Rail Vehicle Signal Enforcement and Separation Control

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for rail vehicle signal enforcement and separation control. A vehicle-mounted system for managing operation compliance of a vehicle may include a communication subsystem that includes one or more transponders and one or more communication circuits, configured for communicating signals, and a processing subsystem, that includes at least one processor. The communication subsystem may be configured to communicate signals with one or more fixed reporting stations, with the signals including ultra-wideband (UWB) signals, and with at least some of the signals carrying data pertinent to evaluating vehicle operation compliance. The processing subsystem may be configured to evaluate vehicle operation compliance based on information obtained from at least one signal communicated with at least one reporting station. The processing subsystem may determine a rule for evaluating compliance of the vehicle, and may monitor operation of the vehicle to evaluate compliance with the rule.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A vehicle-mounted system for managing a operation compliance of a vehicle, the vehicle-mounted system comprises:
 a communication subsystem, comprising one or more transponders and one or more communication circuits, configured for communicating signals; and   a processing subsystem, comprising at least one processor;   wherein:
 the communication subsystem is configured to communicate signals with one or more fixed reporting stations, wherein:
 the signals comprise ultra-wideband (UWB) signals, and 
 at least some of the signals carry data pertinent to evaluating vehicle operation compliance; and 
 
 the processing subsystem is configured to evaluate vehicle operation compliance based on information obtained from at least one signal communicated with at least one reporting station. 
   
     
     
         22 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 21 , wherein the processing subsystem determines a rule for evaluating compliance of the vehicle. 
     
     
         23 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 22 , wherein the processing subsystem monitors operation of the vehicle to evaluate compliance with the rule. 
     
     
         24 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 21 , wherein the processing subsystem evaluates based on the obtained information stopping related compliance of the vehicle. 
     
     
         25 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 24 , wherein the processing subsystem evaluates the stopping related compliance based on pre-set stopping related parameters for the vehicle. 
     
     
         26 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 25 , wherein stopping related parameters comprise one or more of: a stop-time duration, a speed for the vehicle, and a maximum speed for the vehicle after an expiration of the stop-time. 
     
     
         27 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 21 , wherein the processing subsystem is configured to determine a distance to a reporting station based on a time-of-flight of at least one communication between communications subsystem and the reporting station. 
     
     
         28 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 21 , wherein the processing subsystem is configured to take a particular action when a distance to a reporting station meets particular criterion. 
     
     
         29 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 28 , wherein the particular action comprises generating an alert. 
     
     
         30 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 28 , wherein the particular criterion comprises the distance being less than a threshold. 
     
     
         31 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 21 , wherein the processing subsystem is configured to:
 interface with a braking system of the vehicle; and   control operation of the braking system based on the obtained information.   
     
     
         32 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 31 , wherein the processing subsystem is configured to cause the braking system to activate based on the obtained information. 
     
     
         33 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 32 , wherein the processing subsystem is configured to cause the braking system to activate when a distance to a reporting station is determined, based on the obtained information, to be less than a threshold. 
     
     
         34 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 21 , wherein the communication subsystem is configured to scan at least one RFID tag external to the vehicle to retrieve information stored on the at least one RFID tag. 
     
     
         35 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 34 , wherein the vehicle-mounted subsystem is configured to determine a distance to at least one reporting station based on the information stored on the at least one RFID tag. 
     
     
         36 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the vehicle-mounted subsystem is configured to continuously receive information relating to speed of the vehicle; and   the vehicle-mounted subsystem determines a changing distance to at least one reporting station based on the information stored on the at least one RFID tag and the information relating to speed of the vehicle.   
     
     
         37 . The vehicle-mounted system of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the processing subsystem is configured to generate data relating to prior behavior of the vehicle; and   the communication subsystem is configured to communicate the data relating to prior behavior of the vehicle to an access point external to the vehicle.