Fastest
Eureka on the web
When you want the answer in the next five minutes.
The agent works the prompt against patents and technical literature, citing every source.
Run your analysis now →https://www.patsnap.com/resources/blog/rd-blog/positive-train-control-simulation-and-modeling-patent-landscape/ · Patsnap · data cut-off 2026-07-31 · downloaded from the live page
Rail & Transit Patent LandscapePositive Train Control Simulation Patents: Filing Trends and White Space
- 24 families total. a niche, tightly-drawn corpus concentrated almost entirely under B61L railway traffic control, with G09B educational/demonstration aids as the near-universal second classification.
- Filing peaked in 2023 at 12 then the pipeline shows no confirmed growth beyond the midpoint year, consistent with a technology still working through a single wave of filings rather than sustained expansion.
- One Chinese record carries most of the citation weight CN110239599A is cited far more than any US filing, signalling where the field's most-referenced prior art actually sits.
24
Published Records
US
Leading Jurisdiction
5
Active Filers Ranked
2023
Peak Filing Year
Published byPatsnap Research··7 min readSourced from Patsnap Eureka
Field Overview
What this landscape covers
Positive train control (PTC) simulation and modeling patents describe software and hardware used to test train-control logic before it runs on live track: braking curve modeling, movement authority simulation, hazard analysis, and the training/demonstration rigs that sit alongside them. This is a narrow, applied corner of rail signalling patenting rather than a broad software category — the search string ties train-control terminology directly to simulation-specific claim language, which is why the total family count stays small even across an eleven-year window.
The dataset spans 2015 through the 2026 cut-off, though the most recent year is always undercounted because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months. Receiving-office activity is spread thin across the United States, India, Canada, China, Europe and Mexico, which points to a technology validated for filing in multiple rail markets rather than concentrated in one home jurisdiction.
Filing activity and IPC composition, 2015–2026
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee ranking and totals. Derived from a Patsnap search on Positive Train Control Simulation and Modeling covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
The Numbers
Filing trend and technology composition
Two views of the same 24-family corpus: how filings moved year over year, and where they sit across the IPC classification system.
A single filing wave, not a sustained climb
Filings were flat at zero through 2017, rose through the middle of the window, and peaked at 12 in 2023 — the midpoint year of 2022 sat at only 4, so the growth into 2023 is a late, sharp cluster rather than a steady climb. With 2026 data still incomplete, it is not yet possible to call this a rising trend.
B61L and G09B dominate; B60T is marginal
Every record but one classifies under B61L (railway traffic control), and nearly all also carry G09B (educational and demonstration aids) — confirming this corpus is specifically about simulation and training rigs for train control, not train control systems generally. B60T (vehicle brakes) appears in only 3 of 24 records, marking braking-hardware interaction as a minor thread rather than a core claim area.
Shares are the percentage of the 24 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Positive Train Control Simulation and Modeling covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.
Go deeper on Positive Train Control Simulation and Modeling with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about positive train control simulation and modeling and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaKey Patents
The representative filing and the most-cited prior art
Representative Filing
WO2023177515A1 — Positive train control simulation system and method therefor
BNSF RAILWAY COMPANY
A system and method for simulating positive train control (PTC) systems in a local and controlled environment using software and hardware. The system can instruct the software of a train management computer (TMC) to control electromechanical valves to simulate air compression on brake pipes in response to the PTC system executing a penalty on the locomotive, and can display statuses of various locomotive systems to a user via a cab display unit (CDU), while controlling components to simulate warnings and actions from the PTC system.Filed by BNSF Railway, this filing exemplifies the corpus's central claim pattern: pairing software-simulated PTC logic with hardware-in-the-loop brake-pipe actuation and cab-display feedback.
