Railway forerunner and method for remote guidance of trains

Abstract

A railway trolley (100) for guiding trains (150) on a railway network (200), the railway trolley (100) being characterized in that it comprises at least: - an identification device (1) for the unique identification of a train (150) to be guided along a predefined route on the railway network (200); - one or more first sensor(s) (10) for monitoring, during operation, an area (A) located in front of the railway trolley (100) with respect to the direction of travel; - a control device (30) which is operationally connected to the identification device (1) and to the first sensor(s) (10), said control device (30) being configured to emit, on the basis of at least one signal received from one of the first sensors, control signals capable of remotely controlling the movement of the train (150) identified by the identification device, along said predefined route;- a communication device (40) which is operationally connected to the control device (30) and which is configured to send control signals to a train control system (153) for the train (150) guided along said predefined route.;

Description

[0001] The present invention relates generally to train control systems on a railway network.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to a railway trolley and a method for remotely guiding trains along a predefined route on a railway network.

[0003] Recently, in the field of transport systems, studies for the realization of advanced solutions for partially or fully autonomous driving, i.e. without a driver on board, have been greatly stimulated thanks to the growth of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector.

[0004] For example, on subway lines where trains travel along routes that are always the same and relatively simple to program, driverless trains have been used for several years.

[0005] In other sectors, particularly in the automotive and surface rail transport sectors, the development of the Internet of Things, the growth in the speed and power of available computing systems, and the creation of increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence systems, now offer the concrete possibility of also obtaining very advanced technical results.

[0006] It is clear that the development of autonomous driving systems for surface rail network trains must take into account very strict safety standards and must cope with more variable and complicated operating conditions than metro lines.

[0007] Furthermore, the adoption of autonomous guidance systems for each train means the installation and integration of complex and intrusive systems into the train architecture.

[0008] In particular, existing potential solutions are a priori very expensive to integrate on board trains and have an impact on the existing control system. Such integration could therefore entail the need for new certification or re-approval of the train.

[0009] Pending high-level performance in terms of safety and knowledge of the environment in which the trains must operate, these solutions are in any case complex to install, mainly to deal with all mission profiles subject to highly variable operational and environmental conditions.

[0010] WO 2008 / 017821 discloses a detection system comprising a robotic vehicle that moves along a railway track in front of a train and carries several sensors. The sensors continuously scan the railway track to detect potential threats to train operations along the track. The robotic vehicle also includes a wireless communication system. to transmit to the train or to a remote control center information relating to possible threats identified by the sensors, and for receive orders and instructions issued by the train or by the remote control center.

[0011] US 5,786,750 A discloses a pilot vehicle that travels in front of a train and detects hazardous conditions along the railway track. The pilot vehicle is remotely controlled by signals emitted by the trainIt includes a video camera that allows the train driver to observe the path ahead of the pilot vehicle, and a computer that includes a control module to maintain the distance between the train and the pilot vehicle. If the pilot vehicle encounters a potential hazard on the path, it transmits this information to the train driver, who can then stop the train before it encounters the hazard.

[0012] US 5,429,329 A discloses a robotic vehicle equipped with sensors and coupled to the front of a train's locomotive. The train operator can uncouple this robotic vehicle after leaving the station to precede the train and brake it if the robotic vehicle detects a track misalignment.

[0013] Therefore, there is a significant need for solutions that enable the deployment of technically and operationally efficient autonomous trains.

[0014] Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is to provide a solution offering substantial improvements over the known state of the art, in particular having a minimal impact on train control systems to be guided autonomously and allowing, at the same time, compliance with the highest possible safety standards.

[0015] In this context, one object of the present invention is to provide a solution that can be used easily, with new trains and also with trains already in service.

[0016] Another object of the present invention is to propose a solution for putting into service autonomously guided trains, which are highly reliable, relatively easy to implement and at competitive costs.

