EP0694463A1 - Method and device for warning persons in the track area - Google Patents

Abstract

The warning system is used to indicate the approach of a train via signalling stations (1) linked to warning stations (5) at the working zones. The position of each warning station is determined by a radio receiver (51) for a global positioning system, so that only the status information provided by the signalling station corresponding to the working zone in which the warning station is located is evaluated. The warning station provides a fault warning when no status information is received within a defined time frame. Pref. the signalling station similarly contains a radio receiver (13) for a global positioning system for locating the position of the signalling station, with the position information and/or the train position information combined with the transmitted status information. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a method and a device for warning people in the track area with the features specified in the preambles of claims 1 and 8, respectively.

Known is a method and a device for warning people in the track area of approaching trains by means of addressed warning information which is derived from information about routes and train journeys in signal boxes and is routed to portable warning stations by a cable via transfer devices fixedly arranged along the tracks. An address characterizing the installation site of the warning station is read into the warning station from the transfer devices, the warning station evaluating the warning information if it corresponds to the address of the warning information and always triggering a warning in the event of a delay (DE 41 23 960 C1). The warning station is portable, but must be firmly connected to the transfer device by cable. The address of the warning information relates to the unchangeable location of the transfer device.

Known is a generic method and a generic device for warning people in the track area of approaching trains by train-mounted, train-detecting, addressable signaling stations, which signal the status signaling the train to an addressable warning station located in the working area of the people and capable of alarming in one Organize time-division multiplex operation over a high-frequency message channel, the stations having an adjustable location address that characterizes the installation site (DE 40 05 354 C2). Here too, the stations are linked to the installation site by the fixed location address during operation.

Such warning stations are set up in the track area at a fixed destination assigned to the status information, for example in the middle of a work area to be warned. If the warning station is moved beyond the work area into an adjacent or more distant work area, the destination must be redefined if no false warning is to be given for an incorrect work area. Such a conventional warning system is therefore only suitable for long-standing, stationary construction sites, but not for migratory construction sites or even for railroad track inspectors.

The possibility of using the GPS navigation system to locate objects in the civil and military field is known (DE-Z: Wehrtechnik, 1990, H. 4, pp. 59-61: Fritschi: GPS-NAVSTAR - the navigation system of the future).

The GPS navigation system is principally used in railway technology. For example, to correct the position of a wheel-driven odometer of a locomotive. The current position, the direction of travel, the speed and the acceleration of the locomotive are derived from this (US Pat. No. 5,129,605).

In another application of the GPS navigation system, the signals of the system are also used to determine the current position of a locomotive, in order to calculate the rail curves to be expected in comparison with a speed detection of the locomotive by Doppler wheels and an electronically stored route map, where the body tilt is controlled (DE 42 44 624 A1).

An application of the GPS navigation system for location-based warning of people in the track area is not known.

The object of the invention is to provide a generic method and a generic device, in which it is possible to warn people in the track area of approaching trains, and at least one warning station is also freely movable during operation and thereby automatically signaling the trains, evaluates the status information used for the warning, which is assigned to the work area in which the relevant warning station is currently located.

This object is achieved in the generic method and the generic device by the characterizing features of claims 1 and 8.

Further advantageous configurations are described in the subclaims. A design to avoid an impermissible positional deviation with simple means is essential.

• Fig. 1 eine Melde- und eine Warnstation.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. It shows

• Fig. 1 a reporting and a warning station.

1 shows a typical circuit of a reporting station (1) and a warning station (5). Several reporting and / or warning stations can also be used. Status information signaling the trains and serving for warning purposes is sent to the reporting station (1) via an input (29) and stored in a status memory (19). However, the status information can also be derived in the signaling station by a computer (11) from signals at the input (29). As is known, the status information is, for example, secured information about the train location and route or warning information derived therefrom. As is known, the status information is assigned a destination for the information, with which the corresponding warning station (5) in the work area of the persons is addressed via an information channel (3) and the status information there a status memory (63) arrives. With only one destination, knowledge of the destination can be dispensed with. The information channel (3) can be a line, an inductive loop or expediently a radio channel, a similar transmission medium or a mixture thereof.

