Patents Assigned to The Nippon Signal Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20140209754
    Abstract: A train information announcement system of the present invention includes vehicle radio sets VRS1 and VRS2 which performs wireless communication, and is installed on a train 1 which moves on a railroad track R, wayside radio sets WRS1 to WRS5 arranged along the railroad track R, and an information providing means which provides train information announcements at a station at predetermined timing based on information about a train location obtained by the wireless communication between the vehicle radio sets VRS1 and VRS2 and the wayside radio sets WRS1 to WRS5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: The Nippon Signal Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20140209755
    Abstract: An on-board device capable of receiving train control signals from ground-side equipment of train control systems of different types or the like to control the speed of a train and the like appropriately, is provided. An on-board device 10 mounted on a train 1 includes ATC/TD antennas 11a, 11b that receive an ATC signal including train control information from loop coils installed along a route of the train 1, a vehicle radio set 12 that receives a CBTC signal including train control information from wayside radio sets installed along the route, an ATC control unit 141 that controls the train 1 based on the train control information in the ATC signal, a CBTC control unit 142 that controls the train 1 based on the train control information in the CBTC signal, and a selection unit 143 that selects the ATC control unit 141 or the CBTC control unit 142.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: THE NIPPON SIGNAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahide TAKAHASHI, Naoto HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20140209760
    Abstract: A train control system includes: an on-board device 3 mounted on each of trains 2; a vehicle radio set 4; wayside radio sets 5 disposed on a ground; and a ground device 6 connected to the wayside radio sets 5. The ground device 6 obtains a location information of a train 2 and a location information of a following train 2 based on results of distance measurement based on communication between the wayside radio sets 5 and the vehicle radio sets 4, and the ground device 6 transmits them to an on-board device 3 of the train 2. The on-board device 3 calculates a stop limit position of the following train 2 based on the location information of the train 2 and the location information of the following train 2, and the on-board device 3 transmits the calculated stop limit position to the following train 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: THE NIPPON SIGNAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasushi TSUKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20140214247
    Abstract: A train control system of the present invention capable of controlling a train in a plurality of drive modes by a single on-board device, includes an on-board device 4 mounted on a train 2 traveling on a predetermined track 1; a continuous ATP processing unit 11 and an intermittent ATP processing unit 10 that is provided in the on-board device 4 and simultaneously performs processes in a continuous ATP drive mode by a continuous ATP system and an intermittent ATP drive mode by an intermittent ATP system; and a drive mode determining unit 12 that selects either one of process results to be used in a travel control, of the continuous ATP processing unit 11 and the intermittent ATP processing unit 10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: THE NIPPON SIGNAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi MYOKEI
  • Publication number: 20140209759
    Abstract: A train control system includes: an on-board device 3 mounted on a train 2 travelling on a track 1; a vehicle radio set 7 that transmits and receives travel distance information and speed information of the train 2 obtained by the on-board device 3; a wayside radio set 8 disposed at a predetermined location of the track 1 and transmitting information to and receives information from the vehicle radio set 7; and a ground device 9 connected to the wayside radio set 8, in which the ground device 9 obtains a location of the train 2 based on the travel distance information and the speed information of the train 2 transmitted from the on-board device 3, and sets a safety buffer on each of a travelling direction side of the train 2 and the opposite side thereof, the safety buffer being only set to be longer, during train 2 travelling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: THE NIPPON SIGNAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasushi TSUKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20140211782
    Abstract: Mobile radio sets are installed on front and rear parts of a mobile body, one of fixed radio sets is set as a synchronization base station, and the other radio sets including the mobile radio sets are set as synchronization packet relay stations. Each of the relay stations in a synchronization acquiring mode makes a transition to a ground synchronization maintaining mode higher in synchronization accuracy when receiving a synchronization packet without the intervention of the mobile radio sets, or makes a transition to an on-vehicle synchronization maintaining mode lower in synchronization accuracy when receiving a synchronization packet with the intervention of the mobile radio sets, and the relay station in the on-vehicle synchronization maintaining mode makes a transition to the ground synchronization maintaining mode when receiving a synchronization packet from a relay station in the ground synchronization maintaining mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: THE NIPPON SIGNAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Terufumi YAMAGUCHI, Hiroki SAITO, Yuhei OTSUKA, Toshihito SHIRAI
  • Publication number: 20140209758
    Abstract: The train control system includes: an on-board device 3 mounted on a train 2 traveling on a predetermined track 1; a vehicle radio set 4 that transmits and receives information of the on-board device 3; wayside radio sets 5 each of which is disposed at a predetermined location on the ground to transmit information to and receive information from the vehicle radio set 4 information; a ground device 8 placed by the track 1 and connected to the wayside radio set 5; an operation controlling device 12 that transmits operation information of the train 2 to the ground device 8; and an interlocking device 11 that performs an operation control of a turnout 6 for switching tracks. The ground device 8 detects the location of the train 2 on the basis of wireless propagation time between the vehicle radio set 4 and the wayside radio set 5, receives entering track information of the train 2 from the operation controlling device 12, and controls an interval between a preceding train 2 and a following train 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: THE NIPPON SIGNAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akira KURITA
