Vehicle information control device and vehicle information control method

Abstract

To travel a railroad vehicle to a safety zone without decelerating and stopping a train so as to minimize an influence on other train, even if only one air compressor mounted thereon fails.SOLUTION: A vehicle information control device for managing and controlling operations of an air compressor, an air tank, and a plurality of devices for controlling operation by air includes: a data input part; a storage part for storing a position of a safety zone existing in a travel section of a railroad vehicle, a rail track condition, and air consumption in the plurality of devices; an air consumption estimation part for estimating an air amount consumed from a current position to a closest safety zone in the plurality of devices; an operation command determination part for generating a command for preliminarily stopping operation from a device giving no influences on travel of the railroad vehicle among the plurality of devices, so that an air residual amount of the air tank exceeds an integral value of the air amount consumed by the plurality of devices, when receiving failure information on the air compressor; and an operation command output part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle information control device and a vehicle information control method. [Background technology]

[0002] From the perspective of energy conservation and operational efficiency of railway vehicles, there is a demand for shorter train formations and the associated reduction in onboard equipment. Among these onboard devices, air compressors generate the compressed air used in equipment related to train operation, such as brake systems and air springs. If an air compressor fails, there may be a shortage of air to release the brakes, and the train may be unable to run. Therefore, for vehicles equipped with only one air compressor, there is a demand for the development of technology that allows the train to move to a safe stopping position (hereinafter referred to as a "safe zone"), such as a siding, even if the air compressor fails.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-245949 (Patent Document 1) is a background art in this technical field. This publication describes that even if an air compressor fails and the pressure in the air tank drops, causing the emergency brake to activate and the vehicle to stop, the brakes can be released by pressurizing the air with a pressurizing means provided separately from the air compressor, allowing the vehicle to proceed slowly to a safe area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-145949 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The invention described in Patent Document 1 is a method in which an air compressor fails and there is a shortage of air while the train is running, causing the emergency brake to activate and the train to stop once, and then allowing the train to run again. However, with this method, the emergency brake is activated once and the train slows down and stops, so if the train slows down and stops outside a safe zone, the cars running immediately behind it will also have to slow down and stop, which will affect the operation of other trains.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that enables a train to travel to a safe zone without slowing down or stopping, in order to minimize the impact on other trains, even if the only air compressor installed in a railway vehicle fails. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, one representative embodiment of the present invention relates to a vehicle information control device that manages and controls the operation of an air compressor, an air tank that stores compressed air generated by the air compressor, and multiple devices whose operations are controlled by the air supplied from the air tank. Here, the vehicle information control device includes: a data input unit that acquires air compressor failure information, pressure values ​​of the multiple devices, and information on the current position and speed of the railway vehicle; a memory unit that stores the locations of safety zones existing within the railway vehicle's travel section, track conditions, and air consumption of the multiple devices; an air consumption estimation unit that estimates the amount of air consumed by the multiple devices from the current position to the nearest safety zone; an operation command determination unit that, when receiving air compressor failure information, generates an instruction to stop operation of the multiple devices, preferentially starting with devices that do not affect the railway vehicle's operation, so that the remaining air in the air tank exceeds the cumulative amount of air consumed by the multiple devices; and an operation command output unit that outputs the operation command determined by the operation command determination unit to the devices. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, even if the only air compressor installed in a railway vehicle fails, the impact on other trains is minimized, and the train can continue to run to a safe area without slowing down or stopping.

[0009] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a block configuration of a railway vehicle 100 according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of the vehicle information control device 200 in the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of an air consumption estimation unit 230 in the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of a storage unit 220 in the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of a storage unit 220 in the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of an operation command determination unit 240 in the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of operation determination processing for a device with priority 0 by the operation command determination unit 240 in the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of an operation determination process of the air spring device by an operation command determination unit 240 in the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of an operation command output unit 250 in the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Example]

[0011] An embodiment of a vehicle information control device 200 for a railway vehicle 100 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0012] 1 illustrates a case where the devices that use compressed air generated by the air compressor in the railway vehicle 100 are a brake device and an air spring device. However, this embodiment is not limited to these two devices, and if other devices that use compressed air, such as a pneumatic door device, are included in the configuration, these devices can also be added to the configuration.

[0013] (Block configuration) 1 shows a block diagram of a railway vehicle 100 according to this embodiment. The railway vehicle 100 includes an air compressor 110, an air tank 120, a braking device 130, an air spring device 140, and a vehicle information control device 200.

[0014] The vehicle information control device 200 also includes a data input unit 210 , a storage unit 220 , an air consumption estimation unit 230 , an operation command determination unit 240 , and an operation command output unit 250 .