The information about the fixed destinations, which is inadequate for the method and is assigned to the status information, is read in the stations (1, 5) from the status memory (19, 63) via a line (25, 81) into converters (15, 79), and the information from them derive the work areas to be warned and write them back into the status memory (19, 63) in accordance with the status information. The work areas to be derived can e.g. be predetermined in a table in the converter (15, 79) or a computer (11, 51) as relative or absolute - then expediently reduced - coordinates and assigned to the destinations. In the case of a derivation in the reporting station (1), the information about the work area to be warned is also forwarded to the warning stations (5) via the information channel (3), possibly without the information contained therein about the destination.

A radio receiver (53) of a global positioning system (GPS) in the warning station (5) receives, via an antenna (65), information about its geographical position, which is identical to the position of the warning station (5), and places the information on a line ( 67) in a position memory (57). The warning station (5) is thus known where it is currently located.

A selector (61) in the warning station (5), which is connected (73 or 75) to the position memory (57) and the status memory (63), can also use the position memory (57) to determine the current position of the warning station (5) compare the warning work areas assigned to the status information in the status memory (63). If the current position of the warning station (5) lies within the work area to be warned, the selector (61) passes the assigned status information via a line (71) to an evaluator (59) and as a retrigger signal to a timer (55). The evaluator (59) evaluates the status information in a known manner and gives corresponding signals - e.g. Warning on / off at its output (77). If the timer (55) is not retriggered within a waiting period specified by the timer (55), there is a dangerous information gap, whereupon the timer triggers the evaluator (59) via a line (69) to emit a fault warning.

The reporting station (1) is expediently equipped with a radio receiver (13) of a global positioning system (GPS), which receives and via an antenna (21) information about its geographic location, which is identical to the location of the reporting station (1) via a line (23) in a location memory (17). The position can be communicated to the status memory (19) via a line (27) and can be linked there, for example, to location-related status information. Such status information is, for example, train location sensors or wheel counters which are connected to the reporting station (1) via line 29 and reach the status memory (19). As a result, the reporting station (1) is also freely movable and the status information is always linked to the current location.

If the computers (11, 51) in the stations (1, 5) in the position memory (17, 57) determine, by comparison, a temporal change in position of the positions determined by the global positioning system that exceed a predetermined grace value, e.g. corresponds to the maximum movement speed of the stations, the global positioning system may behave incorrectly. The computers (11, 51) then initiate a fault message in a known manner.

The measurement tolerance of the global positioning system can be compensated for gapless detection of the work areas if the computer (11, 51) extends the positions in the position memory (17, 57) or status memory (19, 63) by this measurement tolerance by addition. In the case of a larger expansion, useful overlaps of the work areas can be shown.

To increase security, e.g. Two different global positioning systems (GPS) are evaluated in a station (1, 5) by radio receivers (13, 53) and the results are compared by the computer (11, 51), the computer (11, 51) having previously defined impermissible deviations causes a fault message in a known manner. This principle can also be applied to all other system parts (11, 51) in a known manner.

The means shown above can be carried out or applied by the switching elements (13 to 19, 53 to 79) and / or the computers (11, 51) mentioned.

