JP7788057B2 - Ground coil inspection device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a ground coil inspection device for inspecting the operating status of a ground coil.

Known technologies for inspecting ground coils include an automatic train control device (Patent Document 1) that diagnoses the health of ground coils by determining whether the time that the signal level remains above the minimum operating level is less than a preset time, and a train information transmission device (Patent Document 2) that detects faults in ground coils on the train by checking the consistency of the ground coil identification codes for multiple lined up ground coils.

However, the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 determine whether a signal is present based on whether the signal level is above a predetermined value, so it is not necessarily possible to determine, for example, whether the performance of the ground coil is (or is in the process of) deteriorating.

JP 2008-178230 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-331558

The present invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a ground coil inspection device that can detect whether a ground coil is deteriorating.

To achieve the above objective, the ground coil inspection device includes a level measurement unit that measures the reception level of messages transmitted from the ground coil, and a determination unit that determines the deterioration trend of the ground coil based on the measurement results from the level measurement unit.

In the above-mentioned ground coil inspection device, the level measurement unit measures the reception level of the message transmitted from the ground coil, and the judgment unit judges the deterioration trend of the ground coil based on the measured reception level. This makes it possible to make a judgment that reflects the level of the ground coil's transmission capability, thereby accurately capturing the deterioration trend of the ground coil.

In a specific aspect of the present invention, the determination unit determines the deterioration trend based on a predetermined threshold value for the reception level. In this case, the deterioration trend of the ground coil can be identified by comparing the magnitude of the measured reception level with the threshold value.

In another aspect of the present invention, a display unit is provided that displays the results of the determination made by the determination unit. In this case, the user of the device can visually recognize the deterioration trend of the ground coil.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the display unit displays the measured value as the measurement result of the level measurement unit. This allows the user to determine the deterioration trend of the ground coil from the measured value.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the device includes a receiving unit that receives messages transmitted from a ground device, a transmitting unit that transmits messages to non-powered ground devices, a selection receiving unit that receives a selection between a powered ground device mode for performing measurements on powered ground devices and a non-powered ground device mode for performing measurements on non-powered ground devices, and a receiving/transmitting control unit that operates the receiving unit and transmitting unit in accordance with the selection receiving unit's selection result. In this case, it becomes possible to perform tests compatible with both powered and non-powered ground devices.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the determination unit determines the status of the ground device based on the results of measurement of the reception level by the level measurement unit for messages with matching received content among the same messages transmitted multiple times from the ground device. In this case, more reliable testing is possible.

1A is a conceptual perspective view for explaining a ground coil inspection device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a block diagram. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a display mode in a ground coil inspection device. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an example of a measured value indicating the level strength in a ground coil inspection device and its display mode. FIG. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an overview of a ground coil inspection device. 10A and 10B are flowcharts illustrating an example of the operation of the ground coil inspection device.

An example of a ground coil inspection device according to one embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 1 and other figures. The ground coil inspection device 100 according to this embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as inspection device 100) is a ground coil tester that inspects the soundness of the operation of a ground coil GR. As shown in the conceptual perspective view of Figure 1(A), the inspection device 100 is portable and inspects the ground coil GR by receiving radio waves (signals) from the ground coil GR with the foot FT placed on the ground coil GR and measuring the transmission status of the ground coil GR based on these signals. This allows for quick and reliable inspection of ground coil GRs installed on site.

As shown in the block diagram of Figure 1 (B), the inspection device 100 includes a transmit/receive coil 10, a message management unit 20, an operation unit 30, a data storage unit 40, a main control unit 50, and a display unit 70. The main control unit 50 also includes or functions as a level measurement unit 60 and a judgment unit JD.

The transmit/receive coil 10 constitutes, for example, a loop antenna to receive and transmit signals in the inspection device 100. In other words, it functions as part of a receiver that receives messages transmitted from the ground coil GR, and, if necessary, functions as part of a transmitter that transmits messages generated in accordance with instructions from the main control unit 50 to the ground coil GR. Here, the transmit/receive coil 10 functions as a receiver that receives at least messages transmitted from the ground coil GR, making it possible to perform inspections based on the status of the received messages.

The message management unit 20 is composed of various circuits, etc., and receives messages (electrical signals) from the ground contact GR via the transmission/reception coil 10, and outputs the messages to the main control unit 50. In other words, the message management unit 20 functions as a message reception unit. In addition, when the message management unit 20 receives a command from the main control unit 50 to send a message to the ground contact GR, it also functions as a message reception unit that transmits (originates) a signal to the ground contact GR in response to this command via the transmission/reception coil 10.

