JP7822256B2 - Train control system and train control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a train control system and a train control method that can be applied in particular when a railway line includes a railroad crossing.

At railroad crossings on densely packed urban routes, the warning time can be extended, which is one of the causes of traffic congestion around the crossings. To address this issue, there is a system that temporarily stops the warning sound.

Patent Document 1 discloses a railroad crossing control device. When this railroad crossing control device receives an instruction from a traffic management device to silence the railroad crossing alarm because a broken train is stopped within the crossing control section, it reconfirms that the broken train is stopped at the station, then sends a stop request to an automatic train control device, and stops the railroad crossing alarm after receiving a response from the automatic train control device stating that trains within the station have been set to a state where they cannot move.

Patent Document 2 discloses a railroad crossing control system. This railroad crossing control system includes a traffic management device that manages the operation of multiple trains based on train position information transmitted from on-board equipment that constitutes part of a radio train control system, and ground-based equipment that exchanges signals containing information or instructions between the on-board equipment, the railroad crossing control device, and the traffic management device. The traffic management device sends a suppression instruction to the ground-based equipment to temporarily halt train operation, and upon receiving the suppression instruction, the ground-based equipment instructs the on-board equipment to set a stopping limit and instructs the railroad crossing control device to suspend warning control.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-78896 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-141251

When a railroad crossing warning is stopped and then restarted, the required warning time must be secured depending on the size of the crossing, from the time the warning is restarted until the train arrives, in order to ensure the safety of those crossing. When a train is stopped at a station or other stop, one method is to secure the required warning time by uniformly securing a certain amount of time between the time the warning is restarted and the train begins moving again. However, with this method, if the train is stopped far from the crossing, the time from the time the warning is restarted until the train arrives at the crossing will be longer than necessary. This results in a longer warning time for the crossing. On the other hand, if the train begins moving earlier, the warning time until the train arrives will be shorter if it is close to the crossing, which could make it difficult to ensure the safety of those crossing.
The present invention aims to provide a train control system and a train control method that can prevent the warning from being excessively prolonged while ensuring the warning time from the resumption of the warning until the arrival of the train.

To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a train control system that includes an alarm start time acquisition unit that acquires a scheduled alarm start time, which is the scheduled time to start issuing a railroad crossing alarm when a train passes through a railroad crossing, and a departure time calculation unit that calculates the departure time of the train from a predetermined stopping point based on the acquired scheduled alarm start time.

The system further includes a crossing information acquisition unit that acquires the travel time required for the train to travel from the stopping point to the control start point of the crossing, and the departure time calculation unit can calculate the departure time from the scheduled warning start time and the travel time. In this case, the warning time can be secured while preventing excessive train delays.
The departure time calculation unit can also calculate the departure time by subtracting the travel time from the scheduled warning start time. In this case, the departure time can be easily calculated.
Furthermore, the running time can be changed depending on the train, which can prevent excessive train delays while ensuring warning times depending on the train.
Furthermore, the running time can be changed depending on at least one of the train's vehicle performance and the type of operation, which makes it easier to calculate the running time.

In addition, the warning start time acquisition unit can set the scheduled warning start time to the time obtained by adding the warning stop time, which is the time when the railroad crossing warning stops, to the designated warning stop time, which makes it easier to determine the scheduled warning start time.
Furthermore, the warning start time acquisition unit can acquire a warning stop time designated according to the traffic volume at the railroad crossing. In this case, the warning stop time can be set according to the traffic volume.
Furthermore, the warning start time acquisition unit can acquire the warning stop time specified according to the railroad crossing warning time, which is the time the railroad crossing warning continues. In this case, the warning stop time can be set according to the railroad crossing warning time, preventing the warning from being excessively long.
The warning start time acquisition unit can set the railroad crossing warning stop time when the railroad crossing warning stops and there is no train on the line between the stopping point and the control start point of the railroad crossing. In this case, an appropriate railroad crossing warning stop time can be set.

