and extending along each railcar in the railcar consist.

[0008] However, when wireless communication is used to monitor the integrity of a rail consist, the radio signals may be subject to electromagnetic interference or loss of connection due to poor weather or loss of line of sight between the leading and trailing cars, such as in tunnels. Traditional wired communication methods, on the other hand, are not subject to such problems, but require dedicated wires to run through each intermediate rail car and also through the junctions or couplings between the rail cars, which may not be available on existing rail cars, such as freight cars or older distributed power trains, that are being retrofitted for use with radio-based train detection. This problem could be solved by extensive modification of the existing cars, but this would lead to a significant increase in cost and is therefore not typically pursued.

[0009] Patent document 1 discloses a technology in which a router transceiver unit positioned in each rail car of a rail vehicle formation transmits and receives operational data regarding the operating capabilities of both rail vehicles (e.g., braking system effectiveness) via an existing distributed power (MU) cable connecting the leading and trailing cars.

[0010] However, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the operational data is transmitted through the MU cable in the form of network data packets in TCP / IP format or SIP format, i.e., digital signals, etc. Therefore, digital signal processing equipment installed on the train set is required, which requires additional installation and may be cost prohibitive for freight cars, etc.

[0011] It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide a low-cost, reliable rail consist integrity management technique for facilitating the determination of rail consist integrity using existing rail infrastructure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] A representative example of the present disclosure relates to a method for managing railcar consist integrity including transmitting a first analog signal from a first car of the railcar consist to a second car of the railcar consist via a power conductor disposed separate from the railcar consist, determining an integrity status of the railcar consist by analyzing a frequency of the first analog signal, and outputting a railcar consist integrity notification indicative of the integrity status of the railcar consist. Effect of the Invention

[0013] In accordance with the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a low-cost, reliable rail consist integrity management technique for facilitating the determination of rail consist integrity using existing rail infrastructure.

[0014] Other objects, configurations, and advantages than those mentioned above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments for carrying out the present invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware configuration of a railway vehicle set integrity management system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware configuration of a railway vehicle set integrity management system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a rail vehicle consist integrity status determination process according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a rail vehicle consist integrity status determination process according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] In this specification, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described in this specification are not intended to limit the present invention according to the claims, and it should be understood that each of the elements and their combinations described with respect to the embodiments are not strictly necessary to implement aspects of the present invention.

[0017] Various aspects are disclosed in the following description and in the associated drawings. Alternative aspects may be devised without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, well-known elements of the present disclosure will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the present disclosure.

[0018] The words "exemplary" and / or "example" are used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustrative example." Any aspect described herein as "exemplary" and / or "example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Similarly, the phrase "aspects of the disclosure" does not require that all aspects of the disclosure include the discussed feature, advantage, or characteristic of operation.

[0019] Furthermore, many aspects are described in terms of sequences of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. It will be appreciated that the various actions described herein can be performed by specific circuitry (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), program instructions executed by one or more processors, or a combination of both. In addition, the sequences of actions described herein can be considered to be embodied as a whole within any form of computer-readable storage medium that stores a corresponding set of computer instructions that, when executed, can cause an associated processor to perform the functions described herein. Thus, various aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms, all of which are contemplated to be within the subject matter set forth in the claims.

[0020] As described herein, generally, a railroad car "consist" is a group of two or more railroad cars mechanically coupled together to move as a single unit on a railroad track defined by a rail or set of rails that support and propel the cars. A train is an example of such a railroad car consist, typically characterized by its ability to move itself along a track to move freight or passengers. A train may be self-powered, with one or more of the railroad cars providing power from an on-board power source, or it may be externally powered, with one or more of the railroad cars capable of using power but with the power source located off-board.

[0021] Some forms of externally powered trains, hereafter referred to as "electric trains", are electrically isolated from the rails that support and propel the rail vehicles, and collect power in the form of electricity from power conductors located within reach of some or all of the rail vehicles moving along the route. A segment of a route is considered "energized" if the electric trains designed to operate on the route can travel the designated segment with continuous or near-continuous access to power via one or more power conductors. These power conductors provide power to the electric trains, usually semi-continuously, for most or all of the length of the energized segment of the route, often with interruptions in the conductors to provide space for associated infrastructure or to provide separation between segments of the route that are supplied with electricity from separate sources.

[0022] Typical examples of power conductors include rigid metal rails known as "third rails" located below or to the side of the railcar and mechanically separate from the rails that support and propel the train, and overhead rails or wiring that are held in tension above the railcar. These overhead rails, known as "overhead line equipment," may be supported using suspension structures. Physical contact is made between a "current collector" device on the train and the power conductors that provide the flow of electricity through the train. A return path for the collected current is typically provided through the rails that support and propel the car, although some systems may provide one or more separate rigid rails for the return path, each in contact with a separate current collector.

