Method for signalling an expansion of a movement authority from a route control station to a positioning body

Abstract

According to the invention, a method is disclosed for reporting an expansion of a movement authority from a route control center to an interlocking and for clearing routes that include at least one signal section in response to the reported expansion of the movement authority, comprising the steps: a) using the route control center monitors the signal sections assigned to this route control center with regard to track occupancy and the movement of a train that may be present in one of the signal sections and with regard to the correct functioning of the train protection components assigned to the signal sections, such as axle counters, track circuits; b) Position and / or speed of a train are reported to the route control center by an on-board unit; c) the track occupancy, the position and / or the speed of a train and the status of the train protection components are reported by the route control center to the interlocking or initially evaluated in the route control center and reported to the interlocking; d) an interlocking logic determines, depending on the data reported under c), which preferably includes the data on track occupancy (e.g. determined by axle counters and / or track circuit), whether an already set route consisting of at least part of a signal section is to be canceled; e) in the case of a route to be closed, a shortening of the Movement Authority to the Zugspitze or to a start signal of the next signal section is reported by the interlocking to the route control center and from there to the on-board unit or directly from the route control center to the on-board unit; and f) the route that has already been set is canceled after the on-board device has acknowledged the shortening of the Movement Authority to the routing center and the routing center has reported this acknowledgment to the interlocking. In this way, a method has now been created that ensures reliable and safe handling of train standstills and is able to cancel set routes immediately after acknowledgment of the shortening of the MA. The manual resolution thus takes place immediately when the standstill of the affected train or trains is recognized, which has a positive effect on the route capacity due to the elimination of waiting and also reduces the number of minutes of delay in the event of an incident.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for reporting an extent of a Movement Authority from a track control center to a signal box for the resolution of routes comprising at least one signal section, in response to the reported extent of the Movement Authority.

[0002] In the field of rail transport, modern train control systems are used. These systems transmit centrally generated data for controlling and securing train traffic to decentralized units, and these units request and process the data centrally. Typical units for central data generation and retrieval are signal boxes and control centers. Examples of decentralized units include trackside control units such as signal and point control / monitoring devices, track occupancy detection devices, balises, line conductors, and loop cables.However, even today, due to the national structure of railway companies such as Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), and German Rail (DB), train control systems are still national systems that must be changed on the vehicle side when crossing from country to country, which means a considerable effort on the vehicles with regard to their use in cross-border traffic.

[0003] For this reason, the European Union, for example, decided to introduce a Europe-wide standardized train control system, known in the industry as ETCS (European Train Control System). This train control system has three different implementation levels, which differ in the method of communication between the train and the control center and in the method of train tracking. In ETCS Level 1, the necessary information is transmitted wirelessly from transparent data and fixed data balises and / or line conductors and / or loop cables to the train's driver's cab and includes, among other things, instructions for speed monitoring and permitted travel distance.In Level 2, the necessary information is transmitted to the driver's cab via a proprietary mobile network from so-called Radio Block Centers (track control centers), and in Level 3, integrity checks and self-localization of the train using navigation systems such as GPS or Galileo (currently under development) are also used.

[0004] However, the introduction of ETCS Level 2 routes still requires addressing a number of issues and considering national specifics. Among these is the handling of the so-called Movement Authority – or MA for short. The MA, transmitted to a train by the control center, grants the train permission to travel from a starting signal section to a destination signal section and can typically include several intermediate signal sections. The route from the starting signal section to the destination signal section is also called the route. This route is set by an interlocking system, reserved for the train, and monitored. With this route setting, signals and points are set accordingly, for example, according to the track plan principle, and are also blocked from being used by other trains.Only after the set route has been correctly traversed will this route be released again, whereby a release of the previously correctly traversed signal section is usually necessary.

[0005] The status of the Movement Authority (MA) can be reported periodically to the interlocking system via the trackside control center. However, it is also possible to update the MA status (with the exception of train standstill) only in response to events. In this case, the MA status is actively changed by the interlocking system and reported to the train control center (RCC). The RCC then checks the known MA statuses and, if necessary, sends an update to the train. The status of the updated MA is reported back to the interlocking system as soon as the train has confirmed receipt of the updated MA (end-to-end monitoring).However, if a train stops on the line or in the station (locomotive defect, door defect, defect of a train protection element, counting error on the axle counter, etc.), this train stoppage must also be reported immediately by the track control center to the signal box so that the signal box can carry out a correct and safe manual release of the set route in every situation, in order to make the route elements blocked by the set route available again for the setting of other routes.

