Electronic system and supervision method with management of the spacing of a fleet of vehicles moving on a network of one or more railway tracks, associated computer program

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic system (20) for supervising a fleet (12) of vehicles (14) capable of moving on a network (16) of one or more railway tracks (18), each vehicle (14) including a positioning device configured to provide a position of the vehicle (14) and a radio transceiver configured to communicate via a radio link (22) with the supervision system (20). The electronic supervision system (20) comprises: - an acquisition module (30) configured to acquire position information of each vehicle (14) of the fleet (12) moving on the network (16) of one or more railway tracks (18); and - a management module (32) configured to manage a spacing between vehicles (14) moving on a relevant railway track (18), on the basis of the position information acquired from the vehicles (14) moving on the railway track (18).

Description

[0001] Electronic system and method for supervising with spacing management a fleet of vehicles moving on a network of railway track(s), associated computer program

[0002] The present invention relates to an electronic system for supervising a fleet of vehicles capable of moving on a network of railway track(s).

[0003] The invention also relates to a method for supervising the fleet of vehicles, implemented by such an electronic supervision system; as well as a computer program comprising software instructions which, when executed by a computer, implement such a supervision method.

[0004] Currently, the management of the spacing between railway vehicles moving on a railway track is carried out via a railway infrastructure arranged along the railway track and a railway vehicle supervision system, also called ATS (Automatic Train Supervision), connected to said infrastructure.

[0005] The railway infrastructure includes traffic lights and sensors for detecting the passage of railway vehicles, the sensors being regularly spaced, the traffic lights and sensors being connected to the supervision system.

[0006] The supervision system then controls the traffic lights in order to regulate the spacing between railway vehicles traveling one after the other on the railway track, based on the passages detected as they go by the sensors.

[0007] However, such a railway infrastructure and supervision system are relatively complex and not very scalable.

[0008] Rail vehicle supervision can also be carried out using personnel checking and acknowledging the movement of rail vehicles along the line, this supervision being then also called telephone cantonment. In this case and historically, the station master initiates the movement of a vehicle to another station by exchanging with the manager of the next station and then reserves the section between stations for the rail convoy he is about to embark.

[0009] These two supervisions, namely telephone cantonment and ATS, involve significant personnel or infrastructure costs that must be borne for the service commitment. What is more, the number of sensors invested or the number of stations will directly impact the maximum flow of possible convoys, with only one vehicle circulating on a given respective section. The aim of the invention is then to propose an electronic system for supervising a fleet of vehicles moving on a railway network, which is simpler to implement and more scalable, while still offering the same safety aimed at avoiding a collision between vehicles, in particular following three different scenarios: head-to-head collision, catching up or side-swiping.

[0010] To this end, the subject of the invention is an electronic system for supervising a fleet of vehicles capable of moving on a network of railway track(s), each vehicle comprising a positioning device configured to provide a position of the vehicle, and a radio transmitter-receiver configured to communicate via a radio link with the supervision system, the electronic supervision system comprising:

[0011] - an acquisition module configured to acquire position information from each vehicle in the fleet moving on the network of railway track(s); and

[0012] - a management module configured to manage a spacing between vehicles moving on a respective railway track, based on position information acquired from the vehicles moving on said railway track.

[0013] With the supervision system according to the invention, the management of the spacing between vehicles moving on a respective railway track is carried out from the position information acquired from these vehicles, without using a railway infrastructure of the type of that of the state of the art.

[0014] This supervision system is then easily adaptable to new railway lines by simply knowing the route of the new lines, and also less complex to implement since it does not require installing specific sensors and lights along the railway.

[0015] Preferably, in the event of detection of an incident concerning a vehicle, such as a loss of radio connection with a vehicle and / or an anomaly on a vehicle, the management module is configured to command an adaptation of the behavior of the other vehicles, in particular of a following vehicle following the one experiencing the incident, and for example by sending a speed limit order and / or a braking order. This then makes it possible to preserve the safety of the fleet of vehicles, and in particular to avoid a collision between the following vehicle and the one having an incident.

