Patent application EP16305725A (EP), filed 2016-06-14
Publication number: EP3258400A1
Title: METHOD AND DESIGNING SYSTEM FOR DESIGNING AN INTERLOCKING CONTROL SYSTEM
Abstract: [0001]    The invention concerns a method for designing an interlocking control system comprising hardware and software executed by the hardware, the method comprising a step (1) of, by means of a hardware designer module (1202), automatically designing the hardware, thereby generating hardware configuration data, the automatic designing being based on predetermined designing rules and specific input data, a successive step (2) of, by means of a software generator module (1203), automatically generating the software executed on the designed hardware, the generation of the software being based on predetermined specific architecture rules the hardware configuration data, and the input data. According to the invention, the method further comprises the steps of (3) automatically providing the input data to the hardware designer module (1202) by means of a suite manager module (1100), and (4) automatically providing the input data and the hardware configuration data to the software generator module (1203) by means of the suite manager module.
IPC codes: B61L  19/    00            A I
B61L  27/    00            A I
G06F  17/    50            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: Method for designing an interlocking control system (2000), the interlocking control system being configured to be interfaced with interlocking equipment (3000) of a transportation network and comprising hardware (2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008) and software executed by computing means (2003) of the hardware for controlling the interlocking equipment, the method comprising the successive steps of:
number: 2
text: Method according to claim 1, wherein the input data is relative to at least one of the following elements of the transportation network: the interlocking equipment (3000), operational rules, layout of tracks.
number: 3
text: Method according any one of the previous claims, wherein :
number: 4
text: Method according to claim 3, wherein the method further comprises, prior to the step (1) of automatically designing the hardware (2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008) and after the step (5) of automatically translating, a step (6) of modifying and/or validating the translated input data, this further step (6) being executed by the first operator (H) through an input data editor module (1301).
number: 5
text: Method according to any one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the step (5) of automatically translating is executed by the data translator module (1201), based on translation rules provided by the first operator (H) during a further step (10) of the method, the translation rules being specific to the transportation network for which the control system is intended to be interfaced with.
number: 6
text: Method according to any one of the previous claims, wherein:
number: 7
text: Method according to claim 6, wherein the software executed by the computing means (2003) comprises a control program and a logic unit configured to be executed in combination with each other for sending control signals to the interlocking equipment (3000) and for receiving feedback signals from the interlocking equipment, by means of the communication network (2004).
number: 8
text: Method according to claim 7, wherein the step (2) of automatically generating the software comprises the sub-steps of:
number: 9
text: Method according to claim 5, combined with any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein :
number: 10
text: Method according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the method further comprises a step (8) of modifying and/or validating the software generated by the software generator module (1203), this step (8) being executed by a second operator (H) through a software editor module (1303).
number: 11
text: Method according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the designing rules comprise a library of available hardware units that may be used for designing the hardware implemented in interlocking control systems, the step (1) of automatically designing the hardware (2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008) comprising the following sub-steps:
number: 12
text: Method according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the method further comprises a step (9) of modifying and/or validating the hardware configuration data generated by the hardware designer module (1202), this step being executed by a third operator (H) through a hardware editor module (1302), prior to the step (3) of automatically providing the hardware configuration data to the software generator module (1203).
number: 13
text: Method according to claim 11 combined with claim 12, wherein the step (9) of modifying and/or validating the hardware configuration data comprises a sub-step (901) of providing the third operator (H) with the list of hardware units and data related to the determined allocations, so that the third operator may modify and/or validate the hardware configuration data by means of the hardware editor module (1302).
number: 14
text: Designing system (1000), for designing an interlocking control system (2000), the interlocking control system being configured to be interfaced with interlocking equipment (3000) of a transportation network and comprising hardware (2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008) and software executed by computing means (2003) of the hardware for controlling the interlocking equipment, the designing system comprising:
Office action: search_report, dated 2017-12-20
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Final disposition: pending (2017-12-20)