[0015] First, the input / output relationships of signals, data, and compressed air in each component will be explained below.

[0016] The air compressor 110 receives a main reservoir pressure value (hereinafter referred to as MR pressure) from the air tank 120, generates compressed air when the MR pressure value falls below a certain value, and outputs the compressed air to the air tank. The air compressor 110 can also output the presence or absence of a malfunction to the vehicle information control device 200.

[0017] The air tank 120 can input compressed air from the air compressor 110 , output compressed air to the brake device 130 and the air spring device 140 , and output MR pressure to the air compressor 110 and the vehicle information control device 200 .

[0018] The brake device 130 receives compressed air from an air tank and a brake notch command from a driver (not shown) via the vehicle information control device 200, and controls the brake cylinder pressure value (hereinafter referred to as BC pressure) in accordance with the brake notch command to press the brake pads against the wheels, thereby decelerating the vehicle. The brake device 130 can also output the BC pressure to the vehicle information control device 200.

[0019] The air spring device 140 receives compressed air from an air tank and receives operation commands from the vehicle information control device 200, and controls the air suspension pressure value (hereinafter referred to as AS pressure) to keep the vehicle height and vehicle body tilt constant. The air spring device 140 can also output the AS pressure to the vehicle information control device 200.

[0020] The vehicle information control device 200 can input the presence or absence of a malfunction from the air compressor 110, the MR pressure from the air tank 120, the BC pressure from the brake device 130, the AS pressure from the air spring device 140, and the current position and speed of the vehicle 100 from a speed generator (not shown), and output an operation command to the air spring device 140.

[0021] In FIG. 1, an operation command is output only to the air spring device 140, but this embodiment is not limited to the air spring device 140, and if there are other devices that use compressed air, such as a pneumatic door device, an operation command can also be output to those devices.

[0022] The input and output relationships of signals and data within the vehicle information control device 200 will be explained below.

[0023] The data input unit 210 inputs the presence or absence of a malfunction from the air compressor 110, the MR pressure from the air tank 120, the BC pressure from the brake device 130, the AS pressure from the air spring device 140, and the current position and speed of the vehicle 100 from a speed generator (not shown), and can output the AS pressure, BC pressure, current position, and speed to the memory unit 220, the current position and speed to the air consumption estimation unit 230, and the MR pressure, current position, and speed to the operation command determination unit 240.

[0024] The memory unit 220 can store in a storage area track information (curve information, gradient information, speed limit information, etc.) of the section on which the vehicle 100 travels, location information of all safety zones within the section, section IDs for each section that divides the section at a predetermined distance, and the amount of change in AS pressure and BC pressure for each speed range when the section has been traveled in the past. Here, the predetermined distance is an arbitrary value, and is determined according to the distance of the section on which the railcar 100 travels so that the amount of data is equal to or less than the capacity of the storage area in the memory unit 220. For example, it may be a fixed distance, such as in a block section, or it may not be a fixed distance, such as in a straight section and a curved section.

[0025] In addition, the AS pressure, BC pressure, current position, and speed can be input from the data input unit 210 to update the air consumption of the air spring devices and brake devices. Furthermore, track information to the safety zone closest to the current position, all section IDs included between the current position and the safety zone, and the air consumption of the air spring devices and brake devices in each section can be output to the air consumption estimation unit 230. If the vehicle information control device 200 has a storage area such as a memory, hard disk, or SSD, this storage area may be used, or if it is connectable to an external storage area via wired or wireless communication, this storage area may be used.

[0026] The air consumption estimation unit 230 can input the current position and speed from the data input unit 210. It can input the section ID from the current position to the nearest safety zone and track information from the memory unit 220. It can also output the section ID for each section and the speed at the start of the section to the memory unit 220, and input the air consumption of the brake device and air spring device for that section. It can also output the estimation results and priority of the air consumption of the air spring device and air brake device for each section to the operation command determination unit 240. Here, priority is a value that indicates the degree of influence that each device has on the running of the train, and is defined, for example, as follows: Priority 0: No impact on driving (e.g. air door devices) Priority 1: There is an impact on ride comfort, but it does not affect running speed (e.g., air spring devices on straight sections). Priority 2: Travel speed needs to be reduced (e.g., air springs on curved sections) Priority 3: The vehicle must be stopped immediately (e.g., brakes, etc.)

[0027] The operation command determination unit 240 inputs the MR pressure, current position, and speed from the data input unit 210, and the section ID and the air consumption and priority of the brake device and air spring device in each section from the air consumption estimation unit 230, and can output to the operation command output unit 250 operation commands for each device and the priority and operation command for the air spring device in each section.

