比利时专利BE1023192B1 A train monitoring system for monitoring at least a portion of a rail track for rail track workers,

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专利摘要:
A train monitoring system for monitoring at least a portion of a rail track for rail track workers, as well as a safety helmet for such a train monitoring system. The components of the train monitoring system comprise communication means. The communication means of the at least one the train detection unit and the at least one signaling unit are adapted to communicate over a public wireless telecommunications network.
公开号:BE1023192B1
申请号:E2016/5279
申请日:2016-04-22
公开日:2016-12-19
发明作者:Lex Josephus Maria Van Der Poel
申请人:Dual Inventive Holding B.V.；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

A train monitoring system for monitoring at least a portion of a rail track for rail track workers, as well as a safety helmet for such a train monitoring system.
Description
The invention relates to a train monitoring system for monitoring at least a portion of a rail track for rail track workers, as well as a safety helmet for such a train monitoring system.
In order to guarantee the safety of the maintenance workers on that track, also known as short track workers or rail track workers, a specific part of the track, for example one or more sections of that track, is often put out of service.
When a part of the track has been taken out of service, use cannot be made of that part of the track at that time and this can cause undesired disruption to the timetable. Certainly when it concerns a busy part of the rail network, or when work must be carried out at an unfavorable moment of the day, for example during rush hour, it may be undesirable to put that part of the rail out of service. In that case, maintenance work must be carried out on a part of the track that is in use, between the times that trains pass. To warn the railroad workers about an approaching train, it is known to use train monitoring systems that alert the railroad workers, so that they can move to a safe zone in time. Such known detection systems communicate via a Radio Frequency, RF signal to the warning means, furthermore near the railroad workers and therefore the place of maintenance.
Such communication has the disadvantage of being susceptible to interference. The range is also short and a current status cannot be determined.
The invention has for its object to provide an improved train monitoring system. More specifically, a train monitoring system that offers a solution for at least some of the above-mentioned drawbacks.
According to a first example of the invention, a train monitoring system is provided according to claim 1.
The rail network is being used more and more intensively and must meet increasingly higher requirements. Therefore it requires regular maintenance. To perform this maintenance safely, parts of a route may be taken out of service, for example with a currently known short-circuit lance.
It may be undesirable to take busy parts of the track out of service, or to perform maintenance during peak times such as peak hours. In that case, it must be possible to carry out maintenance work on a part of the track that is in use, between the times that trains pass. To this end, the invention provides a train monitoring system to alert the railroad workers to an approaching train so that they can move to a safe zone in time.
In a simplest embodiment, such a train monitoring system consists of at least one train detection unit and at least one signaling unit. The train detection unit comprises detection means for detecting the presence of a train, either by detection in or near the track, or directly from the train protection. Furthermore, the train detection unit comprises communication means which are adapted to communicate information regarding the presence of the train to other units of the system. When a train comes within the range of the detection means, or the train protection detects the train, a signal will be emitted which is communicated by the communication means to other parts of the train monitoring system, such as for example to the signaling unit.
The signaling unit comprises corresponding communication means for receiving the signal, and signaling means which issue one or more warning signals to the rail track workers, so as to warn them of the approaching train. This can be an auditory signal, but also a visual signal or a combination of both.
The inventor has realized that all existing train monitoring systems are used for local work. To that end, they are also installed locally and therefore communicate locally. This conventional point-to-point communication causes various problems. The range of such local networks is thus limited, which can be a limiting factor in the required distance between the train detection unit and the signaling unit. Furthermore, such local (radio) communication is not always reliable and the communicated information is only available locally.
Therefore, a train monitoring system according to the invention is characterized by communication means from both the train detection and the signaling unit that can communicate over a public wireless telecommunications network, being one or more of GSM-R, HSDPA, HSUPA, 3GPP LTE, LTE ADVANCED, or further generations.
This has several advantages, the range is so large that availability is no problem. Because of this network, mutual distance is not a limiting factor. Repeaters are therefore unnecessary. Continuous testing of the connection is also unnecessary. Furthermore, bandwidth is no longer a limiting factor, and can even be used or scaled up depending on the needs of the system.
Another big advantage is that the communication is taken from the local and can in principle be made available everywhere and can be adjusted or applied. A train monitoring system that communicates via such a network results in better availability, higher reliability, higher speed and greater bandwidth. Such a train monitoring system moreover provides the possibility for different users at all levels of the rail system to gain insight into the situation on the ground and whether or not to intervene.
The invention will be further elucidated with reference to a figures. It shows:
Figure 1 shows a part of a rail track with an overview of different parts of a train monitoring system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 shows a situation sketch of a train monitoring system in a part of a rail track with some parts of a train monitoring system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;
Figures 3 a safety helmet of a train monitoring system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
For a better understanding of the invention, the corresponding parts will be indicated by identical reference numerals in the following description of the figures.
In FIG. 1 illustratively shows a part of a rail track 105 which consists of different rails 105a-d. Trains can run on these rails. Two sets of rails 105a-b and 105c-d are shown in this figure. In the center of the rails, this part is represented by the interruption in the rails 105a-d, a working zone 190 is defined. The activities are carried out within this work zone. During the work, the track workers or rail track workers must be warned in time for an approaching train so that they can leave work zone 190 in time and the risk of accidents is minimized. It is therefore important that the railroad workers can count on a reliable, accurate monitoring system that warns them in time so that there is still sufficient time to leave work zone 190.
The train monitoring system 100 is therefore provided with a minimal version of at least one train detection unit 110, 111 and at least one signaling unit 120, 121, 150. In practice, however, these will usually be several detection units and several warning units, depending on the situation and depending on, for example, the size of the work zone 190, the number of track workers and the duration or ambient noise on site.
In the train monitoring system 100 of FIG. 1, six train detection units 110a-d, 111a-b are shown. These can be different types. Some are arranged between the rails 105a-d. Others are arranged close to the track and of the ultrasonic type 111a-b, these detect a train on the basis of an ultrasonic signal. These are focused on the route from which a train can be expected.