[0023] As described herein, on routes utilizing a radio-based train detection system, it may be desirable for each train on the route to report its own position to an off-board control system and for the train to be aware of its integrity state (i.e., whether a rail car or consist that cannot independently report its own position to the off-board control system becomes disconnected from the train).

[0024] A wide variety of techniques have been proposed for verifying the integrity of railcar consist sets, but these conventional techniques face challenges related to reliability (e.g., interference in the case of radio signals) and cost (e.g., the introduction of additional wiring or digital signal processing equipment as in the case of US Pat. No. 5,399,633 to the railcar consist sets). It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide a low-cost, reliable rail consist integrity management technique for facilitating the determination of rail consist integrity using existing rail infrastructure.

[0025] In a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a railcar consist integrity management system is provided for detecting the integrity of a train consist of two or more railcars on a current-carrying route. The railcar consist integrity management system includes a transmitter unit in a rearmost car of the train. The transmitter unit may be electrically coupled to a power supply conductor of the current-carrying route via a current collector that may be disposed on the rearmost car. In addition, a receiver unit may be disposed in a leading car, also electrically coupled to the power supply conductor via the current collector. The current collector electrically coupled to the receiver unit may be disposed in the leading car, or may be separate from the current collector to which the transmitter unit is connected. Additionally, a detector unit may be disposed in the leading car to decode the signal received from the receiver unit. The transmitter unit and the receiver unit may be connected by an electrical wire at least partially disposed in or on the rail cars of the rail consist. The transmitter unit may be configured to transmit an analog signal through a power conductor from which the receiver unit receives the signal, separates the signal through an electrical filter, and then sends the separated signal to the detector unit. The detector unit analyzes the signal for information related to the train's integrity, such as the presence of a Doppler shift due to relative movement along the route between the leading car and the trailing car, and based thereon issues a determination of train integrity or loss of integrity. The receiver unit and the detector unit may be separate devices connected by an electrical connection or may be combined into a single unit in the leading car. The determined state of the train's integrity is then provided to an on-board safety system.

[0026] In a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a railcar set integrity management system is provided for detecting the integrity of a train set of two or more railcars on a current-carrying route. The railcar set integrity management system includes a transceiver unit in a rearmost car of the train. The transceiver unit may be electrically coupled to a power supply conductor of the current-carrying route via a current collector that may be disposed on the rearmost car. In addition, a transceiver unit may be disposed in a leading car, similarly electrically coupled to the power supply conductor via the current collector. The current collector electrically coupled to the transceiver unit in the leading car may be separated from the current collector to which the transceiver unit disposed in the rearmost car is connected.

[0027] Additionally, the leading car may include a decoder unit for decoding a signal received from the transceiver unit located in the last car. The transceiver units may also be connected by wires located at least partially in or on the rail car or not. The transceiver unit located in the leading car is configured to transmit, either intermittently or continuously, an analog signal, or a plurality of analog signals, over the power conductor. The transceiver unit located in the last car, upon receipt of this signal, transmits, either intermittently or continuously, a separate analog signal over the power conductor. The signal from the leading car and the signal from the last car may be at different frequencies or the same frequency.

[0028] The transceiver unit located in the leading car filters the detected signals on the power conductors to isolate signals related to train integrity detection functions and sends the isolated signals to the detector unit. The detector unit analyzes the signals for information related to train integrity, such as the presence of a Doppler shift due to relative movement along the route between the leading car and the trailing car or a time difference between sending a signal from the leading car and receiving a corresponding signal from the trailing car, and based thereon issues a determination of train integrity or loss of integrity. The receiver unit and the detector unit may be separate devices connected by an electrical connection or may be combined into a single unit in the leading car. The determined state of train integrity is then provided to an on-board safety system.

[0029] Detailed descriptions of the embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to the drawings.

[0030] An exemplary hardware configuration of a railcar consist integrity management system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG.

[0031] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example hardware configuration of a railway car set integrity management system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The railway car set integrity management system 100 according to the first embodiment relates to a configuration in which a determination of an integrity state of a railway car set is performed based on an analog signal transmitted in one direction from a first car (e.g., the rearmost car) to a second car (e.g., the leading car) of the railway car set.

[0032] As shown in Figure 1, the rail consist integrity management system 100 may be applied to a rail consist 110. As used herein, a rail consist 110 refers to a group of vehicles, such as rail cars, that are mechanically coupled or connected to one another and move on rail tracks extending along a route. Alternatively, the vehicles are not mechanically coupled to one another but can communicate with one another so that the vehicles coordinate their movement and the group of vehicles moves together along the route in a coordinated manner. These vehicles may be used in operations described as freight rail, passenger rail, high speed rail, commuter rail, rail transit, subway, light rail, streetcar, tram, or tramtrain. For ease of explanation, the rail car set integrity management system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to an example in which the rail car set 110 includes three rail cars; however, the rail car set integrity management system 100 is not limited to such a configuration and a rail car set having two rail cars, or four or more rail cars, is also possible.

