US 10,773,739 B2Granted

Method, apparatus and railroad vehicle, in particular rail vehicle, for signal recognition in railroad traffic, in particular rail traffic

AssigneeSiemens Mobility GmbH

InventorsAndreas Schaefer-Enkeler, Andreas Schönberger, Phillipp Von Rotenhan

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Abstract

Provided is an embodiment to automatically detect signals in track-bound traffic when track-bound vehicles are traveling on track sections in a track network. According to the embodiment, this is achieved in that on the basis of a) location-related reference information, which is stored as reference data and which is detected along the track section in the track network with respect to the geographical surroundings and the track-bound traffic signal control, in the form of reference location information, reference signal state information, context and notification information which is obtained in the context of the detection process, and optionally additional meta information relating to the information, and b) a comparison between the operational location information and operational signal state information, which is detected in the signal detection operation using position data, with the stored reference data, a signal and/or a signal state is detected in order to control the track-bound traffic on the track section.

Claims41

Dependent claims

A method for signal recognition in railroad traffic, comprising:

a) collecting location-related information, at at least a part of courses of railroad sections detected in a railroad network, in relation to geographical surroundings and railroad traffic signal control on at least one railroad section in the form of location-related reference data comprising reference location information and reference signal state information, wherein the geographical surroundings and the railroad traffic signal control are assessed in a detection context, and
b) storing the location-related reference data, which include with respect to the collected reference location information and reference signal state information, in addition, either location-related context and indication information obtained from the assessment or location-related context and indication information obtained from the assessment and location- and detection-context-related meta information,
and in a signal recognition operation:
c) determining, for every x-arbitrary location on the railroad section on which a railroad vehicle is movable, a railroad location coordinate with which the position of the vehicle is located,
d) detecting, with respect to the respectively determined railroad location coordinate, operation location information in relation to the geographical surroundings and operation signal state information, in relation to a signal control installation for railroad traffic signal control,
e) comparing the operation location information with the reference location information, and the operation signal state information with the reference signal state information in relation to the operation location information and the reference location information corresponding thereto, wherein the comparing is carried out on the basis of the stored location-related reference data such that the detected operation signal state information, which is intended to recognize a signal and/or a signal state for controlling the railroad traffic on the at least one railroad section for the railroad location coordinate determined, is found if the detected operation signal state information, in relation to the operation location information and the reference location information corresponding thereto, corresponds to reference signal state information contained in the located-related reference data, taking account of the context and indication information contained in the reference data or the context and indication information and the meta information.

3 more elements

An apparatus for signal recognition in railroad traffic, comprising

a) at least one detection device with which at least a part of courses of railroad sections in a railroad network are detectable in relation to geographical surroundings and railroad traffic signal control on at least one railroad section, wherein the at least one detection device is configured to collect, location-related reference data in the form of reference location information and reference signal state information, wherein the at least one detection device has a processing component configured to assess the geographical surroundings and the railroad traffic signal control in the detection context wherein
the location-related reference data are storable either in an apparatus-internal storage device connected to the at least one detection device including the processing component, or in an apparatus-external storage device connectable to the detection device including the processing component, which location-related reference data include, with respect to the reference location information and location-related reference signal state information in addition, either location-related context and indication information supplied by the processing component on the basis of an assessment or location-related context and indication information supplied by the processing component on the basis of the assessment and location- and detection-context-related meta information,
wherein
b) a position determining device, with which in a signal recognition operation, for every x-arbitrary location on the at least one railroad section on which a railroad vehicle is movable, a railroad location coordinate is determinable, with which the position of the vehicle is located,
wherein the at least one detection device is configured to detect operation location information in relation to the geographical surroundings and operation signal state information in relation to a signal control installation for railroad traffic signal control at the railroad location coordinate,
d) a position coordination device, which compares the operation location information with the reference location information and the operation signal state information with the reference signal state information in relation to the operation location information and the reference location information corresponding thereto, wherein the comparing is carried out on the basis of the stored reference data such that the detected operation signal state information which is intended to recognize a signal and/or a signal state for controlling the railroad traffic on the at least one railroad section for the railroad location coordinate determined, is found if the operation signal state information, in relation to the operation location information and the reference location information corresponding thereto, corresponds to reference signal state information contained in the location-related reference data taking account of the context and indication information contained in the reference data or the context and indication information and the meta information.

3 more elements

A method for signal recognition in railroad traffic comprising:

determining a railroad location coordinate for every x-arbitrary location on one or more railroad sections on which a railroad vehicle is movable such that the position of the railroad vehicle is determinable based on the railroad coordinate;
detecting, at a railroad location coordinate on one or more railroad sections in a railroad network on which a railroad vehicle is moveable, at least one of reference location information including geographical surroundings of a signal control installation the one or more railroad sections, and reference signal state information including a signal and signal state of a signal control installation on the one or more railroad sections,
wherein at the at least one of reference location information and reference signal state information are assessed to determine the exact position of the signal control installation and the signal state of the signal control installation, wherein the exact position and signal state are each marked;
and
storing the reference location information and reference signal state information, and storing at least one of location-related context and indication information obtained from the assessment or location-related context and indication information obtained from the assessment and location- and detection-context-related meta information.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/091,540Filed 8 Apr 2016
Published: US 2019/0126957 A12 May 2019
Granted: 15 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

B61L 23/04
Control, warning or like safety means along the route or between vehicles or trains: for monitoring the mechanical state of the route
B61L 3/065
Controlling by electromagnetic or particle radiation, e.g. by light beam: controlling optically
B61L 15/0092
Indicators provided on the vehicle or train for signalling purposes: memory means reproducing during the running of the vehicle or vehicle train,…
B61L 23/041
For monitoring the mechanical state of the route: obstacle detection