Furthermore, the departure time calculation unit can set an upper limit on the amount of change in the departure time, which can prevent excessive train delays.
Furthermore, the upper limit of the change amount can be set to the slack time of the train, which makes it even less likely that the train will be delayed.
Furthermore, the stopping points can be railway stations, which makes it easier to manage train operations.
Furthermore, departure times can be used to create a planned timetable, which can be adapted to the state of railroad crossings.

The present invention also provides a train control method that acquires a scheduled warning start time, which is the scheduled time at which a railroad crossing warning is to begin when a train passes through a railroad crossing, and calculates the departure time of the train from a predetermined stopping point based on the acquired scheduled warning start time.

The present invention provides a train control system and train control method that can prevent the warning from being extended excessively while ensuring the warning time from the resumption of the warning until the arrival of the train.

1 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of a traffic control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a departure time determination device. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by the departure time calculation device when calculating the departure time of a train.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[First embodiment]
First, a first embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, if the warning time at the railroad crossing 102 becomes too long and excessively obstructs pedestrians crossing the railroad crossing 102, a dispatcher of the traffic control system stops the warning at the railroad crossing 102 and sets a scheduled warning start time for restarting the warning. Then, the dispatcher adjusts the departure times of trains stopped at stations or other stopping points according to the scheduled warning start time.

<Explanation of the overall configuration of the traffic control system 1>
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of a traffic control system 1 according to this embodiment.
The traffic control system 1 shown in the figure includes a down train 101 a and an up train 101 b, a railroad crossing 102, controllers 103 a and 103 b, stations 104 a and 104 b, tracks 105 a and 105 b, and a departure time determination device 201.
In the example shown in Figure 1, a down train 101a is stopped at station 104a. The down train 101a runs from left to right on a track 105a such as a railway line. When the down train 101a reaches a control bar 103a, the control bar 103a detects the down train 101a. This activates the railroad crossing 102 and issues an alarm. In Figure 1, the time from when the down train 101a departs from station 104a to when it reaches the control bar 103a is shown as running time Td.
In the example shown in FIG. 1 , an upbound train 101b is stopped at station 104b. The upbound train 101b runs from right to left on a track 105b such as a railway line. When the upbound train 101b reaches a control bar 103b, the control bar 103b detects the upbound train 101b. This activates the railroad crossing 102, and an alarm is issued. In FIG. 1 , the time from when the upbound train 101b departs from station 104b until it reaches the control bar 103b is shown as running time Tu.

When an alarm is sounded at the railroad crossing 102, vehicles and pedestrians crossing the crossing 102 are prevented from passing. When the down train 101a and the up train 101b pass the crossing 102, the alarm stops, allowing vehicles and pedestrians to pass. In the following, when there is no need to distinguish between the down train 101a and the up train 101b, they may simply be referred to as "train 101." In the following, when there is no need to distinguish between the controller 103a and the controller 103b, they may simply be referred to as "controller 103." Furthermore, when there is no need to distinguish between the stations 104a and 104b, they may simply be referred to as "station 104."

The departure time determination device 201 is an example of a train control system. The departure time determination device 201 determines the departure time of the down train 101a at station 104a. The departure time determination device 201 also determines the departure time of the up train 101b at station 104b.
The departure time determination device 201 is a computer device. The departure time determination device 201 has, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that controls each part through the execution of a program, and a display that displays images and other information. The departure time determination device 201 also has, for example, a keyboard for inputting characters and the like, and a touchpad that is a pointing device. Furthermore, the departure time determination device 201 has, for example, a communication module used for communication with external devices, an internal memory that stores system data and internal data, and an external memory that serves as an auxiliary storage device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the departure time determination device 201.
The departure time determination device 201 shown in the figure comprises a railroad crossing information storage device 202 that stores information about railroad crossings, a railroad crossing information acquisition unit 203 that acquires information about railroad crossings from the railroad crossing information storage device 202, a departure time calculation unit 204 that calculates the departure times of the down train 101a and the up train 101b, an alarm start time acquisition unit 205 that acquires the start time of the alarm for the railroad crossing 102, and a departure time output unit 206 that outputs the calculated departure time.
The railroad crossing information storage device 202 is an example of a railroad crossing information storage unit. The railroad crossing information storage device 202 stores, as information about the railroad crossing 102, the running times required for the down train 101a and the up train 101b to run from the stopping point to the control start point of the railroad crossing 102. In this case, the stopping point of the down train 101a is station 104a, and the stopping point of the up train 101b is station 104b. Furthermore, the control start point of the railroad crossing 102 is controller 103a for the down train 101a, and controller 103b for the up train 101b. In other words, the railroad crossing information storage device 202 stores the running times Td and Tu shown in FIG. 1.

