Road vehicle having a current collector

Abstract

The invention relates to a road vehicle (1) having a current collector (2) for feeding energy from a two-pole overhead line system (3) during travel in a lane (L) above which contact wires (4) of the overhead line system (3) run. The current collector (2) has contact assemblies (5) for electrically contacting the contact wires (4) and a lifting device (6) for raising and lowering the contact assemblies (5) between a lower idle position (HO) and an upper contact position (HI). According to the invention, the road vehicle (1) comprises a camera system (7) for capturing an environment section (U), the camera system being arranged and oriented such that at least part of the current collector (2) and, if present, at least portions of the contact wires (4) lie in the environment section (U). The camera system (7) comprises a time-of-flight camera (8) for capturing depth data (DT) regarding the environment section (U), a video camera (9) for capturing contrast data (DK) regarding the environment section (U), and an evaluation system (10), which is designed to determine, from the captured depth data and from the captured contrast data, a presence thesis (PT) as to whether contact wires (4) are present in the environment section (U) and, if contact wires (4) are present, a lateral position (Y) and height position (Z) of the contact wires (4), and a height position (H) of the contact assemblies (5).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Road vehicle with one pantograph

[0003] The invention relates to a road vehicle with a pantograph according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

[0004] A pantograph on such a road vehicle is used to feed in electrical energy from a two-pole overhead line system while the vehicle is traveling on a road section. The road section has a lane over which contact wires of the overhead line system, designed as forward and return conductors, run. The pantograph has contact assemblies for making electrical contact with the contact wires and a lifting device for raising and lowering the contact assemblies. The height of the contact assemblies lies between a lower rest position, in which the contact assemblies and the contact wires are not in contact, and an upper contact position, in which the contact assemblies make electrical contact with the contact wires.

[0005] Such road vehicles are exposed to the problem of changing relative positions between the pantograph and the contact wires when establishing and maintaining contact. This is due to the driver's steering accuracy within the electrified lane, but can also be caused by the road topology or wind shear. The road vehicle can also deliberately leave the electrified lane when overtaking, making evasive maneuvers, or exiting a lane. Furthermore, the pantograph must be raised as quickly as possible after the start of an electrified section of track and lowered again as shortly before its end as possible in order to utilize the electrified section for energy supply over as long a length as possible.

[0006] Likewise, the position of the contact wires relative to the lane centre can vary due to installation tolerances of the overhead line system, due to construction sites on the roadway, due to new road surfaces or due to new road markings.

[0007] The vehicle-side knowledge of the presence and relative position of contact wires of an overhead line system is just as important for maximum utilization of an electrified lane for energy supply as the knowledge of the height position of the contact assemblies of the pantograph.

[0008] From the published patent application DE 10 2012 205 276 A1, detection means for detecting the relative position of the pantograph to the contact wires and a steering assistance system for automatically steering the vehicle depending on the detected relative position are known. The detection means comprise a positioning system for determining a current vehicle position on the lane and a database with stored contact wire positions of the contact wires along the lane. The detection means are designed to calculate the relative position from the currently determined vehicle position and from the assigned contact wire positions.

[0009] The detection means also have contact position sensors for determining the current contact positions of the contact wires on the contact strips. The detection means are designed to determine the current relative position of the vehicle to the contact wires from the determined contact positions. Optical sensors such as laser scanners, which scan the position of the contact wires using laser radiation, are used for this purpose. The arrangement of the sensors on the vehicle can be used to determine the relative position of the contact wires to the vehicle. However, the optical operating principle of laser scanners is influenced by weather conditions such as sun, snow or rain.

[0010] From the European publication EP 3 266 638 A1 a vehicle control device for the automated control of an electric road vehicle for a road system with an overhead line system for supplying power to the road vehicle is known. For this purpose a current relative position of the road vehicle to infrastructure features, in particular to the road markings, is determined. The course of a target lane assigned to the lane-bound power supply line of the overhead line system has been recorded centrally in relation to the infrastructure features. The road vehicle is automatically steered to the target lane depending on the determined relative position. The determination of the relative lateral position of the road vehicle to the power supply line is subject to a tolerance chain consisting of measurement tolerances of the sensors of the vehicle control device and assembly tolerances of the overhead line system.In addition, there are rolling and swaying movements of the road vehicle, which do not allow the pantograph to be raised automatically, but only after approval by the driver.

