Railway communication system

Abstract

A rail-based system (1000) for communication between a plurality of railway vehicles is described herein. The system (1000) comprises a contact (100) adapted to provide an electrical connection between at least one of a plurality of railway vehicles (2000) and at least one railway track (3000), and a transceiver (102) associated with at least one of the plurality of railway vehicles (2000). The transceiver (102) is adapted to transmit and / or receive an electrical signal from and / or to at least one railway vehicle (2000) via the contact (100) to and / or from at least one railway track (3000). The electrical signal is transmitted and / or received via at least one railway track (3000) for communication between the plurality of railway vehicles (2000). The transceiver (102) is adapted to adjust the power output of the electrical signal to determine the distance between the plurality of railway vehicles (2000), and the power output of the electrical signal is derived based on a function of one or both of the operating interval and / or the power input value.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present application relates to a system for communication between rail vehicles, in particular a system for assisting a driver in maintaining a safe distance between rail vehicles or an automated navigation system.

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention are particularly adapted for use in light or heavy rail vehicles, although it should be appreciated that the invention is applicable in broader contexts and in other applications. [Background technology]

[0003] Currently, systems for preventing rail vehicle collisions utilize track-based circuits that utilize a variety of fixed, physical communication media adapted for communication between fixed equipment in the rail network, such as signals, points, interlocks, and other equipment. Current systems are overly dependent on the amount of fixed assets that need to be installed, maintained, and replaced.

[0004] For example, there is more track infrastructure than there are trains, track maintenance / upgrades require extensive planning, permitting, and generally must be completed within a limited time frame to reduce impact to the rail network, whereas trains undergo work during their regular cleaning, inspection and maintenance schedules or while parked in depots during off-peak hours.

[0005] It is desirable to have a railway signaling system that is not overly dependent on the physical environment in which it operates.

[0006] Any mention of background art throughout this specification should not be construed as an admission that such art is well known or constitutes part of the common general knowledge in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a rail-based system for communication between a plurality of railway vehicles is provided, the system comprising: a contact adapted to provide an electrical connection between at least one of a plurality of railway vehicles and at least one railway track; a transceiver associated with at least one of a plurality of railway vehicles, the transceiver being adapted to transmit and / or receive electrical signals to and / or from at least one railway track via the contact from each of the plurality of railway vehicles; comprising: the electrical signals are transmitted and / or received via at least one railway track for communication between a plurality of railway vehicles; the transceiver is adapted to adjust the power output of the electrical signal to determine the distance between a plurality of railway vehicles; the power output of the electrical signal is derived based on one or both of the driving interval and / or the power input value.

[0008] In one embodiment, the distance between a plurality of railway vehicles is given by the formula: [Number] is used to determine.

[0009] D is equal to the distance (in meters) between transceivers associated with at least one of a plurality of railway vehicles, V i is the input voltage of the transceiver, V o is the voltage received by the transceiver, I o is the current measured in amperes.

[0010] In one embodiment, the transceiver is adapted to adjust the power output of the electrical signal over a range of values. The adjustment can be in a continuous or discrete manner. The adjustment of the power is via a change in voltage or current.

[0011] In one embodiment, the power output of the electrical signal is derived by a mathematical function of the driving interval, the power input value, or a combination of the power input value and the driving interval.

[0012] In one embodiment, the mathematical function further depends on at least a plurality of parameters of the railway vehicles, which may include, but are not limited to, the perceptual attention of the human driver (obtained through the vigilance system), weather conditions that may affect the safe driving speed, the gradient of the track, the curvature of the track, whether the moving authority is granted to the vehicle by a higher-level operating means (e.g., a network controller), or the presence of additional risks such as a work site, an accident site, or an infrastructure failure.

[0013] In one embodiment, the power output of the electrical signal is proportional to the driving intervals of a plurality of railway vehicles.

[0014] In one embodiment, the system further includes a transceiver installed on the track side for communicating with the transceivers associated with a plurality of railway vehicles.