The railroad crossing information acquisition unit 203 acquires the traveling times Td and Tu as information relating to the railroad crossing 102 from the railroad crossing information storage device 202 .
The departure time calculation unit 204 calculates the departure times of the down train 101a and the up train 101b from the predetermined stopping points according to the scheduled warning start time Tp acquired by the warning start time acquisition unit 205. That is, the departure time calculation unit 204 calculates the departure time of the down train 101a from the station 104a according to the scheduled warning start time Tp. The departure time calculation unit 204 also calculates the departure time of the up train 101b from the station 104b according to the scheduled warning start time Tp. As will be described in more detail below, the departure time calculation unit 204 calculates the departure times from the warning start time and the running times Td and Tu.
The warning start time acquisition unit 205 acquires the scheduled warning start time Tp, which is the scheduled time to start issuing a warning for the railroad crossing 102 when the down train 101 a and the up train 101 b pass through the railroad crossing 102 .
The departure time output unit 206 transmits the departure time calculated by the departure time calculation unit 204 to the traffic management system.

<Explanation of the Operation of the Departure Time Determination Device 201>
The departure time determination device 201 is a device that determines the departure time of the down train 101a at station 104a and the departure time of the up train 101a at station 104b in accordance with the scheduled warning start time Tp, which is the time to resume warning after the warning for the railroad crossing 102 is stopped at the instruction of the dispatcher. The dispatcher may set the scheduled warning start time Tp when issuing an instruction to stop the warning for the railroad crossing 102, or may determine and set the scheduled warning start time Tp by observing the condition of the railroad crossing 102 after the warning for the railroad crossing 102 has been stopped. The set scheduled warning start time Tp is input to the departure time determination device 201. The input scheduled warning start time Tp is acquired by the warning start time acquisition unit 205 and passed to the departure time calculation unit 204. The crossing information storage device 202 is a storage device that stores, for each crossing 102, the running time Td from when the down train 101a departs from station 104a until it reaches the down control 103a of the crossing 102 between stations, and the running time Tu from when the up train 101b departs from station 104b until it reaches the up control 103b. Upon receiving the scheduled warning start time Tp, the departure time calculation unit 204 refers to the crossing information storage device 202 via the crossing information acquisition unit 203 to acquire the running times Td and Tu.

The running times Td and Tu can be calculated using a standard run curve created as part of the train's running plan between stations. Because the standard run curve is given as the speed at each position between stations, the standard run curve can be used to calculate the time it takes for downbound train 101a to depart station 104a and reach controller 103a. Similarly, the standard run curve can be used to calculate the time it takes for upbound train 101b to depart station 104b and reach controller 103b. Furthermore, the running times Td and Tu may be changed depending on the downbound train 101a and upbound train 101b. That is, the running times Td and Tu may be changed for each operation type and vehicle type of downbound train 101a and upbound train 101b. For example, the running times Td and Tu may be changed by changing the standard run curve between express and local trains. Furthermore, the running times Td and Tu may be changed depending on vehicle performance. For example, the running times Td and Tu may be changed depending on the vehicle's acceleration and deceleration performance.

Having acquired the running times Td and Tu, the departure time calculation unit 204 calculates the departure time of the down train 101a from station 104a as Tp - Td. Similarly, the departure time calculation unit 204 calculates the departure time of the up train 101b from station 104b as Tp - Tu. In other words, the departure time calculation unit 204 determines the departure time as the time obtained by subtracting the running times Td and Tu from the scheduled warning start time Tp. The departure time determination device 201 then transmits the calculated departure time to the traffic management system via the departure time output unit 206. The traffic management system uses the received departure times to perform route control and other controls on the down train 101a and the up train 101b.