[0011] A current collector device for overhead line-operated vehicles is known from the international publication WO 2016 / 020300 A1. An arm of the current collector device is designed at one end to pivot on a roof section of a overhead line-operated vehicle and has at the other end a current collector head designed to collect electrical current in interaction with a contact wire. Elevation means for controlled raising and lowering are assigned to the arm, which operate on a pneumatic basis and are designed to apply a predetermined, adjustable pressure force of the current collector head to the contact wire, which pressure force is regulated to at least one setpoint. To regulate an elevation height, the pressure regulator of the elevation means receives a setpoint, which is compared in a control unit with an actual position value of the arm.A sensor coupled to the arm acts as a rotary encoder, detecting the current elevation angle of the arm and thus the height of the current collector head relative to a support, and transmits this signal as an actual value to the control unit. Such angle sensors are subject to significant tolerances and do not allow precise determination of the height position of the current collector head. The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a road vehicle of the type mentioned above that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art described above.

[0012] A generic road vehicle, for example a heavy commercial vehicle - such as a truck or a bus - comprises a pantograph for feeding in electrical energy from a two-pole overhead line system while driving on a road section with a lane over which contact wires of the overhead line system run as forward and return conductors. Such a lane is also referred to here as an electrified lane, over which the two contact wires are stretched parallel and symmetrical to a lane center at the same contact wire height above a road surface. The pantograph has contact assemblies for electrically contacting the contact wires and a lifting device for raising and lowering the contact assemblies. The pantograph can have a pantograph-like support frame which can carry contact assemblies designed as rockers with contact strips.

[0013] The contact strips are aligned transversely to a vehicle's longitudinal axis and have a working range within which a contact point between the contact wire and the contact assembly may lie. The support frame can be erected using a pneumatic lifting device, whereby the contact assemblies are raised. The height of the contact assemblies moves between a lower rest position, in which the contact assemblies and contact wires are not in contact, and an upper contact position in which the contact assemblies make electrical contact with the contact wires. In the lower rest position, the road vehicle, including the pantograph, maintains a clearance gauge permissible for traffic outside electrified road sections.

[0014] According to the invention, the road vehicle comprises a vehicle-mounted camera system for recording a section of the environment, which is arranged and aligned in such a way that the pantograph and, if present, the contact wires are located at least partially in the section of the environment. The camera system comprises a time-of-flight camera for recording depth data of the section of the environment and a video camera for recording contrast data of the section of the environment. The camera system further comprises an evaluation system which is designed to use the recorded depth data and the recorded contrast data to determine a presence thesis as to whether contact wires are present in the section of the environment and, if contact wires are present, a lateral position and a height position of the contact wires, as well as a height position of the contact assemblies.Two different cameras are available to determine the measurement results "presence hypothesis of whether a contact wire is present", "lateral position of the contact wires", "elevation of the contact wires" and "elevation position of the contact assemblies". These cameras record depth data and contrast data of one and the same environmental section. The measurement results for contact wires and pantographs can be determined individually using the depth data or the contrast data, but can also be determined simultaneously using both the depth data and the contrast data. This allows high-quality measurement results to be determined.By knowing the measurement results, an electrified section of track can be used optimally for energy supply by a road vehicle, since both the start and end of this section of track are automatically detected from the presence hypothesis of whether contact wires are present and from the lateral and vertical position of the contact wires. This means that the contact assemblies are not raised too late at the start of the track and the contact assemblies are not lowered too early at the end of the track. This applies in particular in front of obstacles on the track, such as low underpasses where the electrified section of track is interrupted. By confirming the presence hypothesis from two data sources, it is also possible to rule out, for example, false detection of suspension cables instead of contact wires. The lateral position of the contact wires relative to the working areas of the pantograph can be determined by - if necessary -Automatic lateral steering movements must be corrected before the pantograph is wired up. Equally important for optimal operation of the road vehicle is a fully functional pantograph that can fully utilize its vertical working range and whose raising and lowering behavior corresponds to specified target movement patterns.

