Patent Description:
In the normal operation process of urban rail transit lines in China at present, when a carborne system, a train-ground wireless communication system, a wayside control system, or a control center has a fault to cause a train not to continue to operate in a normal automatic train protection/automatic train operation (ATP/ATO) driving mode, a driver usually needs to confirm with a dispatcher to degrade the train driving mode to a restricted manual (RM) driving mode and operate the train at a fixed speed limit; and in case of a major fault of a system or even a need to cut off a carborne ATP system, the train operates in a non-restricted manual (EUM) driving mode. In this degradation mode, the system cannot perform safety protection on the train, and safe operation of the train needs to be jointly ensured and manually protected by the driver and the dispatcher in combination with display of a ground signal, so as to avoid safety risks such as over-speed, switch split, side collision, and rear-end collision. Therefore, to ensure the safe operation of the train in the degradation mode, an operation and maintenance party has formulated a series of degradation disposal processes, plans, operation manuals, etc., the driver needs to communicate with the dispatcher via a radio station for confirmation to understand the location of the train, the dispatcher also needs to handle a corresponding route or block a corresponding zone for the train by reply of the driver to enable the train to obtain line resources required, the driver also needs to obtain a dispatching command allowing train operation from the dispatcher after the resources are confirmed, and so on. These cumbersome mutual confirmation processes increase the time cost of communication, reduce the efficiency of train operation in the degradation mode, and may also lead to ambiguity in communication, resulting in potential safety hazards of train operation. <CIT> discloses a portable safety terminal based method for processing rail transit resources, the method comprising: in a degradation mode, performing interaction between a portable safety terminal and a wayside controller; obtaining a location of the train and information of a relationship between a front train and a rear train; and providing a means to apply for line resources, such that, according to the train environment, an autonomous apply for the line resources, and release the resources for use by subsequent trains after driving the train to pass through a zone is enabled. <CIT> discloses a method of automatically managing the operation of a line of a rail network.

To overcome the above defects existing in the prior art, an objective of the present invention is to provide a portable safety terminal based method for processing rail transit resources, and a system to carry out the method.

The objective of the present invention may be achieved through the following technical solution:
According to one aspect of the present invention, provided is a portable safety terminal based method for processing rail transit resources, the method including: in a degradation mode, performing interaction between a portable safety terminal and a wayside controller for controlling a train; providing a driver of the train with safety display of an environment where the train is located, and obtaining through the display a location of the train and information of a relationship between a front train and a rear train; and providing the driver with a means to apply for line resources, such that the driver can, according to the train environment, autonomously apply for the line resources, and release the resources for use by subsequent trains after driving the train to pass through a zone.

The interaction between a portable safety terminal and a wayside controller includes interaction between safety display information and interaction between safety control commands.

As a preferred technical solution, the interaction between safety display information specifically includes:
obtaining, by the portable safety terminal, information of the line resources and a status of wayside equipment from the wayside controller, and performing display on a display interface.

As a preferred technical solution, the obtained information of the line resources and status of wayside equipment include: the location of the train, a status of track occupation, a position of a switch, a status of a signal, a status of zone blocking, a status of a platform door, a status of a platform emergency close button, and a working status and alarm display of the equipment.

According to present invention, the interaction between safety control commands specifically includes:.

As a preferred technical solution, the operating button is a physical button or a touch screen.

As a preferred technical solution, the control authority of the wayside equipment is executed by secondary confirmation, a user name/password, or a biological recognition technology, or is executed by combination of a plurality of means.

As a preferred technical solution, actions in Step <NUM>) include: handling of a train route, individual operation of the switch to a normal position/a reverse position, individual locking/individual release of the switch, blocking of the signal/the switch/a section, and activation of the platform emergency close button.

As a preferred technical solution, location information of the train is displayed on the portable safety terminal in various ways; and obtaining the location information of the train specifically includes:.

According to another aspect of the present invention, provided is a system to carry out the portable safety terminal based method for processing rail transit resources, including a portable safety terminal and a wayside controller, where the portable safety terminal communicates with the wayside controller via a wireless channel independent of a main system;.

Compared to the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:.

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

In an interactive confirmation process of a driver and a dispatcher in a degradation mode, the driver can autonomously obtain line resources according to a location of a train. Through a portable safety terminal in the present invention, the driver may be provided with safety display of an environment where the train is located to obtain the location of the train and a relationship between a front train and a rear train; and the driver is provided with a means to apply for line resources, such that the driver can, according to the train environment, autonomously apply for the line resources, and release the resources for use by subsequent trains after driving the train to pass through a zone. In this way, the driver may obtain the line resources without mutual confirmation with the dispatcher to perform autonomous driving, which improves the efficiency of train operation in the degradation mode and also avoids the ambiguity caused by communication. Meanwhile, the present invention can also be used for a line maintenance operator to obtain a status of wayside equipment via the portable safety terminal, and can block the corresponding zone, such that a lower track can be maintained.