[0017] This purpose, these objects and others which will become apparent below are achieved by a railway trolley to guide trains on a railway network, comprising at least: one or more first sensors to monitor, during operation, an area located in front of the railway trolley relative to the direction of travel; a control-command device which is operationally connected to the identification device and to the first sensor(s), the control-command device being configured to emit, on the basis of at least one signal received from one or more first sensor(s), control signals capable of remotely guiding the movement of the train identified by the identification device, along the predefined route; a communication device which is operationally connected to the control-command device and which is configured to send the control signals to the control system of the train guided along the predefined route; The railway trolley is characterized in that it also comprises: an identification device for the unique identification of a train to be guided along a predefined route on the railway network.

[0018] The aforementioned purpose and objects of the present invention are also achieved by a method for driving trains on a railway network, characterized in that it comprises at least the following steps: a) : provide a railway trolley as mentioned above; b) : uniquely associate the supplied railway trolley with a train which is to be guided along a predefined railway route on the railway network; c) : remotely guide, with the supplied railway trolley, the associated train along the predefined route.

[0019] Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, given solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, including: [ Fig 1 ] there Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a railway trolley according to the present invention; [ Fig 2 ] there Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically representing a method for remotely controlling a train on a railway network according to the present invention; [ Fig. 3 ] there Figure 3 is a view representing the railway trolley of figure 1 operationally connected with an associated train to guide it on a railway network.

[0020] It should be noted that in the detailed description that follows, identical or similar components, from a structural and / or functional point of view, bear the same numerical references, whether or not they are represented in embodiments different from this description.

[0021] It should also be noted that, in order to describe the present invention clearly and concisely, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and some features may be presented in schematic form.

[0022] Furthermore, when the term "adapted" or "arranged" or "configured" is used here in reference to any component as a whole, or any part of a component, or a combination of components, it shall be understood to mean and encompass either the structure and / or configuration and / or shape and / or positioning of the component or part that this term designates, including for electronic means, electronic circuits as well as software code and / or algorithms or complete programs stored or in execution.

[0023] There figure 1 schematically illustrates an example of a railway trolley according to the present invention, designated by reference number 100.

[0024] The term "trolley" used herein should be interpreted in the broadest possible sense, that is to say, as encompassing any type of railway vehicle capable of providing the performance for which it is designed within the framework of the present invention and, therefore, it can be regarded as covering synonyms such as, for example, "cart", or "railway car", or similar expressions.

[0025] As will be evident below and as schematically represented on the figure 3 The railway trolley 100 is designed to guide trains 150 having one or more freight wagons or passenger cars, on a railway network 200.

[0026] In the example illustrated in the figure 3 , train 150 is a freight train with a locomotive 151 and four wagons 152.

[0027] Clearly, the train 150 to be guided by the railway trolley 100 can be of any type, for example a passenger train, and can include any number of wagons or cars; it can even consist of a single self-propelled unit.

[0028] As schematically illustrated in the figure 1 The railway trolley 100 according to the present invention comprises at least: an identification device 1 for the unique identification of a train 150 to be guided along a predefined route on the railway network 200; one or more first sensors 10 for monitoring, during operation, an area (A) located in front of the railway trolley 100 with respect to the direction of travel indicated on the figure 3 by arrow 201; a control device 30 which is operationally connected to the identification device 1 and to the first sensor(s) 10.

[0029] In particular, the control device 30 is configured to emit, on the basis of at least one signal received from one or more first sensor(s) 10, control signals capable of remotely controlling the movement of the train 150 identified by the identification device 1, along the predefined route.

[0030] According to one possible embodiment, the railway trolley 100 also includes one or more second sensor(s) 20 to monitor, during movement, an area located behind (B) the railway trolley 100 with respect to the direction of travel 201, and the control device 30 is operationally connected to the second sensor(s) 20 and is configured to emit control signals suitable for remotely controlling the movement of the train 150 identified by the identification device 1, along the predefined route, furthermore on the basis of at least one signal received from one or more second sensor(s) 20.

[0031] In addition, at least one communication device 40 is provided on board the railway trolley 100, which communication device 40 is operationally connected to the control-command device 30 and is configured to wirelessly send the control signals issued to the control system 153 of the train 150 guided along the predefined route, via a mobile communication network 202.

[0032] In particular, communication between trolley 100 and the control system on board a train 150 is carried out in unicast mode, i.e. point to point, and ensured by the 202 network.