[0006] Currently, in signal boxes without a central control unit, manual route release is only performed after a predetermined time has elapsed. This predetermined time is chosen to ensure that all trains affected by the manual release have come to a stop with a sufficiently high probability. Particularly with routes consisting of multiple signal sections, this section-by-section manual release can lead to unnecessarily long train standstills, as a new route can only be set after the old one has been released. In a signal box with a central control unit, it would be possible, in principle, to utilize more precise knowledge of the trains' positions to release routes more efficiently in the event of an incident.

[0007] Since there is currently no solution for the specific problem of faster route clearance, the present invention aims to provide a method for reporting the extent of a movement authority from a trackside control center to an interlocking system and for clearing routes that include at least parts of a signal section in response to the reported extent of the movement authority. This method should enable faster clearance of a set route, thus eliminating the need to wait the previously preset time and thereby positively impacting track capacity and increasing safety without extending the time required for manual clearance.

[0008] This problem is solved according to the invention by a method for reporting an extent of a Movement Authority from a track control center to a signal box and for dissolving routes comprising at least one signal section in response to the reported extent of the Movement Authority, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) The trackside control center monitors the signal sections assigned to it with regard to the movement of any train present in one of the signal sections and the correct functioning of the train protection components assigned to the signal sections; b) the position and / or speed of a train is reported to the trackside control center by a vehicle device; c) the position and / or speed of a train and the status of the train protection components are reported by the trackside control center to the interlocking system, or first evaluated in the trackside control center and reported to the interlocking system; d) an interlocking system logic determines, based on the data reported under c), which preferably includes data on track occupancy (e.g.(determined by axle counter and / or track circuit) include whether a route already set, consisting of at least part of a signal section, is to be released; e) in the case of a route to be released, a reduction of the Movement Authority to the train front or to a start signal of the signal section is reported from the interlocking to the trackside control center and from there to the on-board unit or directly from the trackside control center to the on-board unit; and f) the route already set is released after the on-board unit acknowledges the reduction of the Movement Authority to the trackside control center and the trackside control center has detected the standstill of the vehicle and reported this information to the interlocking.

[0009] In this way, a procedure has now been established that ensures reliable and safe handling of train standstills and is capable of immediately releasing set routes after the vehicle acknowledges the reduction in the minimum travel time. Manual release thus occurs immediately upon detection of the standstill of the affected train(s), which, due to the elimination of waiting time, has a positive effect on track capacity and, in the event of an incident, also reduces the number of delay minutes. Furthermore, safety is increased by evaluating the train standstill.

[0010] In addition to releasing the route, it may be possible to delete the train's assignment to the signal sections encompassing that route in the interlocking system when the route is released. This means that in the event of an incident, this assignment is reset, and the train, upon resuming its journey, must first go through the entire safety-engineered process of route request and subsequent issuance of a movement authority (MA), extending beyond the train's front or the next starting signal.

[0011] Compared to previously known methods for manual route clearance, a particularly fast manual clearance can be achieved if a route encompassing multiple signal sections is cleared simultaneously by clearing all signal sections belonging to that route. This allows, for example, all train protection components reserved according to the track plan principle for each signal section to be cleared simultaneously, without the need to propagate the clearance from signal section to signal section. When determining which signal sections are affected by the train standstill, the continuous association of multiple routes for a single train is also taken into account. Entire routes can thus be cleared in a relatively short time period, which, with prior art, was approximately required to clear a single signal section.

[0012] To reliably manage the impact of a train stoppage on other trains, such as the immediately following train, the control center can ensure that no train within the signal sections monitored by the control center has a movement authority exceeding the reduced authority if the movement authority is shortened to the train's front or the starting signal of the next signal section. This is achieved by immediately reporting the reduced movement authority to the affected trains. This ensures that these trains also come to a safe and timely stop without the route already set for them needing to be released.The manual release of the route is only carried out when the train that received the MA acknowledges the shortening of this MA to the track control center, the track control center detects the standstill of the train and reports this information to the signal box.

