Method for operating a vehicle and rail operation facility

Abstract

In one embodiment, the method for operating a vehicle (1), in particular a train, is set up and comprises the steps: - providing the vehicle (1), - providing a trackside control center (2) for influencing the vehicle (1), - periodically sending status information (3) about the status of the vehicle (1) from the vehicle (1) to the trackside control center (2), and - sending a pause command (4) from the trackside control center (2) to the vehicle (1) or vice versa, so that the use of a communication channel (5) between the vehicle (1) and the trackside control center (2) is temporarily omitted, wherein the trackside control center (2) is configured to close the communication channel (5) to the vehicle (1) after a predetermined waiting time (W) without transmitting status information (3) if no pause command (4) has been sent previously.

Description

[0001] The application concerns a method for operating a vehicle. Furthermore, the application concerns a railway depot.

[0002] The document WO 2014 / 114485 A2 is directed to a method and a device for train control.

[0003] In BORRELLI ANTONIO ET AL: "Formal Verification of Radio Communication Management in Railway Systems Using Model Checking Technique", 2019 IEEE 28TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES: INFRASTRUCTURE FOR COLLABORATIVE ENTERPRISES (WETICE), IEEE, June 12, 2019 (2019-06-12), pages 249-254, XP033598624, DOI: 10.1109 / WETICE.2019.00060, a test of the communication between onboard vehicle systems and trackside systems is described. Furthermore, the Unisig: "ERA * UNISIG * EEIG ERTMS USERS GROUP System Requirements Specification Chapter 3 Principles ERTMS / ETCS System Requirements Specification Chapter 3 Principles", 12 May 2014 (2014-05-12), XP055709049 describes the communication between the vehicle and the trackside equipment.

[0004] One problem to be solved is to specify a method by which a line that includes a communication channel can be operated efficiently. Another problem to be solved is to specify a railway operating system for such a method.

[0005] These objects are achieved, among other things, by a method and a railway operating facility having the features of the independent claims. Preferred developments are the subject of the remaining claims.

[0006] The control center is set up to close the communication channel to the vehicle after a predetermined waiting time if no status information is transmitted during the waiting time and if no pause command has been sent beforehand.

[0007] On railway lines operated with the European Train Control System (ETCS), communication between the train and the control center takes place according to the UNISIG system specifications, in particular UNISIG: System Requirements Specification, SUBSET-026. UNISIG stands for UNion Industry of Signaling, which is a working group of the railway industry association UNIFE.

[0008] According to UNISIG, a session is considered terminated after a five-minute radio interruption. A session is a continuous period of time during which the vehicle can be influenced and monitored by the control center. When the session ends, all information about the vehicle known to the control center is deleted, including train data and the last known position of the train. If a session must be terminated and re-established, the control center must first receive the train data and locate the vehicle on the track. Depending on the track topology, this localization process can take several minutes.

[0009] During longer scheduled stops, for example, at a train station, the session must be kept open to avoid the need to relocate the vehicle after the stop. Keeping the session open requires continuous radio communication between the vehicle and the control center. This consumes the capacity of a radio network used for communication between the vehicle and the control center without any operational benefit.

[0010] In the method described here, the freely usable packet 44, as specified according to UNISIG, is used to negotiate between the vehicle and the track center that the session should be maintained for more than 5 minutes despite radio interruption.

[0011] For this purpose, the control center on the vehicle can use packet 44 to command the termination of the radio connection, but the session should continue, thus replacing packet 42 according to UNISIG, if this was commanded, for example, from an operator station. Alternatively, the vehicle can also use packet 44 to indicate before the radio connection is terminated that it wishes to continue the session after the radio connection has been reestablished.

[0012] As soon as the vehicle re-establishes the radio connection and is certain that neither its position nor train data have changed, it sends a packet 44 to the control center to allow the session to continue. The control center can then immediately issue a movement authority (MA). The time required for exchanging train data and relocating is eliminated. If the vehicle is unsure about its position change or train data change, the normal session setup is initiated instead, which leads to the deletion of any data still stored in the control center.

[0013] The use of the "General Purpose" package 44 specified in UNISIG described here optimizes behavior during interrupted sessions and thus reduces setup times for session establishment. This procedure can be used particularly if the control center and the vehicle support the corresponding telegrams in package 44. Existing UNISIG procedures, and thus interoperability, are not affected.

[0014] Thus, with the procedure described here, it is possible, for example, if an ETCS-controlled vehicle is scheduled to make an extended stop, to interrupt the radio connection during this time and use it for other purposes. This can increase the capacity of the radio connection, for example, at intersections. As soon as the vehicle is ready to continue its journey, the old session can be resumed directly with the issuance of the driving authorization, without the need for initial measures at the control center, such as locating or registering the vehicle, which would delay the issuance of the driving authorization.

[0015] According to at least one embodiment, the method is used to operate many vehicles simultaneously, in particular many trains that are located on one or more railway lines.