[0028] The operation command output unit 250 receives operation commands for each device and the priority and operation commands for each section of the air spring device from the operation command determination unit 240, and outputs operation commands to the air spring device 140. It can also output device operation information and a speed reduction command to a driver (not shown).

[0029] In Figure 1, the vehicle information control device 200 is mounted on the railway vehicle 100, but if the necessary information can be exchanged via wired or wireless communication, part or all of the vehicle information control device 200 may be installed outside the railway vehicle 100.

[0030] (Operation of vehicle information control device 200) An example of a processing flow of the vehicle information control device 200 is shown in FIG.

[0031] In step 1001, the data input unit 210 inputs the presence or absence of a malfunction from the air compressor 110, the MR pressure from the air tank 120, the BC pressure from the brake device 130, the AS pressure from the air spring device 140, and the current position and speed of the vehicle 100 from the speed generator, and then proceeds to step 1002.

[0032] In step 1002, the data input unit 210 outputs the AS pressure, BC pressure, current position, and speed to the memory unit 220, the current position and speed to the air consumption estimation unit 230, and the MR pressure, current position, and speed to the operation command determination unit 240, and then proceeds to step 1003.

[0033] In step 1003, it is determined whether or not there is a malfunction in the air compressor 110, which has been acquired by the data input unit 210. If the result is Yes, the process proceeds to step 1004, and if the result is No, the process ends.

[0034] In step 1004, the air consumption estimation unit 230 calculates the amount of air used when traveling from the current position of each device to the safety zone, and the process proceeds to step 1005. The process of the air consumption estimation unit 230 will be described in detail later.

[0035] In step 1005, the operation command determination unit 240 determines the operation of each device up to the safety zone in accordance with the MR pressure, and the process proceeds to step 1006. The details of the process by the operation command determination unit 240 will be described later.

[0036] In step 1006, the operation command output unit 250 outputs the operation command determined by the operation command determination unit 240 to each device, and also notifies the driver of the operating status of each device, thereby terminating the process. Details of the process of the operation command output unit and the method of notifying the driver will be described later.

[0037] (Operation of the air consumption estimation unit 230) An example of the processing flow of the air consumption estimation unit 230 is shown in FIG.

[0038] In step 1101, the current position and speed are input from the data input unit 210, and the process proceeds to step 1102.

[0039] In step 1102 , the track information from the current position to the nearest safety zone and all section IDs included between the current position and the safety zone are input from the storage unit 220 , and the process proceeds to step 1103 .

[0040] In step 1103, a driving pattern from the current position and speed to the safety zone is generated, and the process proceeds to step 1104. The method for generating the driving pattern is not limited as long as it is possible to calculate the speed at positions at a predetermined interval from the current position to the safety zone. For example, a driving pattern consisting of a combination of powering, constant speed, coasting, and deceleration from the current position and speed to the safety zone may be generated using a driving curve generation logic that uses the well-known hill-climbing method (a method of gradually improving an evaluation function), or a deceleration pattern drawn from the safety zone as a starting point and a pattern of constant speed driving at the current speed may be combined at an intersection.

[0041] The processing from step 1104 to step 1109 is looped the number of times equal to the number of section IDs acquired in step 1102 .

[0042] In step 1104 , the section ID is output to the storage unit 220 , the start position of the section is acquired, and the process proceeds to step 1105 .

[0043] In step 1105, the speed at the start position is extracted from the driving pattern, and the process proceeds to step 1106.

[0044] In step 1106, the section ID and the speed at the start position are output to the storage unit 220, and the air consumption amounts of the brake device and the air spring device at that speed are acquired. Then, the process proceeds to step 1107.

[0045] In step 1107, the track information of the section currently being processed is referenced to determine whether or not a curved section is included. If Yes, the process proceeds to step 1108; if No, the process proceeds to step 1109.

[0046] In step 1108, the priority of the section currently being processed is set to 2, and the process proceeds to a step for determining whether the loop processing is finished.

[0047] In step 1109, the priority of the section currently being processed is set to 1, and the process proceeds to a step for determining whether the loop processing is finished.

[0048] In determining whether the step has ended, it is determined whether processing has been completed for all section IDs acquired in step 1102. If Yes, the process proceeds to step 1111; if No, the section IDs that have not yet been processed are set and the process returns to step 1104.

[0049] In step 1110, the section ID, air consumption amount, and priority of each section are output to the operation command determination unit 240, and the process ends.