[0015] In one embodiment, the railway vehicle is adapted to adjust the driving interval, braking conditions, speed, and / or acceleration according to the parameters of at least one of a plurality of railway vehicles, including but not limited to relative acceleration and relative speed.

[0016] In one embodiment, the railway vehicle is adapted to adjust the driving interval, braking conditions, speed, and / or acceleration according to the parameters of at least one of a plurality of railway vehicles, including but not limited to relative acceleration and relative speed.

[0017] In one embodiment, the transceiver is adapted to generate a modulated signal.

[0018] In one embodiment, the transceiver is adapted to identify the distance between a plurality of railway vehicles using a delay measurement value related to the waiting time of the transmission time.

[0019] In one embodiment, the transceiver is adapted to measure the electrical characteristics of the rail between two transceivers to identify the distance between a plurality of railway vehicles.

[0020] In one embodiment, the transceiver is adapted to calculate relative distance, speed, velocity, and / or acceleration by measuring or utilizing the Doppler effect to determine the distance between multiple railway vehicles.

[0021] In one embodiment, the transceiver is adapted to adjust the output power of the electrical signal so as to increase / decrease with respect to the distance over which the electrical signal propagates.

[0022] In one embodiment, the electrical signal is transmitted as alternating current using an overhead wire (OHW).

[0023] In one embodiment, GNSS, GPS, or other satellite-based geodetic location information systems are used to assist in locating multiple railway vehicles.

[0024] In one embodiment, cellular communication or telephone communication technologies (any telephone communication technology using GSM, CDMA, LTE, and 5G NR or MPLS or ATM) are used to assist in locating multiple railway vehicles or as an alternative method of communication between multiple railway vehicles.

[0025] In one embodiment, IP-based communication technologies (including those compliant with or designed based on the principles of one or more of the 802 family of standards) are used to assist in locating multiple railway vehicles or as an alternative method of communication between multiple railway vehicles and / or other fixed systems.

[0026] In one embodiment, NFC communication technology is used to assist in locating multiple railway vehicles or as an alternative method of communication between multiple railway vehicles and / or other fixed systems.

[0027] In one embodiment, the system is used with or in conjunction with legacy (classifiable as having an automation grade of 0) signaling systems as an incidental method of protection, as an additional safety system, and / or to assist in locating multiple railway vehicles.

[0028] In one embodiment, the system is used with or in conjunction with a modem signaling technology (ETCS, ETRMS, CBTC, PTC or any other railway signaling system or component that makes up part of a railway signaling system with an automation grade of 1 or higher) as an additional safety system and / or to assist in locating multiple railway vehicles as an incidental method of protection.

[0029] In one embodiment, the contact is adapted to provide an electrical connection between each of the plurality of railway vehicles and at least one railway track.

[0030] Here, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0031]

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0032] It should be noted that in the following description, like or identical reference numerals in different embodiments denote the same or similar configurations.

[0033] The rail - based system communication between multiple railway vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention is generally indicated by 1000. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the system includes a contact 100 adapted to provide an electrical connection between a plurality of railway vehicles 2000 and at least one railway track 3000. The system 1000 further includes a transceiver 102 associated with the plurality of railway vehicles 2000. In some embodiments, the transceiver 102 is located in some or all of the plurality of railway vehicles. In other embodiments, at least one transceiver 102 can be positioned in a location near or adjacent to the railway track.

[0034] The transceiver 102 can take the form of a transmitter, a receiver, or both a transmitter and a receiver. To communicate with other railway vehicles 2000, the transceiver 102 is adapted to transmit electrical signals using various modulation schemes and transmission protocols, as will be described in more detail later. The electrical signals carry information used to communicate with railway vehicles 2000 proximal to other railway vehicles 2000.

[0035] To determine the distance between adjacent railway vehicles 2000, the transceiver 102 is adapted to adjust the power output of the transceiver 102, which forms the basis for determining the distance between two or more railway vehicles 2000 based on the following mathematical formula.