[0033] In this way, it is practically impossible to deal with a bad train 150.

[0034] The identification device 1 can consist of any system capable of detecting a representative element of a train and sending it to the control device 30 to be analyzed and to allow verification that the detected train is indeed the one to be guided.

[0035] For example, identification device 1 may include a video camera capable of capturing an image of train 150, a reader for barcodes attached to the train or a radio transceiver associated with radio tags (RFID) placed on train 150.

[0036] For its part, the control-command device 30 validates the train 150 to be guided along the predefined route on the railway network 200, for example by combining the representative element of a train received by the identification device 1, with mission profiles pre-recorded in a memory specific to the control-command system.

[0037] The control-command device 30 used in the railway trolley 100 comprises a processor-based system, of a commercially available type, suitably equipped with electronic circuits and programmed with software code to perform the control-command functionalities of the associated train 150, these functionalities being designed for the railway trolley 100 according to the present invention.

[0038] In one possible embodiment, the control device 30 is configured to hold the train 150 at a dynamically adjustable distance (D) during travel.

[0039] In particular, the control device 30 is configured to dynamically adjust the distance (D) between the trolley 100 and the guided train 150, according to one or more parameter(s) relating to at least one of the trains to be guided to the predefined route, and / or railway trolley 100 itself.

[0040] For example, the control device 30 is configured to dynamically adjust the distance (D) considering the actual speed, weight, braking capacity of trolley 100, the worst possible slope profile between trolley 100 and associated train 150, the characteristics of the railway track of the railway network to be traversed, for example the slope, as well as the presence and characteristics of curves.

[0041] In one possible embodiment, the first sensor(s) 10 used on board the railway trolley 100 includes at least one infrared sensor 11.

[0042] In one possible embodiment, the first sensors 10 comprise a plurality of different sensors and, in particular, in addition to the infrared sensor 11, at least one additional sensor selected from the group including a sonar, a radar and a lidar.

[0043] In the example shown on the figure 1The first sensors include an infrared sensor 11, a sonar 12, a radar 13 and a lidar 14.

[0044] In one possible embodiment, the second sensor(s) 20 used on board the railway trolley 100 also include at least one infrared sensor 21.

[0045] In one possible embodiment, the second sensors 20 comprise a plurality of different sensors and, in particular, in addition to the infrared sensor 21, at least one additional sensor selected from the group including a sonar, a radar and a lidar.

[0046] In the example shown on the figure 1 , the second sensors 20 include an infrared sensor 21, a sonar 22, a radar 23 and a lidar 24.

[0047] The set of first and / or second sensors installed on board trolley 100, in combination with software stored in the control device 30, constitutes a system for detecting and recognizing the environment and, in particular, the front (A) and rear (B) area of ​​trolley 100, around and along the rails, based on multi-physics detection, i.e. based on several physical phenomena.

[0048] This multi-physics detection uses signals from various sensors which are sent to the control device 30 which processes them in real time for the detection of obstacles or any situation dangerous to the safety of the guided train 150.

[0049] For example, the control system 30 prioritizes the extended visible-infrared channel, supplemented by radar vision and sonar and / or lidar detection for long- and short-range detection. The channel combination is implemented to create, for example, comprehensive obstacle detection based on fusion and voting according to a formula defined by the designer.

[0050] Furthermore, in one possible embodiment, it is possible to install additional sensors on the sides of the trolley 100 to monitor the lateral areas during operation; these additional sensors are schematically identified on the figure 1 with reference 25.

[0051] In one possible embodiment, the railway trolley 100 includes a self-contained power supply unit 5 to power the trolley 100 autonomously while walking along said predefined route.

[0052] In particular, this self-contained power unit 5 includes one or more rechargeable batteries.

[0053] The batteries can be charged when the trolley 100 is parked in a charging station or during the service journey by transmitting energy from the guided train 150 to the trolley 100, for example with wireless remote charging systems.

[0054] To ensure its own power supply, the trolley is advantageously equipped at each end with a secure connection device for a charging socket located on dedicated fixed power stations strategically positioned throughout the rail network. These power stations communicate with each other to establish a safe connection between the trolley and the charging station.

