SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR WORKING ON A TRACK WITH A TRACK MAINTENANCE MACHINE

Abstract

The invention relates to a control and operating system for working on a track with a track maintenance machine, with at least one machine frame movable on rail-based running gears, comprising working devices , a sensor and measuring system for recording the position data of the working devices and for detecting objects of the track, in particular sleepers, rails, and, as the case may be, obstacles, and further comprising an arrangement of cameras for optical detection of the working devices and the working areas. It is provided that a control station without free visual range of a respective working device is set up at a location inside or outside the track maintenance machine and that the control station comprises a display device for virtual operation, control, and/or monitoring of the track maintenance machine. This achieves greater flexibility during working operation, an extension of the controlling and operating options, and a significant increase in safety and ergonomic design at the workstation.

Claims

1. A control and operating system for working on a track with a track maintenance machine, with at least one machine frame movable on rail-based running gears, comprising working devices, a sensor and measuring system for recording the position data of the working devices and for detecting objects of the track, in particular sleepers, rails , and, as the case may be, obstacles, and further comprising an arrangement of cameras for optical detection of the working devices and the working areas, wherein a control station without free visual range of a respective working device is set up at a location inside or outside the track maintenance machine and in that the control station comprises a display device for virtual operation, control, and/or monitoring of the track maintenance machine .

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control station comprises a display device that is set up to display video/image recordings and/or additional information for supporting the operator.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the display device is designed with at least one industrial panel, a flat screen monitor, and/or a video projector.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the display device is designed with industrial panels and/or flat screen monitors with touch screen functionality for operator input.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control station is equipped with seats for two machine operators in addition to operating elements.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control station is set up with a seat for one single machine operator in addition to operating elements.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the cameras for optical detection of the working devices and the working areas are coupled with a computing unit , which is further coupled to a machine control by means of a higher-level computer system .

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the cameras for optical detection are designed as so-called 3D cameras.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein a secure form of transmission, in particular a VPN tunnel via a VPN router is set up for exchanging information and data between the control station and the higher-level computer system to control, operate, and monitor the track maintenance machine .

10. A method for operating a system according to claim 1, wherein the track maintenance machine is operated, controlled, and/or monitored virtually via a control station.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein after the video/image recordings have been captured by the cameras a representation of the working devices which has been assembled, rectified, and distortion-corrected by the computing unit is displayed at the control station via the display device.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the video/image recordings of the cameras are displayed in real time at the control station via the display device.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein additional information, indications, and/or warnings on the ongoing work process are displayed as text, symbols, and/or graphic representations of any kind at the control station via the display device to support the operator.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the position data recorded by the sensor and measuring system is evaluated by a higher-level computer system and compared with preset values and that a fully automatic actuation of the working devices is carried out by an algorithm via the machine control.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the position data recorded by the sensor and measuring system are evaluated by a higher-level computer system and compared with preset values, and in that the following work steps of the working devices are displayed as text and/or in graphic form on the display device by an algorithm, with these steps being carried out only after the operator’s confirmation and/or modification by the machine control actuating the working devices correspondingly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] ln the following, the invention is explained by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures. The following figures show in schematic illustrations:

[0027] FIG. 1 Side view of a track maintenance machine for working on a track with previous arrangement of the operator’s cab (prior art)

[0028] FIG. 2 Side view of a track maintenance machine for working on a track with new arrangement of the control station

[0029] FIG. 3 Block diagram of the system setup

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0030] The track maintenance machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 represents the prior art of a discontinuous-action track tamping machine for tamping a track 4. Track is generally understood to be the totality of rails 5, sleepers 6, superstructure, ballast, turnout parts, overhead contact line and signalling equipment. In addition to a ballast structure, the second variant of the superstructure construction, the so-called ballastl ess track, is also relevant for the present invention in connection with various track maintenance machines.