[0016] According to other advantageous aspects of the invention, the electronic supervision system comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken individually or in all technically possible combinations: - the management module is configured to manage said spacing between vehicles in the absence of information from a railway infrastructure arranged along said railway track;

[0017] - the management module is configured to manage said spacing between vehicles only from the position information acquired from the vehicles moving on said railway track;

[0018] - the acquisition module is configured to detect a loss of radio connection with a vehicle; and the management module is configured to - in the event of detection of the loss of radio connection with a vehicle moving on a respective railway track - send a speed limitation order to the other vehicle(s) moving on said railway track; the limitation order preferably being a limitation of the speed of the vehicle corresponding to a speed lower than a predefined maximum speed; the limitation order preferably being a stop of the corresponding vehicle;

[0019] - the management module is configured to, from the position information acquired from the vehicles moving on said railway track, regularly calculate a spacing distance between two successive vehicles for each pair of successive vehicles moving one after the other on the railway track;

[0020] - the management module is configured to compare each calculated spacing distance to a predefined minimum distance; then to send a braking order to a following vehicle if the spacing distance is less than the predefined minimum distance, the following vehicle being the vehicle following the other within the pair of successive vehicles; the predefined minimum distance preferably being strictly greater than a safety distance associated with the following vehicle; the safety distance preferably still depending on object detection sensor(s) fitted to the following vehicle;

[0021] - the management module is configured to calculate the spacing distance for a respective pair of successive vehicles more frequently, in the event of a decrease in the spacing distance for said pair of successive vehicles; and

[0022] - the acquisition module is configured to acquire anomaly information from a vehicle moving on a respective railway track; and the management module is then configured to send a braking order to a following vehicle following the vehicle having transmitted the anomaly information.

[0023] The invention also relates to a transport installation comprising a fleet of vehicles capable of moving on a network of railway track(s) and an electronic system for supervising the fleet of vehicles, each vehicle comprising a positioning device configured to provide a position of the vehicle, and a radio transmitter-receiver configured to communicate via a radio link with the supervision system, the electronic supervision system being as defined above.

[0024] The invention also relates to a method for supervising a fleet of vehicles capable of moving on a network of railway track(s), the method being implemented by an electronic supervision system, each vehicle comprising a positioning device configured to provide a position of the vehicle and a radio transmitter-receiver configured to communicate via a radio link with the supervision system, the method comprising the following steps:

[0025] - acquisition of position information for each vehicle in the fleet moving on the railway network(s); and

[0026] - management of spacing between vehicles moving on a respective railway track, based on position information acquired from the vehicles moving on said railway track.

[0027] The invention also relates to a computer program comprising software instructions which, when executed by a computer, implement a supervision method, as defined above.

[0028] These characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0029] - Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a transport installation according to the invention, comprising a fleet of vehicles capable of moving on a network of railway tracks and an electronic system for supervising the fleet of vehicles, the supervision system making it possible in particular to manage the spacing between vehicles moving on a respective railway track, in particular in a case of head-to-head, in a case of catching up or even in a case of side-by-side;

[0030] - Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the management of the spacing between vehicles in the case of catching up; and

[0031] - Figure 3 represents a flowchart of a method, according to the invention, for supervising the fleet of vehicles, the method being implemented by the supervision system of Figure 1. In the remainder of the description, the expression “substantially equal to” defines a relationship of equality at plus or minus 20%, preferably at plus or minus 10%, more preferably at plus or minus 5%.

[0032] In Figure 1, a transport installation 10 comprises a fleet 12 of vehicles 14 capable of moving on a network 16 of railway track(s) 18 and an electronic system 20 for supervising the fleet 12 of vehicles 14.

[0033] The transport facility 10 is advantageously a public transport facility, or a collective transport facility, that is to say an facility allowing several people to be transported together on the same journey.

[0034] The fleet 12 comprises a plurality of vehicles 14 moving on the network 16 of railways 18, and typically one or several dozen vehicles 14, or even several hundred vehicles 14. The fleet 12 of vehicles 14 is configured to preferably transport passengers. Alternatively or additionally, the fleet of vehicles 14 is configured to transport goods, or both passengers and goods.