  • Publication number: 20140214248
    Abstract: A train control system of the present invention includes: an on-board device 1 that is mounted on a train and has an vehicle radio set VRS1 capable of performing wireless communication; fixed radio sets (WRS1 to WRS7, and SRS1) that are disposed along the railroad track R and capable of performing wireless communication by a time division multiple access method with the vehicle radio set VRS1; and a ground device 2 that calculates distance from a train A to a stop point before a preceding train B on the basis of the location information of the train A obtained by the wireless communication between the vehicle radio set VRS1 and the fixed radio set. The on-board device 1 generates a stop pattern on the basis of the distance, and performs a travel control so that the train A travels at a speed equal to or less than the stop pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: THE NIPPON SIGNAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takeshi YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20140209753
    Abstract: A ground device 1 transmits train control information to an on-board device mounted on a train. The ground device 1 receives a train detection signal (TD signal) from a train with an ATC/TD on-board device mounted thereon through loop coils 21 to 2m, and receives a train position signal from a train with a CBTC on-board device mounted thereon through wayside radio sets 61 to 6n. Based on the input train detection signal and train position signal, the ground device 1 detects the position of each train traveling on a route R, generates control information on each train based on the detected position of each train, and converts the control information to an ATC signal and a CBTC signal. The ATC signal is transmitted to the loop coils 21 to 2m through information transmission units 4, and the CBTC signal is transmitted through the wayside radio sets 61 to 6n.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: THE NIPPON SIGNAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahide TAKAHASHI, Naoto HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20140209752
    Abstract: A train control system includes an on-board device 3 mounted on a train 2; a vehicle radio set 4; wayside radio sets 5 that are disposed on a ground; and ground devices 6 disposed in every control sections defined on the track. In each control section, the ground device 6 is connected to the wayside radio sets 5 in the control section. When one ground device 6 fails to transmit information to and receive information from another ground device 6, the one ground device 6 determines that said another ground device 6 has been failed, and then, the one ground device 6 calculates a possible travel distance to a control section of the failed ground device 6 to prevent the train 2 from entering the control section of the failed ground device 6, and then, the one ground device 6 transmits the possible travel distance to the on-board device 3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: THE NIPPON SIGNAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi MYOKEI
  • Publication number: 20140161022
    Abstract: A wireless communication network system including: mobile radios mounted on a moving body moving along a predetermined route; and a plurality of immobile radios arranged along the route, adjacent immobile radios wirelessly communicating with each other, to transmit information from a transmission source to a terminal by relaying the information. The mobile radios and the immobile radios communicate with each other by a time division multiple access method, in which time synchronization is performed to allow each of the mobile radios and the immobile radios to communicate in an allocated time slot. The mobile radios are disposed on front and rear parts of the moving body and are capable of communicating with each other. When the moving body is between the immobile radios arranged to be capable of wirelessly communicating with each other, the two mobile radios is capable of relaying information propagation between the immobile radios.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: THE NIPPON SIGNAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Terufumi YAMAGUCHI, Yuhei OTSUKA, Toshihito SHIRAI, Hideyuki KATO, Masahide TAKAHASHI, Hiroshi OGIHARA
  • Publication number: 20100182133
    Abstract: A system that reads and writes information from and onto a non-contact information recording medium using an electric wave includes a reader/writer and a measuring unit. The reader/writer includes an antenna configured to transmit an electric wave onto the non-contact information recording medium, a demodulator configured to demodulate a reflected wave obtained by the non-contact information recording medium modulating a part of the electric wave, and a calculator configured to obtain a delay time of the reflected wave. The measuring unit measures a difference in delay times calculated by the calculator, and obtains a change in a distance between the antenna mediating transmission/reception of the electric wave and the non-contact information recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Applicant: THE NIPPON SIGNAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masahiko Ando
  • Patent number: 7443342
    Abstract: The invention provides a reception time determining apparatus which can measure reception time to a high accuracy, without expanding an occupied bandwidth, and a distance measuring apparatus which uses the reception time determining apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: The Nippon Signal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihito Shirai, Takaharu Ishige, Masayoshi Sakai, Wakana Sannomiya
  • Patent number: 7197932
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a failure detecting system that enables the detection of a break in a rail and the like by a simple network configuration. Detecting units (20 and 50), relay units (30A, 30B, 60A through 60C) and terminal units (40 and 70) are arranged along rails (11, 11A and 11B). Using the rails (11, 11A and 11B) as transmission media, ultrasonic waves transmitted from the detecting units (20 and 50) are transmitted to the terminal units (40 and 70) by the relay units (30A, 30B, 60A through 60C), and when the terminal units (40 and 70) receive the ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic waves are returned from the terminal units (40 and 70), relayed by the relay units (30A, 30B, 60A through 60C), and transmitted to the detecting units (20 and 50). Thus, it is judged whether there is a break in the rails (11, 11A and 11B), based on the ultrasonic wave reception state in the detecting units (20 and 50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: The Nippon Signal Co, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Sakai, Toshihito Shirai, Akira Morisada