[0015] In a further advantageous embodiment of the road vehicle according to the invention, the evaluation system is designed to use the recorded depth data to determine a first presence hypothesis as to whether contact wires are present in the environmental section, and, if contact wires are present, a first lateral position and a first vertical position of the contact wires, as well as a first vertical position of the contact assemblies. The evaluation system is further designed to use the recorded contrast data to determine a second presence hypothesis as to whether contact wires are present in the environmental section, and, if contact wires are present, a second lateral position and a second vertical position of the contact wires, as well as a second vertical position of the contact assemblies.The evaluation system is further designed to determine the presence thesis from the first presence thesis and the second presence thesis and, if contact wires are present, the lateral position from the first lateral position and the second lateral position and the elevation from the first elevation and the second elevation, as well as the elevation position from the first elevation position and the second elevation position. The redundant recording of both depth data and contrast data of a section of the camera system's surroundings results in high quality measurement results, i.e. the determined presence thesis as to whether contact wires are present and the determined lateral and elevation positions of the contact wires.To determine the measurement results from the said first and second measured values, the latter can be compared with one another and / or with stored target values, mean values ​​or weighted mean values ​​can be calculated, outliers in the measured values ​​can be ignored or the measurement results can be output with the resulting confidence values. In a further advantageous embodiment of the road vehicle according to the invention, a control unit of the lifting device is designed to trigger a lifting of the contact assemblies from the lower rest position into the upper contact position if the determined presence hypothesis has shown that contact wires are present and if the determined lateral position and height of the contact wires are each within predetermined target ranges.Due to the high degree of reliability of the correct detection of contact wires and their relative position to the road vehicle achievable with the camera system according to the invention, automatic lifting of the contact assemblies, i.e., so-called wiring or clamping of the pantograph to the contact wires of the overhead line system, can be implemented to relieve the driver and enable optimal operation of the pantograph independent of human influences. Likewise, automatic unwiring or clamping can also be performed if an increase in the height of the contact wires running upstream of the end of an electrified section of track is detected.

[0016] In a further advantageous embodiment of the road vehicle according to the invention, the evaluation system is designed to determine a movement pattern of the contact assemblies during the raising and / or lowering of the contact assemblies from height positions determined in succession and to compare this with a target movement pattern. By means of the comparison, for example, certain signs of aging of the pantograph can be determined which may indicate necessary maintenance or repairs. In this way, it is possible to check whether the contact assemblies can still be raised to a predetermined maximum upper contact position without contact with the overhead wire. It is also possible to check whether the contact assemblies sink into the lower rest position too slowly or too quickly. If the contact assemblies fall too quickly, bouncing in the lower rest position may occur, which can lead to material fatigue.If the contact assemblies fall too slowly compared to the target movement, this may indicate a blockage in an exhaust valve of a pneumatic lifting device.

[0017] In a further advantageous embodiment of the road vehicle according to the invention, the evaluation system is designed to determine a height position or a first height position of the contact assemblies from depth data of at least one predefined measuring point on the pantograph. The depth data that can be recorded by the time-of-flight camera describe a spatial image of the surfaces of the pantograph recorded by the time-of-flight camera. Predefined measuring points can be prominent edges, corners or surfaces of pantograph components, for example contact strips, or flat measuring objects attached to defined measuring points, which can be easily found in the depth data of the time-of-flight camera. During the raising and lowering of the pantograph, their spatial positions are tracked, with each spatial position of the at least one measuring point correlating to a height position of the contact assemblies.

[0018] In a further advantageous embodiment of the road vehicle according to the invention, the evaluation system is designed to determine a height position or second height position of the contact assemblies from contrast data of at least one marking pre-positioned on the pantograph. By positioning one or more markings on the pantograph, its position and thus the height position of the contact assemblies can be determined from contrast data if one or more features of a marking that can be captured by the video camera when the pantograph is raised or lowered clearly correlate with the height position of the contact assemblies. The feature of a marking can be, for example, its distance from the video camera, as well as its shape and size that can be captured by the video camera, a pattern it contains, its reflection behavior or its captureable grayscale section.In a further advantageous embodiment of the road vehicle according to the invention, the at least one marking is designed as a two-dimensional pattern. The two-dimensional pattern can be formed, for example, by printing a quick response code, or QR code for short, or an augmented reality marker, or AR marker for short, onto the pantograph, for example on its support frame. For the latter, there is a library of so-called ArUco markers that were developed at the University of Córdoba. Such patterns allow a three-dimensional determination of the location of the marking using the contrast data from the video camera consisting of image scale and distortion. By positioning the marking on the support frame in such a way that its three-dimensional location clearly correlates with a height position of the contact assemblies, the height of the contact assemblies can be deduced from the location of the marking.