Equation

[0036] D is equal to the distance (in meters) between two transceivers, V i is the input voltage of the transceiver, V o is the voltage received by the transceiver (both in volts), ΔV is the relative change in voltage measured between two rails, ΔP is the power dissipation in the circuit (and by proxy, the power output of the transceiver), and I o is the current measured in amperes.

[0037] The power output can be specified as a function of the input power and the operating interval.

[0038] Z m is the measured impedance (in ohms (Ω)) between two terminals of the first transceiver, and Z a is the sum of any known impedance or resistance value (Ω) (such as those of the axle and the commutator, etc.) in the electrical circuit other than the rails, and Z u is the standard impedance per unit length of the rail (i.e., Ω / m).

[0039] In other embodiments, the power output of the electrical signal is derived by a mathematical function of either the operating interval, the power input value, or a combination of the power input value and the operating interval.

[0040] Regarding Equation 1 above, the voltages V i and V o are independent control variables, and I o is a dependent variable. Mathematically, there are other methods and models available for specifying D. However, in any case, considering that the main independent non-control variable is impedance, Ohm's law requires that the input voltage, the input current, or both be control variables. Thus, according to Watt's law, in order to specify the distance between railway vehicles 2000, the input power (P i = V i × I i ) from the transmitter of the transceiver must be adjustable and controllable.

[0041] The transceiver 102 may be located inside the cabin of the railway vehicle 2000, or may be externally attached to the railway vehicle 2000. The transceiver 102 may be powered by its own power source such as a battery, or may be adapted to receive power from the power infrastructure associated with the railway vehicle 2000.

[0042] For example, in one embodiment, to provide highly reliable communication, transceiver 102 is adapted to generate a modulated AC carrier signal for transmitting data (or power signals) over at least one railway track 3000. This can increase the resistance to electromagnetic interference that may occur on the railway track. By modulating the signal generated by transceiver 102, it is also ensured that any railway track is not always maintained at a relative common potential.

[0043] The modulation scheme can be a combination of quadrature phase shift keying (PSK) and frequency shift keying (FSK) symbols. This may be combined with time division multiplexing (TDM). To prevent multiple simultaneous transmissions on railway track 3000, collision detection is required.

[0044] Transceiver 102 is adapted to communicate on railway track 3000 using a conventional two - wire modulation communication protocol. In the illustrated embodiment, the communication protocol uses discovery, handshaking, and collision detection.

[0045] In one embodiment, the carrier frequency is in the range of 400 MHz to 6 GHz. Those skilled in the art should understand that these frequency ranges can be selected based on a number of factors including, among others, the permeability characteristics of railway track 3000, the impedance between the rail and the ground (and thus how much current can leak to the ground or between two rails), and the contact losses between the wheel commutators and between the wheels and the track.

[0046] Other factors that can be considered, but are not limited to, include the transmission power of the transmission signal that can be specified based on a number of factors including power supply from overhead lines, (if used) supply from a third rail, or in the case of a diesel locomotive, supply from an inverter / generator that the diesel locomotive may have.

[0047] Due to their moderately low conductance, railway tracks tend to have greater losses over longer distances, which results in the maximum distance over which transceiver 102 can communicate being limited. If it is desired to communicate over longer distances, repeaters can be installed along railway track 3000 to facilitate longer-range communication between multiple railway vehicles 2000 along railway track 3000.

[0048] In the illustrated embodiment, transceiver 102 is electrically connected to the wheels of railway vehicle 2000 (as shown in FIG. 4) via the axles of the railway vehicle. In the illustrated embodiment, transceiver 102 is electrically connected to the axles of multiple railway vehicles 2000 using a commutator that provides an electrical connection between the transceivers of the multiple railway vehicles 2000 and the axles.