[0050] (Operation 1 of the storage unit 220) 4 shows the processing flow of the storage unit 220 when there is no fault information for the air compressor 110. The storage unit 220 updates the air consumption of the air spring device and the brake device.

[0051] In step 1201, the AS pressure, BC pressure, current position, and speed are input from the data input unit 210, and the process proceeds to step 1202.

[0052] In step 1202, the section ID including the current position is selected from the storage area, and the process proceeds to step 1203.

[0053] In step 1203, it is determined whether the start position of the section of the selected section ID matches the current position. If the result is Yes, the process proceeds to step 1204; if the result is No, the process proceeds to step 1206.

[0054] In step 1204, the integrated displacement amounts of the AS pressure and the BC pressure are initialized, and the process proceeds to step 1205.

[0055] In step 1205, the air consumption of the AS pressure and BC pressure at the speed in the selected section ID and the total number of data (the number of data used to calculate the average air consumption) are obtained from the memory area, and the process proceeds to step 1210.

[0056] In step 1206, it is determined whether the AS pressure acquired in step 1201 is greater than the AS pressure of the previous cycle. If the result is Yes, the process proceeds to step 1207; if the result is No, the process proceeds to step 1208.

[0057] In step 1207, the difference between the AS pressure acquired in step 1201 and the AS pressure one cycle before is added to the cumulative displacement of the AS pressure, and the process proceeds to step 1208.

[0058] In step 1208, it is determined whether the BC pressure acquired in step 1201 is greater than the BC pressure of the previous cycle. If the result is Yes, the process proceeds to step 1209; if the result is No, the process proceeds to step 1210.

[0059] In step 1209, the difference between the BC pressure acquired in step 1201 and the BC pressure one cycle before is added to the cumulative displacement of the BC pressure, and the process proceeds to step 1210.

[0060] In step 1210, it is determined whether the end position of the section with the selected section ID matches the current position. If Yes, the process proceeds to step 1211, and if No, the process ends.

[0061] In step 1211, the air consumption of the air spring device and the brake device is updated by the following formula, and the process proceeds to step 1212. Air consumption of air spring device = (Air consumption of air spring device x Total number of data + AS pressure cumulative displacement x Air spring tank capacity) / (Total number of data + 1) Brake system air consumption = (Brake system air consumption x total number of data + BC pressure cumulative displacement x brake cylinder tank capacity) / (total number of data + 1)

[0062] In step 1212, the total number of data items for the air spring device and the brake device is incremented by one, and the process proceeds to step 1213.

[0063] In step 1213, the air consumption amounts and the total number of data for the air spring device and the brake device are output to the storage area, and the process ends.

[0064] (Operation 2 of the storage unit 220) 5 shows the processing flow of the storage unit 220 when the fault information for the air compressor 110 is "present." The storage unit 220 outputs to the air consumption estimation unit 230 track information to the safety zone closest to the current position, all section IDs included between the current position and the safety zone, and the air consumption of the air spring device and the brake device in each section.

[0065] In step 1301, the current position is input from the data input unit 210, and the process proceeds to step 1302.

[0066] In step 1302, the track information from the current position to the nearest safe zone and all section IDs are output to the air consumption estimation unit 230, and the process proceeds to step 1303.

[0067] In step 1303 , the section ID and speed are input from the air consumption estimation unit 230 , and the process proceeds to step 1304 .

[0068] In step 1304, the air consumption amounts of the air spring devices and brake devices that match the input section ID and speed are extracted from the storage area, and the process proceeds to step 1305.

[0069] In step 1305, the air consumption of the air spring device and the brake device is output to the air consumption estimation unit 230, and the process ends.

[0070] (Operation of the operation command determination unit 240) The processing flow of the operation command determination unit 240 is shown in FIG. In step 1401, the MR pressure, current position, and speed are input from the data input unit 210, and the section ID, air consumption, and priority of each section are input from the air consumption estimation unit 230, and the process proceeds to step 1402.

[0071] In step 1402, the remaining air amount is calculated using the MR pressure and the value of the capacity of the air tank obtained in advance from the specifications of the device, and the process proceeds to step 1403.

[0072] In step 1403, all the air consumption amounts acquired in step 1401 are added up to calculate the total air consumption amount, and the process proceeds to step 1404.

[0073] In step 1404, it is determined whether the remaining amount of air is less than the cumulative air consumption amount. If the answer is Yes, the process proceeds to step 1405; if the answer is No, the process proceeds to step 1407.

[0074] In step 1405, the operation of the device with priority 0 is judged, and the process proceeds to step 1406.