[0019] In a further advantageous embodiment of the road vehicle according to the invention, the at least one marking is designed as a three-dimensional element. The marking can, for example, be designed as a cuboid, the side surfaces of which are recorded by the video camera with different contrast data - for example different colors. The marking is attached to the current collector, for example to the support frame, and changes its distance from and orientation to the video camera depending on the height position of the contact assemblies. The size and distortion of the side surfaces of the cuboid-shaped marking, respectively determined by the contrast data, enable the height position of the contact assemblies to be determined.

[0020] In a further advantageous embodiment of the road vehicle according to the invention, the at least one marking is variably covered by a displacement mechanism coupled to the pantograph. A marking with varying grayscale can be variably covered by a cover that can be moved in a guide. The cover can be opened or closed to different extents by the displacement mechanism depending on the position of the support frame when the contact assemblies are raised or lowered, so that a portion of the grayscale marking assigned to the height of the contact assemblies is visible to the video camera depending on the height position of the contact assemblies. The corresponding contrast data of the visible grayscale marking allow a conclusion to be drawn about the height position of the contact assemblies.

[0021] In a further advantageous embodiment of the road vehicle according to the invention, the at least one marking has angle-dependent reflection behavior. This can be achieved by a coating with a dichroic material or a material that reflects light incident from different directions to varying degrees due to other polarization effects. The coated marking is attached to the current collector, for example to the support frame, in such a way that it is captured by the video camera from different angles at different heights of the contact assemblies. The contrast data of the marking can thus be used to determine the height position of the contact assemblies.

[0022] In a further advantageous embodiment of the road vehicle according to the invention, the evaluation system is designed to determine the size and duration of an arc from the contrast data when an arc forms between contact assemblies and contact wires. Arcs can occur when contact is interrupted due to the high electrical potential difference between contact assemblies and contact wires, causing wear and damage to the pantograph and overhead line system. The frequency, extent, and duration of such arcs can be recorded from the contrast data of the video camera and can be used as an automated indicator of required maintenance and repair work.

[0023] In a further advantageous embodiment of the road vehicle according to the invention, the current collector has a pantograph-like support frame. The support frame carries the contact assemblies on the contact wire side and is supported on a base frame on the vehicle side. The support frame designed as a pantograph can have a lower arm supported in an articulated manner on a base frame and two upper arms which are articulated to the base frame and carry the contact assemblies and which together form a half-scissors. The base frame can be arranged behind a driver's cab of the road vehicle in the direction of travel and is supported symmetrically to a longitudinal center of the vehicle on a chassis of the road vehicle. Each contact assembly is designed as a rocker which is arranged so as to be rotatable about a crown tube and on which two collector strips arranged parallel and one behind the other in the direction of travel are mounted.The grinding strips and crown tubes extend transversely to the vehicle's longitudinal axis. The rockers are connected to the lower arm via guide rods, and the upper arm is connected to the base frame via a coupling rod in a conventional manner. This means that when the lower arm is raised by the lifting device, the upper arm is also automatically raised, and a grinding plane defined by the grinding strips is displaced upwards in parallel. The knee of the support frame, formed by the lower arm and upper arm, points in the direction of travel, so that the support frame is placed on the driver's cab when the contact assemblies are in the lower rest position.

[0024] In a first variant, the camera system is mounted on the base frame, centered on the side of the vehicle. The camera system's field of view is directed vertically upwards. This means that both the existing contact wires and the contact assemblies, as well as part of the supporting frame, are included in the area captured by the camera system's field of view.

[0025] In a second variant, the camera system is arranged to the side of the vehicle's longitudinal centerline and in the direction of travel in front of the base frame and behind a wind deflector on the driver's cab. The lateral arrangement is due to the space required by the support frame which is placed above the driver's cab when the contact assemblies are in the rest position. The camera system is protected from the effects of the weather by being arranged behind a wind deflector which projects up from the front edge of the driver's cab. The camera system can be aligned at an upward angle so that the support frame and contact assemblies are within the area covered by the field of vision. The pantograph which is rigidly connected to the vehicle frame can be used as a rest reference system which the camera system uses to dive and roll relative to the pantograph with the suspended driver's cab while driving.This allows the measurement results for the lateral position and height of the contact wires and the height position of the contact assemblies to be corrected by the measurement component attributable to the movements of the driver's cab.