[0033] The railcar consist 110 shown in FIG. 1 includes a rearmost car (e.g., a first car) 02, a middle car 06, and a leading car (e.g., a second car) 04. These railcars may be connected using a rail coupler. The railcar consist 110 may be configured to travel along a current-carrying route. The current-carrying route along which the railcar consist 110 travels may include an external power supply conductor 20 that provides electrical power to the railcar consist 110 and a main rail 22 that supports and propels the railcars of the railcar consist 110. Although the present embodiment illustrates an example in which the power supply conductor 20 is implemented using overhead line equipment, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and other types of power supply conductors 20, such as a third rail power conductor, may be used.

[0034] One or more of the rail cars of the rail car consist 110 may include current collectors 24 in contact with the power conductors 20 to provide power to the rail car consist 110. Each rail car of the rail car consist 110 is supported and propelled by a number of wheelsets 26 that extend over the main rail 22. While the present embodiment contemplates that current drawn from the power conductors 20 is returned to the conductive main rail 22 via the conductive wheelsets 26, configurations utilizing one or more additional power conductors separate from the power conductors 20 and the main rail 22 to return current through the use of additional current collectors are also possible.

[0035] The rearmost car (e.g., first car) 02 may include a transmitter unit 10 configured to transmit a first analog signal 102. The transmitter unit 10 may include any existing device for transmitting an analog signal (e.g., a non-network, non-packet-based, non-digital signal). The first analog signal 102 may include an analog signal (e.g., an audio frequency signal) having a frequency in the range of 20-20,000 Hz, although the disclosure is not limited thereto and higher frequency signals are also possible. For example, in certain embodiments, to facilitate reliable railcar consist integrity determination, the first analog signal 102 may be a high frequency analog signal (e.g., a signal having a frequency greater than 20,000 Hz) because Doppler shifts are more easily detected at higher frequencies. In an embodiment, the frequency of the first analog signal may be determined based on the speed of the railcar consist.

[0036] The transmitter unit 10 may transmit the first analog signal 102 continuously or intermittently (e.g., at periodic intervals). The frequency of the first analog signal 102 may be selected to avoid interference with other connected infrastructure, such as power supplies and track circuit equipment. In an embodiment, the transmitter unit 10 may be electrically coupled to the power supply conductor 20 via a current collector 24 (e.g., a first current collector), which may be disposed on the same rail car as the transmitter unit 10, such that the transmitted first analog signal 102 travels through the power supply conductor 20.

[0037] Furthermore, in an embodiment, the transmitter unit 10 may be configured to transmit an error verification signal in addition to the first analog signal 102 as a means by which the detector unit 14 can correct for variations in the original frequency of the first analog signal 102. The error verification signal may have a fixed frequency, may have a frequency related to the original frequency of the first analog signal 102 by a fixed offset, or may have a fixed multiple of the original frequency of the first analog signal 102. The detector unit 14 may compare the first analog signal 102 and the error verification signal to determine variations in the frequency of the received first analog signal 102 from the original frequency used in transmission, or may measure the difference in frequency between these two signals. Alternatively, the difference between the two signals may be used to detect the integrity of the train.

[0038] The lead vehicle (e.g., second vehicle) 04 may include a receiver unit 12 and a detector unit 14. The receiver unit 12 may include any existing device for receiving analog signals. In an embodiment, the receiver unit 12 and the detector unit 14 may be implemented as separate devices. In certain embodiments, the functions of the receiver unit 12 and the detector unit 14 may be combined and implemented using a single device.

[0039] The receiver unit 12 may be coupled to the power conductor 20 via a current collector 24 (e.g., a second current collector) that may be disposed on the lead car 04, which may or may not be the same current collector 24 used by which the transmitter unit 10 is coupled to the power conductor 20. The receiver unit 12 may be configured to filter the signal received via the power conductor 20 to isolate the first analog signal 102 transmitted by the transmitter unit 10. This isolated first analog signal 102 may then be sent to the detector unit 14.

[0040] The detector unit 14 may analyze the frequency of the first analog signal 102 to determine the integrity status of the consist. Here, the integrity status of the consist refers to information indicating whether the integrity of the consist is normal (e.g., no rail cars are decoupled from the consist 110, and the rearmost car 02 and the leading car 04 are connected consecutively, either directly or indirectly through the intermediate cars 06) or whether an abnormality occurs (e.g., a rail car is decoupled from the consist 110). In response to determining the integrity status of the consist, the detector unit 14 may output a consist integrity notification indicating the integrity status of the consist to the on-board safety system 30, which may be part of a radio-based occupancy detection system, a railway signaling system, etc. If the consist integrity notification indicates that an abnormality has been detected regarding the integrity of the consist 110, an operator of the on-board safety system 30 may take measures to resolve or mitigate the loss of integrity (e.g., contact a remote operator, stop the train, double-check the integrity).