[0049] In other embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5, trackside / wayside transceiver 200 can be connected to the track using a cable. The transceiver 200 in this example can consist of a small box that is attached / fixed near or between two rails 3000, such that the cable can be routed / laid to connect the box to the rail. The trackside / wayside transceiver 200 can have a similar configuration to the transceiver mounted inside the vehicle, but can interface with other devices in a different manner. For example, it may be powered by a standard main power line, and thus requires a different power input than that used for the transceiver mounted on the vehicle.

[0050] Transceiver 102 starts transmitting from the discovery state, sending up and down AC pulses to the railway track to indicate their presence to other railway vehicles, while intermittently waiting to receive pulses from other transceivers. Additionally, transceiver 102 is adapted to send out a ping to call other devices and further detect a short circuit between the two railway tracks 3000. The short circuit can indicate various conditions including, but not limited to, a damaged rail, an obstacle / debris, a train without the system installed, or a train with the system installed but not operating the system.

[0051] Furthermore, the discovery state is adapted to detect the track circuit by looking for a specific DC or AC voltage between two rails that can match the profile of the track circuit (e.g., if the system confirms a 120V AC sine wave at 60Hz, it can determine beyond reasonable doubt that it is a track circuit (TC)). Thus, when a railway vehicle enters a track circuit area / block, the transceiver 102 can disable itself so as not to interfere with it, and can be re-enabled when it detects that the current from the TC has disappeared (i.e., the railway vehicle has left the track circuit area).

[0052] When two transceivers 102 enter within a predetermined distance of each other, the resistance value along the portion of the track 3000 between the railway vehicles becomes low enough for the two transceivers to recognize each other's communication. When this occurs, a standard digital protocol is then used so that each railway vehicle can identify itself and establish a handshake connection using at least one railway track 3000 as a communication medium.

[0053] In one embodiment, when the system 1000 discovers another railway vehicle 2000, it then performs a handshake and sets up a peer-to-peer piconet between the two railway vehicles 2000. At the same time, the system 1000 observes collisions of incoming packets from other railway vehicles 2000 in its vicinity. The system 1000 is also adapted to look for defects in the track such as shorted or damaged rails.

[0054] In an embodiment of the present invention, the transceiver 102 is adapted to measure the relative impedance of the railway track 3000. This will actually be performed between two transceivers 102, whereby one shorts its connections to the two rails to each other, and the other generates an electrical signal and measures the returning signal. Then, the transceiver 102 compares the two signals indicating changes in parameters such as amplitude and current value, and uses this to derive a numerical value regarding the impedance between the two transceivers.

[0055] And, by considering the conductance per meter (which is generally uniform and constant over long distances with respect to the rails), the transceiver 102 can thereby derive the distance between itself and the transceiver 102 with its contacts shorted. However, when the present embodiment has a single common conductor, one transceiver simply generates an electrical signal according to agreed parameters (i.e., a specific amplitude, frequency, etc.), and the other waits for its reception, compares the received gain with the theoretically predicted value, and derives the impedance value therefrom. In either case, this organized operation is to be executed at regular intervals within a given time frame so that the vehicle repeatedly acquires distance measurement values as it travels along the track. This also results in the ability to measure the speed and acceleration relative to the vehicle.

[0056] In other embodiments, in addition to or instead of specifying the impedance of the railway track 3000, the transceiver 102 may be adapted to measure the time required for a packet to propagate between two railway vehicles 2000 by utilizing the effect of time delay in the transmission of the transmission signal. This is similar to the method by which a GNSS system measures the relative distance between a satellite and a ground station.

[0057] By utilizing this effect, each of the railway vehicles 2000 can identify the exact distance from each other. This can be achieved by transmitting a packet from either in front of or behind the railway vehicle 2000. Alternatively, "phased array" technology may be used, in which each vehicle has at least two transceivers 102 (e.g., a front one, a rear one) mounted independently at a set distance apart, and both are synchronized with each other with respect to the same time source, thereby synchronizing their measurements.