[0026] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment with reference to the drawings, in which

[0027] FIG 1 shows a road vehicle according to the invention in side view and

[0028] FIG 2 shows a schematic plan view of the road vehicle from FIG 1.

[0029] According to FIGS. 1 and 2, a road vehicle 1, for example a semi-trailer tractor, comprises a current collector 2 for feeding in electrical energy from a two-pole overhead line system 3 while traveling on a road section S. Of the known overhead line system 3, only the contact wires 4 designed as electrical forward and return conductors are shown. The two contact wires 4 are stretched over a lane L of the road section S parallel and symmetrical to a lane longitudinal center LM at the same contact wire height H4 above a road surface of the lane L. The current collector 2 has two contact assemblies 5 for electrically contacting the contact wires 4 and a lifting device 6 for raising and lowering the contact assemblies 5. The current collector 2 has a pantograph-like support frame 15 which carries contact assemblies 5 designed as rockers 19 with sliding strips 20.The contact strips 19 are aligned transversely to a direction of travel X and have a working range within which a contact point between the contact wire 4 and the contact assembly 5 may lie. The support frame 15 is raised by means of a lifting device 6 designed as an air bellows, whereby the contact assemblies 5 are raised. A height position H of the contact assemblies 5 moves between a lower rest position HO, in which the contact assemblies 5 and the contact wires 4 are out of contact, and an upper contact position HK, in which the contact assemblies 5 make electrical contact with the contact wires 4. In the lower rest position HO, the road vehicle 1 including the pantograph 2 maintains a clearance profile permissible for traffic outside electrified road sections S.

[0030] According to the invention, the road vehicle 1 comprises a camera system 7 for recording a section of the environment U, which is arranged and aligned such that the pantograph 2 and, if present, the contact wires 4 are located at least partially in the section of the environment U. The camera system 7 comprises a time-of-flight camera 8 for recording depth data DT of the section of the environment U and a video camera 9 for recording contrast data DK of the section of the environment U. The camera system 7 further comprises an evaluation system 10 which is designed to use the recorded depth data DT and the recorded contrast data DK to determine a presence thesis PT as to whether contact wires 4 are present in the section of the environment U and, if contact wires 4 are present, to determine a lateral position Y and a height position Z of the contact wires 4 and a height position H of the contact assemblies 5.For this purpose, the evaluation system 10 comprises known means for electronically processing the recorded depth data DT and contrast data DK, such as computers or computer systems, data storage and communication means as well as computer programs and stored target value ranges and target movement sequences, which are described in more detail below. To determine the measurement results "presence thesis PT, whether a contact wire 4 is present", "lateral position Y of the contact wires 4", "elevation Z of the contact wires 4" and "elevation position H of the contact assemblies 5", two different cameras 7 and 8 are available, which on the one hand record depth data DT and on the other hand contrast data DK of one and the same environmental section U. The measurement results for contact wires 4 and pantograph 2 can be determined individually using the depth data DT or the contrast data DK, but also simultaneously using the depth data DT and the contrast data DK.This allows measurement results to be determined with a high quality.

[0031] By knowing the measurement results, an electrified section of track S can be optimally used for energy supply by a road vehicle 1, since both the start and the end of this section of track S are automatically detected from the presence thesis PT as to whether contact wires 4 are present, and from the lateral position Y and height Z of the contact wires 4, and therefore the contact assemblies 5 are not raised too late at the start of the track and the contact assemblies 5 are not lowered too early at the end of the track. This applies in particular in front of obstacles on the track, such as low underpasses where the electrified section of track S is interrupted. By confirming the presence thesis PT from two data sources, it is also possible to rule out, for example, false detection of supporting cables instead of the contact wires 4. The lateral position Y of the contact wires 4 relative to the working areas of the pantograph 2 can be determined by - if necessary.automatic - lateral steering movements are corrected before the pantograph 2 is wired up. Equally important for optimal operation of the road vehicle 1 is a functional pantograph 2 which can fully utilize its vertical working range and whose raising and lowering behavior corresponds to predetermined target movement patterns. The evaluation system 10 is designed to use the recorded depth data DT to determine a first presence thesis PT1 as to whether contact wires 4 are present in the environmental section U, and, if contact wires 4 are present, a first lateral position Y1 and a first height position ZI of the contact wires 4, as well as a first height position H1 of the contact assemblies 5.The evaluation system 10 is further designed to determine from the recorded contrast data DK a second presence thesis PT2 as to whether contact wires 4 are present in the environmental section U, and, if contact wires 4 are present, a second lateral position Y2 and a second vertical position Z2 of the contact wires 4, as well as a second vertical position H2 of the contact assemblies 5. The evaluation system 10 is further designed to determine the presence thesis PT from the first presence thesis PT1 and the second presence thesis PT2, and, if contact wires 4 are present, the lateral position Y from the first lateral position Y1 and the second lateral position Y2, and the vertical position Z from the first vertical position ZI and the second vertical position Z2, as well as the vertical position H from the first vertical position H1 and the second vertical position H2.Through the redundant acquisition of both depth data DT and contrast data DK of an environmental section U of the camera system 7, a high quality of the measurement results is achieved, i.e. the determined presence thesis PT, whether contact wires 4 are present, and the determined lateral Y and elevation Z of the contact wires 4. To determine the measurement results from the aforementioned first and second measured values, the latter can be compared with one another and / or with stored target values, mean values ​​or weighted mean values ​​can be calculated, outliers in the measured values ​​can be ignored or the measurement results can be output with the resulting confidence values.

