DESC:DESCRIPTION
A PROCESS AND SYSTEM FOR ONBOARD GEOMETRIC TRACKING
FIELD OF INVENTION
[001] The present subject matter described herein, relates to an on-board track geometry data acquisition, monitoring and control system and process to avoid train accidents. The present subject matter, in particularly, relates to a data acquisition, monitoring and control system and process to record, monitor the geometric parameters of railway/metro tracks, and apply emergency brake if any abnormality in tracks is detected.
BACKGROUND
[002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
[003] In India, railway track related accidents are a growing concern. Many people so far have lost their life in railway accidents involving track issues. Trains have to depend on the tracks for transit, since they don’t have their own steering system.
[004] Derailment of trains due to track abnormalities is a serious threat to people traveling through railways/ metros. Currently, there is no on-board system available which can continuously monitor the geometric parameters of tracks and if any abnormality is detected, immediately pass the information to emergency brake module to take appropriate action in this regard.
[005] The information disclosed in this background of the disclosure section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[006] It is therefore the object of the present subject matter to overcome the aforementioned and other drawbacks in prior method/product/apparatus.
[007] The principal objective of the present subject matter is to develop an on-board tracks geometry data acquisition, monitoring and control system and process to continuously monitor tracks geometry.
[008] Another object of the present subject matter is to develop an on-board tracks geometry data acquisition, monitoring and control system and process to detect abnormalities in tracks.
[009] Another object of the present subject matter is to develop an on-board tracks geometry data acquisition, monitoring and control system and process to inform a emergency brake module to take an appropriate action.
[0010] Yet another object of the present subject matter is to develop an on-board tracks geometry data acquisition, monitoring and control system and process to record the condition of tracks.
[0011] Yet another object of the present subject matter is to provide an on-board tracks geometry data acquisition, monitoring and control system and process to apply brake well before reaching the dangerous spot, once such spot is detected on the tracks.
[0012] Yet another object of the present subject matter is to provide an on-board tracks geometry data acquisition, monitoring and control system which can be installed on railway vehicles like conventional trains, high speed trains and metros etc.
[0013] These and other objects and advantages of the present subject matter will be apparent to a person skilled in the art after consideration of the following detailed description taken into consideration with accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present subject matter are illustrated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] This summary is provided to introduce concepts related to an on-board track geometry data acquisition, monitoring and control system and process to avoid train accidents. The concepts are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0015] One or more drawbacks of conventional systems used in monitoring of track, and additional advantages are provided through the system as claimed in the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the technicalities of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered to be a part of the claimed disclosure.
[0016] The present subject matter relates to an on-board tracks geometry data acquisition, monitoring and control system and processes for continuous monitoring of railway/metro tracks, collect geometric parameters of the track and control the dynamics of vehicle traveling on those tracks.
[0017] In an embodiment, the present subject matter discloses a system for on-board geometric tracking, for data acquisition, monitoring the dynamics of railway/metro tracks, the system comprising a signal generator, a plurality of receivers placed on the tracks to receive signals from the signal generator and amplify the signals, a GPS device and a data acquisition and storage sub-system to collect the amplified signals from receivers, wherein information received from the GPS device (C) is positioned to process the signals, wherein after such processing resultant signals are converted into digital numeric values to be manipulated by the computer.
[0018] In an embodiment, the present subject matter discloses a process for on-board geometric tracking, for data acquisition, monitoring and controlling the dynamics of railway/metro tracks, the process comprising of recording of signals by the data acquisition and storage sub-system, processing of signals by the data acquisition and storage sub-system, sending of signals on tracks by the signal generator to the receivers and GPS device, receiving of signals sent from the receivers and GPS device to the data acquisition and storage sub-system, storing of signals by the data acquisition and storage sub-system, analyzing of signals by the data acquisition and storage sub-system and detection of a track issue such that if an issue is detected by the data acquisition and storage sub-system then a signal is sent to an emergency brake module.
[0019] In an aspect the signal generator includes ultrasonic waves signal generator.
[0020] In an aspect of the invention, wherein the data acquisition and storage sub-system transmits information related to application of emergency brakes and data on status of health of tracks to the nearest operation control room by means of closed intranet.
[0021] It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.
[0022] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present subject matter and are therefore not to be considered for limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system or methods or structure in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
[0024] Fig. 1 illustrates on-board track geometry data acquisition, monitoring and control system according to present subject matter; and
[0025] Fig. 2 illustrates flow chart of an on-board track geometry data acquisition, monitoring and control process, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter;
[0026] The figures depict embodiments of the present subject matter for the purposes of illustration only. A person skilled in the art will easily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.
DEATILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] While the embodiments of the disclosure are subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof have been shown by way of example in the figures and will be described below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the scope of the disclosure.
[0028] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof used in the disclosure, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a device, system, assembly that comprises a list of components does not include only those components but may include other components not expressly listed or inherent to such system, or assembly, or device. In other words, one or more elements in a system or device proceeded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or device.
[0029] Referring to figure 1, the present invention discloses an on-board track geometry data acquisition, monitoring and control system comprising a signal generator (A) to generate UV or SONAR signals, a plurality of receivers (B) placed on the tracks at regular intervals to receive the signals sent from the signal generator (A) and amplify the signals, a GPS device (C) and a data acquisition and storage sub-system (D) to collect the amplified signals from receivers (B) and position information from the GPS device (C) to process the signals given by U.V. rays or SONAR technology and converting the resultant signals into digital numeric values that can be manipulated by computer. If the signals processed by the data acquisition and storage sub-system (D) detects any abnormality in tracks, it sends signal to the emergency brake module to take appropriate action. The data acquisition and storage sub-system (D) also transmit the information of application of emergency brakes and data related to health of tracks to the nearest operation control room through closed intranet. The operation control room further transmits the information about emergency brakes and track health to trailing trains on the same route.
[0030] Referring to Figure 2, the present on-board track geometry data acquisition, monitoring and control process is disclosed. At step 201, the data acquisition and storage sub-system (D) start recording and processing signals.
[0031] At step 202, the signal generator (A) sends signals on the track. The signal generator (A) may send UV signals or SONAR signal or both based on the type of signal generator used in the system.
[0032] At step 203, the plurality of receivers (B) placed on the tracks receive the signals sent from the signal generator (A) at regular intervals and pass the amplified signal to the data acquisition and storage sub-system (D). The data acquisition and storage sub-system (D) receive, store and analyze the signal sent by the receiver (B) and the GPS device (C).
[0033] At step 204, when a track issue is detected, a signal is sent to the emergency brake module to take appropriate action. The information related to application of emergency brakes and data related to track health is also transmitted to the nearest operational control room, wherein information of emergency brakes and track health is further sent to trailing trains on the same route.
[0034] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances, where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
[0035] It will be further appreciated that functions or structures of a plurality of components or steps may be combined into a single component or step, or the functions or structures of one-step or component may be split among plural steps or components. The present invention contemplates all of these combinations. Unless stated otherwise, dimensions and geometries of the various structures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of the invention, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. In addition, while a feature of the present invention may have been described in the context of only one of the illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, for any given application. It will also be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present invention. The present invention also encompasses intermediate and end products resulting from the practice of the methods herein. The use of “comprising” or “including” also contemplates embodiments that “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the recited feature.
[0036] Although embodiments for the present subject matter have been described in language specific to structural features, it is to be understood that the present subject matter is not necessarily limited to the specific features described. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as embodiments for the present subject matter. Numerous modifications and adaptations of the system/component of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and thus it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and adaptations which fall within the scope of the present subject matter.
,CLAIMS:We Claim:
1. A system for on-board geometric tracking, for data acquisition, monitoring and controlling the dynamics of railway/metro tracks, the system comprising:
a signal generator (A);
a plurality of receivers (B) placed on the tracks to receive signals from the signal generator (A) and amplify the signals;
a GPS device (C); and
a data acquisition and storage sub-system (D) to collect the amplified signals from receivers (B),
wherein information received from the GPS device (C) is positioned to process the signals, wherein after such processing resultant signals are converted into digital numeric values to be manipulated by the computer.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal generator (A) includes ultrasonic waves signal generator.
3. A process for on-board geometric tracking, for data acquisition, monitoring and controlling the dynamics of railway/metro tracks, the process comprising:
recording (201) of signals by the data acquisition and storage sub-system (D);
processing (201) of signals by the data acquisition and storage sub-system (D);
sending (202) of signals on tracks by the signal generator (A) to the receivers (B) and GPS device (C);
receiving (203) of signals sent from the receivers (B) and GPS device (C) to the data acquisition and storage sub-system (D);
storing (203) of signals by the data acquisition and storage sub-system (D);
analyzing (203) of signals by the data acquisition and storage sub-system (D); and
detection (204) of a track issue such that if an issue is detected by the data acquisition and storage sub-system (D) then a signal is sent to an emergency brake module.
4. The process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the data acquisition and storage sub-system (D) transmits information related to application of emergency brakes and data on status of health of tracks to the nearest operation control room by means of closed intranet.