[0035] Each vehicle 14 comprises a positioning device, not shown, configured to provide a position of the vehicle and a radio transceiver, not shown, configured to communicate via a radio link 22 with the supervision system 20. The radio link 22 is typically a link conforming to a mobile telephony standard known per se, such as the 3G standard, the GPRS standard, the 4G standard or even the 5G standard. The radio transceiver then conforms to one or more of the aforementioned telephony standards.

[0036] The positioning device is typically a satellite positioning device, also called a GNSS device (for Geolocation and Navigation by a Satellite System, or Global Navigation Satellite System), comprising a satellite positioning receiver and an antenna. This GNSS device is optionally equipped with one or more other additional positioning assistance sensors, such as in particular an inertial unit, a Doppler sensor, etc. The GNSS device uses a constellation of satellites and makes it possible to provide the vehicle 14, via the sensor(s) constituting it, with its 3D position, its 3D speed and the time. The GNSS device is, for example, a GPS device (Global Positioning System), a Galileo device, a Glonass device, or a Beidou device.

[0037] Each vehicle 14 comprises a detection system including one or more sensors and one or more on-board computers, not shown, capable of identifying one or more obstacles and / or one or more other vehicles located in front of the vehicle 14 on the railway track 18. This capacity of the vehicle 14 to detect one or more obstacle(s) and / or vehicle located in front of it is shown diagrammatically by a detection cone 24 in Figures 1 and 2.

[0038] Each vehicle 14 is advantageously configured to travel both on the network 16 of railways 18 and on a road network, not shown. Each vehicle 14 is then, for example, of the Ferromobile type developed by the Société d'ingénierie, de Construction et d'Exploitation de la Ferromobile (SICEF). The Ferromobile is a vehicle equipped with a rail-road system allowing it to travel both on road and rail tracks. The rail-road system includes mixed wheels or additional axles at the front and rear of the vehicle 14 allowing it to travel on the road and then on the rails, or vice versa, within the same journey.

[0039] The network 16 comprises one or more railway tracks 18, each railway track 18 comprising one or more successive sections.

[0040] Each railway track 18 is advantageously a disused track, that is to say a track which is no longer used for the regular circulation of trains or a track which is no longer operated by the railway infrastructure manager of the territory concerned, such as Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) for French territory.

[0041] Additionally or alternatively, each railway track 18 is an operational railway track used for the regular circulation of trains, but without the presence of other rolling stock at the same time as the fleet 12 of vehicles 14, that is to say in the absence of rolling stock other than the fleet 12 of vehicles 14 when the fleet 12 of vehicles 14 runs on said operational railway track(s).

[0042] Each railway track 18 is then typically a railway track that no longer allows a conventional railway vehicle to run (e.g. TER for regional express train), or a railway track used exceptionally by freight trains (e.g. once a week), or a railway track where public passenger transport is no longer economically viable with conventional railway vehicles.

[0043] The supervision system 20 comprises a radio transceiver 26 configured to communicate via a respective radio link 22 with each vehicle 14 of the fleet 12. In addition, the supervision system 20 comprises a human-machine interface device 28 typically including an information display screen and information input means, such as a keyboard and a mouse, not shown.

[0044] The supervision system 20 also comprises an acquisition module 30 and a management module 32 connected to the acquisition module 30, the acquisition module 30 being connected to the radio transceiver 26. In the example of FIG. 1, the supervision system 20 comprises an information processing unit 40 formed for example by a memory 42 and a processor 44 associated with the memory 42. The information processing unit 40 is connected to the radio transceiver 26 and to the human-machine interface device 28.

[0045] In the example of Figure 1, the acquisition module 30 and the management module 32 are each produced in the form of software, or a software brick, executable by the processor 44. The memory 42 of the supervision system 20 is then capable of storing acquisition software and management software. The processor 34 is then capable of executing each of the software among the acquisition software and the management software.