Furthermore, from the above, it can be said that the transmit/receive coil 10 and the message management unit 20 function together as a transmit/receive unit (receiving unit and transmitting unit) that sends and receives messages.

The operation unit 30 is an interface unit that accepts input operations by the user of the inspection device 100. In this case, as shown in Figure 1(A) or Figure 2, it is composed of operation buttons, etc., and serves as a selection reception unit that accepts selections made by button selection. While this will be described in more detail later, in this example, it is possible to select the operating mode (switching between operating modes) of the inspection device 100 depending on whether the ground coil GR is a powered ground coil or an unpowered ground coil.

The data storage unit 40 is made up of various storage devices and stores various data (e.g., preset thresholds) required when inspecting the ground coil GR. The data storage unit 40 is also used for temporary storage of data acquired during inspection, such as messages from the ground coil GR being inspected and the results of analyzing these messages. Furthermore, the data storage unit 40 may store the contents of past inspections, allowing past data to be compared with current inspection results.

The main control unit 50 is composed of, for example, a CPU, electronic circuits, etc., and performs various calculations and other operations when the inspection device 100 performs an inspection. That is, it receives messages transmitted from the ground sensor GR, analyzes the reception status, and determines whether the transmission status of the ground sensor GR, i.e., whether the operation of the ground sensor GR can be said to be in a healthy state. In particular, here, the level measurement unit 60 measures the reception level of messages transmitted from the ground sensor GR, and the judgment unit JD makes a judgment based on the measurement results of the level measurement unit 60, making it possible to determine, for example, the deterioration trend of the ground sensor GR.

Of the main control unit 50, the level measurement unit 60 measures the magnitude (strength) of the telegram (electrical signal) from the telegram management unit 20. When measuring the reception level of the telegram from the ground coil GR, the reception level can be measured by calculating a standard value using, for example, a predetermined measurement method; in other words, this standard value can be considered to be equivalent to the reception level. Here, the level measurement unit 60 calculates the relative voltage value of the telegram (electrical signal) as a standard value using a predetermined method. Note that the calculation of the standard value can be achieved, for example, by providing the level measurement unit 60 with a circuit using an RMS-DC converter.

Of the main control unit 50, the determination unit JD makes a determination based on the measurement results of the level measurement unit 60. Here, as an example, thresholds for the measurements (standard values) of the level measurement unit 60 are set in stages in advance, and the measurements of the level measurement unit 60 are compared with the thresholds to determine the transmission status (operating status) of the ground sensor GR. In other words, the determination unit JD determines the deterioration trend based on a predetermined threshold for the reception level. Note that an example of the above thresholds will be described later with reference to Figure 3.

The display unit 70 is a display panel that displays the message content and measurement results (the determination results from the determination unit JD). Various configurations of the display unit 70 are possible, but in this example, it is configured to display segments, as shown in Figure 2.

The external structure of the testing device 100 is envisioned as a portable (carry-around) device with a handle HA attached to a housing CS that houses the above-mentioned components, as shown in FIG. 2(A), for example. In the illustrated example, the operation unit 30 and display unit 70 are provided on the surface SU (the portion that becomes the top surface when installed) of the housing CS. In other words, in the installed state illustrated in FIG. 1(A), the user can perform various operations on the operation unit 30 and view the display unit 70. In particular, in the illustrated example, the operation unit 30 is provided with a first selection button BT1 and a second selection button BT2, which the user can use to select various operations.

For example, when the user presses the first selection button BT1, the powered ground sensor mode is selected, which performs measurements when the ground sensor GR is a powered ground sensor, i.e., when the ground sensor GR is configured to continuously transmit telegrams on its own. In other words, in the inspection device 100, the main control unit 50 operates according to the setting in the powered ground sensor mode.

On the other hand, when the second selection button BT2 is pressed, the non-powered ground coil mode is selected, which performs measurements when the ground coil GR is a non-powered ground coil, i.e., when the ground coil GR does not make calls itself but responds to messages it receives. In other words, in the inspection device 100, the main control unit 50 operates according to the setting in the non-powered ground coil mode.

