METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INFLUENCED AT LEAST ONE RAIL VEHICLE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for influencing at least one rail vehicle and a system comprising at least two rail vehicles and at least one control center for monitoring the routes of the at least two rail vehicles.

[0002] In rail-bound transport systems, the routes of the rail vehicles are defined and monitored in a control center. By using balises within the rail network, the driving profiles of the rail vehicles can be influenced on defined sections of the route. This allows, for example, the speed of a rail vehicle to be adjusted or braking to be initiated. For instance, the ETCS (European Train Control System) enables different levels of automation for rail vehicles.

[0003] German patent application DE 10 2004 030 521 A1 discloses a method for train control using balises, in which the information transmitted by a balise relates to several upcoming track sections. This allows a single driving permit for a rail vehicle to be issued for several upcoming track sections, thereby enabling a higher maximum speed on these sections.

[0004] Problematic sections of track or route are those used by multiple rail vehicles, as this can temporarily prevent at least one vehicle from proceeding. In such cases, the blocked vehicle is notified relatively quickly that it cannot continue. Consequently, the blocked vehicle must initiate braking and wait for the blocking vehicle to pass.

[0005] A generic method and a generic system for carrying out the method are known from German patent application DE 195 09 696 A1. The method provides that at least one track section of at least one first rail vehicle is occupied by at least one second rail vehicle, through which at least one first rail vehicle sends an information request to a control center about the at least one second rail vehicle, information about the at least one second rail vehicle is transmitted by the control center to the at least one first rail vehicle, and the driving control of the at least one first rail vehicle is adjusted based on the transmitted information.

[0006] Based on this, the object of the invention is to propose a method and a system for time- and energy-optimized approach to a section of track occupied by a rail vehicle.

[0007] The problem is solved by the subject matter of independent claim 1 and independent claim 8. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of dependent subclaims.

[0008] According to one aspect of the invention, a method for influencing at least one rail vehicle is provided. At least one section of the track of at least one first rail vehicle is claimed by at least one second rail vehicle. In one step, the at least one first rail vehicle sends an information request to a control center about the at least one second rail vehicle. In response to the information request, the control center transmits information about the at least one second rail vehicle to the at least one first rail vehicle. Subsequently, based on the transmitted information, the driving control of the at least one first rail vehicle is adjusted, wherein a model of the track of the at least one first rail vehicle is created based on the transmitted information, and the driving control is optimized based on the created model.

[0009] Since conventional train control systems and automated train operations (ATO) do not provide for an exchange of information between different rail vehicles about their respective driving behavior and driving profiles, a time-optimized and energy-optimized driving style is difficult to achieve when a section of track is blocked by a rail vehicle, as ATO systems in particular can only optimize the driving behavior of a rail vehicle when the track is clear up to a train sequence point.

[0010] The procedure allows at least one first rail vehicle to be notified of a blocked section of track at an early stage, so that the at least one first rail vehicle can adjust its speed and, in particular, its driving profile to the temporary blockage caused by at least one second rail vehicle.

[0011] If at least one rail vehicle receives the relevant message, it can send an information request to the appropriate control center.

[0012] The control center can provide the at least one first rail vehicle with relevant information about the rail vehicle blocking the track section. Based on the additional information provided by the control center, the onboard ATO device of the at least one first rail vehicle can adjust its driving control, for example by changing the speed or speed profile up to the blocked track section.

[0013] This method allows the vehicle-side ATO device of the blocked first rail vehicle to optimize its driving behavior, taking into account the second rail vehicle blocking the track section. Thus, the first rail vehicle can, for example, approach the blocked track section at a reduced speed without having to brake suddenly. This prevents the first rail vehicle from having to brake to a standstill and then accelerate again to a defined speed. In particular, the first rail vehicle can avoid active braking, making speed adjustment through economical coasting possible.

[0014] The ATO device of the first rail vehicle can simulate or model a future travel path of the second rail vehicle based on information transmitted by the control center. The model or simulation can take into account the route up to the blocked track section and any section of track that will become available after the second rail vehicle has passed. This allows the travel profile, and in particular the speed profile, of the first rail vehicle to be optimized for both time and energy efficiency.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the method, the control center transmits information about the identity of at least one second rail vehicle to the at least one first rail vehicle. If the track section is blocked, the at least one first rail vehicle cannot receive a requested signal to cross the element or track section because the track section is still reserved for another purpose.

[0016] In the event of such an incident, at least one first rail vehicle can request and receive from the control center the identity of at least one second rail vehicle blocking the track section. Based on this vehicle identification, the at least one first rail vehicle can determine relevant data, such as vehicle length, permissible speed, or similar information, for example, from an onboard database.

[0017] Based on the data and information obtained about the at least one second rail vehicle, the driving control of the at least one first rail vehicle can be adjusted, as it is possible, for example, to estimate when the reserved track section can be released.