[0041] In an embodiment, determining the integrity status of the railcar consist may include analysing the frequency of the first analog signal 102 to detect the effect of Doppler shift, from which the detector unit 14 may determine the relative speed between the last car 02 and the first car 04 along the route. If the relative speed or distance (calculated as the time integral of the relative speed) between the last car 02 and the first car 04 becomes greater than some threshold, it may be determined that the railcar consist 110 has become separated at some point between the last car 02 and the first car 04 and that an anomaly has occurred with respect to the integrity of the railcar consist 110. Details of this process are described with reference to FIG. 3 and will not be repeated here.

[0042] According to the railcar set integrity management system 100 according to the first embodiment, the integrity of the railcar set can be verified using an analog signal transmitted unidirectionally from a first car (e.g., the rearmost car) to a second car (e.g., the leading car) of the railcar set. This analog signal is transmitted using existing infrastructure such as power conductors provided along the route of the railcar set, so that no additional railcar set needs to be introduced. Furthermore, since the integrity of the railcar set can be determined based on the frequency change of the analog signal due to the Doppler effect, no digital signal processing equipment needs to be installed, and a reliable integrity determination can be achieved at low cost.

[0043] Next, an exemplary hardware configuration of a railway vehicle set integrity management system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG.

[0044] 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware configuration of a railway vehicle set integrity management system 200 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. The railway vehicle set integrity management system 200 according to the second embodiment relates to a configuration in which a determination of the integrity state of a railway vehicle set is performed based on an analog signal transmitted bidirectionally between a transceiver unit disposed in a first car (e.g., the last car) of the railway vehicle set and a second car (e.g., the leading car). In addition, the railway vehicle set integrity management system 200 includes an on-board conductor connecting the last car and the leading car, and a current collector to which the transceiver unit disposed in the last car is connected may be disposed on a car separated from the last car.

[0045] For ease of explanation, the railcar consist integrity management system 200 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to an example in which the railcar consist 210 includes three railcars, however, the railcar consist integrity management system 200 is not limited to such a configuration and a railcar consist having two cars, or four or more cars, is also possible. Additionally, components that substantially correspond to components shown in the railcar consist integrity management system 100 of FIG. 1 will be referred to using the same reference numbers.

[0046] The railcar consist 210 shown in FIG. 2 includes at least a rearmost car (e.g., a first car) 02, a middle car 06, and a leading car (e.g., a second car) 04. The railcar consist 210 may be configured to travel along a current-carrying route. The current-carrying route along which the railcar consist 210 travels may include an external power supply conductor 20 that provides electrical power to the railcar consist 210 and a main rail 22 that supports and propels the railcars of the railcar consist 210. Although the present embodiment illustrates an example in which the power supply conductor 20 is implemented using overhead line equipment, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and other types of power supply conductors 20, such as a third rail power conductor, may be used.

[0047] One or more of the rail cars of the rail car consist 210 may include current collectors 24 in contact with the power conductors 20 to provide power to the rail car consist 210. Each rail car of the rail car consist 210 is supported and guided by a number of wheelsets 26 that extend over the main rail 22. While the present embodiment is described assuming that current drawn from the power conductors 20 is returned to the conductive main rail 22 via the conductive wheelsets 26, configurations utilizing one or more additional power conductors separate from the power conductors 20 and the main rail 22 to return current through the use of additional current collectors are also possible.

[0048] The last car (e.g., the first car) 02 may include a transceiver unit 16 configured to transmit a first analog signal 106 in response to receiving a zeroth analog signal 104 from the first car (e.g., the second car) 04. The transceiver unit 16 may include any existing device for transmitting and receiving analog signals. The first analog signal 106 may include an analog signal having a frequency in the range of 20 to 20,000 Hz. For example, in certain embodiments, to facilitate reliable railcar consist integrity determination, the first analog signal 106 may be a high frequency analog signal (e.g., a signal having a frequency greater than 20,000 Hz) because Doppler shifts are more easily detected at higher frequencies. The transceiver unit 16 may transmit the first analog signal 106 continuously or intermittently (e.g., at periodic intervals). In addition, the frequency of the first analog signal 106 may have the same or a different frequency with respect to the zeroth analog signal 104 and may be selected to avoid interference with other connected infrastructure, such as power supplies and track circuit equipment. More specifically, the transceiver units 16, 18 may identify (e.g., using frequency manipulation, etc.) a set of in-use frequencies that may cause interference with the transmission of the zeroth analog signal 104 and the first analog signal 106, and set the frequencies of the zeroth analog signal 104 and the first analog signal 106 to avoid interference with the set of in-use frequencies.

[0049] In an embodiment, the transceiver unit 16 may be electrically coupled to the power conductors 20 via current collectors 24, which may be disposed on the same rail car as the transceiver unit 16 or on a different rail car than the transceiver unit 16 (as shown in FIG. 2 ), such that the first analog signal 106 travels through the power conductors 20. Further, in an embodiment, the transceiver unit 16 may be an active device that uses on-board logic to determine whether it has received the zeroth analog signal 104 and in response actively transmits the first analog signal 106, or may be a passive device comprised solely of passive components that are energized by the received zeroth analog signal 104 and in response return the first analog signal 106 using only the energy absorbed from the received zeroth analog signal 104.

