A vehicle guidance system and method includes at least one guidance sensor configured to mount on or adjacent to a pantograph along a lateral width of the pantograph. The pantograph installs on a vehicle and conducts electrical energy from a conductive pathway as the vehicle travels along a route. The vehicle guidance system and method includes a controller that receives one or more sensor signals generated by the at least one guidance sensor and determines a lateral position of the conductive pathway relative to the pantograph based on the one or more sensor signals.

A vehicle guidance system and method includes at least one guidance sensor configured to mount on or adjacent to a pantograph along a lateral width of the pantograph. The pantograph installs on a vehicle and conducts electrical energy from a conductive pathway as the vehicle travels along a route. The vehicle guidance system and method includes a controller that receives one or more sensor signals generated by the at least one guidance sensor and determines a lateral position of the conductive pathway relative to the pantograph based on the one or more sensor signals.

A road-guided motor vehicle includes a power collector for an overhead line and an actuator arrangement. The power collector is controlled by the actuator arrangement from a first, pantograph-lowered into a second, pantograph-raised position or vice versa. The power collector is assigned a sensor arrangement having a data connection to a control unit of the actuator arrangement. The control unit is configured such that a contact pressure of power collector against overhead line is detected or determined using sensor arrangement data, a memory with spatially resolved contact pressures for the power collector and a position ascertaining unit. At a motor vehicle position determined by the position ascertaining unit, an associated contact pressure is read out from the memory and automatically set by the control unit or signaled to a motor vehicle driver. A method for raising a power collector pantograph onto an overhead line is also provided.

A road-guided motor vehicle includes a power collector for an overhead line and an actuator arrangement. The power collector is controlled by the actuator arrangement from a first, pantograph-lowered into a second, pantograph-raised position or vice versa. The power collector is assigned a sensor arrangement having a data connection to a control unit of the actuator arrangement. The control unit is configured such that a contact pressure of power collector against overhead line is detected or determined using sensor arrangement data, a memory with spatially resolved contact pressures for the power collector and a position ascertaining unit. At a motor vehicle position determined by the position ascertaining unit, an associated contact pressure is read out from the memory and automatically set by the control unit or signaled to a motor vehicle driver. A method for raising a power collector pantograph onto an overhead line is also provided.

A method is presented for detecting a lowering of a current collector of a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, from a contact line, the method comprising: determining values of the electric current intensity of an electric current that is transmitted or flows between the contact line and the current collector in a measuring period; determining values of a current component of the electric current with the aid of the values of the electric current intensity; detecting the lowering with the aid of the values of the current component and a predefined criterion. Furthermore, a corresponding apparatus and a vehicle comprising the apparatus are disclosed.

A method is presented for detecting a lowering of a current collector of a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, from a contact line, the method comprising: determining values of the electric current intensity of an electric current that is transmitted or flows between the contact line and the current collector in a measuring period; determining values of a current component of the electric current with the aid of the values of the electric current intensity; detecting the lowering with the aid of the values of the current component and a predefined criterion. Furthermore, a corresponding apparatus and a vehicle comprising the apparatus are disclosed.