METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING DATA BETWEEN A FIRST COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK OF A FIRST TRACK-GUIDED VEHICLE UNIT AND A SECOND COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK OF A SECOND TRACK-GUIDED VEHICLE UNIT

Abstract

A method and an apparatus transmit data between a first communications network of a first track-guided vehicle unit and a second communications network of a second track-guided vehicle unit. In order to ensure flexible data transmission between the first and second communications networks, the data between the first and second vehicle units are transmitted via a terrestrial data device.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A method for transmitting data between a first communications network of a first rail-bound vehicle unit and a second communications network of a second rail-bound vehicle unit, which comprises the steps of: transmitting the data between the first rail-bound vehicle unit and the second rail-bound vehicle unit via a land-based data facility.

17. The method according to claim 16, which further comprises transmitting the data between the first communications network and the second communications network via a superordinate communications network.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: the first communications network extends over the first rail-bound vehicle unit; the second communications network extends over the second rail-bound vehicle unit; and/or the superordinate communications network extends over a rail-bound vehicle that contains the first rail-bound vehicle unit and the second rail-bound vehicle unit.

19. The method according to claim 18, which further comprises transmitting the data between the first rail-bound vehicle unit and the second rail-bound vehicle unit via the land-based data facility by means of the superordinate communications network.

20. The method according to claim 16, which further comprises transmitting the data in a wireless manner between: the first rail-bound vehicle unit or the second rail-bound vehicle unit; and the land-based data facility.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the data transmitted in the wireless manner is transmitted using a mobile radio standard.

22. The method according to claim 16, which further comprises transmitting the data in an encrypted manner between: the first rail-bound vehicle unit or the second rail-bound vehicle unit; and the land-based data facility.

23. The method according to claim 16, which further comprises: sending a request for data, originating from the second communications network, to the land-based data facility; forwarding the request from the land-based data facility to the first communications network; and providing requested data by the first communications network in response to the request.

24. The method according to claim 16, wherein: the first rail-bound vehicle unit and the second rail-bound vehicle unit are part of a fleet of rail-bound vehicles; and/or the first rail-bound vehicle unit and the second rail-bound vehicle unit are part of a common rail-bound vehicle.

25. The method according to claim 16, wherein the data that is provided for a transmission between a first control network as the first communications network and a second control network as the second communications network are transmitted in a prioritized manner between: the first rail-bound vehicle unit and the land-based data facility; or the second rail-bound vehicle unit and the land-based data facility.

26. An apparatus for transmitting data, the apparatus comprising: a first communications network for a first rail-bound vehicle unit; a second communications network for a second rail-bound vehicle unit; and a land-based data facility, the apparatus embodied so as to transmit the data between the first rail-bound vehicle unit and the second rail-bound vehicle unit via said land-based data facility.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising a superordinate communications network embodied so as to transmit the data between said first communications network and said second communications network.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein: said first communications network extends over the first rail-bound vehicle unit; said second communications network extends over the second rail-bound vehicle unit; and/or said superordinate communications network extends over a rail-bound vehicle that includes the first rail-bound vehicle unit and the second rail-bound vehicle unit.

29. A communications network for transmitting data between a first communications network of a first rail-bound vehicle unit and a second communications network of a second rail-bound vehicle unit, the communications network comprising: a land-based data facility; a first data-technology connection between the first rail-bound vehicle unit and said land-based data facility; a second data-technology connection between the second rail-bound vehicle unit and said land-based data facility; and a superordinate communications network for transmitting data between the first communications network and the second communications network on a path via said first data-technology connection, said land-based data facility and said second data-technology connection.

30. A method of using a data-technology connection embodied so as to transmit data between a first rail-bound vehicle unit and/or a second rail-bound vehicle unit and a land-based data facility, which comprises the steps of: transmitting the data between a first communications network of the first rail-bound vehicle unit and a second communications network of the second rail-bound vehicle unit.

Description

[0047] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are now explained with the aid of the figures. In the figures:

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention in the case of a rail-bound vehicle,

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a second exemplary embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention as part of a rail-bound fleet of vehicles,

[0050] FIG. 3 shows a schematic flow diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of a method in accordance with the invention and

[0051] FIG. 4 shows a schematic flow diagram of a second exemplary embodiment of a method in accordance with the invention.

[0052] FIG. 1 illustrates a rail-bound vehicle 1 in a schematic side cross sectional view. In the embodiment taken into consideration, the rail-bound vehicle 1 is embodied as a rail-borne vehicle that comprises multiple carriages that are mechanically coupled. The rail-bound vehicle 1 comprises a first vehicle unit 2 and a second vehicle unit 3 that are coupled to one another. In other words: the first vehicle unit 2 and the second vehicle unit 3 are part of the rail-bound vehicle 1.

[0053] The first vehicle unit 2 comprises a first communications network 12 and the second vehicle unit 3 comprises a second communications network 13. The communications network 12 or 13 respectively forms a part network of the vehicle unit 2 or 3, wherein further part networks are provided, by way of example the part network 14 of the vehicle unit 2 and the part network 15 of the vehicle unit 3. The communications networks 12 and 13 each use the IP network protocol during operation and are embodied as Ethernet networks. Multiple network components 5 are connected in a manner using data technology to the first communications network 12 and multiple network components 6 are connected in a manner using data technology to the second communications network 13.