When the powered ground coil mode is selected, the main control unit 50 inspects the operating status (operating health) of the ground coil GR by receiving messages continuously transmitted from the ground coil GR via the transmitting/receiving coil 10 and message management unit 20. On the other hand, when the non-powered ground coil mode is selected, the main control unit 50 inspects the operating status (operating health) of the ground coil GR by first transmitting a message to the ground coil GR via the transmitting/receiving coil 10 and message management unit 20 and then receiving a message in response to the transmitted message.

As described above, the operation unit 30 serves as a selection reception unit that accepts the selection between the powered ground contact mode and the unpowered ground contact mode. The main control unit 50 also serves as a reception/transmission control unit that operates the transmission/reception coil 10 and message management unit 20, which function as a reception unit and a transmission unit, in accordance with the results of the selection received by the operation unit 30 as a selection reception unit.

As previously described and illustrated, the display unit 70 displays the contents of messages sent and received to and from the ground coil GR. In the example shown in Figure 2(A), the contents of the sent and received messages are displayed in segments, allowing the user to visually confirm the contents.

Here, as shown in Figure 2(B), the display unit 70, which displays the message content in segments, also displays the reception level of the measured message. In Figure 2(B), as an example, the magnitude (strength) of the reception level is indicated in the display area DS1 by displaying relative voltage as a numerical value. In other words, the display unit 70 displays the measurement value (standard value) as the measurement result of the level measurement unit 60 in the display area DS1. Furthermore, in the display area DS2, the reception level is displayed in stages as a number of bars (four levels from 0 to 3 bars) using a lit-up bar display. Note that this corresponds to the judgment result based on the threshold value in the judgment unit JD.

The display unit 70 can be configured in a variety of ways. For example, one possible display would alternate between displaying the message content and the reception level every few seconds to show the measurement results and the judgment results based on the measurement. Another possible display would be to provide an operation button or the like so that the user can switch the display. Alternatively, the display unit 70 could have separate areas for displaying the message content and the reception level.

Referring to the conceptual diagram shown in Figure 3, an example of preset thresholds for standard values (relative voltage values) that serve as indicators of the magnitude (strength) of the reception level measured by the level measurement unit 60 is shown below. In the example shown, three thresholds SH1 to SH3 are set in ascending order, allowing the judgment unit JD to evaluate the deterioration tendency of the ground sensor GR on a four-level scale.

Specifically, if the value is lower than the lowest first threshold SH1, it is treated as no reception being detected (non-detection); if it is between the first threshold SH1 and the second threshold SH1, it is treated as indicating that reception is detected but is quite weak (transmission ability: low); if it is between the second threshold SH2 and the third threshold SH3, it is treated as indicating that reception is becoming weaker (transmission ability: medium); and if it is higher than the third threshold SH3, it is treated as indicating sufficient transmission (transmission ability: high). As shown in the figure, the number of lit indicators in display area DS2 corresponds to these four levels.

Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram outlining the configuration and operation of the inspection device 100 described above. As shown in the figure, and as previously described, the inspection device 100 receives a message transmitted from the ground sensor GR and measures the reception level at that time in the level measurement unit 60. Next, based on the measurement results from the level measurement unit 60, the judgment unit JD judges the deterioration trend of the ground sensor GR. As a result, the inspection device 100 is able to make judgments that reflect the level of the transmission capability of the ground sensor GR, and can accurately grasp the deterioration trend of the ground sensor GR.

In the past, for example, checking the CRC check results of messages received multiple times would be used to check whether a malfunction had occurred in the ground coil. However, because each time only a check was made to see whether reception was normal, it was not always possible to adequately detect signs of a malfunction in the ground coil. This could result in, for example, train transport disruptions due to a malfunction in the ground coil. In contrast, in this embodiment, as described above, the judgment unit JD judges the deterioration trend in the message transmission level from the ground coil GR based on the measurement results from the level measurement unit 60, making it possible to avoid or mitigate such situations.

An example of the operation of the ground coil inspection device 100 will be described below with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figures 5(A) and 5(B). Figure 5(A) is a flowchart showing the overall operation of the inspection device 100, while Figure 5(B) is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the inspection device 100, particularly the more specific processing content for receiving a message from the ground coil GR. It is assumed here that the inspection device 100 is installed with respect to the ground coil GR to be inspected, as shown in Figure 1(A). In this example, whether the ground coil GR is a powered or unpowered ground coil, the same message is sent multiple times (four times), and the inspection device 100 treats the four receptions and the corresponding analysis processing as a single measurement process.