As in FIG. 1, all parts of the system 100 are connected to each other. This is illustrative in the form of the lines 175 between the different units. These lines are merely illustrative and are not intended to be a representation of a physical wired connection between the specific parts of the system. This connection could be wired, but a practical implementation is usually wireless. Furthermore it can also be a combination of. That is, some components are connected to each other wirelessly, others are wired and others are partially wired and partly wireless. The train monitoring system according to the invention does not communicate via a local point-to-point radio connection but via a public wireless telecommunications network. That is, by public is meant that the parts of the system 100 are also accessible outside the work zone 190 and communication between the different parts of the system 100 takes place via a public network.
Different forms of non-local communication are conceivable. All examples of the train monitoring system according to the invention relate to communication over a public wireless telecommunications network according to claim 1. By a telecommunications network is meant in this context a composition of different nodes with which one or more connections between two or more connection points of that network is made possible. Electronic communication can then take place over these connections. This electronic communication can concern data but also telephony or a combination thereof, and packet or circuit switched.
In FIG. 1, the system 100 comprises a central unit 160. This is a (central) server 160. This server is central because it is able to at least view / read out all communication between the various components of the system 100 or to save, but also to adjust in a further version. If one of the train detection units detects a train (this can also be from the train protection) this information about the presence or approach of the train will communicate to the signaling unit. This communication always takes place via the telecommunication network to which the server 160 is connected and via which network all components, including the server 160, are connected to each other. As a result, the server 160 can read this information, store it for later viewing, but can also manipulate and / or configure.
As indicated, it is important that, for example in the situation of an accident, there are afterwards possibilities to check whether a train has been detected, when this has taken place, whether a warning signal has been issued and when, etc. cq logging, all kinds of data can be executed locally. That is, for every part of the system, in the part itself. However, it can also be done centrally, preferably by the server 160. In an alternative it can also be done at both points. If logging takes place in the server, this can be made visible elsewhere from the server. For example, a central train line or planning department 170.
Another important advantage is that the configuration can be carried out remotely. This means that temporary or (semi) permanent configurations can be made of a train monitoring system. This in turn has the advantage that the configuration can be carried out prior to the work and does not have to be carried out on site. This saves valuable time and the time required to perform the relatively dangerous work on a track that has not been taken out of service can be limited to only the time for the actual work without the additional time for setting up and configuring the train monitoring system .
Another additional advantage is that the rail worker, in comparison with conventional train monitoring systems, has to be present for a shorter time in an unguarded track. After all, with conventional train monitoring systems, the system will first have to be installed and then configured and tested. Only when all this has been done can the system be put into operation. As the part of the track is not taken out of service, this is a dangerous period in which the track workers are present in or near a track that has not been taken out of service and for which the train monitoring system is not yet operational. To guarantee safety, this time must be minimized, but preferably preferably reduced to zero. This is possible with a train monitoring system according to the invention, since at least the configuration and testing can be carried out remotely, because the various components of the system 100 can be controlled remotely via the telecommunications network. If use is made of permanently available train detection units and / or signaling units, the track worker does not have to enter the track, but only configuration and testing is required that can be carried out at a sufficient distance from the unsafe track in order to ensure a safe workplace on the track. realize.
In FIG. 1, for example, a control unit 140 is shown. This is, for example, a tablet with an application which is connected via the telecommunications network to the various components of the system 100 and to the central server 160. By means of this tablet 140, for example, a rail worker can activate the train detection units and link them to a signaling unit in order to configured work zone 190. A test can then also be carried out with the tablet 140 to determine whether the configuration can be safely put into operation. However, the tablet can also be used as an information provision whereby the status information of the various components of the system can be read passively. For those who are entitled to do so, the application can set the configuration, whether or not via the tablet 160 or via another device such as a (smart) phone, laptop or fixed computer via the telecommunications network. In one example, for example, a specially prepared department within the track management can schedule maintenance work on a part of the track. The work zone 190 within which these activities are performed can then be monitored by a train monitoring system according to the invention, the configuration of which is configured in advance by this department in accordance with the defined work zone 190. For example, a configuration consisting of one mobile signaling unit 120 can be chosen. which can warn the track workers by means of a sound signal and a light signal, one mobile signaling unit 121 which warns with a strong sound signal, and furthermore per direction and per rail one inductive detection unit 110a-d, and per direction one ultrasonic detection unit 111 ab. Optionally, a short-circuit lance, ZKL 130, can also be added to the train monitoring system 100, and / or one or more safety helmets 150. As soon as the department has linked the various components within the system 100, the first step of the configuration is ready. In a possible, but preferably performed, second step, all parts of that configuration can be tested in a test phase. If this test phase has been successfully completed, the maintenance order can be made available to a contractor who will carry out the maintenance work on the track at the work zone 190. He receives, for example via a tablet 140, the order on his screen that has been prepared by the department. In this order, the train monitoring system 100 is correctly configured for the work zone 190. The on-site contractor only needs to accept and activate this order and can start work.
In FIG. 1, a short-circuit lance 130 is also shown. This short-circuit lance is capable of creating a short-circuit between the rails 105c-d, so that the relay of the rail current system falls off and the signal of the section to which the working zone belongs falls to red. This can be included in the system 100 as an additional safety measure.
FIG. 2 also shows a workplace or work zone 190 in which track workers 220 can perform work. Herein, 210a indicates a train approaching zone 190 along the track. This train is detected by the detection units 110b. This detection unit is in communication communication with the central server 160 via a telecommunications network in accordance with the description of FIG. 1. The server may optionally be present locally, but in a preferred embodiment is located at some distance from the work zone 190, for example in a central data center.
In FIG. 3, a safety helmet 300 according to an example of the invention is shown. This safety helmet includes various options for warning the user of the helmet. For example, by means of an (LED) light 320 that is directly aimed at the eyes of the user and comes on when a signal is received from one of the train detection units that a train is approaching. Furthermore, the helmet comprises a vibration module 340 that vibrates upon such a notification and thus warns the user. In addition, the helmet 150 comprises one or more loudspeakers 330, which can alert the user by means of an audio signal. The whole unit communicates with the other components of the system via a communication module which is not shown but is arranged for the system according to claim 1. With the aid of the lights 310 the status can be read out and it can be seen whether, for example, a message has arrived or whether there is still a connection to the network. The logo can also light up here to indicate that the helmet is activated.