[0016] According to at least one embodiment of the method or one of its embodiments described above, the status information is regularly sent from the vehicle to the control center as long as no pause command is sent. It is possible for the control center to regularly send a status feedback message to the vehicle. The status feedback messages and the status information can be sent alternately. A regular time interval between the transmission of two consecutive status information messages is, for example, at least 3 s and / or at most 30 s. According to at least one embodiment of the method or one of its embodiments described above, the status information comprises one or more of the following information: train number, train position, train speed, estimated braking distance, acceleration.

[0017] According to at least one embodiment of the method or one of its embodiments described above, the pause command is sent from the control center to the vehicle. It is possible for the vehicle to acknowledge receipt of the pause command, but otherwise stop using the communication channel, for example, until it receives a communication command that cancels the pause command.

[0018] According to at least one embodiment of the method or one of its embodiments described above, the pause command is sent from the vehicle to the control center. It is possible for the control center to confirm receipt of the pause command, but otherwise to stop using the communication channel to the vehicle until receiving a communication command that cancels the pause command and / or to stop using the communication channel for a specific period of time. The communication command can be a driving permit, orMUST, or contain a driver's license. The pause command can, in particular, be a request from the vehicle to maintain the session even without communication for longer than the waiting time.

[0019] According to the invention, the previously issued pause command ensures that the vehicle remains registered in the route control center even beyond the waiting time. The waiting time, after which the vehicle is removed from the route control center without communication, is, for example, 5 minutes. This waiting time prevents defective vehicles or vehicles on a defective communication channel from remaining registered in the route control center for too long and permanently blocking capacity on the communication channel and / or in the route control center. The waiting time is, for example, at least ten or fifty times the average time between the transmission of two consecutive status information items.

[0020] According to at least one embodiment of the method or one of its embodiments described above, the communication channel is a radio connection, in particular a connection according to the Global System for Mobile Communications - Rail standard, or GSM-R for short, which is a digital mobile radio system based on the GSM mobile radio standard but expanded for use in railways. Furthermore, communication can take place using the CS (Circuit Switching, also known as CSD for Circuit Switched Data) or PS (Packet Switching, also known as General Packet Radio Service, GPRS for short) protocols. Alternatively, or in combination, the communication channel can be based on the UMTS (3G), LTE (3.9G), LTEA (4G) and / or 5G standards.

[0021] According to at least one embodiment of the method or one of its embodiments described above, the pause command is issued by the route control center if it is foreseeable that the vehicle will remain stationary, either scheduled or unscheduled, for a period of at least 25% or 50% of the waiting time. In particular, the pause command is sent at a station and / or at a traffic junction to reduce the load on the communication channel.

[0022] According to at least one embodiment of the method or one of its embodiments described above, the pause command is sent before the vehicle enters an area without availability of the communication channel. The area without availability of the communication channel is, for example, a dead zone caused by the failure of a radio station. Preferably, the dead zone is known to the control center before the pause command is sent. In this case in particular, the pause command can include a command stating that the vehicle must report back after a certain period of time and / or upon reaching a certain position.

[0023] In addition, a railway operating facility for a process as described above is specified.

[0024] The above-mentioned properties, features and advantages of the invention and the manner in which they are achieved are further explained by the following description of the embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the corresponding figures, wherein Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a time sequence of a method described here, Figures 2 and 3 show schematic representations of railway systems operated with methods described here, and Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a time sequence of a modification of a method.

[0025] In Figure 1A schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method for influencing a vehicle 1 with a control center 2 is described. Communication between the vehicle 1 and the control center 2 via a communication channel 5 is illustrated as a function of time T. The vehicle 1 is preferably a train, and the control center 2 is preferably an ETCS control center. The communication channel 5 is preferably a radio connection.

[0026] During regular operation, vehicle 1 sends status information 3 to the route control center at regular intervals 2. The route control center 2 also sends status feedback 31 back to the vehicle on a regular basis 1.

[0027] If it is foreseeable that vehicle 1 will be stationary for a longer period of time or will be in a radio dead zone for a longer period of time, the route control center 2 sends a pause command 4 to the vehicle 1.Optionally, vehicle 1 returns a pause confirmation 42. After receiving the pause command 4, or optionally after sending the pause confirmation 42, vehicle 1 no longer uses the communication channel 5. The pause command 4 is particularly preferably transmitted in a telegram that is designed to be ETCS-compliant according to package 44 of the UNISIG system specifications. This preferably also applies to all other embodiments.

[0028] This suspension of the use of the communication channel 5 lasts either for a certain period of time or until the vehicle 1 has reached a certain position or until the route control center 2 sends a communication command 41 to resume communication.

[0029] Deviating from the representation in Figure 1 the pause command 4 and the optional communication command 41 can also originate from vehicle 1 and not from the track control center 2.