In FIG. 5(A), when the inspection device 100 is first started, the main control unit 50 starts accepting input at the operation unit 30, which serves as an interface unit (step S101), and checks whether the user has pressed the first selection button BT1 on the operation unit 30 to select the powered ground coil mode (step S102), or whether the second selection button BT2 has been pressed to select the non-powered ground coil mode (step S103).

If the powered ground sensor mode is selected in step S102 (step S102: Yes), the main control unit 50 begins receiving messages spontaneously transmitted from the ground sensor GR (step S104).

On the other hand, if the powered ground coil mode is not selected in step S102 (step S102: No) and the non-powered ground coil mode is selected (step S103: Yes), the main control unit 50 first transmits a message to the ground coil GR (step S105) and receives a message transmitted from the ground coil GR in response to the transmitted message (step S106).

Once reception is confirmed in step S104 or step S106, the main control unit 50 measures the reception level of the received message in the level measurement unit 60 (step S107), and then determines the deterioration trend of the ground coil GR based on the measurement results in the level measurement unit 60 in the determination unit JD (step S108). After that, a display operation is performed according to the measurement results in step S107 and the determination results in step S108 (step S109), and the series of processes is completed. In this manner, the ground coil GR is inspected by the inspection device 100.

Note that if the non-powered ground coil mode is not selected in step S103 (step S103: No), i.e., if neither the powered ground coil mode nor the non-powered ground coil mode is selected, the main control unit 50 will return to the state of waiting for input acceptance shown in step S101 until either mode is selected.

Below, with reference to Figure 5(B), a more specific example of the operations from measuring the level of a message from the ground sensor GR to displaying the corresponding results will be described. That is, Figure 5(B) shows a detailed example of the various operations shown in Figure 5(A), from measuring the level of a message whose reception was confirmed in step S104 or step S106 to displaying the content corresponding to step S109.

As mentioned above, in this example, the same message is transmitted four times from the ground coil GR. Therefore, the main control unit 50 of the receiving inspection device 100 receives and measures the levels four times in response to the four transmissions. Therefore, the main control unit 50 first checks whether level measurements have been performed on all four received messages (step S201). If there are any messages that have not been checked (unmeasured) (step S201: No), the level measurement unit 60 measures the levels of the unmeasured received messages (step S202) and checks whether the measured value (standard value) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, i.e., equal to or greater than the first threshold SH1 (step S203).

If it is determined in step S203 that the level is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (first threshold SH1) (step S203: Yes), the main control unit 50 (e.g., the determination unit JD) performs error detection on the data constituting the message being measured for level measurement, for example, by CRC processing (step S204), and checks whether there are any abnormalities in the data itself (step S205).

If no abnormality is confirmed in step S205 (step S205: No), the main control unit 50 records information on the standard value as the measurement result for the level measurement in the data storage unit 40 along with the message content, etc. (step S206).

On the other hand, if an abnormality is confirmed in step S205 (step S205: Yes), the reception in question is recorded as an error in the data storage unit 40 (step S207). Note that if it is determined in step S203 that the value is not greater than or equal to the predetermined value (first threshold SH1), the reception is also recorded as an error in the data storage unit 40 (step S207).

In step S201, the above operation is repeated until it is determined that level measurements have been performed on all four received messages. When it is determined that level measurements have been performed on all four received messages (step S201: Yes), the main control unit 50 retrieves from the data storage unit 40 those of the four received messages that were detected normally without error, and determines whether there are two or more messages with matching message content (step S208).

If it is determined in step S208 that there are two or more messages with matching content (step S208: Yes), the main control unit 50, as the level measurement unit 60, calculates a measurement value based on the matching message content (step S209), and further, as the judgment unit JD, judges the deterioration trend of the ground coil GR based on the measurement value calculated in step S209 (step S210).

Here, various methods can be considered for calculating the measurement value (reception level) in step S209. For example, it is possible to calculate the measurement value by taking the average of all the measurement values for which the message content matches. Furthermore, in the judgment in step S210, the average value can be compared with a threshold value to determine the deterioration trend. In this case, the judgment unit JD judges the state of the ground sensor GR based on the measurement results of the reception level by the level measurement unit 60 for messages with matching received content among the same message sent multiple times (four times) from the ground sensor GR.

After the determination process in step S210, the results of steps S209 and S210 are displayed on the display unit 70 (step S211), and the series of processes ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S208 that there are no two or more messages with matching content (step S208: No), it is determined that some kind of abnormality has occurred during the inspection by the inspection device 100, such as the communication state during measurement, and a notification to that effect is sent (step S212), and the series of processes is terminated. Note that one possible method of sending the notification in step S212 is to display a message on the display unit 70 indicating that an abnormality has occurred.