[0046] In a variant not shown, the acquisition module 30 and the management module 32 are each produced in the form of a programmable logic component, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or in the form of a dedicated integrated circuit, such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0047] When the supervision system 20 is produced in the form of one or more software programs, that is to say in the form of a computer program, it is also capable of being recorded on a medium, not shown, readable by a computer. The computer-readable medium is, for example, a medium capable of storing electronic instructions and of being coupled to a bus of a computer system. By way of example, the readable medium is an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM memory, a RAM memory, any type of non-volatile memory (for example EPROM, EEPROM, FLASH, NVRAM), a magnetic card or an optical card. A computer program comprising software instructions is then stored on the readable medium.

[0048] The acquisition module 30 is configured to acquire position information of each vehicle 14 of the fleet 12 moving on the network 16 of railway track(s) 18. The acquisition module 30 is typically configured to acquire the respective position information from the positioning device, such as the GNSS device, equipping each vehicle 14.

[0049] As an optional addition, the acquisition module 30 is configured to detect a loss of radio connection with a respective vehicle 14.

[0050] As an optional addition, the acquisition module 30 is configured to acquire anomaly information from a respective vehicle 14 moving on a respective railway track 18. The anomaly information is for example a malfunction affecting the movement of the vehicle 14, such as a malfunction of a propulsion system and / or a braking system of the vehicle 14; a malfunction of the positioning device equipping the vehicle 14, resulting in a lack of position or an incorrect position of the vehicle 14; a malfunction of the detection system equipping the vehicle 14.

[0051] The management module 32 is configured to manage a spacing between vehicles 14A, 14B moving on a respective railway track 18, from the position information acquired from the vehicles 14A, 14B moving on said railway track 18.

[0052] Advantageously, the management module 32 is configured to manage said spacing between vehicles in the absence of information from a railway infrastructure arranged along said railway track 18, in particular in the absence of information from an ATS (Automatic Train Supervision) type infrastructure.

[0053] Advantageously, the management module 32 is configured to manage said spacing between vehicles solely from the position information acquired from the vehicles moving on said railway track 18.

[0054] The management module 32 is typically configured to, from the position information acquired from the vehicles 14 moving on said railway track 18, regularly calculate a spacing distance DA-B between two successive vehicles 14A, 14B for each pair of successive vehicles 14A, 14B moving one after the other on the railway track 18.

[0055] In the example of Figure 2, a first vehicle 14A forms the lead vehicle of a pair of successive vehicles 14A, 14B, also called the preceding vehicle; and a second vehicle 14B forms the following vehicle, that is to say the vehicle following the other within the pair of successive vehicles 14A, 14B.

[0056] Advantageously, the management module 32 is configured to compare each calculated spacing distance DA-B to a predefined minimum distance; then to send a braking order to the following vehicle 14B if the spacing distance DA-B is less than the predefined minimum distance.

[0057] The predefined minimum distance depends for example on a travel speed of each of the vehicles 14A, 14B of the pair of successive vehicles 14A, 14B, and in particular on a maximum authorized travel speed of each of said vehicles 14A, 14B.

[0058] The predefined minimum distance advantageously also depends on a latency time equal to the sum of a transmission and processing time and a reaction time.

[0059] The transmission and processing time corresponds to a time elapsed from the sending by the first vehicle 14A to the supervision system 20 of a message indicating an event, such as loss of radio connection, anomaly information, etc., until the reception by the second vehicle 14B of an order, such as a limitation order, a braking order or even a stop order, from the supervision system 20, this order being generated by the management module 32 and following the reporting of the event from the first vehicle 14A.

[0060] The transmission and processing time is typically equal to the sum of a time taken to report the event along arrow F1 from the first vehicle 14A to the supervision system 20, a processing time within the supervision system, and a time taken to return the order along arrow F2 from the supervision system 20 to the second vehicle 14B. The reporting time is, for example, substantially equal to 130 ms, the processing time substantially equal to 50 ms, and the return time substantially equal to 100 ms, it being noted that in this example the messages are sent every 100 ms via each radio link 22. The transmission and processing time is then substantially equal to 280 ms.