[0032] A control unit 11 of the lifting device 6 is designed to trigger a lifting of the contact assemblies 5 from the lower rest position HO into the upper contact position HI if the specific presence thesis PT shows that contact wires 4 are present and if the specific lateral position Y and vertical position Z of the contact wires 4 are each within predetermined target ranges. Due to the high level of reliability of the correct detection of contact wires 4 and their relative position Y and Z to the road vehicle 1 that can be achieved with the camera system 7, an automatic lifting of the contact assemblies 5, i.e. a so-called wiring or ironing of the pantograph 2 to the contact wires 4 of the overhead line system 3, can be implemented in order to relieve the driver and to be able to operate the pantograph 2 optimally, independently of human influences. Likewise, automatic unwiring or unhooking can also take place.Be ironed out if an increase in the height Z of the contact wires 4 running upstream of one end of an electrified section of track S is detected.

[0033] The evaluation system 10 is designed to determine a movement pattern of the contact assemblies 5 during the raising and / or lowering of the contact assemblies 5 from height positions H determined in succession in time and to compare this with a target movement pattern. By means of the comparison, for example, certain signs of aging of the pantograph 2 can be determined which may indicate required maintenance or repair. In this way, it is possible to check whether the contact assemblies 5 can still be raised to a predetermined maximum upper contact position HI without contact with the overhead wire. It is also possible to check whether the contact assemblies 5 are sinking too slowly or too quickly into the lower rest position HO. If the contact assemblies 5 fall too quickly, bouncing in the lower rest position HO may occur, which may lead to material fatigue.If the contact assemblies 5 fall too slowly compared to the target movement, this may indicate a blockage in an exhaust air valve of a pneumatic lifting device 6.

[0034] The evaluation system 10 is designed to determine a height position H or a first height position H1 of the contact assemblies 5 from depth data DT of at least one predefined measuring point P on the current collector 2. The depth data DT that can be recorded by the time-of-flight camera 8 describe a spatial image of the surfaces of the current collector 2 recorded by the time-of-flight camera 8. Predefined measuring points P can be prominent edges, corners or surfaces of current collector components, for example contact strips 20, or flat measuring objects attached to defined measuring points, which can be easily found in the depth data DT of the time-of-flight camera 8. During the raising and lowering of the current collector 2, their spatial positions are tracked, wherein each spatial position of the at least one measuring point P correlates to a height position H of the contact assemblies 5.

[0035] The evaluation system 10 is designed to determine a height position H or second height position H2 of the contact assemblies 5 from contrast data DK of at least one marking M pre-positioned on the current collector 2. By positioning one or more markings M on the current collector 2, its position and thus the height position H of the contact assemblies 5 can be determined from contrast data DK if one or more features of a marking M that can be detected by the video camera 9 when the current collector 2 is raised or lowered clearly correlate with the height position H of the contact assemblies 5.

