Display of signal devices and safety device of a railway vehicle

Abstract

A method for displaying secondary signal devices for a driver of a railway vehicle during a journey by a railway vehicle. From a current vehicle position of the railway vehicle and an already known signal position of a secondary signal device, an actual distance of the railway vehicle in relation to the secondary signal device is determined. In the case that the actual distance is not reached in respect of a predefined current warning distance of the railway vehicle relative to the secondary signal device, a proximity of the railway vehicle relative to the secondary signal device is displayed to the driver.

Claims

1. A method of displaying secondary signal devices for a driver of a railway vehicle during a journey of the railway vehicle, the method comprising: ascertaining a current vehicle position of the railway vehicle and determining an actual distance of the railway vehicle relative to a secondary signal device from the current vehicle position and a known signal position of the secondary signal device, and using a speed and/or average speed of the railway vehicle likely traveled in a determined future period of time for determining the actual distance of the railway vehicle from the secondary signal device; and if the actual distance undershoots a predetermined actual warning distance of the railway vehicle from the secondary signal device, displaying to a driver of the railway vehicle a proximity of the railway vehicle relative to the secondary signal device, wherein the actual warning distance is a predetermined temporal actual warning distance representing a predetermined period required by the railway vehicle for a length of track still to be traveled to the secondary signal device; wherein the secondary signal device ought to be observed by the driver, whereas a primary, safety-relevant and prioritized signal device must be observed by the driver; and during a journey of the railway vehicle, selecting the secondary signal devices according to a type and/or a location of the secondary signal devices.

2. The display method according to claim 1, wherein: the actual warning distance is also a predetermined physical actual warning distance representing a predetermined length of track still to be traveled by the railway vehicle up to the secondary signal device and/or a predetermined straight-line distance still to be bridged by the railway vehicle up to the secondary signal device.

3. The display method according to claim 1, wherein: the predetermined temporal actual warning distance is a period selected from the group consisting of at least 45 s, at least 30 s, at least 20 s, at least 15 s, at least 10 s, at least 7.5 s, and at least 5 s, a temporal repetition rate of a display of the secondary signal device to the driver becomes smaller the closer the railway vehicle is located with respect to the secondary signal device.

4. The display method according to claim 1, which comprises also using at least one or more of the following for determining the actual distance of the railway vehicle from the secondary signal device: a currently traveled speed and/or average speed of the railway vehicle; and/or a speed and/or average speed of the railway vehicle traveled in a determined recent period of time.

5. The display method according to claim 1, which comprises: determining the current vehicle position of the railway vehicle by way of a location method; and/or ascertaining the already known signal position of the secondary signal device based on a catalog containing track data, and thereby taking the signal position from the track data.

6. The display method according to claim 1, which comprises, during a journey of the railway vehicle, performing at least one or all of the following: displaying substantially all or only a selection of secondary signal devices; and/or enabling an individual configuration of a display behavior of the display method.

7. The display method according to claim 1, which comprises ascertaining a temporal and/or physical distance of the railway vehicle with respect to the secondary signal device in a safety device of the railway vehicle.

8. The display method according to claim 1, which comprises: displaying the proximity of the railway vehicle to the secondary signal device for the driver by at least one of an optical display, an acoustic display, or a haptic display; and/or displaying the proximity of the railway vehicle with respect to the secondary signal device with an already present display device or a display device specific for the display method.

9. The display method according to claim 1, wherein: the display method is configured to display only secondary signal devices; the display method is configured to additionally display primary signal devices; the display method is configured to additionally display a safety device, the safety device is an electrical and/or electronic safety device; and/or the safety device is a safety device configured to: carry out the method according to claim 1.

10. A non-transitory computer program or computer program product comprising program code designed to carry out the method according to claim 1 when the program code is executed on a computation unit or a processing device.

11. The non-transitory computer program according to claim 10 stored on a computer-readable data storage medium.

12. A computation unit or a processing device being a control apparatus or a control device for a railway vehicle, wherein the computation unit or processing device is configured to: carry out the method according to claim 1 under control of the computation unit or the processing device.

