Virtual Railway Turnout for Deadlock Prevention in Rail Transit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing railway turnout control systems face deadlocks and insufficient safety protection in turnback areas and crossed routes, leading to operational hindrances and potential conflicts in rail transit systems.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a virtual railway turnout in the data space corresponding to a turnback stopping point or a junction of crossed routes, which is added to the relevant route lists and remains claimed until the train has successfully exited the area or passed through the junction, preventing other trains from establishing routes until the virtual turnout is released.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a train stops at a turnback stopping point in a turnback area, then the train occupies the turnback area and releases claims on real turnouts, but another train cannot establish a route into the turnback area because the turnout is claimed by the first train, causing deadlock situation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual railway turnout as an intermediary element in the data space to mediate the conflict between trains in turnback areas. The virtual turnout acts as a placeholder that maintains the claim state without requiring physical turnout occupation, allowing the first train to stop and exit while preventing the second train from establishing a conflicting route, thus resolving the deadlock situation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-dimensional physical turnout claim mechanism to a multi-dimensional solution by introducing the virtual turnout in the data space. This creates an additional layer of control where claims can be maintained independently of physical turnout states, enabling the system to handle turnback scenarios without deadlock while maintaining route establishment efficiency.
2Reliability
If basic control logic is applied where only one conflicting route is allowed at any moment and a railway turnout can only be claimed for one train, then these rules are satisfied, but deadlock situations occur in turnback areas and safety protection for crossed routes is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the turnout claim mechanism into two independent parts: real turnouts and virtual turnouts. Real turnouts handle physical route control while virtual turnouts handle data space claim management. This segmentation allows the system to maintain basic control logic for conflict prevention while adding virtual turnouts to resolve deadlock situations and enhance safety for crossed routes without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A railway turnout control method comprises: constructing a data space corresponding to a railway turnout area (101); adding a virtual railway turnout, in the data space, to an area in which a target turnback stopping point is located (102); adding the virtual railway turnout to a railway turnout list corresponding to a route along which a train drives into the area (103); and not releasing claim of the virtual railway turnout when the train stops at the turnback stopping point (104); Also provided is a railway turnout control system. The method and system can solve problems of deadlock of a turnback area and insufficient safety protection of crossed routes.