[0036] The at least one marking M shown here is variably covered by a sliding mechanism coupled to the current collector 2. A marking M with varying gray levels is variably covered by a cover 13 which can be moved in a guide 12. The cover 13 can be opened or closed to different extents by a coupling arm 14 of the sliding mechanism depending on a position of the support frame 15 when the contact assemblies 5 are raised or lowered, so that a portion of the gray level marking M assigned to the height position H of the contact assemblies 5 is visible to the video camera 9. The corresponding contrast data DK of the visible gray level marking M allow a conclusion to be drawn about the height position H of the contact assemblies 5. Not shown are other variants of markings which can be attached to the current collector 2 either individually or in combination with one another.The at least one marking can be designed as a two-dimensional pattern, for example as a QR code or as an AR marker, and / or as a three-dimensional element, for example as a cuboid with differently contrasting side surfaces, and / or as a coating having an angle-dependent reflection behavior, for example made of a dichroic material.

[0037] The evaluation system 10 is also designed to determine the size and duration of an arc from the contrast data DK when an arc forms between contact assemblies 5 and contact wires 4. Arcs can occur when contact is interrupted due to the high electrical potential difference between contact assemblies 5 and contact wires 4, causing wear and damage to the pantograph 2 and the overhead line system 3. The frequency, extent, and duration of such arcs can be recorded from the contrast data DK of the video camera 9 and can be used as an automated indicator of required maintenance and repair work.

[0038] The pantograph-like support frame 15 of the current collector 2 has a lower arm 21 which is articulated on the base frame 16 and two upper arms 22 which are articulated to the base frame and carry the contact assemblies 5 and which together form a half-scissor arm. The base frame 16 is arranged behind the driver's cab 17 of the road vehicle 1 in the direction of travel X and is supported symmetrically to a longitudinal center of the vehicle on a chassis 23 of the road vehicle 1. Each contact assembly 5 is designed as a rocker 19 which is arranged so as to be rotatable about a crown tube 24 and on which two contact strips 20 which are arranged parallel and one behind the other in the direction of travel X are mounted. The contact strips 20 and the crown tubes 24 extend transversely to a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle.The rockers 19 are connected to the lower arm 21 via guide rods (not shown) and the upper arm 22 is connected to the base frame 16 via a coupling rod (not shown) in a manner known per se, so that when the lower arm 21 is raised by the lifting device 6, the upper arm 22 is also automatically raised and a grinding plane defined by the grinding strips 20 is displaced upwards in parallel. The knee of the support frame 15 formed by the lower arm 21 and upper arm 22 points in the direction of travel X, so that the support frame 15 is placed on the driver's cab 17 in the lower rest position HO of the contact assemblies 5.

[0039] The camera system 7 is arranged to the side of a vehicle longitudinal centerline and in the direction of travel X in front of the base frame 16 and behind a wind deflector 18 on the driver's cab 17. The lateral arrangement is determined by the space required by the support frame 15 which is placed above the driver's cab 17 when the contact assemblies 5 are in the rest position HO. The camera system 7 is protected from the effects of the weather by its arrangement behind the wind deflector 18 which projects upwards from the front edge of the driver's cab 17. The camera system 7 can be aligned at an upward angle such that the support frame 15 and contact assemblies 5 lie in the environmental section U which can be captured by the field of vision. The pantograph 2 which is rigidly connected to the vehicle frame 23 can be used as a rest reference system since the camera system 7 with the sprung driver's cab 17 performs diving and rolling movements relative to the pantograph 2 while driving.This allows the measurement results for the lateral position Y and height position Z of the contact wires 4 and the height position H of the contact assemblies 5 to be corrected by the measurement component attributable to the movements of the driver's cab 17.

[0040] Alternatively, the camera system 7 could also be arranged centrally on the base frame 16 on the side of the vehicle. The field of view of the camera system 7 is then directed vertically upwards. As a result, both the existing contact wires 4 and the contact assemblies 5, and partially the support frame 15, fall within the environmental section U that can be captured by the field of view of the camera system 7.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Road vehicle (1) with a pantograph (2) for feeding in electrical energy from a two-pole overhead line system (3) while driving on a road section (S) with one lane (L) over which contact wires (4) of the overhead line system (3) run, designed as forward and return conductors, - wherein the current collector (2) has contact assemblies (5) for electrically contacting the contact wires (4) and a lifting device (6) for raising and lowering the contact assemblies (5), wherein a height position (H) of the contact assemblies (5) moves between a lower rest position (HO), in which the contact assemblies (5) and the contact wires (4) are out of contact, and an upper contact position (HI), in which the contact assemblies (5) electrically contact the contact wires (4), characterized by a vehicle-mounted camera system (7) for capturing an environmental section (U), which is arranged and aligned such that the current collector (2) and, if present, at least some of the contact wires (4) are located in the environmental section (U), comprising - a runtime camera (8) for recording depth data (DT) of the environmental section (U), - a video camera (9) for recording contrast data (DK) of the environmental section (U), and - an evaluation system (10) which is designed to use the acquired depth data and the acquired contrast data - a presence thesis (PT) as to whether contact wires (4) are present in the surrounding area (U), - and, if contact wires (4) are present, a lateral position (Y) and a height position (Z) of the contact wires (4), as well as - to determine a height position (H) of the contact assemblies (5).

