Running location identification system, running location identification apparatus, and running location identification method for railroad cars

Abstract

A running location identification system for railroad cars includes: a track displacement output unit outputting a signal responsive to displacement of a track when a railroad car is running on the track; and a running location identification unit determining whether the railroad car has run in a predetermined range of the track based on a degree of similarity between displacement data based on output from the track displacement output unit and reference profile data responsive to track displacement in the predetermined range.

1 . A running location identification system for railroad cars, the running location identification system comprising:
 a track displacement output unit outputting a signal responsive to displacement of a track when a railroad car is running on the track; and   a running location identification unit determining whether the railroad car has run in a predetermined range of the track based on a degree of similarity between displacement data of the track with respect to a running distance on the track based on output from the track displacement output unit and reference profile data responsive to track displacement in the predetermined range.   
     
     
         2 . The running location identification system for railroad cars according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the reference profile data is previously measured data.   
     
     
         3 . The running location identification system for railroad cars according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the running location identification unit identifies, based on a degree of similarity between the displacement data and each of a plurality of pieces of the reference profile data corresponding to a plurality of respective tracks, one of the tracks corresponding to one of the pieces of the reference profile data most similar to the displacement data.   
     
     
         4 . The running location identification system for railroad cars according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the track displacement output unit includes an acceleration sensor outputting acceleration of the railroad car during running responsive to the displacement of the track, and   the running location identification unit uses, as the displacement data, displacement data based on the acceleration output from the acceleration sensor to evaluate the degree of similarity to the reference profile data.   
     
     
         5 . The running location identification system for railroad cars according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the track displacement output unit outputs a signal responsive to vertical displacement of the track.   
     
     
         6 . The running location identification system for railroad cars according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a running distance computation unit computing a running distance of the railroad car based on latitude and longitude evaluated using a GPS, wherein   the running location identification unit uses, as the displacement data, displacement data of the track with respect to a running distance on the track based on output from the running distance computation unit to evaluate the degree of similarity to the reference profile data.   
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The running location identification system for railroad cars according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in a candidate range in which a location of the railroad car is identified using a GPS, the running location identification unit evaluates the degree of similarity between the displacement data and the reference profile data responsive to the track displacement in the predetermined range.   
     
     
         9 . The running location identification system for railroad cars according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the running location identification unit evaluates the degree of similarity based on a correlation operation.   
     
     
         10 . The running location identification system for railroad cars according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a storage for storing therein results of identification by the running location identification unit as an actual running track of the railroad car.   
     
     
         11 . The running location identification system for railroad cars according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the track displacement output unit and the running location identification unit are mounted to the railroad car.   
     
     
         12 . The running location identification system for railroad cars according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the track displacement output unit is mounted to the railroad car,   the running location identification unit is provided to a management base, and   the track displacement output unit and the running location identification unit are communicatively connected to each other via a communication network.   
     
     
         13 . A running location identification apparatus for railroad cars, the running location identification apparatus comprising:
 a track displacement signal input unit receiving, as input, a signal based on displacement of a track when a railroad car is running on the track; and   a running location identification unit determining whether the railroad car has run in a predetermined range of the track based on a degree of similarity between displacement data of the track with respect to a running distance on the track based on input into the track displacement signal input unit and reference profile data responsive to track displacement in the predetermined range.   
     
     
         14 . A running location identification method for railroad cars, the running location identification method comprising the steps of:
 (a) outputting a signal responsive to displacement of a track when a railroad car is running on the track;   (b) evaluating a degree of similarity between displacement data of the track with respect to a running distance on the track based on output responsive to the displacement of the track and reference profile data responsive to track displacement in a predetermined range of the track; and   (c) determining whether the railroad car has run in the predetermined range based on the evaluated degree of similarity.   
     
     
         15 . The running location identification method for railroad cars according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the reference profile data is previously measured data.   
     
     
         16 . The running location identification method for railroad cars according to  claim 14 , wherein
 in the step (b), a degree of similarity between the displacement data and each of a plurality of pieces of the reference profile data corresponding to a plurality of respective tracks is evaluated, and   in the step (c), one of the tracks corresponding to one of the pieces of the reference profile data most similar to the displacement data is identified based on the degree of similarity evaluated for each of the pieces of the reference profile data.   
     
     
         17 . The running location identification method for railroad cars according to  claim 14 , wherein
 in the step (a), acceleration of the railroad car during running responsive to the displacement of the track is output, and   in the step (b), the degree of similarity to the reference profile data is evaluated using, as the displacement data, displacement data based on the acceleration.   
     
     
         18 . The running location identification method for railroad cars according to  claim 14 , wherein
 in the step (a), a signal responsive to vertical displacement of the track is output.   
     
     
         19 . The running location identification method for railroad cars according to  claim 14 , further comprising the step of
 (d) computing a running distance of the railroad car based on latitude and longitude evaluated using a GPS, wherein   in the step (b), the degree of similarity to the reference profile data is evaluated using, as the displacement data, displacement data of the track with respect to a running distance on the track based on the computed running distance of the railroad car.   
     
     
         20 . (canceled)