[0013] A further particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention can be achieved if a first predefinable set of rules is applied by the interlocking logic or the logic of the track control center to evaluate the train occupancy, the position and / or speed of a train, as well as the state of the train protection components. This set of rules makes it possible to fully represent and modify the actual conditions without otherwise requiring a fundamental change to the inventive methods for manually resolving the route.

[0014] Similarly, it can be stipulated that the cancellation of an already set route is carried out according to a predefined second set of rules. Here, too, the rule set can thus accurately reflect the actual conditions and, for example, define exceptions to the immediate manual cancellation of a route.

[0015] When evaluating data from the signal sections monitored by the track control center, the control center's logic can be sophisticated enough to determine, based on the monitored track occupancy and movement, whether a train has come to a standstill and, if so, to report this standstill to the signal box. It is also possible, for example, to store the track layout architecture in the control center, so that manual route clearing can also be carried out directly from the control center.

[0016] Further advantageous embodiments of the invention can be found in the remaining dependent claims.

[0017] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. This shows: Figure 1 schematically shows the behavior of a trackside control center – hereinafter referred to as RBC – regarding the forwarding of the assignment and allocation during the shortening of a MA (Measurement Abbreviation); Figure 2 schematically shows a message sequence using the example of an emergency stop of a train when the train is still in front of a start signal; Figure 3 schematically shows the situation of an emergency stop with two affected signals; and Figure 4 schematically shows a propagation of the states of MKS (Measurement Abbreviation confirmed on signal) and STS (Standstill) in the interlocking system through the routes.

[0018] In the Figure 1 The behavior of the RBC regarding the switching of the assignment and allocation during the shortening of a MA for a train is shown.

[0019] In (1), an emergency stop is initiated at signal X102 by the interlocking system. Due to the stop reason "not triggered by train" at signal X102, the RBC sends the train a reduction of the MA (Measurement Alert) to the position of signal X102, as the train is still before signal X102 in section 102. The target signal monitoring "technical or emergency monitoring cancellation" has no effect, as no train is assigned to a subsequent signal X103. The assignments, allocations, and the assignment end remain in effect in the RBC, as the train has not yet acknowledged receipt of the MA reduction.

[0020] In (2), the train sends a position report to the RBC, indicating that it has already passed signal X102 with its minimum safe front end (MinSafeFrontEnd). This triggers the train assignment to continue to signal X103. The assignment is also deleted at signal X102. The assignment end at signal X103 remains. When assigning the train at signal X103, the RBC evaluates the current target signal monitoring and reacts accordingly. In this case, the RBC sends an Unconditional Emergency Stop (UES) to the train.

[0021] In (3) the train acknowledges receipt of the MA abbreviated to signal X102 or the UES. However, this does not result in the train remaining assigned to signal X103. The following generally applies:

[0022] If the assigned signal with HFG (stop reason) "not train-induced" becomes a stop signal and the RBC has not yet received an acknowledgment from the vehicle for the abbreviated MA (signal type), the RBC nevertheless continues the assignment to the next signal in the still valid MA if it receives a position report with MinSafeFrontEnd following the signal position from the vehicle. By assigning the signal to the destination signal of the route affected by the non-train-induced stop, the safety reaction is executed due to the ZSU (destination signal monitoring) (or the previously sent abbreviated MA leads to the trip). Sending the commands

[0023] The RBC sends the commands from Table 1 below to the interlocking system, based on the signals shown. The meanings of and reactions to changes in state are explained in more detail below the table.