[0061] The reaction time corresponds to the time required for the second vehicle 14B to take into account and implement the order, in particular by its braking system. The reaction time is, for example, approximately equal to 200 ms.

[0062] According to the above examples, the latency duration is then, for example, approximately equal to 480 ms.

[0063] The predefined minimum distance is then typically greater than a distance traveled at the maximum authorized travel speed for a duration equal to the latency duration. The predefined minimum distance is, for example, equal to the sum of a safety margin and said distance traveled at the maximum authorized speed during the latency duration. The safety margin is, for example, a predefined distance, or a predefined percentage of said distance traveled at the maximum authorized speed during the latency duration.

[0064] In addition, the predefined minimum distance is typically strictly greater than a safety distance associated with the following vehicle 14B. The safety distance depends, for example, on the detection system fitted to the following vehicle 14B and / or the braking system fitted to the following vehicle 14B.

[0065] Advantageously, the management module 32 is configured to calculate the spacing distance DA-B more frequently for a respective pair of successive vehicles 14A, 14B, in the event of a reduction in the spacing distance DA-B for said pair of successive vehicles 14A, 14B.

[0066] As an optional addition, the management module 32 is configured to - in the event of detection of the loss of radio connection with a vehicle 14 moving on a respective railway track 18 - send a speed limitation order to the other vehicle(s) 14 moving on said railway track 18.

[0067] The limitation order is typically a limitation of the vehicle speed 14 corresponding to a speed lower than a predefined maximum speed.

[0068] In addition, the limitation order is an order to stop the corresponding vehicle 14.

[0069] As an optional addition, the management module 32 is configured to - in the event of acquisition of anomaly information by the acquisition module 30 - send a braking order, such as a stop order, to the following vehicle 14B following the vehicle 14A having transmitted the anomaly information.

[0070] The operation of the transport installation 10 according to the invention, and in particular of the electronic supervision system 20, will now be explained, in particular with the aid of FIG. 3 representing a flowchart of the method, according to the invention, for supervising the fleet 12 of vehicles 14 moving on the network 16 of railways 18.

[0071] During a step 100, the supervision system 20 acquires, regularly and via its acquisition module 30, position information for each vehicle 14 of the fleet 12 moving on the network 16 of railway tracks 18.

[0072] During a following step 110, the supervision system 20 manages the spacing between the vehicles 14 moving on a respective railway track 18, based on the position information acquired during the acquisition step 100 and the share of the vehicles 14 moving on said railway track 18.

[0073] This management of the spacing between vehicles 14 is carried out for the safety of the vehicles 14 of the fleet 12, in particular to limit a risk of collision between vehicles 14, in particular for use cases such as a head-to-head case, a case of catching up or even a case of side-swiping. The management of the spacing in each of these cases will now be explained.

[0074] In the case of head-to-head collision, the person skilled in the art will firstly note that no detection system fitted to current motor vehicles can manage detection and safe stopping for a relative collision speed of 200 km / h, i.e. for example for two vehicles heading towards each other head-to-head, each at a speed of 100 km / h.

[0075] In the case of a head-to-head collision, the supervision system 20 is then configured to only allow a vehicle 14 to enter a section of a respective railway track 18 after ensuring that no other vehicle 14 is coming in the opposite direction, during the entire journey on the section concerned. Those skilled in the art will observe that the concept of section is either physical and defined spatially; or dynamic and then defined from the distance necessary for the vehicle 14 to be able to stop safely and avoid any feared event with another vehicle 14, in particular with another vehicle 14 in head-to-head contact.

[0076] The person skilled in the art will observe that the stopping distance of the vehicle 14 depends on the adhesion of the vehicle 14 with the railway track 18. In order to provide a transport installation 10 with improved safety, the braking capabilities of the vehicle 14 are evaluated and tested before the vehicle 14 is put into circulation on the railway track 18. The braking capabilities of the vehicle 14 are also monitored by one or more proprioceptive sensors of the vehicle 12, such as an odometer, inertial sensor, ABS computer and any other sensor capable of providing information on the actual deceleration of the vehicle 14 in circulation. In addition or as a variant, the braking capabilities of the vehicle 14 are also monitored by one or more exteroceptive sensors, such as a temperature sensor, rain sensor, communication module with a meteorological center, possibly via the supervision system 20, camera monitoring the condition of the rail (wear or presence of leaves).These elements are used by vehicle 14 itself.