As described above, the ground coil inspection device 100 according to this embodiment includes a level measurement unit 60 that measures the reception level of messages transmitted from the ground coil GR, and a judgment unit JD that judges the deterioration trend of the ground coil GR based on the measurement results of the level measurement unit 60. In the ground coil inspection device 100 described above, the level measurement unit 60 measures the reception level of messages transmitted from the ground coil GR, and the judgment unit JD judges the deterioration trend of the ground coil GR based on the measured reception level. This makes it possible to make judgments that reflect the level of the transmission capability of the ground coil GR, thereby accurately capturing the deterioration trend of the ground coil GR.

〔others〕
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

First, in the above description, the measurement results and assessment results are displayed on the display unit 70, but this is not limiting. For example, data corresponding to each result may be output externally via a wired or wireless connection, and a display unit may not be provided. Alternatively, each result may be output externally and simultaneously displayed on the spot.

In addition, while the above example sets three thresholds, or judgment criteria, and evaluates on a four-level scale, the number and settings of thresholds can be changed in various ways, for example, depending on the characteristics of each part that makes up the inspection device 100 and the characteristics of the ground coil GR being inspected. For example, it is possible to change the thresholds (judgment criteria) depending on whether the ground coil GR being inspected is a powered ground coil or an unpowered ground coil.

Furthermore, data stored in the data storage unit 40 may be taken into account when determining the deterioration trend. That is, one possible approach is to inspect the target ground coil GR at regular intervals (for example, every six months), and make a determination by comparing the results with the previous or previous-previous measurement results. There are also various possible methods for storing (recording) data, such as cloud storage, which allows data to be stored and accessed as needed.

Furthermore, the above method for checking data, such as detecting errors, is merely an example, and various methods can be applied to determine the suitability of data depending on the attributes of the data, etc.

In addition, in the above example, the inspection device 100 is a portable device with a handle HA attached. However, this is not limited to this, and the inspection device 100 can take various forms, such as being installed on a cart or road-rail vehicle, making it portable.

Various modes can also be used for mode selection on the operation unit 30 and display modes on the display unit 70 or other devices. For example, if only one of powered or unpowered ground terminals is always targeted, a configuration without providing options for mode selection is conceivable. For example, a configuration that targets only powered ground terminals and does not transmit calls is conceivable. Alternatively, modes with different reception sensitivities can be set depending on the type or attributes of the ground terminal GR. Various display modes are also possible, such as using an LCD panel or organic EL panel in addition to a segment display on the display unit 70. When a mode is selected, a lamp can be provided to indicate which mode is currently operating. Another conceivable mode is to provide a lamp or other indicator if an abnormality such as error detection (CRC processing) is detected. Furthermore, in addition to a display, audio notification may also be provided.

10...Transmitting/receiving coil, 20...Message management unit, 30...Operation unit, 40...Data storage unit, 50...Main control unit, 60...Level measurement unit, 70...Display unit, 100...Inspection device, BT1...First selection button, BT2...Second selection button, CS...Housing, DS1...Display area, DS2...Display area, FT...Foot, GR...Ground coil, HA...Handle, JD...Determination unit, SH1-SH3...Threshold value, SU...Surface unit

Claims (5)

a level measurement unit that is installed on the ground coil and measures the reception level of the same message transmitted multiple times from the ground coil by calculating a relative voltage value ;
and a determination unit that determines the deterioration tendency of the ground coil based on all measurement results from the level measurement unit that show relative voltage values equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value . The ground coil inspection device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays the determination result of the determination unit. 3. The ground coil inspection device according to claim 2 , wherein the display unit displays a measurement value as a measurement result of the level measurement unit. a receiving unit that receives a message transmitted from the ground coil;
a transmitting unit that transmits a message to the unpowered ground coil;
a selection receiving unit that receives a selection between a powered ground terminal mode for performing measurements on a powered ground terminal and a non-powered ground terminal mode for performing measurements on a non-powered ground terminal;
The ground coil inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising a reception/transmission control unit that operates the receiving unit and the transmitting unit in accordance with the reception result of the selection receiving unit. The ground coil inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the determination unit determines the state of the ground coil based on the measurement results of the reception level by the level measurement unit for messages with matching received contents among the same messages transmitted multiple times from the ground coil.