权利要求:
Claims (5)
[1]
CONCLUSIONS
Train monitoring system for monitoring at least a part of a rail track for rail track workers, comprising: - at least one train detection unit, comprising detection means adapted to detect the presence of a train in the part of the rail track, and communication means adapted to communicate information regarding the presence of the train; - at least one signaling unit, comprising communication means adapted to communicate with the communication means of the at least one train detection unit, and signaling means adapted to provide at least one warning signal to the rail track workers indicative of the presence of the train, wherein the communication means of the at least one train detection unit and the at least one signaling unit are further adapted to communicate over a public wireless telecommunications network, being one or more of GSM-R, HSDPA, HSUPA, 3GPP LTE, LTE ADVANCED, or further generations.
[2]
Train monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the detection of the presence of the train by the train detection unit takes place from the train protection.
[3]
Train monitoring system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the detection means of the at least one train detection unit comprise at least one ultrasonic sensor for detecting the presence of the train.
[4]
Train monitoring system according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: - at least one safety helmet for use by the railroad workers, comprising communication means for communicating with one of the train detection unit, the signaling unit, a local network router and a remote server and signaling means adapted for outputting at least one or more of a vibrating signal, an auditory signal or a visual signal.
[5]
Safety helmet for use by railroad workers, arranged for a train monitoring system according to one of claims 1-4, comprising communication means for communicating with at least one or more of the train detection unit, the signaling unit, a local network router and a remote server , and signaling means arranged for outputting at least one or more of a vibrating signal, an auditory signal or a visual signal, the communication means communicating over a public wireless telecommunications network, being one or more of GSM-R, HSDPA, HSUPA, 3GPP LTE , LTE ADVANCED, or further generations

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同族专利:

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引用文献:

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法律状态:

优先权:

申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

NL2014693|2015-04-22|

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