A method for determining the speed of a rail-bound vehicle, includes the following method steps: detection of a reference element, wherein the first detection device generates a first detection signal when the reference element passes the first detection device; detection of the reference element, wherein the second detection device generates a second detection signal when the reference element passes the second detection device; conversion of the detection signals into digital detection pulses; determining the time difference between the two detection pulses; wherein an XOR signal is generated in an XOR gate by linking the first and the second detection pulse using an XOR logic; and the duration of the XOR signal is determined; and wherein the time difference between the two detection pulses is determined by halving the duration of the XOR signal. The speed can be measured with higher accuracy when using an existing infrastructure without additional assembly work.

A method for detecting a movement of a rail vehicle, in particular a freight or passenger train, in a warning zone of a rail crossing, includes: determining a first temperature in the warning zone of the rail crossing or in a portion of the warning zone at a first time; determining a second temperature in the warning zone of the rail crossing or in a portion of the warning zone at a second time. The first time is chronologically before the second time. The method compares the first temperature with the second temperature. If the comparison demonstrates that the second temperature is higher than the first temperature, the method outputs a warning signal and initiates blocking of the rail crossing.

A method for detecting a movement of a rail vehicle, in particular a freight or passenger train, in a warning zone of a rail crossing, includes: determining a first temperature in the warning zone of the rail crossing or in a portion of the warning zone at a first time; determining a second temperature in the warning zone of the rail crossing or in a portion of the warning zone at a second time. The first time is chronologically before the second time. The method compares the first temperature with the second temperature. If the comparison demonstrates that the second temperature is higher than the first temperature, the method outputs a warning signal and initiates blocking of the rail crossing.

A frequency generator for generating a working frequency for a transmission signal of a rail contact of an axle counter includes a series resonant circuit having a transmitter coil unit of the rail contact and a capacitor. The frequency generator has an inverter, the output of which is connected to the capacitor. The inverter is configured to generate an oscillating voltage and to feed the generated oscillating voltage to the transmitter coil unit of the rail contact via the capacitor. A current transformer synchronizes the output voltage of the inverter to the current in the series resonant circuit. A start-up circuit electrically connected to the inverter is configured to trigger the inverter and to be electrically connected to an input power supply. The frequency generator is a robust and effective circuit for generation of magnetic fields where manufacturing effort and expensive components can be reduced.

A method and device for ascertaining movement authority for track-bound vehicles allow interference with a driving operation resulting in special operational situations or disturbances to be kept as low as possible. The position of the vehicle is determined and used to check whether the vehicle is located completely in an axle-counting section of an axle-counting system. The number of axles of the vehicle is compared with the number of axles located in the relevant section according to the system. If the vehicle is located completely in the relevant section and the number of axles of the vehicle matches the number of axles located in the section according to the system, a movement authority is ascertained for the vehicle. The part of the relevant section in front of the vehicle in the driving direction is assumed to be free of other vehicles when ascertaining the movement authority.

The invention relates to a device for fastening trackside modules to a rail having a base and a head. The device includes two clamps that are clamped on the base of the rail with the use of a mechanism that extends under the base of the rail. At least one of the clamps is movable. A bracket is fastened to at least one of the clamps and a trackside module is fastened next to the head of the rail. A pair of brackets is fastened with the use of fasteners to surfaces of each of the clamps. The brackets extend transversely to the longitudinal axis of the rail and at least one upwardly extending section is fastened using second fasteners to at least one of the brackets outer side surfaces. At least one trackside module is fastened to an upper end region of at least one upwardly extending section.

A sensor arrangement (20) comprises a wheel sensor (21) which is arranged to detect wheels of rail vehicles, a carrier (22), and a connector (23), wherein the wheel sensor (21) is fixed on the carrier (22), the connector (23) is fixed to the carrier (22), and the connector (23) is electrically connected with at least one electrical contact (24) of the wheel sensor (21).

An evaluation unit 10 for a sensor arrangement for railway monitoring is described, the evaluation unit 10 comprising a connection to a position sensor 11 and a connection to a tracking sensor 12. The position sensor 11 is capable of detecting rail vehicles 19 passing over the position of the position sensor 11 on a railway track 14 and provides a position output signal 15. The tracking sensor 12 comprises a fibre optic sensor 16, which is capable of detecting the position of noise along the railway track 14 and the tracking sensor 12 provides a tracking output signal 18. The evaluation unit 10 provides an output signal 13 that depends on the position output signal 15 and the tracking output signal 18. Further, a sensor arrangement for railway monitoring and a method for evaluation of railway monitoring signals are described.

An axle-counting method for railbound vehicles includes the following method steps: coupling light into at least one sensor fiber, wherein the sensor fiber includes at least one fiber Bragg grating mounted on a rail, wherein each fiber Bragg grating has a reflection spectrum having a reflection peak which is at a Bragg wavelength and has a full width at half maximum; generating a difference signal from two shear stress signals through detection and filtering the temporal intensity course of the light power reflected by two Fiber Bragg gratings which are arranged at a separation from one another; and generating a wheel signal if the difference signal exceeds a predetermined shear stress difference limiting value.

According to the invention a rail vehicle wheel sensor assembly (ZCK) is provided that comprises a rail vehicle wheel detection system (UWK) and a two-wire interface in the form of a current loop, by means of which the wheel detection system (UWK) is connected to an external device (SO). The wheel sensor assembly (ZCK) is characterised in that it comprises a wheel detection configuration system (UKDK) connected to the wheel detection system (UWK), an authorisation and configuration system (UA) capable of storing at least one secret (SK), used for secure communication with the external device (SO) and for forwarding configuration commands to the wheel detection configuration system (UKDK) connected thereto, a communication converter system (UM) used for the signal conversion, a wheel sensor supply voltage conversion system (UKU), a voltage summation and voltage-to-sensor-output-current conversion system (UKUI), an output signal permission system (UZSW) and a power supply system (UZ).

According to the invention a rail vehicle wheel detection device (DWK) comprising two or more such wheel sensor assemblies is further provided.