Most-cited records in this corpus
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CN110239599A | 一种基于面向服务的列车控制仿真测试系统及方法 | 16 |
| 2 | US11756446B1 | Positive Train Control simulation system and method therefor | 2 |
| 3 | CA3254219A1 | Positive train control simulation system with emergency and horn applications and method therefor | 1 |
| 4 | US11787455B1 | Positive train control simulation system with penalty application and method therefor | 1 |
| 5 | US11472454B1 | Positive train control simulation system with emergency and horn applications and method therefor | 1 |
Citation counts inside a searched corpus favour older filings; treat this table as a signal of influence on later filers, not a ranking of current commercial importance.
Patent titles are shown in the language they were filed in, not translated, so that each record stays verifiable against the original filing — a translated title will not match in Eureka or in any national register. Publication numbers are shown where the record carries one (5 of 5 rows); clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Citation counts and representative records. Derived from a Patsnap search on Positive Train Control Simulation and Modeling covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
Run it yourself
Put your own technology through the same analysis
Where to run it
For builders
MCP server & REST API
When it has to run inside your own pipeline.
Patent search, landscape analysis and assignee resolution as MCP tools. Drop them into any agent framework, or call REST directly.
Browse MCP servers →Analysis
What the filing pattern tells a rail-tech team
Three read-throughs from the trend, classification and citation data above.
Filing Pattern
0 → 12 → 0
2017 to 2023 peak to trailing years
A late, concentrated filing cluster
The corpus sat at zero filings through 2017 and did not move meaningfully until well into the window, then clustered sharply around 2023. That shape is typical of a technology that only recently became a patenting priority for a small number of filers, rather than one with a long, continuous R&D pipeline behind it.
Peak year: 2023 at 12 families.
Classification Mix
22 of 24
records carry G09B alongside B61L
Simulation and training claims dominate over hardware
Near-universal co-classification with G09B (educational and demonstration aids) confirms these filings are about reproducing PTC behaviour for testing and training purposes, not about the underlying control hardware itself. Braking-hardware claims (B60T) appear in only a small minority of records.
IPC split: B61L 24, G09B 22, B60T 3.
Citation Concentration
16 citations
on the single most-cited record
One record carries outsized influence
CN110239599A is cited 16 times, far ahead of the next tier of records, which sit at 1–2 citations each. That gap suggests a single foundational disclosure that later filers — inside and outside China — have had to work around or build on.
Next-highest cited record: 2 citations (US11756446B1).
Eureka AI Agent
Looking for what nobody has claimed yet?
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to positive train control simulation and modeling, with the prior art for and against each one.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Co-assignee relationships and derived observations. Derived from a Patsnap search on Positive Train Control Simulation and Modeling covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
Assignee Landscape
Who is filing, and where the field is still open
Filing activity spreads across a handful of rail operators, research institutes and simulation specialists, with recent-year momentum flat across every named assignee tracked.
Rail Operator
0 in latest year
recent-year momentum
BNSF Railway
BNSF's WO2023177515A1 filing anchors the corpus's representative record, pairing software PTC simulation with hardware-in-the-loop brake-pipe control and cab-display feedback — a pattern echoed across several related US and Canadian filings in the same family line.
Representative filing: WO2023177515A1, 2023-09-21.
Chinese Signalling Group
6 co-assignee pairs
collaboration links in this corpus
State rail signalling and research institutes
China's national rail signalling company and its affiliated research institutes appear repeatedly as co-assignees on the same filings, indicating coordinated in-house development between the signalling manufacturer and its research and engineering arms rather than open licensing activity.
Strongest pair: national signalling company plus its intelligent transport systems affiliate.
Momentum Check
0 across all tracked assignees
latest-year filings
No assignee is currently accelerating
Every top assignee tracked in this corpus shows zero filings in the latest tracked year, consistent with the broader trend data: the 2023 cluster has not yet been followed by a confirmed second wave, though later filings may still be working through the publication lag.
Momentum measured against most recent complete filing year.