According to a further configuration to avoid a positional deviation, at least one reporting station is set up to receive the global positioning system, but not all of the others. The actual location of the reporting stations (1) is specified as a geographical value in the reporting station (1) to a location memory (83) internally via a line (87) or supplied externally and entered into the status memory (19) via a line (89). The value of the geographical location is used in a known manner to determine the source location of the information to be transmitted. If the absolute geographical distance of the destination to the source location is usually known, the destination of the information to be transmitted can be formed in a known manner from addition to the source location. If source and destination locations are determined using a global positioning system with the same deviations from the actual source and destination locations, the absolute geographical distance remains the same. Information with such a different source location would "hit" the target location at the correct distance, even if the target location has the same deviation. To achieve this, in at least one reporting station (1) the value of the actual geographical location from the location memory (83) and the geographic value determined by the radio receiver (13) of the global positioning system and stored in the location memory (17) are transmitted via lines (89 , 93) to a comparator (85) which determines the deviation of the supplied geographic values. This deviation reaches the status memory (19) via a line (95) and from there via the information channel (3) to the status memory (19) of the other signaling stations (1) that are not equipped for reception (13, 17) of the positioning system. For example, the deviation from the real geographical location, which is due to the global positioning system and is generally the same in limited areas, is known to all reporting stations (1). By Adding the value of the real geographic location with the deviation can be corrected in all reporting stations (1) as if it came from the global positioning system. The deviations of all reporting stations (1) are then identical to the deviations of the position (57) of the warning stations (5) located in the vicinity, which is determined exclusively by the global positioning system, the deviations being compensated for. In principle, only one of all reporting stations (1) has to be equipped with a device for receiving a global positioning system, but two for better security.

The deviations between the (17) determined by the global positioning system and the actual geographical location (83) can become too large for a security system like this. If the deviation of a value specified in the comparator (85) of the reporting stations (1) is exceeded, the comparator (85) issues a fault message (91). This can also be fed to the status memory (19), where appropriate combined with the other information, and passed to other reporting stations (1) and / or warning stations (5) via the information channel (3).

In the event of large deviations between the (17) determined by the global positioning system and the actual geographical location (83), the availability can be increased by avoiding an error message if the relative deviations of the reporting stations (1) in the areas of the Warning stations (5) can be measured with each other and are sufficiently small. For this purpose, at least two reporting stations (1) have devices for receiving (13) the global positioning system. The comparators (85) of these reporting stations (1) exchange the deviations between the position (17) determined by the global positioning system and the actual position (83) with one another via the status memory (19) and the information channel (3). The difference between the exchanged deviations can be determined by the comparator (85). As above, the comparator (85) can emit a fault message (91) if the difference exceeds a value specified in the comparator (85).

Claims (16)