[0075] Step 1406 performs processing to determine the operation of the air spring device, and then the process proceeds to step 1408.

[0076] In step 1407, the operation commands for all the devices and sections are set to operation, and the process proceeds to step 1408.

[0077] In step 1408, an operation command for each device / section is output to the operation command output unit 250, and the process ends.

[0078] (Operation determination process for devices with priority 0) FIG. 7 shows the processing flow of the operation determination process for devices with priority level 0 in the operation command determination unit 240.

[0079] The processing from step 1501 to step 1504 is looped as many times as the number of devices with priority 0.

[0080] In step 1501, it is determined whether the remaining amount of air is less than the value of the cumulative air consumption amount. If the answer is Yes, the process proceeds to step 1502; if the answer is No, the process proceeds to step 1504.

[0081] In step 1502, the operation command for the device being processed in the current cycle is set to stop, and the process proceeds to step 1503.

[0082] Step 1503 subtracts the air consumption of the device selected in the current loop from the cumulative air consumption, and proceeds to the next cycle.

[0083] Step 1504 sets the operation command of the device being processed in the current cycle to operation, and proceeds to the next cycle.

[0084] When processing has been completed for all devices with priority 0, the loop ends and processing ends.

[0085] (Air spring device operation determination process) FIG. 8 shows a processing flow of the operation determination process of the air spring device in the operation command determination unit 240. The processing from step 1601 to step 1605 and the processing from step 1606 to step 1610 are looped as many times as the number of section IDs, starting from the section closest to the current position.

[0086] In step 1601, it is determined whether the priority of the section being processed in the current cycle is 1. If yes, the process proceeds to step 1602, and if no, the process proceeds to the next cycle.

[0087] In step 1602, it is determined whether the remaining amount of air is less than the value of the cumulative air consumption amount. If the answer is Yes, the process proceeds to step 1603; if the answer is No, the process proceeds to step 1605.

[0088] In step 1603, the operation command for the air spring device in the section currently being processed is set to stop, and the process proceeds to step 1604.

[0089] Step 1604 subtracts the air consumption amount of the air spring device in the section currently selected in the current loop from the cumulative air consumption amount, and then proceeds to the next cycle.

[0090] In step 1605, the operation command for the air spring device in the section currently being processed is set to operation, and the process proceeds to the next cycle.

[0091] When the process has been completed for all section IDs, the loop process ends and the process proceeds to the loop from step 1606 to 1610.

[0092] In step 1606, it is determined whether the priority of the section being processed in the current cycle is 2. If yes, the process proceeds to step 1607, and if no, the process proceeds to the next cycle.

[0093] In step 1607, it is determined whether the remaining amount of air is less than the value of the cumulative air consumption amount. If the answer is Yes, the process proceeds to step 1608; if the answer is No, the process proceeds to step 1610.

[0094] In step 1608, the operation command for the air spring device in the section currently being processed is set to stop, and the process proceeds to step 1609.

[0095] Step 1609 subtracts the air consumption amount of the air spring device in the section being selected in the current loop from the cumulative air consumption amount, and proceeds to the next cycle.

[0096] Step 1610 sets the operation command for the air spring device in the section currently being processed to operation, and proceeds to the next cycle.

[0097] When the process has been completed for all section IDs, the loop process ends and the process is terminated.

[0098] (Operation of the operation command output unit 250) The processing flow of the operation command output unit is shown in Figure 9.

[0099] In step 1701 , the section ID, priority, and operation command are input from the operation command decision unit 240 , and the process proceeds to step 1702 .

[0100] In step 1702, it is determined whether there is any device or section with an operation command=stop. If yes, the process proceeds to step 1703, and if no, the process ends.

[0101] In step 1703, an operation command is output to each device, and the process proceeds to step 1704.

[0102] In step 1704, the driver is notified of the devices for which the operation command has been stopped, and the process proceeds to step 1705. The method of notifying the driver will be described later.

[0103] In step 1705, it is determined whether the section where the operation command is set to stop includes a section with priority 2. If yes, the process proceeds to step 1706, and if no, the process ends.

[0104] Step 1706 instructs the driver to reduce speed in the curved section, and the process ends.

[0105] (Method of notifying the driver) The method of notification from the vehicle information control device 200 to the driver will be described in detail below. When a stop command is output by the operation command output unit 250, the driver is notified of the equipment to be stopped. The name of the equipment to be stopped may be displayed on a display in the cab, the name of the equipment to be stopped may be read out aloud, or one of the lamps installed in the cab may be turned on or flashed. Similarly, when a stop command is issued in a section with priority 2 and a speed reduction command is issued, the notification is made by a screen display, a sound, a lamp, or the like. Alternatively, the speed may be reduced by outputting a command to a signal device inside the vehicle to lower the speed limit, or, if communication from the vehicle to an external signal is possible, a signal indicating a speed reduction, such as a slowdown, may be output at the signal.

