Patent Description:
The full electronic interlocking uses the signal control module instead of the traditional relay circuit to control clearing of the signal. The DS6-<NUM> full electronic interlocking system adopts the prior mature interlocking computer of the DS6-<NUM> system as the safe operation logic platform, and the full electronic modules (the signal module, the switch module, the universal input output module) as the execution unit to complete direct control over signal devices, the system structure is shown in <FIG>.

The interlocking computer (the safe logic operation computer) sends a control command to the execution unit, the signal module executes the command to control a light point of the signal to be lightened or extinguished, meanwhile it sends the clearing state of the signal to the interlocking computer. When the clearing state of the signal is abnormal, for example, the interlocking computer requires the green light to be cleared by the signal, but the green light bulb cannot be lightened, the signal module will feed back to the interlocking computer that the green light cannot be lightened, the interlocking computer determines that the state does not meet expectations and then it changes the control command. Usually the signal module and the interlocking computer use Ethernet to communicate, there is a certain delay in the information exchange process, the delay time may be relatively long when the communication is interfered, especially when the signal fails in the case where the prohibition light needs to be lightened urgently (such as lightening a red light point), a too long delay time will seriously reduce safety and availability of the system.

Therefore, how to control the signal to switch the signal state in time and improve safety and availability of the system has become an urgent problem to be solved.

In view of the above problem, the present invention provides an automatic degradation method for a full electronic interlocking signal according to claim <NUM>.

Further, the control command includes: a signal clearing command, a signal lower-level clearing command, and a signal clearing command plus a signal lower-level clearing command.

Further, managing, by the signal module, a signal according to the control command specifically is:
supplying, by the signal module, power to a target light point of the signal according to the control command, meanwhile stopping power supply of other light points of the signal.

Further, determining, by the signal module, whether to perform signal automatic degradation according to the indication state cleared by the signal specifically is:.

Further, determining a type of signal automatic degradation specifically is:.

Further, the abnormality protection degradation specifically is:
directly converting, by the signal module, the signal to a safe indication state.

Further, the availability degradation includes:.

Further, the availability degradation further includes:
directly and actively using, by the signal module, the signal lower-level clearing command to supply power to a new target light point of the signal, meanwhile stopping power supply of other light points of the signal.

Further, the auxiliary information includes command execution state and failure information.

There is further provided an automatic degradation system for a full electronic interlocking signal according to claim <NUM>.

Further, managing a signal according to the control command specifically is:
supplying, by the signal module, power to a target light point of the signal according to the control command, meanwhile stopping power supply of other light points of the signal.

Further, determining whether to perform signal automatic degradation according to the indication state cleared by the signal specifically is:.

By differentiating the degradation function, the present invention makes a division into abnormality protection degradation and availability degradation. For abnormality protection degradation, respond can be made quickly when danger indication is found, which improves the processing speed and avoids the time delay caused by a system failure or external factors; for availability degradation, degradation response time is reduced through an additional command mode, which improves safety and availability.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be discribed in the following description, some of them will become obvious from the description or will be understood by implementing the present invention. The objects and other advantages of the present invention can be realized and obtained through the structures indicated in the specification, claims and drawings.

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or in the prior art, the drawings necessary for description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below, obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention, other drawings can be obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on these drawings without paying creative efforts.

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all the embodiments.

The present invention provides an automatic degradation method for a full electronic interlocking signal, exemplarily, <FIG> shows a schematic diagram of an automatic degradation method for a full electronic interlocking signal according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in <FIG>, the method includes:.

The abnormality protection degradation specifically is: directly converting, by the signal module, the signal to a safe indication state.

Exemplarily, <FIG> shows a flow chart of abnormality protection degradation according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in <FIG>:.

The above-described availability degradation means that the signal module passively performs availability degradation.

Exemplarily, <FIG> shows a flow chart of passively performing availability degradation according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in <FIG>:.

Alternatively not according to the invention, the availability degradation further includes:
directly and actively using, by the signal module, the signal lower-level clearing command to supply power to a new target light point of the signal, meanwhile stopping power supply of other light points of the signal.

As used herein, the availability degradation means that the signal module actively performs availability degradation, which is suitable for scenarios that require a response speed for availability degradation.

Exemplarily, <FIG> shows a flowchart of actively performing availability degradation which is not according to the invention and shown for illustration purposes only:.

The embodiment of the present invention takes two signals as an example for description. Illustratively, <FIG> shows a schematic diagram of a system structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in <FIG>, there are five light points in the signal A, which sequentially are the yellow light point, the green light point, the red light point, the yellow light point, and the white light point; for railway lines having less information that need to indicate, the signal B can be used to direct traffic, there are three light points in the signal B, which sequentially are the green light point, the red light point, and the yellow light point. The interlocking computer sends commands and information to the signal module through the Ethernet, and the signal module controls the light point in the signal to indicate through the cable.

It should be noted that light point setting of the above-described signal may also adopt other different types.