The present invention may be used for a fixed block system, a quasi-moving block system, a moving block system, and signal systems in various modes such as a communication based train control (CBTC) system, a China train control system (CTCS), a European train control system (ETCS), a positive train control (PTC) system, an incremental train control system (ITCS), and a train autonomous control system (TACS). Therefore, the claims of the present invention are also applicable to these systems and similar ones.

The portable safety terminal in the present invention is suitable for the driver or the maintenance operator to carry, and communicates with a wayside controller via a wireless channel independent of a main system, as shown in <FIG>.

Information of interaction between the portable safety terminal and the wayside controller includes safety display information and safety control commands as follows:.

The portable safety terminal obtains information of the line resources and the status of the wayside equipment from the wayside controller, and performs display on a display interface, where the obtained information of the line resources and status of the wayside equipment include but are not limited to:
the location of the train; a status of track occupation; a position of a switch; a status of a signal; a status of zone blocking; a status of a platform door; a status of a platform emergency close button; a working status and alarm display of the equipment; and other track elements.

The safety control function of the portable safety terminal may be operated via a physical button or a touch screen, all of which are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

After the status of the wayside equipment in the environment where the train is located is obtained, the driver or the maintenance operator applies to the wayside controller for track resources required for train operation and a control authority of the wayside equipment by an operating button on the portable safety terminal, and after the wayside controller confirms that the track resources are not occupied by other controller or the portable safety terminal, the portable safety terminal is authorized to control the track resources, such that the portable safety terminal obtains the control authority of the wayside equipment. The control authority of the wayside equipment may be executed by a secure means such as secondary confirmation, a user name/password, or a biological recognition technology, or is executed by combination of a plurality of means.

After the control authority of the wayside equipment is obtained, the driver or the maintenance operator may select corresponding elements, icons, or menus on the display interface to control corresponding wayside equipment to act, where operations include but are not limited to: handling of a train route; individual operation of the switch to a normal position/a reverse position; individual locking/individual release of the switch; blocking of the signal/the switch/a section; activation of the platform emergency close button; and other track elements.

After the control on the wayside equipment is completed and the line resources are obtained, the driver may autonomously drive the train to pass through the control zone according to the display on the portable safety terminal. After the train passes through the control zone, the driver or the maintenance operator releases the line resources via the operating button on the portable safety terminal, and returns the control authority of the wayside equipment for continued use by the subsequent trains or the wayside controller.

Location information of the train may be displayed on the portable safety terminal in various ways of:.

As mentioned above, through the safety display, the safety operation, and the location of the train provided by the portable safety terminal, the driver or the maintenance operator may drive the train autonomously in the degradation mode, which avoids a series of tedious response confirmation processes of confirming the location of the train to the dispatcher, waiting for the dispatcher to apply for and handle the line resources for the train, confirming a dispatching command with the dispatcher, etc., and improves the autonomous operation capability of the train.

Claim 1:
A portable safety terminal based method for processing rail transit resources, the method comprising: in a degradation mode, performing interaction between a portable safety terminal and a wayside controller for controlling a train; providing a driver of the train with safety display of an environment where the train is located, and obtaining through the display a location of the train and information of a relationship between a front train and a rear train; and providing the driver with a means to apply for line resources, such that the driver can, according to the train environment, autonomously apply for the line resources, and release the resources for use by subsequent trains after driving the train to pass through a zone, wherein the interaction between a portable safety terminal and a wayside controller comprises interaction between safety display information and interaction between safety control commands, wherein the interaction between safety control commands specifically comprises:
Step <NUM>): after a status of wayside equipment in the environment where the train is located is obtained, applying to the wayside controller for track resources required for train operation and a control authority of the wayside equipment by an operating button on the portable safety terminal, and after the wayside controller confirms that the track resources are not occupied by other controllers or portable safety terminals, authorizing the portable safety terminal to control the track resources;
Step <NUM>): after the control authority of the wayside equipment to control the track resources is obtained, selecting, by the portable safety terminal, corresponding elements, icons, or menus on a display interface to control the corresponding wayside equipment to act; and
Step <NUM>): after the control on the wayside equipment is completed and the line resources are obtained, autonomously driving the train to pass through the control zone according to the display on the portable safety terminal; and after the train passes through the control zone, releasing the line resources via the operating button on the portable safety terminal, and returning the control authority of the wayside equipment for continued use by the subsequent trains or the wayside controller.