13. A safety device for a railway vehicle, configured to carry out the method according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a section of track of a railway network, wherein a railway vehicle is approaching a secondary signal device, and based on which a first embodiment of the method according to the invention is explained in more detail; and

(2) FIG. 2 likewise shows a schematic plan view of a section of track of the railway system, wherein again a railway vehicle is approaching a secondary signal device, and based on which a second embodiment of the method according to the invention is explained in more detail.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) The invention is explained in more detail in the following text based on exemplary embodiments of two embodiments of a variant of methods according to the invention that are able to be carried out for displaying secondary signal devices 2 for a driver of a railway vehicle 1 during a journey by the railway vehicle 1. However, the invention is not restricted to such a variant, such embodiments and/or the exemplary embodiments explained below, but rather is of more fundamental nature, with the result that the invention can be applied to all display methods of secondary signal devices.

(4) The drawing shows only those parts of a subject of the invention that are necessary for an understanding of the invention. Although the invention is described and illustrated in greater detail by way of preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention is not restricted by way of the disclosed exemplary embodiments. Other variations can be derived herefrom and/or from the above (description of the invention) without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

(5) FIGS. 1 and 2 each show a plan view of a longitudinal section of a track 0 of a railway network, on which a respective railway vehicle 1 is approaching a secondary signal device 2. At the first respectively observed time, the railway vehicle 1 has a current but temporally variable vehicle position P.sub.1 with respect to the track 0. An already known signal position P.sub.2 of the secondary signal device 2 with respect to the track 0 is fixed. According to the invention, the temporal or physical approaching of the railway vehicle 1 with respect to the secondary signal devices 2 is intended to be displayed to a driver of the railway vehicle 1 during a journey. A period of time for the display of a relevant secondary signal device 2 of at least 5 s to at least 45 s before the railway vehicle 1 passes the relevant secondary signal device 2 is preferred here.

(6) According to the invention, for a possibly (pre)selected secondary signal device 2, which the railway vehicle 1 is approaching, the current vehicle position P.sub.1 of the railway vehicle 1 is ascertained by way of a location method. The already known signal position P.sub.2 of the secondary signal device 2 can be ascertained, for example, based on a catalog containing track data. A temporal and/or physical actual distance D.sub.A of the railway vehicle 1 with respect to the secondary signal device 2 is ascertained from the current vehicle position P.sub.1 and the already determined signal position P.sub.2. This can be effected in principle in two ways. On the one hand, as illustrated by FIG. 1, a temporal and/or physical actual distance D.sub.A, which is actually still to be traveled, from the railway vehicle 1 up to the relevant secondary signal device 2 can be determined. On the other hand, as illustrated by FIG. 2, a straight-line distance of the railway vehicle 1 up to the relevant secondary signal device 2 can be determined.

(7) If the temporal and/or physical actual distance D.sub.A is not reached D.sub.A≤/<D.sub.W with respect to a predetermined temporal and/or physical actual warning distance D.sub.W of the railway vehicle 1 with respect to the secondary signal device 2, a temporal and/or physical proximity of the railway vehicle 1 with respect to the secondary signal device 2 is displayed to the driver. In this case, the temporal and/or physical actual warning distance D.sub.W is selected in such a way that the driver has substantially sufficient time (see periods of time above) to conclude a possibly already begun operation and subsequently to attend to a signal of the appearing secondary signal device 2 and to identify same.

(8) The temporal and/or physical actual distance D.sub.A is preferably ascertained by means of a speed of the railway vehicle 1. In this case, a current speed and/or an average speed of the railway vehicle 1 can be used. In particular, it is possible here to use a speed and/or average speed of the railway vehicle 1 traveled in a determined recent period of time and/or a speed and/or average speed of the railway vehicle 1 likely traveled in a determined future period of time.

(9) Railway vehicles often have track data available, for example for energy-saving travel, which essentially contain accurate locations of signal devices in a railway network. By comparing a vehicle position of a railway vehicle with track data, a distance of a relevant railway vehicle with respect to a relevant signal device is determined according to the invention. If the railway vehicle is approaching a signal device, this is displayed to a relevant driver of the railway vehicle in an appropriate manner (acoustically, optically and/or haptically).

(10) The signal device is preferably a secondary signal device 2. It is of course possible to use this in addition to or as an alternative to a primary signal device. According to the invention, it is possible to allow all signal devices to be displayed or only certain ones, for example restricted to type and/or location, wherein locations may be specific or classified (for example clear tracks, stations etc.). In this case, it is possible to use an already present display device or a display device specific to this function. Furthermore, it is possible to enable a client to implement a display behavior (which signal devices, type, location etc.), a display device etc. themselves.