Method and system for estimating the position of a railway vehicle travelling along a railway line, and railway vehicle comprising such system

A system for calculating, substantially in real time, an interval within which at least a reference part of a railway vehicle which is travelling along a railway line is located, comprising:

• a controller positioned onboard the railway vehicle;
• at least one digital map associated with or comprised in the controller;
• a receiver mounted onboard the railway vehicle, the receiver being arranged to provide to the controller first signals indicative of a current absolute position of the railway vehicle;
• and
• an onboard odometry system which is arranged to provide to the controller second signals indicative of an actual distance travelled by the railway vehicle along the railway line with respect to a reference point;
• wherein the controller:
• calculates at each instant time of a plurality of successive instants of time:
• a maximum position and a minimum position both calculated as points on the digital map, the maximum position and the minimum position being calculated based on the first signals provided by the receiver;
• and
• a maximum distance and a minimum distance travelled by the railway vehicle with respect to the reference point, the maximum distance and minimum distance being calculated based on the second signals provided by the onboard odometry system of the railway vehicle;
• at a selected instant of time of the plurality of successive instants of time, adds:
• to the maximum position calculated at an instant of time earlier than the selected instant of time, a difference between a value of the maximum distance calculated at the selected instant of time and a value of the maximum distance calculated at the instant of time earlier than the selected instant of time, thereby determining on the digital map a first reference maximum position;
• and
• to the minimum position calculated at the instant of time earlier than the selected instant of time, a difference between a value of the minimum distance calculated at the selected instant of time and a value of the minimum distance calculated at the instant of time earlier than the selected instant of time, thereby determining on the digital map a second reference minimum position;
• and
• calculates the interval within which at least the reference part of the railway vehicle is located, by assigning:
• as its most advanced end or upper end, a most forward position between the position calculated for the first reference maximum position and a value of the maximum position calculated at the selected instant of time;
• and
• as its rearmost end or lower end, a most rearward position between the position calculated for the second reference minimum position and a value of the minimum position calculated at the selected instant of time.