The departure time calculated by the departure time calculation unit 204 is expected to be later than the departure time on the planned schedule. In other words, applying the departure time calculated by the departure time calculation unit 204 may result in a delay. For this reason, the departure time calculation unit 204 may set an upper limit on the amount of change in the departure time. For example, the upper limit on the amount of change in the departure time is set to the amount of running time leeway between stations that allows for delay recovery. If the departure time calculated by the departure time calculation unit 204 exceeds the upper limit, the departure time is set to the departure time on the planned schedule plus the upper limit of the change. Furthermore, delay recovery operation to recover from the delay may be performed after passing the railroad crossing 102. If delay recovery operation is performed before reaching the railroad crossing 102 and the train travels at a speed higher than the standard run curve, there is a possibility that the warning time required for the train to reach the railroad crossing 102 after the warning is initiated will be insufficient. Therefore, by performing delay recovery operation after passing the railroad crossing 102, it is possible to improve the safety of the railroad crossing 102.

The control knob 103 is generally installed at a position where, when the train travels along a standard run curve from the position of the control knob 103 to the railroad crossing 102, it takes the required warning time from the start of the warning until the train arrives. Therefore, the train 101 can be controlled so that it arrives at the control knob 103 at the scheduled warning start time Tp. This makes it possible to start the warning at the scheduled warning start time Tp, ensure the required warning time, and prevent the warning time from being prolonged. Also, while FIG. 1 illustrates control knobs 103a and 103b as the control knobs 103, the control knobs 103 may be virtual. In other words, the control knob 103 may not actually be installed, and the warning for the railroad crossing 102 may be started when the train 101 reaches a position corresponding to the position of the control knob 103.
Furthermore, if there are multiple railroad crossings 102 between stations, the departure time can be determined by selecting one of the multiple railroad crossings 102. As a method of selection, for example, the railroad crossing 102 with the highest traffic volume may be selected.

By configuring the departure time determination device 201 as described above, the train will arrive at the controller 103 at the scheduled time for the warning at the crossing 102 to resume, and the warning at the crossing 102 can be resumed. This makes it possible to ensure the warning time required from the resumption of the warning at the crossing 102 until the arrival of the train 101, while preventing the warning from being extended excessively.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the process performed by the departure time determination device 201 when calculating the departure times of the down train 101a and the up train 101b.
The departure time determination device 201 executes the process shown in FIG. 3 when it acquires the scheduled warning start time Tp.
First, the warning start time acquisition unit 205 acquires the scheduled warning start time Tp that has been set by the commander or determined in some other way (step S301).

Next, the crossing information acquisition unit 203 acquires the running times Td and Tu stored in the crossing information storage device 202 as crossing information. That is, the crossing information acquisition unit 203 acquires the running time Td from when the down train 101a departs from the station until it reaches the down control 103a, and the running time Tu from when the up train 101b departs from the station until it reaches the up control 103b (step S302).

Furthermore, the departure time calculation unit 204 calculates the departure time of the down train 101a and the departure time of the up train 101b using the scheduled warning start time Tp obtained in step S301 and the running times Td and Tu obtained in step S302 (step S303). Specifically, Tp - Td is the departure time of the down train 101a, and Tp - Tu is the departure time of the up train 101b.

Then, the departure time calculation unit 204 transmits the departure time calculated in step S303 to the traffic management system via the departure time output unit 206, and ends the process (step S304).
Through the above processing, the departure time of the train 101 from the station 104 is determined taking into consideration the time it takes to travel from the station 104 to the controller 103 and the scheduled time for the warning to resume at the crossing 102, and the warning at the crossing 102 can be resumed exactly at the scheduled time for the warning to resume. This makes it possible to ensure the warning time required from the resumption of the warning at the crossing 102 until the arrival of the train 101, while preventing the warning from being extended excessively. This also ensures the safety of pedestrians crossing the crossing 102.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the dispatcher sets an alarm stop time Ts, which is the time to stop the alarm, instead of setting the scheduled alarm start time Tp. Then, the departure time determination device 201 calculates the scheduled alarm start time Tp from the alarm stop time Ts.