[0018] In one embodiment of the method, the control center transmits information about the driving profile of at least one second rail vehicle to at least one first rail vehicle. Following an information request from the at least one first rail vehicle to the control center, the control center can transmit the driving profile, and in particular a modified driving profile of the at least one second rail vehicle that includes a section of track shared with the first rail vehicle, to the at least one first rail vehicle. This allows the driving control of the at least one first rail vehicle to be adjusted so that a subsequent change in the driving profile of the at least one second rail vehicle is taken into account when recalculating its own driving profile. The driving profile of the at least one second rail vehicle can also be considered beyond the track section.This can be advantageous, for example, if the at least one second rail vehicle has been diverted onto the track of the at least one first rail vehicle and travels this track over a longer distance. This allows the at least one first rail vehicle to adjust its speed to that of the at least one second rail vehicle and avoid unnecessary braking maneuvers.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the method, the driving profile of the at least one second rail vehicle in the area of ​​the claimed track section is transmitted to the at least one first rail vehicle. Advantageously, a section or part of a driving profile of the at least one second rail vehicle can be sent to the at least one first rail vehicle by the control center. This could, for example, be a driving profile during the reserved or blocked track section. Alternatively, a driving profile for a section of track that begins before the blocked track section and ends after the blocked track section can also be provided by the control center. This allows the at least one first rail vehicle, and in particular its control system, to...The driving control system of at least one first rail vehicle can estimate the driving path or driving behavior of at least one second rail vehicle and make corresponding adjustments to its driving profile.

[0020] In a further embodiment of the method, the information request to the control center and / or the transmission of information about the at least one second rail vehicle are carried out via a direct or indirect wireless communication link. This allows, for example, a communication link between the at least one first rail vehicle and the control center to be established using a GSM-R, UMTS, or LTE standard. Thus, relevant data about the driving profile of the at least one second rail vehicle can be flexibly sent and received by the at least one first rail vehicle. Information requests can also be sent to the control center via a corresponding communication link.

[0021] According to a further embodiment of the method, information about the at least one second rail vehicle is transmitted to the at least one first rail vehicle via a train control system. In particular, the information, which consists, for example, of the identity and the travel profile of the at least one second rail vehicle, can be sent to the at least one first rail vehicle via at least one balise located on the track. For this purpose, such an active balise can be wirelessly or wired connected to the control center and send data in the form of telegrams to the at least one first rail vehicle. The telegrams sent by the balise can be received and evaluated by a balise transmission module (BTM) located on the rail vehicle. The at least one balise can, for example, be a Eurobalise of an ETC system.

[0022] In a further embodiment of the method, the driving profile of the at least one first rail vehicle is adapted to the driving profile of the at least one second rail vehicle based on the transmitted information. This allows the ATO device of the at least one first rail vehicle to, in particular, adjust the speed control of the at least one first rail vehicle along the track up to the point where the track section is blocked by the at least one second rail vehicle. For example, the driving profile of the at least one first rail vehicle can be modified by the ATO device such that the speed of the at least one first rail vehicle is first reduced for a defined section of track before the blocked section.Once at least one second rail vehicle has passed the blocked section of track or has completely entered it, the at least one first rail vehicle can continue at a defined distance from the at least one second rail vehicle and at the same speed as the at least one second rail vehicle. Similarly, the travel profile of the at least one first rail vehicle can be adjusted if several rail vehicles are blocking the section of track.

[0023] According to a further aspect of the invention, a system for carrying out the method according to the invention is provided. The system comprises at least one first rail vehicle, at least one second rail vehicle which occupies a track section of the first rail vehicle, and at least one control center for monitoring the tracks of the at least two rail vehicles, wherein the at least one first rail vehicle is configured to send an information request to the control center about the at least one second rail vehicle, the control center is configured to transmit information about the at least one second rail vehicle to the at least one first rail vehicle, and the first rail vehicle is configured to adjust its driving control based on the transmitted information.

[0024] According to the invention, the first rail vehicle is equipped to create a model of its route based on the transmitted information and to optimize the driving control based on the created model.

[0025] The system according to the invention enables information exchange between a control center and at least one rail vehicle blocked on a section of track. For this purpose, the control center has systems that can determine and collect the status of the respective tracks and the corresponding information on the rail vehicles traveling on those tracks. Changes to the timetables can be retrieved from the control center by the affected rail vehicles or the at least one first rail vehicle in the form of an information request.

[0026] The control center can also be a control center responsible for the affected section of the route or an external server unit that can provide the relevant information.

[0027] The relevant information could include, in particular, new timetables and driving profiles that lead to an overlap in the area of ​​at least one track section. With the help of this information, a blocked rail vehicle can adjust its speed and driving profile to the blocked track section in an early manner, thus preferably avoiding a sudden braking maneuver or even a complete stop.

[0028] Preferably, active braking maneuvers can thus be avoided. To reduce the speed of the first rail vehicle, it can be allowed to coast. Geographical data of the track can also be taken into account to optimally utilize gradients and inclines when adjusting the track.

[0029] Furthermore, braking and restarting can be avoided, as starting a rail vehicle can consume a relatively large amount of time and energy. Re-accelerating from a lower speed is more energy-efficient than starting from a standstill. This also reduces wear on the braking system, as active braking is only necessary in exceptional circumstances.

