SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTERFACING WAYSIDE SIGNAL DEVICE WITH VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM

摘要

In a transportation system (rail system or otherwise), a wayside device potentially operates in a plurality of operational modes. The wayside device is outfitted with an interface system for interfacing the wayside signal device with a vehicle control system. The interface system determines the present operational mode of the wayside device and independently communicates information relating to the determined present operational mode to the vehicle control system. The vehicle control system may control the vehicle based on the information relating to the determined present operational mode. The interface system includes functionality for validating the determined present operational mode prior to transmission of the information to the vehicle control system, to ensure that the vehicle control system is provided with correct and/or current information. The wayside device may be a wayside signal device whose operational modes (as determined by the interface system) are signal aspects conveyed to a vehicle.