[0031] As an alternative to the example shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle frame of a continuous-action track tamping machine is supported on rail-based running gears 3 and a movable satellite comprises the machine frame 2. A rear cab 7 is arranged on the end faces of the machine. In a simple variant of the present track maintenance machine 1, an operator’s cab 8 is provided with view of the working devices A arranged adjustably against the machine frame 2. Nevertheless, not all working devices A and working areas are fully visible to the operating staff from the operator’s cab 8. The working area is defined as the area in which the respective working device 9, 10, 11, 12 can be freely manipulated in its orientation and position.

[0032] The machine design shown here comprises as working devices A a turning and shifting work unit suspension 9, a tamping unit 10, a lifting and lining unit 11, and an additional lifting unit 12 for maintaining turnouts. In the case of larger track maintenance machines or extensive track renewal/rehabilitation trains, additional ope rator cabs are used in addition to other working devices. A simple arrange ment of cameras 14 is set up in the area of the working devices A, which includes the front end of the track maintenance machine 1 as seen in the working direction, which is the right end in the figure illustration. The cameras 14 capture limited sections of the working areas and the track 4 and transmit them to the operator’s cab 8. An installed sensor and measuring system 13 records the track geometry as well as all objects on the track 4, in particular rails 5, sleepers 6, and possible obstacles in the working area. The sensor and measuring system 13 is also used to identify operating parameters and the positions of the working devices A.

[0033] In FIG. 2, the operator’s cab 8 arranged in the area of the working devices A has been removed as compared to FIG. 1. The machine equipment concerning the working devices A is identical to the track maintenance machine 1 in FIG. 1. By removing the operator’s cab 8, a safe and comfortable control station 15 is now set up for the operating staff in the protected inner area of the track maintenance machine 1. Around this control station 15, among other things, a display device 16, a seat 17, and operating elements 18 are arranged in such a way that they can be operated or actuated ergonomically by the operator. In the case of more extensive track maintenance machines, this control station 15 may also comprise two or more seats 17. An extended arrangement of cameras 14 depicts all working areas and both end faces of the track maintenance machine 1 and transmits this video/image data to a centrally arranged computing unit 19. A machine control 20 and a higher-level computer system 21 are also centrally arranged.

[0034] A block diagram of the system setup describes the interaction of the system components in FIG. 3. Starting from the control station 15, a touch screen input function of the display device 16 is preferably provided for the operator. In this case, the display device 16 as well as the operating elements 18 at the control station 15 for entering control and operating commands are coupled to the machine control 20. The operating elements 18 have a varied design; multi-axis, joystick-like input instruments, switches, buttons, touch elements, and/or keyboards can be used here. Video/image data from the cameras 14 is transmitted to the display device 16 as unprocessed, or as processed (e.g. assembled and distortion-corrected) video information in near real time, as specified by the operator. The cameras 14 can be designed as so-called HDR cameras (High Dynamic Range) or xHDR cameras, depending on the requirements in some countries of operation with particularly strong solar radiation. This design can compensate for large differences in brightness in the image area to be captured better than the human eye. The results are high-contrast images with high information content.

[0035] The components of the sensor and measuring system 13 are coupled with the machine control 20 and also with the higher-level computer system 21, where all the information received about the ongoing work process is processed and evaluated by algorithms. For actuating and monitoring the working devices A, these are coupled to the machine control 20, with the actuation being carried out either in manual mode directly by the operator via the operating elements 18, or in automatic mode directly by the machine control 20 and/or the higher-level computer system 21. Both the computing unit 19 and the machine control 20 are each directly connected to the higher-level computer system 21 as the highest instance.

[0036] information on the ongoing or pending work process (e.g. warnings, graphic representation) that shows up on the display device 16 as additional support for the operator together with the real-time recordings originates in the higher-level computer system 21. This is where the data and signals (e.g. a detected obstacle) fed in by the cameras 14 and the sensor and measuring system 13 are processed. The result of this evaluation is output to the display device 16 via the computing unit 19 and there it is displayed to the operator as an image and/or video overlay.

[0037] In case of a control station 15 located outside the track maintenance machine 1, all information and data streams required for operation, control, and display are recorded in a client 22 and coupled to the higher-level computer system 21. of the track maintenance machine 1 via a data link 24 in a bidirectional manner. This coupling is preferably done via a secured VPN tunnel connection between two transmission units 23.