[0030] The properties, features and advantages of this invention described above, as well as the manner in which they are achieved, will become clearer and more easily understood by the explanation of the following highly simplified schematic representations of preferred embodiments.

[0031] Here, they show FIG 1 a schematic flowchart of a method for influencing at least one rail vehicle according to a first embodiment and FIG 2 a schematic representation of a system according to a first embodiment,

[0032] The FIG 1 Figure 1 shows a schematic flowchart of a method 1 for influencing at least one rail vehicle according to a first embodiment.

[0033] In a first step, a section of the track of a first rail vehicle is blocked by a second rail vehicle. 2. The track section is reserved for the passage of the second rail vehicle, so that the first rail vehicle would temporarily not receive permission to proceed and would have to wait.

[0034] The first rail vehicle receives early notification of this track section reservation. Preferably, the first rail vehicle receives this notification before braking is required. The timing of this notification should be such that the first rail vehicle has sufficient time to take action. This action could, for example, involve coasting and adjusting speed to avoid stopping. After the first rail vehicle receives notification of the track section reservation, it can send an information request to a control center. This can be done, for example, via a mobile data connection and to request information about the rail vehicle for which the track has been reserved.

[0035] The control center can then transmit relevant information about the second rail vehicle to the first rail vehicle as a response. 6. In particular, the control center can transmit data about the second rail vehicle, such as driving profile, identity of the rail vehicle, length of the rail vehicle and the like, to the first rail vehicle. 6.

[0036] The first rail vehicle can then adjust its driving control based on the information about the second rail vehicle. The driving control particularly affects the speed and speed profile of the first rail vehicle. Thus, the first rail vehicle can use this information to adjust its driving profile so that it preferably does not have to stop before reaching the reserved track section, but can accelerate to a higher speed after the second rail vehicle has passed.

[0037] In the FIG 2 Figure 10 is a schematic representation of a system 10 according to a first embodiment. The system 10 comprises a first rail vehicle 12 and a second rail vehicle 14. Furthermore, the system 10 includes a control center 16, which knows the timetables and driving profiles of both rail vehicles 12 and 14. According to the embodiment, a track section 18 is reserved for the second rail vehicle 14, so the first rail vehicle 12 must wait for clearance. Before reaching the reserved track section 18, the first rail vehicle 12 requests information about the second rail vehicle 14 via a data connection 20 in order to adjust its driving profile.

[0038] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by the preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples and other variations can be derived by the person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of protection of the invention according to the attached claims. Reference sign

[0039] 1. Procedure 2. Reservation of the route segment 4. Sending an information request 6. Transmitting information from a control center 8. Adjusting a driving control / Adjusting a driving profile 10 System 12 First rail vehicle 14 Second rail vehicle 16 Control center 18 Reserved track section 20 Communication link

Claims

1. Method (1) for influencing at least one rail vehicle (12), wherein - at least one route section (18) of at least one first rail vehicle (12) is claimed (2) by at least one second rail vehicle (14), - an information request regarding the at least one second rail vehicle (14) is sent (4) by the at least one first rail vehicle (12) to a control centre (16), - information regarding the at least one second rail vehicle (14) is transferred (6) to the at least one first rail vehicle (12) by the control centre (16), - based on the transferred information, a travel regulation of the at least one first rail vehicle (12) is adapted (8), characterised in that based on the transferred information, a model of a route of the at least one first rail vehicle (12) is created and the travel regulation is optimised (8) based on the created model.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein information regarding the identity of the at least one second rail vehicle (14) is transferred (6) by the control centre (16) to the at least one first rail vehicle (12).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein information regarding a travel profile of the at least one second rail vehicle (14) is transferred (6) by the control centre (16) to the at least one first rail vehicle (12).

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the travel profile of the at least one second rail vehicle (14) in the region of the claimed route section (18) is transferred (6) to the at least one first rail vehicle (12).

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the information request (4) to the control centre (16) and / or the transfer of the information (6) regarding the at least one second rail vehicle (14) is carried out via a direct or indirect wireless communication connection (20).

6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein information regarding the at least one second rail vehicle (14) is transferred (6) via a train influencing system to the at least one first rail vehicle (12).

7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, based on the transferred information, a travel profile of the at least one first rail vehicle (12) is adapted (8) to the travel profile of the at least one second rail vehicle (14).

8. System (10) for carrying out the method (1) according to one of the preceding claims, having at least one first rail vehicle (12), at least one second rail vehicle (14), which claims a route section (18) of the first rail vehicle (12), and at least one control centre (16) for monitoring routes of the at least two rail vehicles (12, 14), in which - the at least one first rail vehicle (12) is configured to send an information request regarding the at least one second rail vehicle (14) to the control centre (16), - the control centre (16) is configured to transfer information regarding the at least one second rail vehicle (14) to the at least one first rail vehicle (12) and - the first rail vehicle (12) is configured to adapt its travel regulation based on the transferred information, characterised in that the first rail vehicle (12) is configured, based on the transferred information, to create a model of its route and, based on the created model, to optimise the travel regulation.