[0077] In addition, these elements are transmitted to the supervision system 20, to regularly check that the stopping distance of the vehicle 14 is compatible with the driving speed of the vehicle 14, and then to send the information in advance to the following vehicles 14 which will encounter the same conditions. The driving speeds of the following vehicles 14 are then adapted according to the deceleration conditions of the vehicle 14.

[0078] The maximum deceleration of each vehicle 14 is advantageously between -5 ms' 2 and -10 ms' 2 , for example approximately equal to -7 ms -2 .

[0079] Depending on the adhesion of vehicle 14 with the railway track 18, the deceleration of each vehicle 14 is then defined between 1 ms -2 and the maximum deceleration of said vehicle 14, and preferably between 2 ms -2and said maximum deceleration.

[0080] The stopping distance of the vehicle 14 is then deduced from said deceleration of the vehicle 14 and the current speed of the vehicle 14 at the time when braking is triggered, according to a chart or a calculation rule known per se.

[0081] In addition, the stopping distance of the vehicle 14 is associated with an adaptation of the driving speed carried out by means of operational procedures, for example implemented regularly by a respective vehicle 14 and communicated to the other vehicles 14 of the fleet 12 via the supervision system 20 and / or communicated in anticipation by the supervision system 20 to the vehicles 14 of the fleet 12, such as operational procedures resulting from weather forecasts. Those skilled in the art will then observe that optimizing the deceleration capabilities of each vehicle 14 via the monitoring described above and / or via ABS (German Antiblockiersystem) type braking preventing the wheels of each vehicle 14 from locking makes it possible to improve the safety of the transport installation 10, in particular when the monitoring described above and the ABS type braking are implemented in a complementary manner.This optimization of the deceleration capacities of each vehicle 14 is particularly useful in the case of catching up, described in more detail below.

[0082] In the event of loss of connection with one of the vehicles 14, mitigation is then automatically initiated. This is transmitted by the supervision system 20 to all the vehicles 14 still connected and is also implemented directly by the vehicle(s) 14 having lost connection with the supervision system 20.

[0083] Those skilled in the art will understand that this process of securing the fleet 12 of vehicles 14 in the event of loss of connection is also applicable in the event of a cyber attack.

[0084] Several levels of mitigation are planned. A first level of mitigation is a stop of all the vehicles 14 of the fleet 12, implemented by the vehicle(s) 14 having lost the connection, and especially by the supervision system 20, the management module 32 then sending the limitation order in the form of a stop order to the other vehicles 14 moving on said railway track 18, and in particular on the section concerned.

[0085] A second level of mitigation is a running at sight, that is to say a running at a limited speed, such as 5 km / h, of all the vehicles 14 of the fleet 12, implemented by the vehicle(s) 14 having lost the connection, and especially by the supervision system 20, the management module 32 then sending the limitation order in the form of a speed limitation order to the other vehicles 14 moving on said railway track 18, and in particular on the section concerned. This running at limited speed then makes it possible to guarantee the absence of the event feared by the detection systems equipping the vehicles 14 (relative speed of 10 km / h) and to reduce the severity of the feared event (very low speed impact, in the worst case).

[0086] To optimize the flow of vehicles 14 and passengers, a convoy movement of vehicles 14 is planned, and the risk of catching up is then taken into account by the supervision system 20.

[0087] In the case of catching up, the taking into account is carried out by the supervision system 20 with the regular calculation, via its management module 32, of the spacing distance DA-B between two successive vehicles 14A, 14B for each pair of successive vehicles 14A, 14B moving one after the other on the railway track 18; then the comparison of each spacing distance DA-B calculated with the predefined minimum distance, a braking order then being sent by the management module 32 to the following vehicle 14B if the spacing distance DA-B is less than the predefined minimum distance.