[0106] (Action and effect) According to the above-described embodiment, when an air compressor fails, the vehicle information control device installed on a railway vehicle can stop the operation of equipment that does not affect the running of the vehicle first, thereby reducing air consumption and minimizing deceleration and stopping of the railway vehicle, allowing the vehicle to run to a safe zone.

[0107] The vehicle information control device also has a function to store the air consumption of each device for each speed range in each section of the line on which the railway vehicle travels, divided by a predetermined distance; a function to calculate the air consumption of each device in each section divided by a predetermined distance from the current position to the safety zone; a function to compare the accumulated air consumption of each device up to the safety zone with the remaining air in the air tank, and if it determines that the remaining air in the air tank is low, to prioritize stopping the operation of devices that do not affect the running of the railway vehicle; and a function to prioritize stopping the operation of air spring devices in sections that do not affect the running speed.

[0108] As described above, when a failure of the air compressor is detected in a railway vehicle composed of an air compressor and equipment that uses the air generated by the air compressor, the vehicle information control device reduces air consumption by prioritizing stopping air-consuming equipment starting with equipment that does not affect the running of the railway vehicle, thereby enabling the vehicle to run to a safety zone with minimal reduction in speed.

[0109] In addition, the memory unit divides the sections on which the railway vehicle travels into predetermined distances and stores the air consumption of multiple devices at each speed range when each section has been traveled in the past, thereby making it possible to utilize the air consumption of multiple devices at each speed range in each section.

[0110] In addition, the memory unit uses information on the current position and speed of the railway vehicle and pressure information on multiple devices to update the air consumption of multiple devices in the section including the current position based on the air consumption value calculated from the pressure change when traveling from the start to the end of the section, thereby calculating the air consumption of multiple devices from the pressure information of multiple devices.

[0111] In addition, the air consumption estimation unit generates a driving pattern to the nearest safe zone based on information on the current position and speed of the railway vehicle, and estimates the amount of air that would be consumed by multiple devices if the vehicle were to travel along that driving pattern, thereby making it possible to change the driving pattern from the normal driving pattern in the event of an air compressor failure.

[0112] In addition, the air consumption estimation unit can distinguish the driving pattern from the current position to the safety zone into sections where it is necessary to reduce the driving speed if the air spring device is stopped and sections where it is not necessary, and estimate the air consumption for each section, so that it can handle the sections separately as sections where it is necessary to reduce the driving speed if the air spring device is stopped and sections where it is not necessary.

[0113] Furthermore, when the operation command determination unit determines that the cumulative amount of air consumed by multiple devices when traveling from the current position to the safety zone is greater than the amount of air remaining in the air tank, it generates a command to stop the operation of devices that do not require a reduction in the traveling speed of the railway vehicle, preferentially so that the amount of air consumed is less than the amount of air remaining in the air tank, thereby minimizing the reduction in speed to the safety zone.

[0114] In addition, the operation command determination unit can minimize the speed reduction by preferentially generating a stop command for the air spring device from sections where it is not necessary to reduce the driving speed when the operation of the air spring device is stopped.

[0115] In addition, the operation command output unit sends a stop command to the equipment for which the stop command was generated in the operation command determination unit, and further notifies the driver of the equipment to be stopped, thereby stopping the equipment for which the stop command was generated and notifying the driver of the equipment to be stopped.

[0116] In addition, when a command to stop the air spring device is generated in the operation command determination unit in a section where the running speed needs to be reduced if the operation of the air spring device is stopped, the operation command output unit can avoid danger by notifying the driver that he needs to slow down.

[0117] (Modification of the storage unit 220) In the above embodiment, the memory unit 220 stores the total number of data items used to calculate the average air consumption amount, but it may also store a certain number of newest data items to calculate the average air consumption amount.Also, it may store a physical formula learned in advance to calculate the air consumption amount.

[0118] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Other embodiments conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of the embodiments with other configurations.

[0119] Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be partially or entirely implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. The above-described configurations, functions, etc. may also be implemented in software, with a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements each function. Information such as the programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in a memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0120] The following aspects are also included in the present disclosure.