Recent-year filing momentum by assignee
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| BNSF Railway Company | 0 | — |
| China Railway Signal & Communication (Beijing) Co., Ltd. | 0 | — |
| Beijing Ruichi Guotie Intelligent Transportation Systems Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. | 0 | — |
| China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation - Signal & Communication Research Institute | 0 | — |
| China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation | 0 | — |
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee-level momentum. Derived from a Patsnap search on Positive Train Control Simulation and Modeling covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
What's Next
Where to take this analysis
The trend and assignee data point to specific next steps for teams evaluating freedom to operate or filing strategy in this space.
Watch for the delayed second wave
With 2026 data still incomplete and publication lagging filing by roughly 18 months, filings made after the 2023 peak may not yet be visible. Re-check this corpus in a year before concluding the field has plateaued.
Track filing trends in EurekaMap the co-assignee network in detail
The six co-assignee pairs in this corpus point to coordinated development inside specific organisational clusters. A deeper look at those relationships can clarify whether competitors are working jointly or simply sharing internal research infrastructure.
Explore assignee networks in EurekaTest claim language against the under-claimed branches
Movement authority conflict resolution and cross-border interoperability simulation show little direct claim coverage here. Drafting around these branches now, while the space is thin, carries less prior-art risk than filing into the dense B61L/G09B core.
Draft around white space in EurekaSource: Patsnap Eureka. Forward-looking reading of the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Positive Train Control Simulation and Modeling covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
FAQ
Common questions on PTC simulation patents
This landscape identifies 24 patent families published between 2015 and the 2026 data cut-off, using a search string that ties train-control terminology to simulation-specific claim language such as train control simulation, braking curve modeling, movement authority simulation, and hazard analysis modeling. That is a small, tightly-scoped corpus compared with train control patenting broadly, because it excludes general signalling hardware and control-logic patents that do not also claim simulation or modeling functionality. Filing peaked at 12 families in 2023, and the 2026 figure is understated because publication typically lags filing by about 18 months.
The corpus is led by a mix of a major US rail operator and a cluster of Chinese state rail signalling and research organisations that repeatedly co-file together. No single assignee shows filing activity in the latest tracked year, so the current leaders reflect historical filing volume through the 2023 peak rather than active present-day momentum. Anyone assessing freedom to operate should look at the full assignee ranking table rather than assume the largest historical filer is still the most active one.
WO2023177515A1, filed by BNSF Railway, describes a system for simulating PTC functionality using combined software and hardware: the software instructs a train management computer to operate electromechanical valves that simulate brake-pipe air compression when the PTC system executes a penalty, while a cab display unit shows the resulting system statuses to the user. It represents the corpus's central claim pattern — software-simulated PTC logic paired with hardware-in-the-loop brake actuation and operator display feedback — rather than a novel or isolated approach. Teams building test rigs with a similar software-to-hardware brake-simulation bridge should review this filing and its related family members before finalising an architecture.
The classification data shows heavy concentration in B61L (railway traffic control) and G09B (educational and demonstration aids), with almost no coverage of cross-border interoperability simulation, movement authority conflict resolution, or hazard analysis automation specifically for PTC test rigs. These branches sit adjacent to the dense claim core but are not directly occupied by any record in this corpus. That gap does not guarantee patentability on its own, but it does mean prior art risk is comparatively lower there than in the crowded brake-pipe and cab-display simulation space.
The year-by-year data shows filings at zero through 2017, rising to 4 by the 2022 midpoint, then jumping to a peak of 12 in 2023 — a pattern of late, clustered filing rather than a gradual multi-year climb. This is consistent with a small number of assignees, rather than an entire industry, deciding to patent simulation and modeling approaches around the same time. Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, filings made in 2024 and 2025 may still be working through the pipeline and are not yet fully reflected in this trend.
Answers are grounded in the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Positive Train Control Simulation and Modeling covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
Research Positive Train Control Simulation and Modeling in depth with Eureka
Go past this page: query the whole positive train control simulation and modeling corpus yourself, in your own scope.
Every answer comes back with patent numbers you can open.
Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company's registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.