[0055] The terminal has an absorption capacity to cushion any excessively rapid contact from the trolley.

[0056] The trolleybus recharges at the power supply stations entirely autonomously. When starting a mission, or depending on pre-planned missions, the trolleybus assesses whether its battery level is sufficient to complete its next mission. If not, the trolleybus independently performs a service maneuver—that is, without pulling any trains—to recharge its power supply.

[0057] The trolley itself selects the charging station based on proximity and the operational status of nearby stations. Since the stations are connected devices, their availability is checked remotely before initiating the charging process.

[0058] In one possible embodiment, the railway trolley 100 according to the present invention comprises a first manual driving system 45, i.e. with a driver who guides the trolley 100, and a second autonomous driving system 50, i.e. without a driver.

[0059] The second autonomous driving system 50 can be controlled remotely, for example by an operator located in a network control room 200.

[0060] In particular, the manual driving system 45 and the autonomous driving system are operationally connected to said command and control device 30, so that said second autonomous driving system 50 is inhibited at least until the train 150 to be guided along said predefined route is uniquely identified.

[0061] A method 300 for operating trains 150 having one or more wagons 152 on a railway network 200 according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the figure 3 .

[0062] In particular, process 300 includes at least the following steps: 301: to provide a railway trolley 100 as described above and in particular as defined in the attached claims; 305: to uniquely associate the supplied railway trolley 100 with a train 150 which is to be guided along a predefined railway route on said railway network 200; 310: to remotely guide, with said supplied railway trolley 100, the associated train 150 along said predefined route.

[0063] In one possible embodiment, said step 305, or trolley 100 is uniquely associated with the train 150 to be guided, is carried out under the direct control of an operator who uses, for example, the manual driving system 45 and drives trolley 100 as close as possible to train 150 so that there is no ambiguity about which train to take charge of.

[0064] In one possible embodiment, said step 310 of remotely guiding the associated train 150 with the trolley 100, includes dynamically adjusting the distance (D) between the supplied railway trolley 100 and the guided train 150 as a function of one or more parameter(s) relating to at least one of said guided train 150, and / or to a predefined route, and / or to the supplied railway trolley 100.

[0065] It is clear from the preceding description that the railway trolley 100 and the method 300 according to the present invention make it possible to achieve the purpose of the present invention and the objectives sought, because the trains are driven remotely in an autonomous manner, without intervention from the driver in the controlled train.

[0066] In the event of an obstacle, dangerous situation or any unexpected behavior, a guided train can be stopped without dangerous consequences.

[0067] Advantageously, to comply with signalling principles, the trolley and in particular the command and control device 30 is configured so that the maximum distance between the trolley and the train controlled by the trolley is less than a maximum threshold.

[0068] The 153 train control system 150 is designed to determine the position of the train and to define, advantageously by interacting with the trackside signaling infrastructure, a safety envelope around the train, said envelope including at least the train, the trolley and the distance between the train and the associated trolley.

[0069] Advantageously, the signaling infrastructure includes several zone controllers, or ZCs. The rail network is subdivided into multiple zones, and a ZC is associated with each zone. A ZC is responsible, in particular, for monitoring the presence of trains within its assigned zone and for issuing movement authorizations to trains in a way that guarantees their safe operation; for example, it must not grant a train movement authorization that would allow it to overtake the train in front of it. Each zone is further subdivided into multiple blocks.

[0070] Based on information about the position of the safety zones and a geographical map of the network, the ZC initially assigns the value "occupied" to the sections that intersect with the safety zone. The initial state for sections where no train is currently located, i.e., sections that do not intersect with a safety zone, takes the value "free".

[0071] In this way, occupancy information for each canton in a zone is determined by the ZC and movement authorizations can be issued to the train, ensuring the safe circulation of trains.

[0072] The 153 train control system 150 is thus capable of extending the safety envelope at least as far as the trolley.

[0073] Advantageously, the trolleybus is coupled / connected to the train to which it is attached via a magnetic coupling system. The train and the trolleybus are therefore coupled to each other and represent a single vehicle for the signaling infrastructure.

[0074] According to the present invention, autonomous and remote guidance is achieved outside the control system installed on board the train 150, which limits intrusion into the architecture of the trains to be guided, which simply need to provide a remote control capability.