[0088] For example, for two successive vehicles 14A, 14B each moving at a speed of 100 km / h, the predefined minimum distance is for example chosen to be substantially equal to 100 m, which allows the vehicles 14A, 14B to circulate in complete safety on the railway track 18, as will be explained with regard to the first S1, second S2 and third S3 situations represented in figure 2.

[0089] The first situation S1 corresponds to the nominal situation where each vehicle 14A, 14B moves substantially at the same speed, a speed VA of the first vehicle 14A then being substantially equal to a speed VB of the second vehicle 14B, such as 100 km / h, the two vehicles 14A, 14B being spaced, that is to say separated, from each other by the spacing distance DA-B, this being greater than the predefined minimum distance, such as 100 m.

[0090] The second situation S2 corresponds to the situation of appearance of an anomaly, symbolized by a flash 150 in figure 2, concerning the first vehicle 14A, which will then trigger braking of the first vehicle 14A, as well as the transmission of the anomaly information from the first vehicle 14A to the supervision system 20. The anomaly information is then acquired by the acquisition module 30 of the supervision system 20, then processed by the management module 32 which then sends a braking order to the second vehicle 14B, that is to say to the following vehicle following the vehicle 14A having transmitted the anomaly information.

[0091] The third situation S3 finally corresponds to the stationary situation, that is to say following the stopping of each of the two successive vehicles 14A, 14B. This third situation S3 shows a braking distance DFA of the first vehicle 14A, a braking distance DFB of the second vehicle 14B, the spacing distance DA-B following these respective braking operations, and finally a safety distance DS.

[0092] Assuming that the maximum deceleration of each of the vehicles 14A, 14B is substantially equal to -7 ms -2 , the braking distance DFA of the first vehicle 14A traveling at 100 km / h at the time of emergency braking is approximately equal to 55 m.

[0093] For the second vehicle 14B, to this intrinsic braking distance of 55 m from the speed of 100 km / h, it is appropriate to add the distance traveled by the second vehicle 14B during the latency period, and this distance is substantially equal to 14 m if the second vehicle 14B travels at 100 km / h during the latency period substantially equal to 480 ms, according to the example described previously. In other words, the braking distance DFB of the second vehicle 14B is then substantially equal to 69 m, i.e. 14 m + 55 m.

[0094] In this third situation S3, the DA-B spacing distance has then decreased by 14 m, and remains at least 86 m if the predefined minimum distance was 100 m.

[0095] The safety distance DS corresponds to a remaining distance between the first vehicle 14A and the second vehicle 14B in the event that the anomaly would have caused an immediate and sudden stop of the first vehicle 14A, for example in the event of an impact with a fixed obstacle causing an immediate immobilization of the first vehicle 14A, while the second vehicle 14B would have braked with its braking distance DFB.

[0096] The person skilled in the art will then observe that, in the above-mentioned example, the safety distance DS is at least 31 m, that is to say at least the predefined minimum distance of 100 m less the braking distance DFB substantially equal to 69 m. The person skilled in the art will also understand that Figure 2 is schematic and that the proportions between the different distances DA-B, DFA, DFB and DS are then not necessarily respected, and that the proportions between these distances and the dimensions of the vehicles 14A, 14B are also not necessarily respected, the braking distance DFB being for example much greater than the length of the second vehicle 14B.

[0097] The case of side-swimming is similar to that of head-to-head, side-swimming designating the risk of lateral collision of vehicles 14 when one arrives at a switch already occupied by another vehicle 14 coming from another direction. The case of side-swimming is treated by the supervision system 20 in an identical manner to the case of head-to-head described previously.