[0050] The lead vehicle (e.g., second vehicle) 04 may include a transceiver unit 18 and a detector unit 14. In an embodiment, the transceiver unit 18 and the detector unit 14 may be implemented as separate devices. In certain embodiments, the functions of the transceiver unit 18 and the detector unit 14 may be combined and implemented using a single device.

[0051] The transceiver unit 18 may be coupled to the power supply conductor 20 via a current collector 24 that may be disposed on the leading car 04, which may or may not be the same current collector 24 by which the transceiver unit 16 of the last car 02 is coupled to the power supply conductor 20. The transceiver unit 18 of the leading car 04 may transmit a zeroth analog signal 104 to the transceiver unit 16 of the last car 02 via the power supply conductor 20 and may then receive a transmission of the first analog signal 106 from the transceiver unit 16 of the last car 02. The transceiver unit 18 may transmit the zeroth analog signal 104 continuously or intermittently (e.g., at periodic intervals). In addition, the frequency of the zeroth analog signal 104 may have the same or a different frequency with respect to the first analog signal 106 and may be selected to avoid interference with other connected infrastructure, such as power supplies and track circuit equipment.

[0052] The transceiver unit 18 of the leading car 04 may be configured to filter the signal received over the power conductors 20 to isolate the first analog signal 106 transmitted by the transceiver unit 16 of the trailing car 02. This isolated first analog signal 106 may then be sent to the detector unit 14.

[0053] The detector unit 14 may analyze the frequency of the first analog signal 106 to determine the integrity status of the consist. Here, the integrity status of the consist refers to information indicating whether the integrity of the consist is normal (e.g., no rail cars are decoupled from the consist 210, and the rearmost car 02 and the leading car 04 are connected consecutively, either directly or indirectly through the intermediate cars 06) or whether an abnormality has occurred (e.g., a rail car may have been decoupled from the consist 210). In response to determining the integrity status of the consist, the detector unit 14 may output a consist integrity notification indicative of the integrity status of the consist to an on-board safety system 30, which may be part of a radio-based occupancy detection system, a railway signaling system, etc.

[0054] In an embodiment, determining the integrity status of the railcar consist may include analysing the frequency of the first analog signal 106 to detect the effect of Doppler shift, from which the detector unit 14 may determine the relative speed between the last car 02 and the first car 04 along the route. If the relative speed or relative distance (calculated as the time integral of the relative speed) between the last car 02 and the first car 04 becomes greater than some threshold, it may be determined that the railcar consist 210 has become separated at some point between the last car 02 and the first car 04 and that an anomaly has occurred with respect to the integrity of the railcar consist 210.

[0055] Furthermore, in addition to the above-mentioned method, as a result of the configuration of the railcar consist 210 of the railcar consist integrity management system 200 having transceiver units 16, 18 in both the rearmost car 02 and the leading car 04 for two-way communication, it is possible to determine the railcar consist integrity status of the railcar consist 210 based on the time of flight of the transmitted signals. The details of this process are described with reference to Figure 4 and will not be described here.

[0056] Additionally, in a particular embodiment, the railcar consist according to the first or second embodiment may be configured to transmit an error verification signal to determine whether the transmission of the zeroth analog signal 104 or the first analog signal 106 is successful. More specifically, as an example, the transceiver unit 16 of the last car 02 may transmit an error verification signal having a predetermined frequency difference with respect to the first analog signal 106 from the last car 02 (e.g., the first car) to the first car 04 (e.g., the second car). The error verification signal may be transmitted from the last car 02 to the first car 04 using a power supply conductor or a transmission medium separate from the power supply conductor (e.g., a separate wireless or wired connection). Additionally, the error verification signal may be transmitted by the transceiver unit 16 substantially simultaneously with the transmission of the first analog signal 106.

[0057] Thereafter, the transceiver unit 18 of the lead vehicle 04 may receive the error verification signal, and the detector unit 14 may determine whether the frequency difference between the received first analog signal 106 and the error verification signal substantially corresponds to a predetermined frequency difference (e.g., matches or falls below a tolerance threshold). If the frequency difference between the received first analog signal 106 and the error verification signal substantially corresponds to the predetermined frequency difference, the detector unit 14 may determine that a transmission error has not occurred (e.g., it may be inferred that no interference has occurred because the frequency difference between the two signals corresponds to an expected difference). On the other hand, if the frequency difference between the received first analog signal 106 and the error verification signal does not substantially correspond to the predetermined frequency difference, the detector unit 14 may determine that a transmission error has occurred (e.g., it may be inferred that interference may have occurred because the frequency difference between the two signals does not correspond to an expected difference). If it is determined that a transmission error has occurred, the detector unit 14 may output a transmission error notification to the on-board safety system 30 to facilitate further verification or repair.