  • Publication number: 20060010979
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a failure detecting system that enables the detection of a break in a rail and the like by a simple network configuration. Detecting units (20 and 50), relay units (30A, 30B, 60A through 60C) and terminal units (40 and 70) are arranged along rails (11, 11A and 11B). Using the rails (11, 11A and 11B) as transmission media, ultrasonic waves transmitted from the detecting units (20 and 50) are transmitted to the terminal units (40 and 70) by the relay units (30A, 30B, 60A through 60C), and when the terminal units (40 and 70) receive the ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic waves are returned from the terminal units (40 and 70), relayed by the relay units (30A, 30B, 60A through 60C), and transmitted to the detecting units (20 and 50). Thus, it is judged whether there is a break in the rails (11, 11A and 11B), based on the ultrasonic wave reception state in the detecting units (20 and 50).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Publication date: January 19, 2006
    Applicant: The Nippon Signal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Sakai, Toshihito Shirai, Akira Morisada
  • Patent number: 6774445
    Abstract: The invention aims at suppressing an amount of deformation of a central portion of a movable part in a micro-miniature semiconductor actuator. A boundary portion is provided between a central portion and an edge of a movable part which is axially supported in a rotatable manner by torsion bars of an actuator, the boundary portion suppressing transmission of a warp due to an influence of air resistance at the edge of the movable part or moment of inertia, or heat generated by a driving force generating portion at the edge of the movable part, to a central portion of the movable part, to suppress deformation of the central portion of the movable part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: The Nippon Signal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Mutoh, Yuzuru Ueda, Norihiro Asada
  • Patent number: 6657762
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical barrier apparatus which scans a detection area with an optical beam, and when the scanning beam is blocked by an object so that a reflection beam is not received, notifies of object presence. An optical beam from an optical beam generating circuit (11) is reflected by a scan mirror (12) and a detection area (1) is scanned by a scanning beam (BM1). The scanning beam (BM1) is reflected by a reflector array (23) of another unit and received by a light receiving element (14), and the presence/absence of a pulse deficiency of light reception output is detected by a signal deficiency detection circuit (15). When the scanning beam (BM1) is blocked by an object (30) so that a part of the reflection beam from the reflector array (23) cannot be received and a pulse deficiency occurs in the light reception output, an output (Z1) from the signal deficiency detection circuit (15) becomes a logic value zero to thus notify of object presence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: The Nippon Signal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihito Shirai, Koichi Futsuhara
  • Patent number: 6504485
    Abstract: Monitoring and control apparatus for fail-safe monitoring for normal operation of traffic signal lights provided at an intersection or the like where a plurality of roads intersect. The illumination conditions of respective signal lights are detected using as sensor device, and when the number of illuminated or non-illuminated signal lights is a predetermined number, a normal judgment output of logic value 1 corresponding to a high energy condition is generated while, when the number of illuminated or non-illuminated signal lights is not the predetermined number, an abnormal judgment output of logic value 0 corresponding to a low energy condition is generated. As a result, when a fault in the monitoring apparatus stops the output, the resultant output condition is the same as for a danger condition due to a signal light abnormality, resulting in an extremely safe signal light monitoring and control with excellent fail-safe characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: The Nippon Signal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Jinno, Yoshiharu Ozaki, Norihiro Okada, Heisaku Mazawa, Hidetoshi Fujimoto, Junya Toda, Koichi Futsuhara, Norihiro Asada
  • Publication number: 20020149072
    Abstract: The invention aims at suppressing an amount of deformation of a central portion of a movable part in a micro-miniature semiconductor actuator. A boundary portion (10) is provided between a central portion and an edge of a movable part (3), which is axially supported in a rotatable manner by torsion bars (4, 4) of an actuator (1), the boundary portion (10) being for suppressing transmission of a warp due to an influence of air resistance at the edge of the movable part (3) or moment of inertia, or heat generated by a driving force generating portion (6) at the edge of the movable part, to a central portion of the movable part, to suppress deformation of the central portion of the movable part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2002
    Publication date: October 17, 2002
    Applicant: The Nippon Signal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Mutoh, Yuzuru Ueda, Norihiro Asada
  • Patent number: 6459656
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an information generating apparatus for transmitting and receiving elastic waves through a rail for a train. The information generating apparatus comprises elastic wave transmitting means for transmitting elastic waves to said rail, elastic wave receiving means for receiving elastic waves transmitted from said elastic wave transmitting means through said rail, and information generating means for generating information that is necessary for controlling/monitoring associated elements of a control system for performing control operations on said train, based on an elastic wave reception signal received by said elastic wave receiving means. The information generating means has detection means for detecting presence/absence of said train in said rail, based on a reception condition of an elastic wave received by said elastic wave receiving means and for generating information representing presence/absence of said train in said rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: The Nippon Signal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Futsuhara, Masayoshi Sakai, Toshihito Shirai, Akira Morisada, Hitoshi Nozawa, Katsuichi Inose