[0098] It is thus understood that the supervision system 20 and the supervision method according to the invention are simpler to implement and more scalable than the ATS system or the cantonment system of the state of the art, while still offering the same safety aimed at avoiding a collision between vehicles14, in particular for head-to-head collision, catching up or even side-swiping.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Electronic system (20) for supervising a fleet (12) of vehicles (14) capable of moving on a network (16) of railway track(s) (18), each vehicle (14) comprising a positioning device configured to provide a position of the vehicle (14) and a radio transmitter-receiver configured to communicate via a radio link (22) with the supervision system (20), the electronic supervision system (20) comprising: - an acquisition module (30) configured to acquire position information of each vehicle (14) of the fleet (12) moving on the network (16) of railway track(s) (18); and - a management module (32) configured to manage a spacing between vehicles (14A, 14B) moving on a respective railway track (18), from the position information acquired from the vehicles (14A, 14B) moving on said railway track (18), the management module (32) being configured to, from the position information acquired from the vehicles (14) moving on said railway track (18), regularly calculate a spacing distance (DA-B) between two successive vehicles (14A, 14B) for each pair of successive vehicles (14A, 14B) moving one after the other on the railway track (18).

2. System (20) according to claim 1, in which the management module (32) is configured to manage said spacing between vehicles in the absence of information from a railway infrastructure arranged along said railway track (18).

3. System (20) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the management module (32) is configured to manage said spacing between vehicles only from the position information acquired from the vehicles moving on said railway track (18).

4. System (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the acquisition module (30) is configured to detect a loss of radio connection with a vehicle (14A); and the management module (32) is configured to - in the event of detection of the loss of radio connection with a vehicle (14) moving on a respective railway track (18) - send a speed limitation order to the other vehicle(s) (14) moving on said railway track (18); the limitation order preferably being a limitation of the speed of the vehicle (14) corresponding to a speed lower than a predefined maximum speed; the limitation order preferably also being a stopping of the corresponding vehicle (14).

5. System (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the management module (32) is configured to compare each calculated spacing distance (DA-B) to a predefined minimum distance; then to send a braking order to a following vehicle (14B) if the spacing distance (DA-B) is less than the predefined minimum distance, the following vehicle (14B) being the vehicle following the other (14A) within the pair of successive vehicles (14A, 14B); the predefined minimum distance preferably being strictly greater than a safety distance associated with the following vehicle; the safety distance preferably still depending on object detection sensor(s) equipping the following vehicle.

6. System (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the management module (32) is configured to calculate more frequently the spacing distance (DA-B) for a respective pair of successive vehicles (14A, 14B), in the event of a decrease in the spacing distance (DA-B) for said pair of successive vehicles (14A, 14B).

7. System (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the acquisition module (30) is configured to acquire anomaly information from a vehicle (14A) moving on a respective railway track (18); and the management module (32) is then configured to send a braking order to a following vehicle (14B) following the vehicle (14A) having transmitted the anomaly information.

8. Transport installation (10) comprising a fleet (12) of vehicles (14) capable of moving on a network (16) of railway track(s) (18) and an electronic system (20) for supervising the fleet (12) of vehicles (14), each vehicle (14) comprising a positioning device configured to provide a position of the vehicle (14) and a radio transmitter-receiver configured to communicate via a radio link (22) with the supervision system (20), the electronic supervision system (20) being according to any one of the preceding claims.

9. Method for supervising a fleet (12) of vehicles (14) capable of moving on a network (16) of railway track(s) (18), the method being implemented by an electronic supervision system (20), each vehicle (14) comprising a positioning device configured to provide a position of the vehicle (14) and a radio transmitter-receiver configured to communicate via a radio link (22) with the supervision system (20), the method comprising the following steps: - acquisition (100) of position information for each vehicle in the fleet moving on the network of railway track(s); and - management (110) of a spacing (DA-B) between vehicles (14A, 14B) moving on a respective railway track (18), from the position information acquired from the vehicles (14A, 14B) moving on said railway track (18), said management (110) comprising: from the position information acquired from the vehicles (14) moving on said railway track (18), regularly calculating a spacing distance (DA-B) between two successive vehicles (14A, 14B) for each pair of successive vehicles (14A, 14B) moving one after the other on the railway track (18).

10. Computer program comprising software instructions which, when executed by a computer, implement a method according to the preceding claim.

Images