[0121] (Aspect 1) A vehicle information control device that manages and controls the operation of an air compressor, an air tank that stores compressed air generated by the air compressor, and a plurality of devices that control their operation using air supplied from the air tank, The vehicle information control device includes: a data input unit that acquires failure information of the air compressor, pressure values ​​of the plurality of devices, and information on the current position and speed of the railway vehicle; a storage unit that stores the position of a safety zone existing within a section in which the railway vehicle is traveling, track information, and air consumption amounts of the plurality of devices; an air consumption estimation unit that estimates the amount of air consumed by the plurality of devices from the current location to the nearest safe zone; an operation command determination unit that, when receiving failure information about the air compressor, generates an operation command to stop operation of the plurality of devices, giving priority to devices that do not affect the running of the railway vehicle, so that the remaining amount of air in the air tank exceeds an integrated value of the amount of air consumed by the plurality of devices; an operation command output unit that outputs the operation command determined by the operation command determination unit to the device; A vehicle information control device comprising:

[0122] (Aspect 2) The vehicle information control device according to aspect 1, the storage unit divides sections in which the railway vehicle travels into predetermined distances, and stores the air consumption of the plurality of devices in each speed range when the railway vehicle traveled in each section in the past; Vehicle information control device.

[0123] (Aspect 3) The vehicle information control device according to aspect 2, the storage unit updates the air consumption of the plurality of devices in the section including the current position based on the air consumption value calculated from the amount of change in pressure when the railway vehicle travels from the start point to the end point of the section, using information on the current position and speed of the railway vehicle and pressure information of the plurality of devices; Vehicle information control device.

[0124] (Aspect 4) The vehicle information control device according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, the air consumption estimation unit generates a travel pattern to the nearest safety zone based on information about the current position and speed of the railway vehicle, and estimates the amount of air consumed by the plurality of devices when the railway vehicle travels according to the travel pattern; Vehicle information control device.

[0125] (Aspect 5) The vehicle information control device according to aspect 4, the plurality of devices include a brake device and an air spring device; the air consumption estimation unit is capable of distinguishing, in a driving pattern from a current position to a safety zone, sections in which it is necessary to reduce the driving speed when the air spring device is stopped and sections in which it is not necessary to reduce the driving speed, and estimating the air consumption in each section. Vehicle information control device.

[0126] (Aspect 6) The vehicle information control device according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, when it is determined that the cumulative value of the amount of air consumed by the plurality of devices when traveling from the current position to the safety zone is greater than the remaining amount of air in the air tank, the operation command determination unit generates a command to stop the operation of the devices, giving priority to the devices that do not need to reduce the traveling speed of the railway vehicle, so that the amount of air consumed falls below the remaining amount of air in the air tank. Vehicle information control device.

[0127] (Aspect 7) A vehicle information control device according to aspect 6, the plurality of devices include a brake device and an air spring device; the operation command determination unit generates a stop command for the air spring device, preferentially starting from a section where it is not necessary to reduce the traveling speed when the operation of the air spring device is stopped. Vehicle information control device.

[0128] (Aspect 8) The vehicle information control device according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, The operation command output unit transmits a stop command to the device for which a stop command has been generated by the operation command determination unit, and further notifies the driver of the device to be stopped. Vehicle information control device.

[0129] (Aspect 9) A vehicle information control device according to aspect 8, the plurality of devices include a brake device and an air spring device; The operation command output unit notifies the driver that it is necessary to decelerate when a stop command for the air spring device is generated in the operation command determination unit in a section where it is necessary to reduce the running speed if the operation of the air spring device is stopped. Vehicle information control device.

[0130] (Aspect 10) A vehicle information control method for managing and controlling the operation of an air compressor, an air tank for storing compressed air generated by the air compressor, and a plurality of devices whose operation is controlled by air supplied from the air tank, comprising: The vehicle information control method includes: a step in which a data input unit acquires failure information of the air compressor, pressure values ​​of the plurality of devices, and information on the current position and speed of the railway vehicle; a storage unit storing the positions of safety zones present within a section in which the railway vehicle is traveling, track information, and air consumption amounts of the plurality of devices; an air consumption amount estimation unit estimating an amount of air consumed by the plurality of devices from a current location to the nearest safety zone; when receiving failure information about the air compressor, an operation command decision unit generates a command to stop operation of the plurality of devices, preferentially starting with a device that does not affect the running of the railway vehicle, so that the remaining amount of air in the air tank exceeds an integrated value of the amount of air consumed by the plurality of devices; an operation command output unit outputting the operation command determined by the operation command determination unit to the device; A vehicle information control method comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 100... vehicle, 110... air compressor, 120... air tank, 130... brake device, 140... air spring device, 200... vehicle information control device, 210... data input unit, 220... memory unit, 230... air consumption estimation unit, 240... operation command determination unit, 250... operation command output unit