[0024] The standstill is reported as a collective message for all trains assigned to the signal, regardless of the interlocking states. If no train is assigned, standstill = off is reported. The other commands are updated either as reactions to state changes from the interlocking or as reactions to state changes from the RBC (see the "Triggering State Change" column in Table 1). Table 1 command Condition Meaning Representation in drawings System startup status Triggering state change Bit-X Bit X Bit -X Bit X Standstill (STS) 0 0 Neutral, no action - - 1 1 1 0 [else] STS N 1 0 - 0 1 At least one train is assigned and all trains assigned to this signal are at a standstill. STS J - No train at the start affected (KZS) 0 0 Neutral, no action - - 1 1 1 0 [else] KZS N 1 0 Signal reports reason for half-fall: "none" 0 1 The RBC did not issue any train a MA beyond the signal. KZS J Signal indicates reason for stop: "not caused by train" No train at destination affected (KZZ) 0 0 Neutral, no action - - 1 1 1 0 [else] KZZ N 1 0 Target signal monitoring "no monitoring failure" or RBC assigns a train to the signal 0 1 No train is assigned to this signal, and no train has a MA (movement authorization) for this signal or beyond. Any MA reductions to a signal and any UES (unclearance / extension) are confirmed by the train. KZZ J Target signal monitoring "NAZ, BAZ, GZF or technical or emergency monitoring failure" or RBC deletes the last assignment on the signal. MA reduction on Zugspitze confirmed (MKZ) 0 0 Neutral, no action - - 1 1 1 0 [else] MKZ N 1 0 Signal reports target signal monitoring "no monitoring cancellation" or RBC deletes last assignment on signal 0 1 At least one train is assigned to the signal, and all affected trains have either a) confirmed receipt of the abbreviated MA or b) confirmed receipt of the UES. (See the description of the MKZ command for details.) MKZ J Signal reports target signal monitoring (NAZ, BAZ, GZF or 'technical or emergency monitoring failure') MA reduction confirmed on signal (MKS) 0 0 Neutral, no action - - 1 1 1 0 [else] MKS N 1 0 Signal reports reason for stop: "none" 0 1 No train has a MA beyond the signal, and any MA reductions to the signal are confirmed by the train. MKS J Signal indicates reason for stop: "not caused by train" Explanations for Table 1: Standstill (STS) Functional requirement:

[0025] STS = J means: At least one train is directly in front of the signal, and the RBC has detected a standstill for all trains directly in front of the signal. Note: If no train is directly in front of the signal (no train is assigned to the signal), then STS = N. This command is independent of the reason for the stop and the target signal monitoring. No train at the start affected (KZS) Functional requirement:

[0026] The signal box reports the reason for the stop as "not caused by train". If, at this time, the RBC has not issued a train a MA (movement indicator) beyond the signal, the KZS (no train affected at the start) is set to Y. If, at this time, the RBC has issued a train a MA beyond the signal, the RBC shortens the MA for the train to the signal position. The KZS command remains unchanged. The train's confirmation that it has shortened the MA has no effect on the KZS command. The signal box reports the reason for the stop as "none". KZS is set to N.

[0027] When the RBC sends KZS = J to the interlocking system, the RBC ensures that it has not issued a train a proceed instruction beyond this signal. As long as the KZS = J command, the RBC must not issue a train a proceed instruction beyond the signal. To guarantee this, the interlocking system must not report a proceed aspect to the RBC if the stop condition "not train-induced" exists. No train at destination affected (KZZ) Functional requirement:

[0028] The signal box reports the following to the destination signal monitoring system: "Emergency cancellation of train route (NAZ)," "Operational cancellation of train route (BAZ)," "Opposite train route (GZF)," or "Technical or emergency monitoring shutdown." If, at this time, the RBC has not issued a train a MA (movement indication) up to or beyond this signal, with any MA reductions having been confirmed by the trains concerned, and no train is directly in front of this signal (no train is assigned), then KZZ is set to "Y". If, before this time, the RBC had issued a train a MA up to or beyond this signal and had already sent the train a reduced MA to a position before this signal, which has not yet been confirmed by the train, and no train is directly in front of this signal (no train is assigned), then KZZ is set to "Y" if the train confirms the reduction of the MA and is not directly in front of this signal (the train is not assigned).If the train confirmation arrives only when it is already directly in front of the signal (the train is assigned to the signal), then KZZ will not be changed.

[0029] An example of an emergency stop when the train is still before the start signal X102 is in Figure 2 shown.