[0058] The procedure is initialized by each transceiver 102 generating a small data ping and including the time when it was transmitted, and each transceiver 102 waiting for reception records a timestamp when the ping is received. Then, the time it was transmitted is subtracted from the time it was received, and after considering potential delays from parameters such as clock skew (when the two transceivers are not synchronized to the same time) and known delays (such as the latency in the processing stage for generating the signal), the measured distance between those two specific transceivers 102 is obtained by multiplying the speed at which the signal crosses one standard unit of the medium (track) per second by that delay.

[0059] In an embodiment of the present invention, the transceiver 102 derives the distance using the following mathematical formula.

Equation

[0060] The phased array technology can also be used to identify the direction of the railway vehicle 2000. Further, data regarding the train direction and distance from each other of the railway vehicles 2000 can be confirmed using fixed devices attached to the railway track 3000 or along the route. The fixed devices already know other sources of position data such as GNSS that identify their exact positions and their exact positions within the network. In one embodiment, by having at least two in-vehicle transceivers on the train, it is also possible to grasp the direction by sharing and comparing the receiver timestamps between the two transceivers. For example, if the front transceiver hears the ping first, it means that a third transceiver that exists outside the vehicle and transmits the ping exists in front of the train.

[0061] In an embodiment of the present invention, the Doppler effect is used to identify the relative speed and / or acceleration of a vehicle by measuring the frequency shift of a transmitted carrier wave that can occur from a difference in relative speed, velocity, or acceleration. This can be effected by causing one transceiver to transmit a time-stamped transmitted wave at a predetermined frequency over a predetermined duration. A second transceiver receives this signal, anticipates the measured frequency / compares it to the predetermined frequency, identifies the difference, and can then derive the difference in speed from this difference and known parameters of the transmission medium (e.g., the permeability of the rail).

[0062] In operation, the system serves for constant monitoring of the distance between railway vehicles 2000. Further, each transceiver 102 can be adapted to share information regarding operating conditions such as speed, acceleration, inclination, nominal braking distance, etc. between railway vehicles 2000. By utilizing this information, each railway vehicle 2000 can evaluate and reach an agreement as to whether each railway vehicle 2000 is on a collision course (i.e., whether there is sufficient braking distance to avoid a collision).

[0063] In other embodiments, frequency division multiplexing (FDM) may be used as the transmission protocol. However, this scheme is not suitable because there is no "authority level".

[0064] FIG. 3 illustrates possible modifications required for the axles of railway vehicles 2000. According to that modification, an insulator is incorporated into the axle structure to ensure that the axle does not short-circuit the circuit formed on the railway track 3000 for communication between railway vehicles 2000. The insulator can be formed using a dielectric material such as a ceramic or polymer insulating material. It is assumed that these modifications can be implemented during the manufacture of railway vehicles 2000 or can be retrofitted if railway vehicles 2000 are currently in use.

[0065] Figure 6 illustrates various ranges within which railway vehicles indicated as "A", "B", and "C" in the figure can be within the communication range. In the upper figure marked "within range", the railway vehicles 2000 marked with "A" and "B" are within a range suitable for transmitting and receiving signals to and from each other via the railway track 3000. In the second figure marked "out of range", the railway vehicles 2000 marked with "A" and "B" are separated such that effective communication is not assured or is not actually possible due to the impedance characteristics of the railway track 3000. However, in this situation, the railway vehicles 2000 will be at a mutually sufficiently safe distance such that the risk of collision is minimized. The third figure of Figure 6 shows a situation where a plurality of railway vehicles 2000 indicated as "A", "B", and "C" respectively occupy the railway track 3000, and in this case the railway vehicle indicated by "B" can communicate with the railway vehicles "A" and "C" simultaneously.

[0066] Figure 7 shows various railway track junctions (sidings) indicating the positions of electrical contact switches located at junctions that can be engaged or disengaged. By using the switch, it becomes possible to maintain electrical continuity along the railway track 3000 when it is necessary to maintain a circuit for communication between railway vehicles 2000. The switch can be actuated using an electromechanical actuator such as a solenoid. The solenoid can be actuated remotely by using a cable operation system or potentially by wireless control utilizing any of the wireless protocols described above.

