Rail Vehicle Location via Waveguide Vibration Sections

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for locating rail vehicles along a rail line using waveguides and electromagnetic pulses are not reliable and precise due to temporal fluctuations in pulse transmission and reception, which affect the accuracy of vehicle location.

Innovation Solution

The method involves creating specific locating sections along the waveguide where the vibration sensitivity or the vibration acting on it is altered, allowing for location determination based on changes in the backscatter pattern amplitude, independent of the time between pulse transmission and reception, and using additional signals from known imperfections or time-based distance measurements to enhance location accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If electromagnetic pulses are transmitted through the waveguide for vehicle location, then vehicle location can be performed, but temporal fluctuations in pulse transmission and reception affect location accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle location accuracyVSAvoidlocation reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The waveguide is divided into uniform sections and special locating sections with different vibration characteristics. The locating sections have altered vibration sensitivity or vibration acting on them, creating local quality differences that enable reliable vehicle location detection independent of temporal fluctuations in pulse transmission and reception.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If the waveguide is made more vibration sensitive for better location detection, then location precision improves, but the waveguide becomes more susceptible to interference and false signals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation precisionVSAvoidvibration interference
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of making the entire waveguide highly vibration sensitive, only specific locating sections have altered vibration characteristics. This localized approach improves location precision at specific points while the rest of the waveguide remains less susceptible to general vibration interference and false signals.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach enables precise and reliable vehicle location independent of temporal fluctuations, ensuring accurate positioning even with delays in pulse generation and evaluation, by utilizing amplitude changes and additional location signals to confirm vehicle position.

Implementation Method 1

Electromagnetic pulses are fed into the waveguide one after the other. At least one backscatter pattern generated by vehicle-induced backscattering of the electromagnetic pulse is received and evaluated for each emitted pulse.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic backscattering: Scattering

Implementation Method 2

the waveguide has at least one locating section along the route, in which the vibration sensitivity of the waveguide and/or the vibration acting on the waveguide is greater or smaller than outside the locating section

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVibration: Vibration

Data Source

PatentEP2903879B1Locating of vehicles
Publication Date: 2016.11.16 SIEMENS AG
  • EP2903879B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2903879B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP2903879B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for locating a rail vehicle (110) along a rail route (100), along which a waveguide (50) is laid. According to the method, temporally successive electromagnetic pulses (Pin) are fed into the waveguide (50) and, for each emitted pulse, at least one back-scattering pattern (Rm1, Rm2, Rm3) generated by vehicle-induced back-scattering of the electromagnetic pulse is received and evaluated. According to the invention, the waveguide (50) has at least one locating section (51-55) along the rail route (100), in which locating section the vibration sensitivity of the waveguide (50) and/or the vibration acting on the waveguide (50) is greater or less than outside the locating section (51-55), the amplitude of the received back-scattering pattern (Rm1, Rm2, Rm3) is evaluated and a location signal (So) is generated if the amplitude of the received back-scattering pattern (Rm1, Rm2, Rm3) increases or decreases over the course of time.