[0030] Due to the emergency stop, the interlocking system sends the reason for the stop, "not triggered by train," to signal X102. This causes the RBC to shorten the monitoring interval to the position of signal X102. The interlocking system then sends the destination signal monitoring command, "technical or emergency monitoring cancellation," to signal X103. In this case, the RBC may only set the KZZ command to "Y" at signal X103 once the train has confirmed the reduction of the monitoring interval and is still in front of signal X102.

[0031] If, at this point, the RBC has issued a MA (movement indication) to at least one train up to or beyond this signal, the RBC shortens the MA for these trains to the train's front or the preceding signal (this is done via the reason for stopping) or sends a UES (unclear indication). If all these trains have confirmed the MA shortening or the receipt of the UES, and if, at this point, no train is directly in front of the signal (no train is assigned), the KZZ (track indication indicator) is set to J. Note: It is rather unlikely that the KZZ will be set to J due to the destination signal monitoring "BAZ or GZF". In order for BAZ to be operated or for a route to be set for an opposing train, a train must be in the route, i.e., a train must be assigned to the signal. For the KZZ to then be set to J, no train may be assigned to the signal. This is the case, for example, when the corresponding train performs an "End of Mission", i.e., shuts down its cab.

[0032] The signal box reports "no monitoring failure" for target signal monitoring; KZZ is set to N.

[0033] The signal box reports "Target resolved" for target signal monitoring; KZZ remains unchanged.

[0034] If the last assignment at a signal is deleted and the RBC has not issued a MA (Measurement Order) to any train for this signal or beyond, and all MA reductions or receipt from the UES (Unified Signal System) have been confirmed by the affected trains, then KZZ (Control Zone) is set to J (Yes). This only needs to happen if the target signal monitoring status "NAZ, BAZ, GZF or 'technical or emergency monitoring cancellation'" is active at the signal.

[0035] This is the case, for example, when a train switches to post-trip mode before the signal. As a result, the RBC can no longer detect that the train has come to a standstill.

[0036] If a train is assigned to a signal, KZZ must be set to N. In this case, a train is on the route and could potentially still proceed. This is the case, for example, if the train is in Figure 2 The train cannot stop until signal X102. It will be tripped upon passing signal X102. Based on the position report, the train is assigned to signal X103. Since the route indicator now changes to N, the route X102-X103 cannot be manually released. After the train has stopped, the driver can switch to "Post Trip" mode. This deletes the assignment to X103 and sets the route indicator to Y. Now the route X102-X103 can be manually released.

[0037] This behavior is also required in the interlocking system so that it can correctly update the states MKSamStart and STSamStart propagated by the start signal at the destination signal of a route.

[0038] When the RBC sends KZZ = J to the interlocking system, the RBC ensures that it has not issued a MA (movement authorization) to any train for this signal. Any MA reductions or UES (unauthorized movement) are confirmed by the trains. As long as the command KZZ = J, the RBC may not issue a MA to any train for this signal. In this case, based on the train assignment before the MA is issued, KZZ is set back to N as described above. MA reduction on Zugspitze confirmed (MKZ) Functional requirement:

[0039] The interlocking system reports destination signal monitoring as "NAZ, BAZ or GZF". If, at this time, the RBC has issued a MA (movement authorization) to at least one train up to this signal or beyond, then a) The RBC reduces the MA to the train's front for all trains that are directly in front of the signal (the train must be assigned to the signal) and are stationary, and b) for any affected train that is in front of the route's start signal, the RBC reduces the MA to the start signal (this is done via the reason for stopping). If all these trains from a) and b) have confirmed the reduction of the MA and at this time at least one train is directly in front of the signal (at least one train is assigned), then MKZ is set to J.

[0040] The interlocking system reports a "technical or emergency monitoring failure" to the destination signal monitoring system. If, at this time, the RBC has issued a warning to at least one train up to or beyond this signal, the RBC sends a notification to all trains directly in front of the signal (assigned trains). If all these trains have acknowledged receipt of the notification and at least one train is directly in front of the signal (at least one train is assigned), the signal indicator is set to "Y".

[0041] The interlocking system reports "no monitoring cancellation" for destination signal monitoring; MKZ is set to N. The interlocking system reports "destination cleared" for destination signal monitoring; MKZ remains unchanged.

