Importance

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Abstract

A method is provided for transferring control of a railway vehicle from a controlling wayside controller that controls a first zone within which the railway vehicle was previously positioned, to an adjacent wayside controller that controls a second zone within which the railway vehicle has traveled, wherein the second zone is adjacent to the first zone and separated from the first zone by a predetermined boundary in a communication based signaling system. The method utilizes information requests and control transfer requests that are transmitted and received by each of the controlling wayside controller and the adjacent wayside controller and the railway vehicle in accordance with method steps which are performed asynchronously, independently, and in parallel for each of the controlling wayside controller, the adjacent wayside controller, and the railway vehicle. Advantages of the method of the present invention include the elimination of the need for constant exchange of information about the states of wayside control zones which are adjacent to the zone controlled by the wayside controller which controls the railway vehicle, and the elimination of the need for two wayside controllers which are separated by a predetermined boundary to have full knowledge of the state of the wayside.

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First Claim