[0067] Further details of distance measurement The peculiarity of using electrical communication is that the line (in this case the rail) has negligible resistance (or more generally impedance). Further, considering that the rail maintains a standard profile, this means that if the impedance of a given length of rail is measured and the standard impedance per unit length is known, the length of that rail can be derived.

[0068] Another specificity is that, in relation to any transmission, there is a short but measurable potential time delay. Again, since this is predictable based on environmental constants, if the time delay and the time it takes for the signal to cross the unit length can be measured, the distance the signal has propagated can be determined.

[0069] Thus, two trains can measure the distance between them in two ways. The first method works by adjusting a line impedance test, according to which one train shorts its two wheels together while the other sends an AC signal along one line. The signal passes through the short circuit point of the first train and returns to the train that sent it, and the resistance value can be obtained by comparing the power of the received transmission signal with the power of the transmitted transmission signal. From here, it is simply a matter of nullifying the impedance of the train wheels, dividing by the standard impedance of the rails per meter, and then halving it again (since there are two rails), and it can be accurately known how far apart they are from each other.

[0070] Note that the first method basically requires the transmitting train to change its voltage and / or current output (power) according to the actual impedance load. Thus, in practice, since power is the product of current and voltage, the method requires a transmission method, technique or process that enables the change of output power. This output power can be derived, reached or achieved based on a number of parameters including, but not limited to, power input, distance between vehicles, driving conditions and the perceptual attention of the driver (if present) in any given usage scenario.

[0071] The second method of estimating distance is a bit more subtle and involves more complex arithmetic. Each of the two trains requires at least two transceiver devices (e.g., front and rear). Each device sends out timestamped pings that are received by the other transceivers. Each of them compares and shares the received timestamps with those that were sent, and then uses this information to perform a one-dimensional triangulation calculation (taking into account time drift since the clocks of both trains are not perfectly synchronized), and the final result is substantially the same as the first method. This is essentially a simplified version of how GPS works, but the advantage is that it only requires one logic conductor, thereby enabling it to operate without the complex changes to the insulation characteristics of the wheels, axles, or tracks that are required as part of the first method.

[0072] The second method does not strictly require a varying power output as in the first method, and in this case, the nominal or maximum power output of the transmission signal can be determined by either a person skilled in the art or the system itself based on a number of factors including the input power and the desired operating interval of the vehicle (the operating interval ultimately determines the maximum straight-line distance along the track over which the vehicle can actually communicate).

[0073] Use of Distance Measurement and Communication In an embodiment of the present invention, when the transceiver obtains the distance, relative speed, and acceleration between two or more railway vehicles using the methods outlined above, in a given scenario, these calculation results can be compared with the known understanding of the safe operating interval to identify whether they are in a non-safe situation. For example, if a given railway vehicle is within the braking curve, it can be identified that it is applying emergency brakes, and it may still collide with the train ahead. Therefore, the vehicle as a whole receives and understands information about whether it is safely maintaining a distance from other vehicles.

[0074] In embodiments of the present invention, the vehicle transceiver is connected to other electrical, electromechanical, and / or mechanical systems such as (but not limited to) those used to manage and operate braking, control systems used to manage train order, signal systems used to manage rail traffic, or those used to interact with a human driver. These systems can communicate via other communication media (outside the scope of this patent specification) in addition to the transceiver and can act cooperatively to ensure that the train moves in a safe manner. Such operational examples can include, but are not necessarily limited to, applying a penalty brake if a vehicle gets too close to another vehicle, accelerating the train to avoid another train approaching from behind, providing detailed position information to other systems, and activating additional vigilance checks in situations where the attention of the human driver becomes more critical.