[0042] If the last assignment is deleted for a signal and a target signal monitoring status "'technical or emergency monitoring cancellation', NAZ, BAZ or GZF" is active for the signal, MKZ is set to N.

[0043] When the RBC sends MKZ = J to the interlocking system, the RBC ensures that it has not issued a MA (movement order) to any train at this signal. Any MA reductions or UES (unclearance / dismissal) are confirmed by the trains. As long as the command MKZ = J, the RBC may not issue a MA to any train at this signal. MA reduction confirmed on signal (MKS) Functional requirement:

[0044] The signal box reports the reason for the stop as "not caused by train". If, at this time, the RBC has not issued a train a MA (movement indicator) beyond the signal, the MKS (movement control system) remains unchanged. If, at this time, the RBC has issued a train a MA beyond the signal, the RBC reduces the MA for the train to the signal position. If the train confirms the reduction of the MA, the MKS is set to "Y". The signal box reports the reason for the stop as "none". The MKS is set to "N".

[0045] If a train whose signal position (MA) is to be shortened to the signal position passes the signal without confirming the shortening (the train is no longer assigned to the signal), then MKS is set to "Y". If a train's signal position is to be shortened to the signal position, then MKS is set to "Y" if the train confirms the reduction of the signal position to a previous signal position. This can occur, for example, if an emergency stop has also been activated at a previous signal, and the train confirms the reduction of the signal position to the previous signal position before confirming the reduction to the current signal position. Note regarding situations with multiple lanes:

[0046] Figure 3This diagram illustrates an emergency stop scenario involving two signals. Initially, the train has a movement authority (MA) up to signal X104. An emergency stop is then initiated at signal X103. The interlocking system sends the stop reason "not triggered by train" for signal X103, whereupon the train control system (RCS) reduces the train's movement authority to signal position X103. Before the train confirms this reduction, an emergency stop is initiated at X102. The interlocking system sends the stop reason "not triggered by train" for X102, whereupon the RCS reduces the train's movement authority to signal position X102. The train then confirms this reduction. Now, the movement authority (MKS) at X102 must be set to "J".

[0047] In order for the MKS (Multi-Point System) to be used for the confirmed stop illumination at an operator station, the RBC (Radio Control Center) at signal X103 must also set the MKS to "J" (yes). This would not have been necessary for route clearance, as this information from the shortened MA (Measurement Indicator) is propagated to signal X103 by the interlocking system.

[0048] When the RBC sends MKS = J to the interlocking system, the RBC ensures that it has not issued a MA (movement authorization) to any train beyond this signal. Any MA reductions must be acknowledged by the train. As long as the command MKS = J, the RBC may not issue a MA to any train beyond the signal.

[0049] The following describes the reaction of the interlocking system to the previously described behavior of the RBC. General

[0050] When the RBC sends KZS = J or MKS = J to the interlocking system, the RBC ensures that it has not issued a MA (movement authorization) to any train beyond this signal. As long as the command KZS = J or MKS = J, the RBC may not issue a MA to any train beyond the signal.

[0051] The BAZ, NAZ, and GZF commands are primarily accepted or rejected by the interlocking system based on internal interlocking system states. The connection status between the interlocking system and the RBC (especially the connection status between the Interlocking & Interface Component (IIC) / Overhead Management Component (OMC) and the RBC) is only indirectly considered, as it is not explicitly known as such.

[0052] The connection status of the axle counter (ACC) and IIC / OMC is implicitly taken into account in every operation, since the operation then either does not reach the ACC or the acknowledgment of the approval check is omitted. BAZ behavior:

[0053] Only interlocking system-internal criteria are considered for the approval test. With accepted operation of the BAZ (Interlocking Control Center), the release conditions are monitored in the interlocking system by activating the BAZ (immediately before stop reasons and destination signal monitoring are sent to the RBC (Radio Control Center)). As soon as MKZ (Market Signal) = Y and STS (Sentence Signal) = Y are received, the release is carried out, provided the interlocking system-internal criteria are still met.

