초록 ▼

Method and apparatus for a railway navigation system which provides information defining the position of a railway vehicle on a track system. The system uses an on-board computer with a track database representing the locations of the rail lines, including locations of curves and switches. The syste

Method and apparatus for a railway navigation system which provides information defining the position of a railway vehicle on a track system. The system uses an on-board computer with a track database representing the locations of the rail lines, including locations of curves and switches. The system uses a turn rate indicator and a speedometer means to obtain a value for the curvature of the track on which the railway vehicle moves. Curvature data so obtained is compared with data in the track database to determine the position of the railway vehicle in relation to curves and switches of the track system.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A navigation system for a railway vehicle travelling on a track system, said navigation system comprising:(a) a storage device for storing a database including data pertaining to locations of railway track routes and locations and orientations of switches and curves in such railway

[ We claim:] [1.] A navigation system for a railway vehicle travelling on a track system, said navigation system comprising:(a) a storage device for storing a database including data pertaining to locations of railway track routes and locations and orientations of switches and curves in such railway track routes of such track system;(b) a rate of turn measuring apparatus for measuring a rate at which such railway vehicle turns on such railway track so as to generate a signal indicative of a turn rate of such railway vehicle;(c) a speed sensing device for sensing rotation of a wheel of such railway vehicle so as to generate a signal indicative of at least one of speed of and distance traveled by such railway vehicle;(d) a computing devicefor deriving a signal indicative of curvature of such railway track on which such railway vehicle is travelling from said signal indicative of turn rate and said signal indicative of at least one of speed and distance and for comparing said signal indicative of curvature with said data pertaining to said locations and orientations of switches and curves in such track system to determine more accurately said position such railway vehicle occupies in relation to a particular one of such curves and such switches in said database and to generate a position signal indicative thereof; and(e) a means for using said position signal for at least one of an operator display, an input to a control means of such railway vehicle, and as a signal for computations in said computing device.