Claims

1. A vehicle information control device that manages and controls the operation of an air compressor, an air tank that stores compressed air generated by the air compressor, and a plurality of devices that control their operation using air supplied from the air tank, The vehicle information control device includes: a data input unit that acquires failure information of the air compressor, pressure values ​​of the plurality of devices, and information on the current position and speed of the railway vehicle; a storage unit that stores the position of a safety zone existing within a section in which the railway vehicle is traveling, track information, and air consumption amounts of the plurality of devices; an air consumption estimation unit that estimates the amount of air consumed by the plurality of devices from the current location to the nearest safe zone; an operation command determination unit that, when receiving failure information about the air compressor, generates an operation command to stop operation of the plurality of devices, giving priority to devices that do not affect the running of the railway vehicle, so that the remaining amount of air in the air tank exceeds an integrated value of the amount of air consumed by the plurality of devices; an operation command output unit that outputs the operation command determined by the operation command determination unit to the device; A vehicle information control device comprising:

2. The vehicle information control device according to claim 1, the storage unit divides sections in which the railway vehicle travels into predetermined distances, and stores the air consumption of the plurality of devices in each speed range when the railway vehicle traveled in each section in the past; Vehicle information control device.

3. 3. The vehicle information control device according to claim 2, the storage unit updates the air consumption of the plurality of devices in the section including the current position based on the air consumption value calculated from the amount of change in pressure when the railway vehicle travels from the start point to the end point of the section, using information on the current position and speed of the railway vehicle and pressure information of the plurality of devices; Vehicle information control device.

4. The vehicle information control device according to claim 1, the air consumption estimation unit generates a travel pattern to the nearest safety zone based on information about the current position and speed of the railway vehicle, and estimates the amount of air consumed by the plurality of devices when the railway vehicle travels according to the travel pattern; Vehicle information control device.

5. 5. The vehicle information control device according to claim 4, the plurality of devices include a brake device and an air spring device; the air consumption estimation unit is capable of distinguishing, in a driving pattern from a current position to a safety zone, sections in which it is necessary to reduce the driving speed when the air spring device is stopped and sections in which it is not necessary to reduce the driving speed, and estimating the air consumption in each section. Vehicle information control device.

6. The vehicle information control device according to claim 1, when it is determined that the cumulative value of the amount of air consumed by the plurality of devices when traveling from the current position to the safety zone is greater than the remaining amount of air in the air tank, the operation command determination unit generates a command to stop the operation of the devices, giving priority to the devices that do not need to reduce the traveling speed of the railway vehicle, so that the amount of air consumed falls below the remaining amount of air in the air tank. Vehicle information control device.

7. 7. The vehicle information control device according to claim 6, the plurality of devices include a brake device and an air spring device; the operation command determination unit generates a stop command for the air spring device, preferentially starting from a section where it is not necessary to reduce the traveling speed when the operation of the air spring device is stopped. Vehicle information control device.

8. The vehicle information control device according to claim 1, The operation command output unit transmits a stop command to the device for which a stop command has been generated by the operation command determination unit, and further notifies the driver of the device to be stopped. Vehicle information control device.

9. The vehicle information control device according to claim 8, the plurality of devices include a brake device and an air spring device; The operation command output unit notifies the driver that it is necessary to decelerate when a stop command for the air spring device is generated in the operation command determination unit in a section where it is necessary to reduce the running speed if the operation of the air spring device is stopped. Vehicle information control device.

10. A vehicle information control method for managing and controlling the operation of an air compressor, an air tank that stores compressed air generated by the air compressor, and a plurality of devices that control their operation using air supplied from the air tank, comprising: The vehicle information control method includes: a step in which a data input unit acquires failure information of the air compressor, pressure values ​​of the plurality of devices, and information on the current position and speed of the railway vehicle; a storage unit storing the positions of safety zones present within a section in which the railway vehicle is traveling, track information, and air consumption amounts of the plurality of devices; an air consumption amount estimation unit estimating an amount of air consumed by the plurality of devices from a current location to the nearest safety zone; when receiving failure information about the air compressor, an operation command decision unit generates a command to stop operation of the plurality of devices, preferentially starting with a device that does not affect the running of the railway vehicle, so that the remaining amount of air in the air tank exceeds an integrated value of the amount of air consumed by the plurality of devices; an operation command output unit outputting the operation command determined by the operation command determination unit to the device; A vehicle information control method comprising:

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