A conductor line for supplying electric energy to an electric load which can be moved along the conductor line, includes at least one conductor strand, which runs in the longitudinal direction and comprises an electrically conducting profiled conductor section for contacting a sliding contact of the load; and a current collector for supplying electric energy to the load. The current collector has at least one sliding contact for contacting an electrically conductive profiled conductor section of a conductor strand. A first optical transmission unit which runs in the longitudinal direction is arranged on the conductor line for contactlessly transmitting data to a second optical transmission unit which is moveable relative to the conductor line, and a second optical transmission unit which is moveable in the longitudinal direction relative to the conductor line is arranged on the current collector for contactlessly transmitting data to a first optical transmission unit.

Provided is an embodiment to automatically detect signals in track-bound traffic when track-bound vehicles are traveling on track sections in a track network. According to the embodiment, this is achieved in that on the basis of a) location-related reference information, which is stored as reference data and which is detected along the track section in the track network with respect to the geographical surroundings and the track-bound traffic signal control, in the form of reference location information, reference signal state information, context and notification information which is obtained in the context of the detection process, and optionally additional meta information relating to the information, and b) a comparison between the operational location information and operational signal state information, which is detected in the signal detection operation using position data, with the stored reference data, a signal and/or a signal state is detected in order to control the track-bound traffic on the track section.

A system, e.g., an installation, includes a mobile part that is movable along a coding region. A camera is arranged on the mobile part and is connected to an evaluation unit of the mobile part. The coding region has coded regions arranged successively. A one-part or multi-part cover covers coded regions, and has an opening through which an image of the first coded region can be taken by the camera. The evaluation unit is adapted to temporally recurrently determined the deviation of the first coded region with respect to the viewing direction of the camera and/or to the straight line, which is aligned in parallel with the viewing direction of the camera and passes through the central point of the image sensor of the camera, and/or to a reference point in the coding region and immobile relative to the mobile part.

A positioning guidance system and method based on guide rails, comprising: a host computer; a guide rail band; a plurality of beacons arranged along the guide rail band; and a receiver array fixedly mounted on a target to be positioned and guided, wherein: the host computer is connected to the guide rail band and the beacons; the beacons are connected to the receiver array; the host computer transmits movement requirements and a list and sequence of beacons to be passed to the receiver array through the beacons; the guide rail band transmits a positioning guidance signal to the receiver array; and the receiver array determines a relative position of the target to be positioned and guided by taking the guide rail band as reference, according to a projection of the guide rail band on the receiver array.

Method and system for bidirectional exchange of data with a mobile apparatus through at least one leaky optical fiber. An optical reception module of the mobile apparatus receives an incoming optical signal optically leaked from the leaky optical fiber. An optical to electrical conversion module of the mobile apparatus converts the incoming optical signal into an incoming electrical signal. A control unit of the mobile apparatus processes the incoming electrical signal to extract incoming data from the incoming electrical signal, and processes outgoing data to generate an outgoing electrical signal transporting the outgoing data. An electrical to optical conversion module of the mobile apparatus converts the outgoing electrical signal into an outgoing optical signal. An optical transmission module of the mobile apparatus injects the outgoing optical signal into the leaky optical fiber. For example, the fiber is positioned along a path of a rail-guided trolley travelling along a rail.

A method operates a mobile device in a railway system with at least one optical waveguide which is laid next to at least one railway track and into which light pulses are fed. The optical waveguide is used as a distributed acoustic sensor and detects scattered-back light. In order to be able to identify reliably such a mobile device in a comparatively easy way, the mobile device is provided with a sound generator which can be adjusted with respect to its frequency spectrum in a way which designates the mobile device. The sound generator is adjusted with respect to its frequency spectrum in a way which designates the mobile device by assigning a frequency selection to the mobile device. An identification number signal of the mobile device is acquired by detecting the scattered-back light from the detected frequency selection. A railway system having such a mobile device is also taught.

A method for operating a rail vehicle in a railway system includes providing at least one optical waveguide which is laid next to at least one railway track and into which light pulses are fed, using the optical waveguide as a distributed acoustic sensor, and detecting backscattered light. In order to configure such a method in such a way that it meets stringent safety requirements relatively easily, a rail vehicle is used having a sound generator which can be adjusted in terms of its frequency spectrum in such a way that it indicates an emergency. When the sound generator is activated, an emergency signal of the rail vehicle is acquired if a frequency spectrum which corresponds to the adjusted emergency frequency spectrum of the sound generator is detected in the backscattered light. A railway system is also provided.

Exemplary embodiments are disclosed of systems and methods for remotely controlling locomotives with gestures. In an exemplary embodiment, a system is configured for allowing an operator(s) to remotely control operation of a locomotive with gesture(s) made by an operator(s). The system includes at least one processor configured to be operable for visually recognizing gesture(s) made by an operator(s) in one or more images captured by at least one camera. A locomotive control unit is configured to be operable for controlling the operation of the locomotive according to the visually recognized gesture(s) made by the operator(s).