In the second embodiment, the warning start time acquisition unit 205 acquires an instruction from the dispatcher to stop the warning for the crossing 102 and the warning stop time Ts set by the dispatcher. That is, the warning start time acquisition unit 205 acquires the warning stop time Ts instead of the scheduled warning start time Tp (see the parentheses in FIG. 2 ). The warning start time acquisition unit 205 outputs an instruction to the traffic management system to prevent the train 101 from departing from the station 104 until the departure time from the station 104 is determined. Thereafter, the warning start time acquisition unit 205 determines the crossing warning stop time Te as the time when the warning for the crossing 102 has stopped and the train 101 is no longer present between the station 104 and the controller 103. That is, for example, if the warning for the crossing 102 is sounding when the warning for the crossing 102 is acquired from the dispatcher, the unit waits until the train passes and the crossing warning stops, and determines the time when the warning stops as the crossing warning stop time Te. Furthermore, even if the warning at the crossing 102 has stopped, if there is another train on the line between the station 104 and the controller 103, the train waits until the other train passes the crossing 102 and the warning stops, and the time when the warning stops after passing the crossing 102 is set as the crossing warning stop time Te.
On the other hand, when the warning at the railroad crossing 102 has stopped and there is no train 101 on the line between the station 104 and the controller 103, the warning start time acquisition unit 205 determines that the railroad crossing warning stop time Te is the time when it receives an instruction from the dispatcher to stop the warning at the railroad crossing 102.

After determining the railroad crossing warning stop time Te, the warning start time acquisition unit 205 sets Te + Ts as the scheduled warning start time Tp. In other words, the warning start time acquisition unit 205 sets the scheduled warning start time Tp to the railroad crossing warning stop time Te, which is the time when the railroad crossing warning stops, plus the warning stop time Ts, which is the specified warning stop time. The same processing as in the first embodiment is then performed to determine the departure time from the station 104. The warning start time acquisition unit 205 may also acquire the warning stop time Ts, which is specified depending on the traffic volume disrupting the railroad crossing 102. For example, if there are many vehicles and pedestrians waiting for the warning at the railroad crossing 102 to stop, the warning stop time Ts can be set longer. Conversely, if there are few vehicles and pedestrians waiting for the warning at the railroad crossing 102 to stop, the warning stop time Ts can be set shorter. Alternatively, the warning start time acquisition unit 205 can acquire the warning stop time Ts specified according to the railroad crossing warning time, which is the time the warning at the railroad crossing 102 continues. For example, if the railroad crossing warning time is long (if the warning at the railroad crossing 102 continues for a long time), the warning stop time Ts can be set long. Conversely, if the railroad crossing warning time is short (if the warning at the railroad crossing 102 does not continue for a long time), the warning stop time Ts can be set short.

By configuring the warning start time acquisition unit 205 in this manner, it becomes possible to automatically consider the warning status of the railroad crossing 102 and the train's current position, and to stop the warning at the railroad crossing 102 and determine the scheduled warning start time Tp. As a result, it becomes easier to stop and restart the warning at the railroad crossing 102 compared to the first embodiment.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, the departure time from the station 104 is determined at the planning stage. That is, in the first and second embodiments, a configuration was shown in which an alarm at the crossing 102 is stopped in accordance with an instruction to stop the alarm at the crossing 102 from a dispatcher. In this way, the departure time of the train 101 differs from the planned timetable. In contrast, in the third embodiment, an alarm stop time Ts is set in advance when the planned timetable is created, and the departure time of the train 101 is determined in advance in accordance with the set alarm stop time Ts. Then, the planned timetable is created using this departure time.