[0054] In order to render possible communication between the first communications network 12 and the second communications network 13, it is desirable to transmit data between these communications networks. For this purpose, data is transmitted between the first communications network 12 and the second communications network 13 via a land-based data facility 20 that comprises a server unit 21.

[0055] The vehicle unit 2 or 3 comprises a transmitter-receiver unit 22 or 23 for wireless transmission and receiving of data. The land-based data facility 20 comprises a transmitter-receiver unit 34 for the transmission and receiving of data. The transmitter-receiver units 22 and 34 form a part of a data-technology connection 24 between the first vehicle unit 2 and the land-based data facility 20. The transmitter-receiver units 23 and 34 form a part of a data-technology connection 25 between the first vehicle unit 2 and the land-based data facility 20.

[0056] The transmission of the data from the first communications network 12 to the second communications network 13 may be triggered by means of transmitting the data in a first method step A by way of the first communications network 12, in particular by way of one of the network components 5. The data is transmitted by means of the transmitter-receiver unit 22 to the land-based data facility 20 (method step B). In one method step C, the data is received by a transmitter-receiver unit 34 of the land-based data facility 20. The data is buffered by means of the server unit 21 (method step D) and is transmitted by means of the transmitter-receiver unit 34 to the transmitter-receiver unit 23 of the second vehicle unit 3 (method step E). The transmitter-receiver unit 23 receives the data in a method step F. The data is then relayed to the desired destination, by way of example one of the network components 6.

[0057] The data is transmitted in a wireless manner between the transmitter-receiver unit 22 or 23 and the transmitter-receiver unit 34 using a mobile radio standard, by way of example LTE (long term evolution). Moreover, the data is transmitted in an encrypted manner between the first and second communications network 12 and 13, in particular between the transmitter-receiver unit 22 or 23 and the transmitter-receiver unit 34.

[0058] The transmission of the data between the first and second communications network may alternatively also be triggered by means of the second communications network 13. For this purpose, a request that relates to receiving data is transmitted via the transmitter-receiver unit 23 (method step G). The transmitter-receiver unit 34 receives the data. The data facility 20 transmits the request via the transmitter-receiver unit 34 and the transmitter-receiver unit 22 to the first communications network 12 (method step H). The first communications network 12 provides the requested data in a method step J in response to receiving the request in that the data is transmitted (via the transmitter-receiver units 22 and 34) to the data facility 20 (method step K) and from there is transmitted to the second communications network 13.

[0059] The communications networks 12 and 13 form subordinate part networks that extend in particular over the respective vehicle unit 2 and 3, in particular over a respective part region of the vehicle units 2 and 3. The vehicle units 2 and 3 form train units that cannot be further divided (frequently also described as consist). The subordinate part networks comprise a bus structure that is frequently referred to as a vehicle bus.

[0060] The subordinate part networks 12, 13, 14 and 15 are respectively coupled via an address translation facility in the form of a NAT router 7 (NAT: Network Address Translation) to a superordinate communications network 30. The superordinate communications network 30 extends respectively at least over the vehicle unit 2 or 3 and beyond. In particular, the superordinate communications network 30 extends over the rail-bound vehicle 1 having its vehicle units 2 and 3. The superordinate communications network 30 comprises a bus structure that is frequently referred to by people skilled in the art as train bus.

[0061] The superordinate communications network 30 has by way of example the object of transmitting data between the first communications network 12 and the second communications network 13. The superordinate communications network 30 utilizes for this purpose a transmission path via the land-based data facility 20.

[0062] In other words: data is transmitted between the first communications network 12 and the second communications network 13 via the superordinate communications network 30. In the case of hitherto known solutions (prior art), the data is transmitted in a wire-connected manner between the vehicle units 2 and 3, in particular by means of a wire-connected connection at the transition between the vehicle units. In contrast thereto, the solution in accordance with the invention provides that the data is transmitted between the vehicle units 2 and 3 in a wireless manner via a land-based data facility 20.

[0063] The communications network 12 or 13 is embodied as a control network 112 or 113. The data that is provided for a transmission between the first and second communications network 12 and 13 comprises control data, by way of example sensor data such as speed signals and acceleration signals. The control data is transmitted via the connection 24 and 25 in a prioritized manner with respect to other data. Other data comprises by way of example passenger information data and data for a passenger entertainment system.

[0064] FIG. 2 illustrates the apparatus in accordance with the invention that is described in relation to FIG. 1 as a part of a fleet of rail-bound vehicles 101. Identical and functionally identical components are provided in this case with the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1.

[0065] The fleet of vehicles 101 that is illustrated in FIG. 2 comprises a first vehicle unit 102 and a second vehicle unit 103. The vehicle units 102 and 103 move on a route 104 between a starting point 105 and a destination point 106. The vehicle unit 102 or 103 comprises a first communications network 12 or a second communications network 13. For a transmission of data between the first and second communications network 12 and 13 this data is transmitted between the first vehicle unit 102 and the second vehicle unit 103 via the land-based data facility 20.