Exemplarily, indication of both the green light and the yellow light being concurrently cleared by the signal A is taken as an example, after receiving the command from the interlocking computer, the signal module cuts off power supply of other light points, meanwhile it supplies power to the yellow light, supplies power to the green light after the yellow light is lightened. When both the green light and the yellow light are lightened, the signal module feeds back to the interlocking computer an indication state that the green light and the yellow light are already cleared by the signal, feeds back execution success of the command, feeds back information that the light point is normal. After the green light and the yellow light are lightened, the signal module continuously monitors lightening of the light point. If the yellow light is accidentally extinguished and the green light remains lightened, the signal module determines that the signal indication is abnormal and there is a safety risk, power supply to the yellow light and the green light is stopped immediately, power is supplied to the red light instead, meanwhile the signal module feeds back to the interlocking computer an indication state that the red light is cleared by the signal A, feeds back execution failure of the command, feeds back information that the yellow light point has a failure, so as to realize rapid protection against dangerous failure. Correspondingly, the interlocking computer receives the failure information, switches the signal command to a red light command, and alarms the operation and maintenance personnel at the same time. After the green light and the yellow light are lightened, the signal module continuously monitors lightening of the light point. If the green light is found to be accidentally extinguished and the yellow light remains lightened, the interlocking computer only performs a corresponding availability degradation.

When the signal module passively performs availability degradation:
Exemplarily, indication of the green light being cleared by the signal A is taken as an example, the yellow light is defined as a lower-level signal command of the green light in practical applications. After receiving the command from the interlocking computer, the signal module cuts off power supply of other light points and meanwhile supplies power to the green light. After the green light is lightened, the signal module feeds back to the interlocking computer an indication state that the green light is already cleared by the signal, feeds back execution success of the command, feeds back information that the light point is normal. After the green light is lightened, the signal module continuously monitors lightening of the light point. If the green light is found to be accidentally extinguished, the signal module feeds back to the interlocking computer an indication state that the signal A stops, feeds back execution failure of the command, feeds back information that the green light point has a failure. The interlocking computer receives the failure information, switches the signal command to a lower-level yellow light command, and alarms the operation and maintenance personnel at the same time; after the signal module receives the yellow light command, the signal module cuts off power supply of the green light and supplies power to the yellow light instead, after the yellow light is lightened, the signal module feeds back to the interlocking computer an indication state that the yellow light is already cleared by the signal, feeds back success execution of the command, and continues to feed back information that the green light has a failure. A wait time timing is set when the signal module is waiting for the interlocking computer to switch the command, the signal module actively lightens the prohibition light of the signal, the red light, if the interlocking computer does not switch the command after the timing ends.

When the signal module actively performs availability degradation:
For scenarios that require a response speed of availability degradation, when the interlocking computer sends a control command, it will also send a lower-level signal command as an additional command to the signal module, the signal module can directly and actively use the signal lower-level clearing command to lighten the new target light point.

Exemplarily, taking that the green light is cleared by the signal A as an example, the yellow light is defined as a lower-level signal command of the green light in practical applications. When the interlocking computer sends a green light clearing command to the signal module, it also sends a yellow light clearing command as an additional command to the signal module. After receiving the command from the interlocking computer, the signal module cuts off power supply of other light points and supplies power to the green light. After the green light is lightened, the signal module feeds back to the interlocking computer an indication state that the green light is already cleared by the signal, feeds back execution success of the command, feeds back information that the light point is normal. After the green light is lightened, the signal module continuously monitors lightening of the light point, the signal module will cut off power supply of the green light and start to supply power to the yellow light if the green light is found to be accidentally extinguished. After the yellow light is cleared, the signal module feeds back to the interlocking computer an indication state that the yellow light is cleared by the signal A, feeds back execution success of the command, feeds back information of that the green light point has a failure; the interlocking computer receives the signal information, switches the signal command to the lower-level yellow light command, and alarms the operation and maintenance personnel at the same time.

The present invention further provides an automatic degradation system for a full electronic interlocking signal, as shown in <FIG>, the system includes an interlocking computer, a signal module, and a signal, wherein.

Specifically, the interlocking computer and the signal module transmit information through the Ethernet, the interlocking computer sends control commands to the signal module through the Ethernet, the signal module feeds back an indication state cleared by the signal and auxiliary information to the interlocking computer through the Ethernet; the signal module is connected to the signal through the cable, and controls the light point in the signal to be lightened or extinguished.

Claim 1:
An automatic degradation method for a full electronic interlocking signal, comprising:
sending, by an interlocking computer, a control command to a signal module;
managing, by the signal module, a signal according to the control command, meanwhile continuously monitoring an indication state of the signal at clear;
determining, by the signal module, whether to perform signal automatic degradation according to the indication state of the signal at clear,
if it is determined to perform a signal automatic degradation, continuing to determine a type of signal automatic degradation, and performing the type of signal automatic degradation, including:
when the indication state of the signal at clear is that the signal indication is abnormal and there is a safety risk, performing a first type of signal automatic degradation, wherein the first type of signal automatic degradation is directly converting, by the signal module, the signal to a safe indication state;
when the indication state of the signal at clear is that the optimal indication cannot be normally lightened and there is no danger, performing a second type of signal automatic degradation, wherein the second type of signal automatic degradation including:
feeding back, by the signal module, the indication state of the signal at clear to the interlocking computer;
switching, by the interlocking computer, the control command to a command of lower-level clear signal according to the indication state of the signal at clear as received and sending it to the signal module;
if the signal module receives the command of lower-level clear signal within a set time period, supplying, by the signal module, power to a new target light point of the signal according to the command of lower-level clear signal, meanwhile stopping power supply of other light points of the signal;
if the signal module does not receive a command of lower-level clear signal within a set time period, lightening, by the signal module, a prohibition light point of the signal;
feeding back, by the signal module, the indication state of the signal at clear and auxiliary information to the interlocking computer,
wherein the auxiliary information includes command execution state and failure information.