[0058] According to the railcar consist integrity management system 200 of the second embodiment, the integrity of the railcar consist may be verified using an analog signal transmitted bidirectionally between a first car (e.g., the tail car) and a second car (e.g., the lead car) of the railcar consist. The analog signal is transmitted using existing infrastructure such as power conductors provided along the route of the railcar consist, so that no additional railcar consist is required. In addition, since the railcar consist integrity management system 200 of the second embodiment relates to a configuration having transceiver units 16, 18 in both the tail car and the lead car for bidirectional communication, it becomes possible to determine the railcar consist integrity status of the railcar consist 210 based on the time of flight of the transmitted signal. The time-of-flight based integrity determination may be performed instead of or in addition to the Doppler effect based integrity determination described with reference to the first embodiment. By performing the time-of-flight based integrity determination in addition to the Doppler effect based integrity determination, the accuracy and reliability of the integrity determination result may be further increased.

[0059] A method for determining the integrity status of a railway consist will now be described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4.

[0060] 3 is a flow chart illustrating a railcar consist integrity status determination process 300 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. As described herein, aspects of the present disclosure relate to determining the integrity status of a railcar consist based on a shift in frequency of analog signals transferred between railcars due to Doppler shift. Details of this process are described below. For ease of explanation, the rail consist integrity condition determination process 300 is described with respect to the rail consist integrity management system 100 in accordance with the first embodiment of the present disclosure, however it should be noted that the rail consist integrity condition determination process 300 is not so limited and may be suitably adapted for execution by the rail consist integrity management system 200 in accordance with the second embodiment.

[0061] First, in step S310, a transmitter unit 10 disposed in a first car (e.g., the rearmost car) of a railway vehicle configuration may transmit a first analog signal from the first car via a power conductor to a second car (e.g., the lead car).

[0062] Next, in step S320, the receiver unit 12 disposed in a second car (e.g., a lead car) of the railcar consist may receive the first analog signal from the transmitter unit 10 via the power conductors, and the detector unit 14 may analyze the frequency of the first analog signal to calculate a frequency shift of the first analog signal due to the Doppler effect on the transmission of the first analog signal via the power conductors. For example, the detector unit 14 may calculate the frequency shift by comparing the frequency of the received first analog signal to a predefined baseline frequency at which the first analog signal is transmitted.

[0063] Next, in step S330, the detector unit 14 may calculate the relative speed difference between the first vehicle (e.g., the rearmost vehicle) and the second vehicle (e.g., the leading vehicle) based on the frequency shift calculated in step S320.

[0064] Next, in step S340, the detector unit 14 may determine whether the relative speed difference calculated in step S330 reaches a first speed difference threshold. If the relative speed difference calculated in step S330 reaches the first speed difference threshold, processing proceeds to step S350. If the relative speed difference calculated in step S330 does not reach the first speed difference threshold, processing proceeds to step S340. Here, the first speed difference threshold may include a predetermined threshold for the speed difference between the first vehicle and the second vehicle such that a speed difference greater than the first speed difference threshold is considered to reach the first speed difference threshold. In an embodiment, the first speed difference threshold may be determined based on historical data for when an anomaly occurs or by statistical analysis.

[0065] In step S340, if the relative speed difference between the first vehicle and the second vehicle does not reach the first speed difference threshold, the detector unit 14 may determine that the integrity of the railway consist is normal.

[0066] In step S350, if the relative speed difference between the first car and the second car reaches a first speed difference threshold, the detector unit 14 may determine that an anomaly has occurred with respect to the integrity of the railcar consist.

[0067] Next, in step S360, detector unit 14 outputs a consist integrity notification indicative of the integrity status of the consist determined in step S340 or step S350. In an embodiment, detector unit 14 may output the consist integrity notification to an on-board safety system, which may be part of a radio-based occupancy detection system, a railway signaling system, or the like.

[0068] 4 is a flow chart illustrating a rail consist integrity status determination process 400 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure. As described herein, aspects of the present disclosure relate to determining the integrity status of a rail consist based on the time-of-flight of transmitted signals. Details of this process are described below. For ease of explanation, the rail consist integrity status determination process 400 is described with respect to the rail consist integrity management system 200 in accordance with the second embodiment of the present disclosure, however, the rail consist integrity status determination process 400 is not so limited and other configurations are possible. Furthermore, in an embodiment, the rail consist integrity management system 200 may be configured to perform the rail consist integrity status determination process 300 described with respect to Figure 3 instead of, or in addition to, the rail consist integrity status determination process 400 shown in Figure 4.

[0069] First, in step S410, the transceiver unit 18 disposed in the second car (e.g., the lead car) may transmit a zeroth analog signal from the second car via the power conductor to the first car (e.g., the last car).

[0070] Next, in step S420, in response to receiving the zeroth analog signal from the second car, the transceiver unit 16 disposed in the first car (e.g., the last car) of the railway vehicle consist may transmit a first analog signal from the first car via the power conductor to the second car (e.g., the first car).