[0054] Option: If, during the monitoring of the resolution conditions, the MKZ command changes from J to N (i.e., it was already received with J), this is interpreted as a connection failure IIC / OMC to the RBC, and the monitoring of the resolution conditions is aborted. STS and "STS at Start" are not evaluated in this context, as multiple changes are normally possible. NAZ behavior:

[0055] Only interlocking system-internal criteria are considered for the approval test. With accepted operation in "manual release," the emergency release time for delayed release is started in the interlocking system by activating NAZ (immediately before stop reasons and destination signal monitoring are sent to the RBC). If a rule for immediate release is subsequently fulfilled, the emergency release time is aborted and the route is released.

[0056] When the emergency release time expires, the interlocking system checks whether a rule for delayed release is met. If so, the route is released. Otherwise, no release takes place. If at least one relevant train is still moving at this time, manual release can be attempted again. Release occurs after all relevant trains have come to a standstill, provided all stands are credible. Otherwise, the route must be released individually. Option: If, after the emergency release time has started, one of the commands MKZ, KZZ, or "MKS am Start" or "KZS am Start" changes from J to N (i.e., it was already received with J), before the release has been carried out, this is interpreted as a connection failure between the IIC / OMC and the RBC, and the emergency release time is stopped, thus aborting any further release attempts.STS and "STS am Start" are not evaluated, as multiple changes are possible and not necessarily prohibited. However, this evaluation requires further review. GZF behavior:

[0057] Here, a special "GZF criterion" is considered for the approval test, which also includes STS = J. If the connection between IIC / OMC and RBC fails, the signal in the ACC is informed of STS = N, meaning GZF is not permitted. If this connection fails immediately after a successful approval test, the activated GZF cannot be set, as MKZ = J is still expected. Editing commands from the RBC

[0058] The signal box reports the RBC states of No train at start. Affected are "KZS J" and "KZS N" from the start signal of a train route via the track to the destination signal, as long as the start has not been resolved.

[0059] Figure 4This example demonstrates how the states of MKS and STS in the interlocking system are propagated via the routes. It should be noted that route 103 and subsequently route 104 are released without delay when a route is manually cleared. Route 104 releases without delay because, at signal X104, the states of MKS and STS from signal X102 remain stored even after route 103 is cleared.

[0060] The interlocking system reports the RBC states of MA reduction confirmed on signal "MKS J" and "MKS N" to the destination signal from the starting signal of a train route via the track to the destination signal, as long as the start is not cleared. If the destination signal is continuously claimed and set (destination and start claim / specification (on)), the information is also forwarded to the next signal. When a route is extended (the next train route is set and fixed), the state "MKS at start" must also be propagated to the destination signal of this extension after the route has been set. This also applies to further route extensions. Exception: An RBC state "MKS J" propagated into a train control system (FZF) or train control system (BES) may only be propagated to the next destination (i.e., destination FZF / BES). The confirmed MA reduction on the signal can only be valid up to the destination of an FZF / BES.

[0061] The interlocking system reports the RBC states of standstill "STS J" and "STS N" to the destination signal from the starting signal of a train route via the track to the destination signal, as long as the start signal is not released. If the destination signal is continuously claimed and set (destination and start claim / set (on)), the information is also relayed to the next signal. When a route is extended (the next train route is set and set), the state "STS at start" must also be propagated to the destination signal of this extension after the route has been set. This also applies to further route extensions. Exception: An RBC state "STS J" propagated into a train control system (TCS) or train control system (TCS) may only be propagated to the next destination (i.e., destination TCS). The train standstill can only be valid up to the destination of a TCS / TCS.

[0062] As long as the start signal for the route is not cleared, the states "KZS at start," "MKS at start," and "STS at start" at the destination must be continuously updated. This information must be retained at the destination until the destination has been cleared or redefined as a destination (relevant for FZF). Of these three values, "STS at start" might, strictly speaking, no longer reflect reality after the start signal has been cleared (a stationary train could have started moving, or a moving train could have stopped). However, this has no effect on the behavior at the destination. The combination "Start cleared" = Y and "STS at start" = Y occurs only in a few special cases. If "STS at start" is set to N when the start signal is cleared, then other rules of the rulebook apply.

[0063] The resolution behavior is identical in each case, the "Start resolved" = J dominates ("STS at start" is no longer decisive).