[0075] In this way, the certification and approval of the trains are retained for the migration to autonomous guidance.

[0076] Communication between trolley 100 and the guided train 150 which follows trolley 100 on network 200 is carried out in real time and also by checking the freshness of the information exchanged.

[0077] These results are obtained using a very flexible solution that can be applied during the construction of any new railway vehicle or when working on existing vehicles, with very simple modifications offering external operators the possibility of taking control of a train without an onboard driver.

[0078] In fact, the railway trolley 100 and the process 300 according to the present invention can implement very high level performance and can be reused from one train to another since each trolley 100 can be used for an entire fleet of trains, simply by means of appropriate computer programming of its own software with a huge advantage on management costs.

[0079] The 300 process and the 100 rail trolley thus designed are subject to modifications and variations. For example, communication with the various trains to be guided can be carried out using any secure communication system, for example encrypted, and data integrity control can be achieved through conventional redundancy techniques and according to any applicable protocol.

[0080] Furthermore, all details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements.

Claims

1. A railway trolley (100) for guiding trains (150) on a rail network (200), including at least: - one or more first sensor(s) (10) for monitoring, during travel, a zone (A) located in front of the railway trolley (100) with respect to the direction of travel; - a control-command device (30) that is operatively connected to the identification device (1) and to the first sensor(s) (10), the control-command device (30) being configured to emit, based on at least one signal received from one of the first sensor(s), command signals capable of remotely controlling travel of the train (150) identified by the identification device, along said predefined route; - a communication device (40) that is operatively connected to the control-command device (30) and that is configured to send the command signals to a system (153) for controlling the train (150) guided along said predefined route; the railway trolley (100) being characterised in that it further includes: - an identification device (1) for univocally identifying a train (150) to be guided along a predefined route on the rail network (200).

2. The railway trolley (100) according to claim 1, wherein the control-command device (30) is configured to hold the train (150) at a dynamically adjustable distance (D) according to one or more parameters relating to at least said train (150), the predefined route and / or the railway trolley (100).

3. The railway trolley (100) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that it comprises one or more second sensor(s) (20) for monitoring, during travel, a zone (B) located behind the railway trolley (100) with respect to the direction of travel, the control-command device (30) being operationally connected to the second sensor(s) (20) and configured to emit the command signals capable of remotely controlling travel of the train (150) identified by the identification device, along said predefined route, further based on at least one signal received from one of the second sensor(s).

4. The railway trolley (100) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that it includes an autonomous power supply unit (5) for autonomously powering the trolley (100) during travel along the predefined route, this autonomous power supply unit (5) preferably including one or more rechargeable battery(ies).

5. The railway trolley (100) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that it includes a first manual driving system (45) with a driver and a second autonomous driving system (50) without a driver that are operatively connected to the control-command device (30), the second autonomous driving system (50) being inhibited until the identification device (1) univocally identifies the train (150) to be guided along the predefined route.

6. The railway trolley (100) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the first sensor(s) (10) include(s) at least one infrared sensor (11).

7. The railway trolley (100) according to claim 6, wherein the first sensors (10) further include at least one additional sensor selected from the group including a sonar (12), a radar (13), and a lidar (14).

8. The railway trolley (100) according to claim 3, wherein the second sensor(s) (20) include(s) at least one infrared sensor (21) and advantageously at least one additional sensor selected from the group including a sonar (22), a radar (23) and a lidar (24).

9. A method (300) for driving trains (150) on a rail network, characterised in that it includes at least the following steps of: - (301): providing a railway trolley (100) according to one or more of the preceding claims; - (305): univocally associating the railway trolley (100) provided with a train (150) to be guided along a predefined railway route on the rail network; - (310): remotely guiding, with said railway trolley (100) provided, the train (150) associated along the predefined route.

10. The method (300) for driving trains (150) according to claim 9, characterised in that the remote guide step (310) includes dynamically adjusting a distance (D) between the railway trolley (100) provided and the train (150) guided, according to one or more parameters relating to at least the train to be guided, the predefined route and / or the railway trolley (100) provided.

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