[0071] Next, in step S430, the transceiver unit 18 disposed in the second vehicle may receive the first analog signal from the transceiver unit 16 disposed in the first vehicle via the power conductor, and the detector unit 14 may calculate a signal round trip time based on the transmission time of the zeroth analog signal from the second vehicle and the reception time of the first analog signal at the second vehicle, i.e., the detector unit 14 calculates the time it takes to receive a response after transmitting the zeroth analog signal to the first vehicle.

[0072] Next, in step S440, based on the signal round trip time calculated in step S430, the detector unit 14 may calculate the relative distance between the second vehicle and the first vehicle.

[0073] Next, in step S450, the detector unit 14 may determine whether the relative distance calculated in step S440 reaches a first distance threshold. If the relative distance calculated in step S440 reaches the first distance threshold, processing proceeds to step S470. If the relative distance calculated in step S440 does not reach the first distance threshold, processing proceeds to step S460. Here, the first distance threshold may include a predetermined threshold for the distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle such that a relative distance greater than the first distance threshold is considered to reach the first distance threshold (e.g., the distance between the rail cars is greater than a particular value indicating the rail cars may be disconnected from one another). In an embodiment, the first distance threshold may be specified as a range that defines an acceptable distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

[0074] In step S460, if the relative distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle does not reach the first distance threshold, the detector unit 14 may determine that the integrity of the railcar consist is normal.

[0075] In step S470, if the distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle reaches a first speed difference threshold, the detector unit 14 may determine that an anomaly has occurred with respect to the integrity of the railcar consist.

[0076] Next, in step S480, the detector unit 14 outputs a consist integrity notification indicative of the integrity status of the consist determined in step S460 or step S470. In an embodiment, the detector unit 14 may output the consist integrity notification to an on-board safety system, which may be part of a radio-based occupancy detection system, a railway signaling system, or the like.

[0077] In accordance with the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide low-cost and reliable rail consist integrity management methods, devices, and systems for facilitating the determination of rail consist integrity using existing rail infrastructure. For example, according to the railcar set integrity management system 100 according to the first embodiment, the integrity of the railcar set can be verified using an analog signal transmitted unidirectionally from a first car (e.g., the rearmost car) to a second car (e.g., the first car) of the railcar set. This analog signal is transmitted using existing infrastructure such as power conductors provided along the route of the railcar set, so that no additional railcar set is required. Furthermore, since the integrity of the railcar set can be determined based on the frequency change of the analog signal due to the Doppler effect, no digital signal processing equipment is required, and a reliable integrity determination can be achieved at low cost.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the railway vehicle set integrity management system 200 of the second embodiment, since the transceiver units 16, 18 for two-way communication are provided in both the rearmost and leading cars, it becomes possible to determine the railway vehicle set integrity state of the railway vehicle set 210 based on the flight time of a transmitted signal. The flight time-based integrity determination may be performed instead of or in addition to the Doppler effect-based integrity determination described with reference to the first embodiment. By performing the flight time-based integrity determination in addition to the Doppler effect-based integrity determination, it is possible to further increase the accuracy and reliability of the integrity determination result.

[0079] The present invention may be a system, method, and / or computer program product, which may include a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions for causing a processor to implement aspects of the present invention.

[0080] A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device capable of holding and storing instructions used by an instruction execution device. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of computer-readable storage media includes portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memories (RAMs), read-only memories (ROMs), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs or flash memories), static random access memories (SRAMs), portable compact disk read-only memories (CD-ROMs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), memory sticks, floppy disks, mechanical encryption devices such as punch cards or grooved ridge structures with instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the above. As used herein, a computer-readable storage medium should not be construed as being, itself, a transitory signal, such as an electric wave or other freely propagating electromagnetic wave, an electromagnetic wave propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber optic cable), or an electrical signal transmitted by an electrical wire.

[0081] Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions.

[0082] The above computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to manufacture a machine, such that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus create means for performing the functions / operations specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram blocks. These computer readable program instructions may further be stored on a computer readable storage medium that can cause the computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other device to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having the instructions stored thereon comprises an article of manufacture containing instructions that implement aspects of the functions / operations specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram blocks.

[0083] The above computer readable program instructions may further be loaded into a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be executed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to create a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions executing on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device perform the functions / operations specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram blocks.