[0064] If the route is neither entered nor the starting signal cleared, and then changes from J to N at the starting signal KZZ, the route must propagate the current MKS and STS states at the starting signal to the destination signal. This renders any MKS and STS states propagated from upstream signals obsolete, as these states must be evaluated for a newly assigned train.

[0065] As soon as the signal at the destination of a route is resolved or is again set as the destination of a route (relevant for FZF), the states at the destination must be overwritten with the default values ​​"KZS at start" = N (even at resolution a J is no longer required, it can be set directly to N), "MKS at start" = N and "STS at start" = N.

[0066] The interlocking system also reports the states "Route approached" (determining the state "Route approached" = J) and "Start released" (regular release or manual release) from the start signal of a train route via the track to the destination signal. As soon as the signal at the destination of a route is released or is again set as the destination of a route (relevant for train control systems), these states must be cleared at the destination, i.e., set to N.

[0067] In the event of a connection interruption to the RBC, all commands in the interlocking system must assume their default states (STS, KZS, KZZ, MKZ and MKS must be set to N).

[0068] The relatively simple examples described above illustrate the interaction between the interlocking system and the train control center (RCC) for route resolution. Crucially, the RCC monitors the signal sections assigned to it with regard to track occupancy, the movement of any train present in one of the signal sections, and the correct functioning of the train protection components assigned to the signal sections, such as axle counters and track circuits. The position and / or speed of a train is reported to the RCC by the on-board equipment. The track occupancy, position and / or speed of a train, as well as the status of the train protection components, are then reported by the RCC to the interlocking system. This information is first evaluated within the RCC using its logic and then transmitted to the interlocking system as a report / telegram.The interlocking logic determines, based on the aforementioned reported data, whether a route already set and consisting of at least one signal section needs to be released. If a route needs to be released, the interlocking system reports a reduction of the Movement Authority to the train's front or to a start signal of the next signal section to the RBC (Rail-to-Cable Control) and from there to the on-board unit, or directly from the RBC to the on-board unit. The route already set is released precisely after the on-board unit acknowledges the reduction of the Movement Authority to the trackside control center, and the trackside control center detects the train's standstill and reports this information to the interlocking system.

Claims

1. A procedure for reporting the extent of a movement authority from a trackside control center to an interlocking and for releasing routes that include at least part of a signal section in response to the reported extent of the movement authority, comprising the steps of: a) monitoring the signal sections assigned to the trackside control center with regard to track occupancy and movement of any train present in one of the signal sections, as well as the correct functioning of train protection components assigned to the signal sections, such as axle counters and track circuits; b) reporting the position and / or speed of a train to the trackside control center from an on-board device; c) reporting the track occupancy, position and / or speed of a train, and the status of the train protection components from the trackside control center to the interlocking.first, the data is evaluated in the track control center and reported to the interlocking system; d) interlocking logic determines, based on the data reported under c), which preferably includes track occupancy data (e.g., determined by axle counter and / or track circuit), whether a route already set, consisting of at least part of a signal section, is to be released; e) if a route is to be released, a reduction of the Movement Authority to the train front or to a start signal of the next signal section is reported from the interlocking system to the track control center and from there to the on-board unit or directly from the track control center to the on-board unit; and f) the route already set is released after the on-board unit acknowledges the reduction of the Movement Authority to the track control center and the track control center has detected the vehicle's standstill and reported this information to the interlocking system.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that With the cancellation of the route, the assignment of the train to the signal sections encompassing this route is deleted in the signal box.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that The resolution of a route comprising several signal sections is carried out by simultaneously resolving all signal sections belonging to the route.

4. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the fact that In the event of a reduction of the Movement Authority to the train's front or to the starting signal of the next signal section, the track control center ensures that no train located in the signal sections monitored by the track control center has a Movement Authority exceeding the reduced Movement Authority.

5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the fact thatFor the evaluation of train occupancy, the position and / or speed of a train as well as the state of the train protection components, a first predefinable rule catalog is applied by the interlocking logic.

6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by the fact that The cancellation of an already set route is carried out according to a predefined second set of rules.

7. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by the fact that The track control center uses the monitored track occupancy and movement to determine whether a train has come to a standstill, and in case of a standstill, reports this standstill to the signal box.