2. Road vehicle (1) according to claim 1, - wherein the evaluation system (10) is designed to use the acquired depth data (DT) - a first presence hypothesis (PT1) as to whether contact wires (4) are present in the surrounding area (U), - and, if contact wires (4) are present, a first lateral position (Yl) and a first height position (ZI) of the contact wires (4), and - to determine a first height position (Hl) of the contact assemblies (5), - wherein the evaluation system (10) is designed to use the acquired contrast data (DK) - a second presence hypothesis (PT2) as to whether contact wires (4) are present in the surrounding area (U), - and, if contact wires (4) are present, a second lateral position (Y2) and a second height position (Z2) of the contact wires (4), and - to determine a second height position (H2) of the contact assemblies (5), and - wherein the evaluation system (10) is designed to - the presence thesis (PT) from the first presence thesis (PT1) and the second presence thesis (PT2), - and, if contact wires (4) are present, the lateral position (Y) from the first lateral position (Yl) and the second lateral position (Y2), and the altitude (Z) from the first altitude (ZI) and the second altitude (Z2), and - to determine the height position (H) from the first height position (Hl) and the second height position (H2).

3. Road vehicle (1) according to claim 1 or 2, - wherein a control unit (11) of the lifting device (6) is designed to trigger a lifting of the contact assemblies (5) from the lower rest position (HO) to the upper contact position (HI) if the determined presence thesis (PT) shows that contact wires (4) are present, and if the determined The lateral position (Y) and vertical position (Z) of the contact wires (4) must each be within specified target ranges.

4. Road vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, - wherein the evaluation system (10) is designed to determine a movement pattern of the contact assemblies (5) during the raising and / or lowering of the contact assemblies from height positions (H) determined successively in time (5) and compare it with a target movement pattern.

5. Road vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, - wherein the evaluation system (10) is designed to determine a height position (H) or a first height position (Hl) of the contact assemblies (5) from depth data (DT) of at least one measuring point (P) predefined on the current collector (2).

6. Road vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, - wherein the evaluation system (10) is designed to determine a height position (H) or second height position (H2) of the contact assemblies (5) from contrast data (DK) of at least one marking (M) pre-positioned on the current collector (2).

7. Road vehicle (1) according to claim 6, - wherein the at least one marking (M) is formed as a two-dimensional pattern.

8. Road vehicle (1) according to claim 6 or 7, - wherein the at least one marking (M) is designed as a three-dimensional element.

9. Road vehicle (1) according to one of claims 6 to 8, - wherein the at least one marking (M) is variably covered by a displacement mechanism (12, 13, 14) coupled to the current collector (2).

10. Road vehicle (1) according to one of claims 6 to 9, - wherein the at least one marking (M) has an angle-dependent reflection behavior.

11. Road vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, - wherein the evaluation system (10) is designed to determine a size and duration of the arc from the contrast data when an arc forms between contact assemblies (5) and contact wires (4).

12. Road vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, - wherein the current collector (2) has a pantograph-like support frame (15) which carries the contact assemblies (5) on the contact wire side and is supported on a base frame (16) on the vehicle side, - wherein the camera system (7) is arranged centrally on the base frame (16) of the vehicle, - wherein a field of view of the camera system (7) is oriented vertically upwards.

13. Road vehicle (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, - wherein the current collector (2) has a pantograph-like support frame (15) which carries the contact assemblies (5) on the contact wire side and is supported on the vehicle side on a base frame (16) arranged in the direction of travel (X) behind a driver's cab (17) of the road vehicle (1), - wherein the camera system (7) is arranged laterally along a vehicle longitudinal center and in the direction of travel (X) in front of the base frame (16) and behind a wind deflector (18) on the driver's cab (17).

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