Abstract: A railroad electric power management system includes a service management system, a station management system and a control system. The service management system performs service management of railroad vehicles. The station management system performs operation management of a station facility. The control system controls the service management system and the station management system such that a sum of first electric power consumption and second electric power consumption is to be equal to or less than a certain electric-power regulation value. the first electric power consumption is consumed by the railroad vehicles. The second electric power consumption is consumed by the station facility.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for preventing low train voltages and managing interference, thereby improving the efficiency, reliability, and passenger comfort associated with commuter trains. An algorithm implementing neural network technology is used to predict low voltages before they occur. Once voltages are predicted, then multiple trains can be controlled to prevent low voltage events. Further, algorithms for managing inference are presented in the present invention. Different types of interference problems are addressed in the present invention such as “Interference During Acceleration”, “Interference Near Station Stops”, and “Interference During Delay Recovery.” Managing such interference avoids unnecessary brake/acceleration cycles during acceleration, immediately before station stops, and after substantial delays. Algorithms are demonstrated to avoid oscillatory brake/acceleration cycles due to interference and to smooth the trajectories of closely following trains.

Abstract: A remote control system for operating a drive unit 2 and a peripheral unit 3 to be used together with the drive unit by remote control, has a transmitter 1 that generates data repeatedly including a first control information for a specific operation of the drive unit 2 and a second control information for controlling a specific operation of the peripheral unit 3. The drive unit 2 controls its specific operation on the basis of the first control information and the peripheral unit 3 controls its specific operation on the basis of the second control information.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for preventing low train voltages and managing interference, thereby improving the efficiency, reliability, and passenger comfort associated with commuter trains. An algorithm implementing neural network technology is used to predict low voltages before they occur. Once voltages are predicted, then multiple trains can be controlled to prevent low voltage events. Further, algorithms for managing inference are presented in the present invention. Different types of interference problems are addressed in the present invention such as “Interference During Acceleration”, “Interference Near Station Stops”, and “Interference During Delay Recovery.” Managing such interference avoids unnecessary brake/acceleration cycles during acceleration, immediately before station stops, and after substantial delays.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a model railroad locomotive includes a Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder and a power switch. The power switch selectively connects the railroad locomotive's motor to either the decoder or directly to an energy source, such as the tracks, but not both the decoder and the energy source simultaneously. When the motor is connected directly to the energy source, rather than through the decoder, the model railroad locomotive speed and direction is determined by the magnitude and polarity of the voltage applied. The motor may alternatively be powered through the decoder by actuating the power switch. The decoder receives electrical energy as an input, and converts the energy to deliver as an output a variable electric motor drive power source. In addition to receiving energy as an input, the decoder also receives electrical signals representative of an operator's control instructions.

Abstract: An interactive slot car game having a multiple lane slot car track for electrically powered slot cars. The trackway has a pit lane which is positioned on the same side of the track for all cars, with a pit position for all cars, with each pit position located on the same side of the pit lane. The game has an intermediate control device which limits the control that the user has over the speed of the slot car, and can be programmed to simulate occurrences such as tire wear or fuel shortages. The intermediate control device limits car speed due to actual occurrences during racing, such as a car in another lane exiting the track, thereby creating and enforcing caution periods, as in auto racing. Light signals and aural signals are generated in response to the game conditions, occurrences during the game, or randomly generated events.

Abstract: A powered pallet assembly (10) for use on two intersecting trackways (11 and 13). The pallet assembly (10) includes: a pallet frame (23) having an upwardly facing surface (12) formed for support of a load thereon; a first plurality of load-supporting wheels (16a, 16b) rotatably mounted to frame (23) for movement of pallet assembly (10) in a first direction on the first trackway (11); a second plurality of load-supporting wheels (18a, 18b) rotatably mounted to frame (23) for movement of pallet assembly (10) in a second direction intersecting the first direction on the second trackway (13) intersecting the first trackway (11); a power drive assembly carried by pallet frame (23) and coupled to drive at least one wheel of first wheels (16a, 16b) and coupled to drive at least one wheel of second wheels (18a, 18b).

Abstract: To prevent a collision between first and second mobiles, such as travelling cranes, on a common movement path, a method implemented in the first mobile entails measuring a first distance between the first mobile and an origin in a fixed system of axes and a second distance between the first and second mobiles. The method comprises the steps of determining a first speed of the first mobile in the system of axes and a second speed of the first mobile relative to the second mobile in order to deduce a third speed of the second mobile in the system of axes, then of estimating a safety margin between the first and second mobiles, then of comparing the safety margin with a threshold to generate a collision risk factor, and finally of deciding on an action at drive motors of the first mobile as a function of the sign of the first, second and third speeds and the collision risk factor.