[0075] In embodiments of the present invention, the fixed transceiver cooperatively assists in maintaining safety by communicating with the vehicle transceiver. Such operational examples can include, but are not limited to, providing the vehicle system with information about track conditions (such as weather, grade, curvature, etc.) that the vehicle system can use to change its speed, providing position information for the purpose of calibrating distance measurements or obtaining an understanding of the environment, relaying information between the vehicle and the fixed signal system (similarly the network control center), and denying the railway vehicle the right to move in certain guaranteed situations. (As an example, when installing a temporary track work site, the fixed transceiver can instruct an approaching railway vehicle to stop at the boundary of the work site and not enter the work site. As another example, a signal operator can issue a movement authority using the fixed transceiver in a manner similar to that which they do with other railway signal systems.)

[0076] Interpretation Unless otherwise specified, as is apparent from the following description, throughout the specification, the use of terms such as "process", "calculate", "compute", "specify", "analyze", etc. is understood to mean the operation and / or processing of a computer, computing system, or similar electronic computing device that manipulates and / or transforms data represented as a physical quantity, such as an electronic quantity, into other data represented as the same physical quantity.

[0077] Similarly, the term "controller" or "processor" can mean any device or part of a device that processes electronic data from, for example, registers and / or memory and converts that electronic data into other electronic data that can be stored in, for example, registers and / or memory. A "computer", "computing machine", or "computing platform" can include one or more processors.

[0078] The terms "rail vehicle", "railway vehicle", "vehicle", "rolling stock", and "train" can be used interchangeably in this document and can be interpreted as encompassing exactly the same things.

[0079] The terms "headway", "trains per hour", "distance between two trains", "desired braking distance", and "braking distance" can be used interchangeably in this document and can be interpreted as referring to specific measurements, parameters, or qualities of the same general concept, which is the straight-line distance between two vehicles along a section of track and, conversely, the number of vehicles traveling over a given distance of track per unit time.

[0080] Throughout this specification, references to "one embodiment", "some embodiments" or "(an) embodiment" mean that the particular features, structures, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, appearances of the phrases "one embodiment", "some embodiments" or "(an) embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure.

[0081] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the use of the ordinal adjectives "first", "second", "third", etc. for describing a common object is merely to indicate that different instances of similar objects are being referred to, and does not imply that the objects so described must be in a given order, whether in time, space, rank, or any other manner.

[0082] In the following claims and the description herein, any one of the phrases "comprising", "consisting of", or "comprised of" is an open phrase meaning including at least the element / feature that follows it without excluding others. Thus, the term "comprising" should not be construed as a limitation to the means, elements, or steps listed hereinafter when used in the claims. For example, the scope of the expression "a device comprising A and B" should not be limited to a device consisting only of elements A and B. The phrases "including", "included of", or "including" as used herein are also open phrases meaning including at least the element / feature that follows the phrase without excluding others. Thus, "including" is synonymous with and means the same as "comprising".

[0083] In the above description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that various features of the present disclosure may be grouped in a single embodiment, drawing, or description thereof for the purpose of rationalizing the disclosure and assisting in the understanding of one or more aspects of the various inventions. However, this method of the present disclosure should not be construed as reflecting an intention that the claims require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, aspects of the invention exist with less than all the features of a single above-described embodiment of the disclosure, as reflected in the following claims. Accordingly, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description in a manner that each claim stands on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0084] Furthermore, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, some of the embodiments described herein include some features included in other embodiments but do not include other features, and combinations of features of different embodiments are within the scope of the present disclosure and constitute different embodiments. For example, in the following claims, any combination of the claimed embodiments may be used.

[0085] In the description given herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0086] Similarly, it is noted that terms when used in the claims should not be construed as limited to direct connections only. The terms "coupled" and "connected" and their variants may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended to be synonyms of each other. Thus, the scope of the expression that device A is coupled to device B should not be limited to a device or system where the output of device A is directly connected to the input of device B. This means that there may be a path, which can include other devices or means, between the output of A and the input of B. "Coupled" can mean that two or more elements are in physical, electrical, or optical direct contact or that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other but still cooperate or interact with each other.