Method for warning people in the track area against approaching trains by signaling stations (1), which can assign status signaling signals that serve to warn the trains to at least one destination and warning stations (5) that are capable of issuing warnings and are located at the destination in the work area of the people via an information channel ( 3) direct
characterized,
that the locations of the work areas to be warned are derived from the destinations assigned to the status information and assigned to the status information,
that radio receivers (53) of a global positioning system in the warning stations (5) receive information about their position and thus the position of the warning station (5) is determined,
that status information received by the warning stations (5) via the information channel (3) is evaluated as being intended for them for the purpose of warning if the information contained therein about the location of the work area matches the determined location of the warning station (5), and
that a warning is triggered by the warning stations (5) if no valid information intended for them arrives within a predetermined waiting period. A method according to claim 1, characterized in
that information about their location is received by radio receivers (13) of a global positioning system in the reporting stations (1) and thus the location of the reporting station (1) and / or the location of the devices that are connected to it and signaling trains are determined, and
that the determined location is linked to the status information. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
that the stations (1, 5) issue a fault message if the positions determined by the global positioning system have a temporal change in position that exceeds a predetermined grace period. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
that the positions on a position area are expanded, which corresponds at least to the measurement tolerance of the global positioning system. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
that the actual location (83) of the reporting stations (1) for determining the geographical source and destination of the information can be entered internally or can be supplied externally,
that at least one reporting station (1) determines the deviation between its position (17) determined by the global positioning system and its actual location (83) and sends it to other reporting stations without devices for receiving the global positioning system, and
that the real location (83) is added correctively with the deviation. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
that at least one signaling station (1) issues a fault message (91) when the deviation between its position (17) determined by the global positioning system and its actual location (83) exceeds a predetermined value. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that
that at least one reporting station (1) issues a fault message (91) when the difference in the deviations between at least two reporting stations (1) exceeds a predetermined value. Device for warning people in the track area of approaching trains by signaling stations (1), which can assign status signaling signals that serve to warn the trains to at least one destination and warning stations (5) capable of issuing warnings (5) located in the work area of the people via an information channel ( 3) direct;
the stations (1, 5) having a computer (11, 51) with its periphery (15, 19, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 79),
characterized,
that the warning stations (5) have a radio receiver (53) of a global positioning system,
that in the reporting stations (1) or in the warning stations (5) from the status information assigned destinations from a status memory (19, 63) by a converter (15, 79) the locations of the work areas to be warned and the status information in the status memory (19 , 63) can be assigned
that the radio receiver (53) receives information about its location and thus determines the location of the warning station (5) and stores it in a location memory (57),
that the computer (51) receives status information in the warning stations (5) via the information channel (3) and stores it in a status memory (63),
that the status information in the status memory (63) is passed via a selector (61) to an evaluator (59) as intended for the warning station (5) if the selector (61) matches the position of the work area contained in the status information with the determines the determined position of the warning station (5) in the position memory (57),
that the evaluator (59) evaluates the status information for the warning (77), and
that the evaluator (59) causes a malfunction warning at its output (77) if one by a timer (55) passes the specified waiting period without the timer (55) being retriggered by valid information from the selector (61) intended for the warning station (5). Device according to claim 8, characterized in
that the reporting stations (1) have a radio receiver (13) of a global positioning system and further periphery of the computer (11, 17),
that the radio receiver (13) receives information about its location and thus determines the location of the reporting station (1) and / or the location of the devices connected to it and signaling the trains and stores them in a location memory (17), and
that the computer (11) links the location in the location memory (17) with the status information in the status memory (19). Device according to one of claims 8 to 9, characterized in that
that the stations (1, 5) issue a fault message when the computer (11, 51) in the position memory (17, 57) detects a change in the position of the positions determined by the global positioning system that exceeds a predetermined grace period. Device according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that;
that the computer (11, 51) extends the positions in the position memory (17, 57) or status memory (19, 63) by a position range which corresponds at least to the measurement tolerance of the global positioning system. Device according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that
that radio receivers and / or computers (11, 13, 51, 53) of the stations (1, 5) are redundant and monitor each other. Device according to claim 12, characterized in
that radio receivers and / or computers (11, 13, 51, 53) are diversely redundant and monitor each other. Device according to one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that
that the reporting stations (1) have a location memory (83) and only at least one reporting station (1) a radio receiver (13) and a location memory (17) of a global positioning system and a comparator (85),
that the status memory (19) for determining the geographic source and destination of the information about the location memory (83) has a value (87) which characterizes the actual location of the reporting stations (1) can be entered internally or can be supplied externally,
that in at least one reporting station (1) the value of the location of the reporting station (1) determined by the global positioning system and stored in the location memory (17) and the value of the actual location from the location memory (83) are fed to the comparator (85),
that the comparator (85) determines the deviation between the determined position (17) and the actual local position (83),
that the reporting station (1) transmits the deviation to the status memory (19) and to other reporting stations (1) without devices for receiving a global positioning system (13, 17) via the information channel (3) to their status memory (19), and
that in the status memory (19) of the reporting stations (1) the value of the actual location (83) is corrected by adding it to the deviation. Device according to one of claims 8 to 14, characterized in that
that the reporting station (1) issues a fault message (91), possibly to other reporting stations (1) and / or warning stations (5) via the status memory (19) and the information channel (3),
if the comparator (85) determines a deviation between the determined position (17) and the actual local position (83) that exceeds a predetermined value. Device according to one of claims 8 to 15, characterized in that
that the comparators (85) of at least two reporting stations (1) exchange the deviations between the determined position (17) and the actual location (83) with one another via the status memory (19) and the information channel (3), and
that the reporting stations (1) issue a fault message (91), possibly to other reporting stations (1) and / or warning stations (5) via the status memory (19) and the information channel (3) if the comparator (85) detects a difference between the exchanged discrepancies that exceed a predetermined value.

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