[0084] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowcharts or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions that includes one or more executable instructions for implementing a specialized logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur in a different order than the order noted in the drawings. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may possibly be executed in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. It will also be appreciated that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that executes a specialized function or operation, or executes a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0085] Although the above relates to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the present invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope of the present invention, the scope of which is determined by the following claims. The description of various embodiments of the present disclosure has been provided for illustrative purposes, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terms used in this specification are selected to explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications or technical improvements of existing technologies in the market, or to enable others with ordinary skill in the field to which the present disclosure pertains to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0086] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the various embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. A "set," "group," "bundle," and the like are intended to include one or more. Furthermore, it will be understood that the terms "comprise" and / or "comprising" as used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. In the above detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the various embodiments, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like elements, which form a part hereof, by way of example, certain exemplary embodiments are shown and in which the various embodiments may be practiced. The above embodiments have been described in sufficient detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice the embodiments, but other embodiments may be used and logical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the various embodiments. Numerous specific details have been set forth in the above description to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments. However, the various embodiments may be practiced without those specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 02 Last car 04 Leading car 06 Middle car 10 Transmitter Unit 12 Receiver unit 14 Detector unit 16,18 Transceiver unit 20 Power Conductor 22 Main Rail 24 Current collector 26 wheel set 100,200 Railway vehicle configuration maintenance management system 102,106 First analog signal 104 0th analog signal 110,210 train configurations

Claims

1. A method for managing railway vehicle configuration integrity, comprising: transmitting a first analog signal from a first car of a railcar consist to a second car of the railcar consist over a power conductor disposed separate from the railcar consist; determining an integrity status of the rail vehicle consist by analyzing a frequency of the first analog signal; and outputting a railway rolling stock set integrity notification indicating an integrity status of the railway rolling stock set.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power supply conductor is an overhead contact line that supplies electrical power to at least one car of the railcar consist.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power conductor is a third rail that provides electrical power to at least one car of the consist.

4. determining an integrity status of the rail vehicle consist by analyzing a frequency of the first analog signal, further comprising: Calculating a frequency shift of the first analog signal due to a Doppler effect on the transmission of the first analog signal; calculating a relative speed difference between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the frequency shift; determining that an anomaly has occurred with respect to the integrity of the railway vehicle consist if the relative speed difference between the first vehicle and the second vehicle reaches a first speed difference threshold; determining that the integrity of the railway vehicle consist is normal if the relative speed difference between the first vehicle and the second vehicle does not reach the first speed difference threshold.

2. A method for managing railway vehicle configuration integrity according to claim 1.

5. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first analog signal occurs in response to receiving, by the first car, a zeroth analog signal from the second car, the zeroth analog signal having a different frequency than the first analog signal.

6. determining an integrity status of the rail vehicle consist by analysing a frequency of the first analog signal; calculating an analog signal round trip time based on a transmission time of the zeroth analog signal from the second vehicle and a reception time of the first analog signal at the second vehicle; calculating a relative distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the analog signal round trip time; determining that an anomaly has occurred in relation to the integrity of the railway vehicle configuration if the relative distance reaches a first distance threshold; determining that the integrity of the railway vehicle consist is normal if the distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle does not reach the first distance threshold.

6. A method for managing railway vehicle configuration integrity according to claim 5.

7. identifying a set of in-use frequencies that may cause interference with the transmission of the zeroth analog signal and the first analog signal; setting frequencies of the zeroth analog signal and the first analog signal to avoid interference with the set of frequencies in use.

6. A method for managing railway vehicle configuration integrity according to claim 5.

8. transmitting an error verification signal from the first vehicle to the second vehicle, the error verification signal having a predetermined frequency difference with respect to the first analog signal; at the second vehicle, in response to receiving the first analog signal and the error verification signal, determining that no transmission error has occurred if a frequency difference between the first analog signal and the error verification signal corresponds to the predetermined frequency difference; and determining, in response to receiving the first analog signal and the error verification signal at the second vehicle, that a transmission error has occurred when the frequency difference between the first analog signal and the error verification signal does not correspond to the predetermined frequency difference.

2. A method for managing railway vehicle configuration integrity according to claim 1.

9. 9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the error verification signal is transmitted from the first car to the second car via a transmission medium separate from the power supply conductors.

10. A railcar configuration integrity management device, comprising: a first transceiver unit disposed in a first car of a railcar consist and configured to transmit a first analog signal from the first car to a second car of the railcar consist over a power conductor disposed separate from the railcar consist; a second transceiver unit configured to receive the first analog signal from the first vehicle via the power conductor; and a detector unit configured to: determine an integrity status of the rail consist by analysing a frequency of the first analog signal; and output a rail consist integrity notification indicative of an integrity status of the rail consist.

11. A railway vehicle configuration integrity management system, comprising: a railcar consist including at least a first car and a second car physically connected to the first car by a rail link; a first current collector disposed on the first car and a second current collector disposed on the second car for collecting current to supply the railcar consist; a power supply conductor disposed separate from the railcar consist in contact with the first current collector and the second current collector for providing electrical power to the railcar consist; The first vehicle, a first transceiver unit configured to transmit a first analog signal from the first vehicle over the power conductor to the second vehicle; The second vehicle, a second transceiver unit configured to receive the first analog signal from the first vehicle via the power conductor; a detector unit configured to determine an integrity status of the rail consist by analysing a frequency of the first analog signal, and to output a rail consist integrity notification indicative of an integrity status of the rail consist. Railway vehicle configuration integrity management system.

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