[0030] It is possible for the control center 2 to monitor a time period ΔT, which, for example, elapses between two consecutive status information items 3 and represents the utilization of the communication channel 5. If the time period ΔT exceeds a threshold, the control center 2 commands that the communication channel 5 be temporarily unused by the vehicle 1, which is located, for example, at a station. This can reduce the utilization of a radio cell in which the vehicle 1 is located.

[0031] If a specified waiting time W of, for example, 5 minutes is exceeded without sending the pause command 4, all data relating to train 1 would be deleted in the control center 2, corresponding to the termination of a session. This can be prevented by the pause command 4, and train 1 can resume communication without the potentially time-consuming reinitialization of a session. Communication is resumed, in particular, by issuing a travel authorization with the communication command 41.

[0032] In Figure 2It is shown that the railway operating facility operated using the method comprises a station 7. Several of the vehicles 1, which are preferably all trains, are located on a railway line 6 in the station 7. The vehicles 1 are connected to the track control center 2 via a radio station 80 via the communication channel 5. The vehicles 1 each comprise a communication device 50, for example, a radio system with an antenna.

[0033] If at least one of the vehicles 1 in station 7 is stationary for a longer period of time, the route control center 2 can order that this vehicle 1 does not use the communication channel 5 for a time, at least as long as the vehicle 1 in question is stationary. This is Figure 2This is symbolized by the radio connection in question being marked with an X. This relieves the load on radio station 80 and the route control center 2, and, especially during peak times, more trains 1 can be served using the same infrastructure.

[0034] In Figure 3 It is illustrated that a train 1 is traveling on the railway line 6. The railway line 6 is covered by radio cells 81, which are set up by the radio stations 80. Figure 3 one of the radio stations 80 is defective, resulting in a dead zone 8.

[0035] Train 1, with the direction of travel symbolized by an arrow toward the dead zone, will soon enter dead zone 8, which is known to the control center 2. To prevent a disruption to service, the control center 2 can inform train 1 via communication channel 5 that communication channel 5 will be temporarily unavailable.

[0036] This is especially true if it is foreseeable that train 1, for example, a slow-moving freight train, will be in the dead zone for longer than the specified waiting time. The session related to train 1 can then be maintained beyond the specified waiting time due to the pause command in the control center 2, and the train information can be stored. This means that the automatic termination of the session after the specified waiting time if no communication occurs between the control center 2 and train 1 can be prevented.

[0037] In Figure 4A modification of a method is shown, in which no pause command is sent. While using a first communication channel 5a, train 1 stops sending status information 3 from a certain point in time, for example, due to a known dead zone. The control center 2 waits for the waiting time W to see whether status information 3 is received from train 1. If not, the communication channel 5a is closed, and the session with train 1 is terminated. If train 1 contacts the system again later, the second communication channel 5b is opened, and a new session is initiated.

[0038] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail using exemplary embodiments, the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments and the specific feature combinations explained therein. Further variations of the invention may be obtained by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. List of reference symbols

[0039] 1Vehicle 2Track center 3Status information 31Status feedback 4Pause command 41Communication command 42Pause confirmation 5, 5a, 5bCommunication channel 50Communication device 6Railway 7Train station 8Radio hole 80Radio station 81Radio cell ΔTTime span TTime WWaiting time

Claims

1. Method for operating a vehicle (1) having the steps: - providing the vehicle (1), - providing a control location (2) in order to influence the vehicle (1), - intermittently regularly sending status information (3) about a status of the vehicle (1) from the vehicle (1) to the control location (2), and - sending a pause command (4) from the control location (2) to the vehicle (1) or vice versa, so that a use of a communication channel (5) between the vehicle (1) and the control location (2) is momentarily refrained from, wherein the control location (2) is designed, if no pause command (4) was previously sent, to close the communication channel (5) to the vehicle (1) after a predetermined waiting time (W) without transmitting status information (3), characterised in that the control location (2), if no pause command (4) was previously sent, deletes the previously obtained status information (3) after the predetermined waiting time (W) without transmitting status information (3) so that the vehicle (1) is discharged from the control location (2), wherein the previously issued pause command (4) results in the vehicle (1) remaining registered in the control location (2) even longer than the waiting time (W).

2. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which - the vehicle (1) is a train, - the control location (2) is an ETCS control location and monitors a railway line (6), - the communication channel (5) is a radio link, and - a data exchange is carried out by way of the communication channel (5).

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the pause command (4) is issued by the control location (2) if the vehicle (1) stops according to plan for a time period of at least 25% of the waiting time (W).

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the pause command (4) is sent in a station (7) in order to reduce a load on the communication channel (5).

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the pause command (4) is sent before the vehicle (1) enters an area without availability of the communication channel (5).

6. Method according to the directly preceding claim, in which the area without availability of the communication channel (5) is a dead zone (8), which is caused by the failure of a radio station (80).

7. Rail operation installation with a vehicle (1) and a control location (2), which is designed to be operated with a method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicle comprises at least one communication facility (50) for the communication channel (5).

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