The departure times for the planned timetable are calculated using the crossing warning stop time Te and warning stop duration Ts described in the second embodiment. The departure times for multiple trains 101 on the planned timetable are then determined according to the warning stop duration Ts set for each train. Using the standard run curve between stations, the time from when the train preceding the train 101 departs the station until it passes the crossing 102 is calculated, and the crossing warning stop time Te, which is the time when the train preceding the train 101 passes the crossing 102 and the crossing 102 warning stops, is calculated. Using the calculated crossing warning stop time Te and the warning stop duration Ts set for the train 101, Te + Ts is set as the scheduled warning start time Tp for the train 101. Thereafter, the same processing as in the first embodiment is performed to determine the departure time from station 104, and the determined departure time is set as the departure time for the train 101 on the planned timetable.

By determining the departure times of the planned timetable as described above, the departure times of multiple trains 101 for which warning stop times Ts have been set can be adjusted, and if the trains run according to the timetable, it will be possible to stop the warning at the railroad crossing 102 within the warning stop time Ts when the train 101 departs the station.

In the traffic control system 1 described above, the predetermined stopping location was a railway station 104, but it is not limited to this and may also be a signal box, which is a single-track passing facility.

<Explanation of train control method>
Here, the processing performed by the departure time determination device 201 can be considered to be a train control method in which the scheduled alarm start time, which is the scheduled time at which the alarm for the railroad crossing 102 will be issued when the train 101 passes through the railroad crossing 102, is acquired, and the departure time of the train 101 at a predetermined stopping point such as a station 104 is calculated based on the acquired scheduled alarm start time.

The present embodiment has been described above, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. It is clear from the claims that various modifications and improvements to the above embodiment are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

1...Train operation control system, 101a...Downbound train, 101b...Upbound train, 102...Railway crossing, 103a, 103b...Controller, 104a, 104b...Station, 105a, 105b...Track, 201...Departure time determination device, 202...Railway crossing information storage device, 203...Railway crossing information acquisition unit, 204...Departure time calculation unit, 205...Warning start time acquisition unit, 206...Departure time output unit

Claims (14)

an alarm start time acquisition unit that acquires a scheduled alarm start time, which is a scheduled time to start issuing a railroad crossing alarm when a train passes through the railroad crossing;
a departure time calculation unit that calculates a departure time of the train from a predetermined stop location according to the acquired scheduled warning start time;
A train control system comprising: a railroad crossing information acquisition unit that acquires a travel time required for the train to travel from the stop location to the control start point of the railroad crossing;
The train control system according to claim 1 , wherein the departure time calculation unit calculates the departure time from the scheduled warning start time and the running time. The train control system described in claim 2, wherein the departure time calculation unit determines the departure time to be the time obtained by subtracting the running time from the scheduled warning start time. The train control system described in claim 2, wherein the running time is changed depending on the train. The train control system described in claim 4, wherein the running time is changed depending on at least one of the train's vehicle performance and operation type. The train control system described in claim 1, wherein the warning start time acquisition unit sets the scheduled warning start time to the railroad crossing warning stop time, which is the time when the railroad crossing warning stops, plus the warning stop time, which is the specified warning stop time. The train control system described in claim 6, wherein the warning start time acquisition unit acquires the warning stop time specified based on the volume of traffic disrupting the railroad crossing. The train control system described in claim 6, wherein the warning start time acquisition unit acquires the warning stop time specified according to the railroad crossing warning time, which is the time the warning for the railroad crossing continues. The train control system described in claim 6, wherein the warning start time acquisition unit sets the crossing warning stop time when the crossing warning stops and there is no train on the line between the stop location and the crossing control start point. The train control system described in claim 1, wherein the departure time calculation unit sets an upper limit on the amount of change in the departure time. The train control system described in claim 10, wherein the upper limit of the change amount is the slack time of the train. The train control system of claim 1, wherein the stop location is a railway station. The train control system described in claim 1 creates a planned timetable using the departure times. 1. A computer-implemented train control method, comprising:
Obtain a scheduled warning start time, which is a scheduled time to start a railroad crossing warning that is issued when a train passes through the railroad crossing;
calculating a departure time of the train from a predetermined stop location according to the acquired scheduled warning start time;
Train control method.