Abstract: A railway control system for controllably suppressing the maximum output of a railway substation for energy saving in a densified operation territory and, in which a predetermined upper limit value is established in the output of a substation. The output of the substation is always monitored by output monitoring apparatus, and, when the substation output exceeds an upper limit value, control command apparatus transmits a control command signal to any or several of output control apparatus, a train group and an operation administration system. The output control apparatus, train group or operation administration system which receives this signal performs output control or drive force control or both of them, thereby to limit the output of the substation at or below a predetermined value. It thus becomes possible to restrain a temporary output peak of a railway substation and to reduce the installed capacity.

Abstract: A system and method for movement of self-propelled vehicles in-line along a rail under external control is intended to ensure safe spacing between vehicles to avoid collisions. Each vehicle is driven by its own variable speed motor. The speed of the vehicles is controlled by a stationary cam extending beside the rail. The edge of the cam rises and falls in a predetermined manner and is sensed by a cam follower on each vehicle. The cam follower is coupled to a transducer which produces a control signal for varying the vehicle speed in response to the rise or fall of the cam edge. Each vehicle pulls along a tail which extends behind the vehicle and is guided for motion alongside the edge of the cam.

Abstract: A device for exchanging data between a plurality of rail-supported movable automatic manipulating units for operating a plurality of textile machines with multiple workstations and a common central unit comprises a rail system and a lead system connected to the rail system. The lead system comprises at least two and at most three data-transmitting leads that serve exclusively for data transmission in addition to supply leads for supplying electric current to the automatic manipulating units. The data-transmitting leads form a ring conduit to which the sending and receiving devices of the central unit as well as the sending and receiving devices of the automatic manipulating units are connected via additional sliding contacts. Data are sent from the sending and receiving devices in the form of impulses with a predetermined duration at predetermined intervals and each data impulse is simultaneously guided to two leads with opposite polarity.

Abstract: A power supply system for a linear motor type transportation system includes a series of driving coils disposed along a railroad track for producing a moving magnetic field to drive a train, a plurality of feeding blocks disposed along the railroad track for supplying electric power to the series of driving coils, a plurality of power converters each connected to the corresponding feeding blocks to supply electric power to each corresponding feeding section composed of the feeding blocks, and a plurality of block switches connected between neighboring two feeding blocks of the feeding blocks.

Abstract: A miniature electric track and train system which provides a simple and inexpensive arrangement for the simultaneous independent operation of at least two electric engines on the same track.

Abstract: An intelligent driverless vehicle rolls on a track and has a pair of drive wheels which engage with a rotating drive shaft. The angular position of the drive wheels relative to the drive shaft determines the speed of the vehicle. Each vehicle has a microcomputer associated therewith, a position encoder for supplying information regarding the position of the vehicle to the microcomputer, an angular position encoder for providing information regarding the angular position of the drive wheels to the microcomputer for the computation of vehicle speed, and a drive wheel control means and associated linkage for changing the angular position of the drive wheels and thus vehicle speed in response to commands from the onboard microcomputer. The microcomputer communicates with a central computer via a bidirectional communications link. The central computer controls the speed and acceleration of each vehicle by selectively communicating with the microcomputers on board the vehicles.

Abstract: Disclosed is an aerial transport system which comprises an aerial track having therealong a pair of electric current-carrying cables in a parallel relationship with respect to one another and with respect to the track, and self-propelled carriages. Each carriage has an electric current collector to collect electric power from the current-carrying cables and to supply the power to an electrical driving mechanism mounted thereon for driving wheels engaging with the track. The current-carrying cables are separated at longitudinal given intervals so as to define respectively independent electric power supply zones. The transport system further includes a system for controlling electric power supply for the vehicle or carriage including a mechanism for detecting a vehicle or carriage position in the track provided in each power supply zone.

Abstract: A system for simultaneously and independently controlling a plurality of electric motors from a number of dispersed stations. The system operates by transmission of duty cycle modulated selected frequencies superimposed on a DC track voltage on a common power line servicing the motors. The modulation is variable and determines the speed of the motors. Transmitters are portable and designed removably to plug into a common signal transmission cable anywhere along its length without interaction. Receivers, each tuned to a specific frequency and associated with and controlling a motor, are coupled to the common power line.

Abstract: A remote control system for use e.g. in controlling the locomotives and ancillary devices of a model train layout comprises a transmitter and a number of receivers incorporated in the devices to be controlled. A composite waveform is applied across the tracks, comprising a rectangular power supply waveform with intervals between positive and negative path cycles and control signals which occur in the latter parts of these intervals, the delay between the end of each half cycle and the control signals allowing time for reactive currents resulting from inductive loads to decay. The composite waveform is synthesized by two switching amplifiers driven by a microprocessor and having associated with it slider controls and a keyboard for controlling the receivers. The receivers are programmed to identify control signals addressed to them and to control an associated locomotive or an ancillary device appropriately.