[0087] The embodiments described herein are intended to cover any adaptations and variations of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described and illustrated from the perspective of specific exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art should recognize that additional embodiments within the scope of the present invention can be readily conceived.

Claims

1. A rail-based system for communication between a plurality of railway vehicles comprises a contact adapted to provide an electrical connection between at least one of said plurality of railway vehicles and at least one railway track, a transceiver associated with at least one of said plurality of railway vehicles, adapted to transmit and / or receive electrical signals from and / or to said at least one railway track via said contact from and / or to at least one of said plurality of railway vehicles, wherein said electrical signals are transmitted and / or received via said at least one railway track for communication between said plurality of railway vehicles, said transceiver is adapted to adjust the power output of said electrical signals to determine the distance between said plurality of railway vehicles, said power output of said electrical signals being derived based on a function of one or both of an operating interval and / or a power input value, a system.

2. The distance between said plurality of railway vehicles is given by the formula: 【Number 4】 is identified using, and D is equal to the distance (in meters) between the transceivers associated with at least one of the plurality of railway vehicles, V ｉ is the input voltage of the transceiver, V ｏ is the voltage received by the transceiver, I ｏ is the current measured in amperes, the system according to claim 1.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said function further depends on at least parameters of said plurality of railway vehicles.

4. Said function includes parameters of the perceptual attention of a human driver, weather conditions that may affect the safe driving speed, the gradient of the track, the curvature of the track, whether the authority to move is granted to said vehicle by a superior operating means (e.g., a network controller), or the presence of additional hazards such as a work site, an accident site, an infrastructure failure, the system according to claim 1.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the power output of said electrical signals is proportional to the operating interval of said plurality of railway vehicles.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a transceiver installed on the track side for communicating with said transceiver associated with at least one of said plurality of railway vehicles.

7. The system according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said railway vehicle is adapted to adjust the operating interval, braking conditions, speed and / or acceleration according to parameters of at least one of said plurality of railway vehicles.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said transceiver is adapted to generate a modulated signal.

9. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said transceiver is adapted to determine the distance between at least one of said plurality of railway vehicles using a delay measurement value regarding the delay of the transmission time.

10. The transceiver is adapted to measure the electrical characteristics of the at least one railway track between two transceivers to identify the distance between at least one of the plurality of railway vehicles, according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The transceiver is adapted to measure or utilize the Doppler effect to calculate relative distance, speed, velocity and / or acceleration to identify the distance between at least one of the plurality of railway vehicles, according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The transceiver is adapted to adjust the output power of the electrical signal so as to increase / decrease with respect to the distance over which the electrical signal propagates, according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The electrical signal is transmitted in alternating current using an overhead wire (OHW), according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A GNSS, GPS or other satellite-based geodesic geographical location information system is used to assist in locating at least one of the plurality of railway vehicles, according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. Cellular communication or telephone communication technology is used to assist in locating at least one of the plurality of railway vehicles or as an alternative method of communication between at least one of the plurality of railway vehicles, according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. IP-based communication technology is used to assist in locating at least one of the plurality of railway vehicles or as an alternative method of communication between at least one of the plurality of railway vehicles and / or other fixed systems, according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. NFC communication technology is used to assist in locating the plurality of railway vehicles or as an alternative method of communication between at least one of the plurality of railway vehicles and / or other fixed systems, according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. As an accompanying method of protection, as an additional safety system and / or to assist in locating at least one of the plurality of railway vehicles, used together with or in conjunction with a conventional (classifiable as having an automation grade of 0) signaling system, according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 18, used together with or in conjunction with signal transmission technology as an additional safety system and / or to assist in locating at least one of the plurality of railway vehicles as an incidental method of protection.

20. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the contact is adapted to provide an electrical connection between each of at least one of the plurality of railway vehicles and at least one railway track.

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