Controlling a level crossing and railway control arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11964684-B2
Application number	US-201917050400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2019
Priority date	Apr 24, 2018
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

Various embodiments include a method for controlling a level crossing having barriers and signals comprising establishing a duration of a level crossing closure based at least in part on first signals caused by a first ultrasonic wave conducted in a first rail running over the level crossing and second signals caused by an ultrasonic wave conducted in a second rail running over the level crossing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a level crossing having barriers and signals, the method comprising:
establishing a duration of a level crossing closure based at least in part on first signals caused by a first ultrasonic wave conducted in a first rail running over the level crossing and second signals caused by an ultrasonic wave conducted in a second rail running over the level crossing;
detecting the first signals and the second signals in a first time period, in which the level crossing is closed and the rails are clear; and
detecting the first signals and the second signals in a second time period, in which the level crossing is open;
wherein establishing the duration includes a first comparison of the signals detected in the first time period to the signals detected in the second time period.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein establishing the duration includes a second comparison of the first signals and the second signals.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising, for each rail:
transmitting and guiding an ultrasonic wave into the rail; and
receiving the resulting signals.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein transmitting means and receiving means are placed opposite each other on an edge of the road traversing the crossing.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising starting from an active switching of the level crossing with the barriers open, detecting values including a change in amplitude of the signals caused in the second time period in the first rail and second rail cyclically.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a telephone call barrier operates at the level crossing, the detection of the signals which are caused in the first time period is carried out at least temporarily in a time period following the request to open the barrier and opening the barrier.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a telephone call barrier operates at the level crossing; and
during the times that the barriers are closed, cyclically detecting the signals caused in the first time period.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising detecting amplitudes of each signal for the comparison.

9. A method for controlling a level crossing having barriers and signals, the method comprising:
establishing a duration of a level crossing closure based at least in part on first signals caused by a first ultrasonic wave conducted in a first rail running over the level crossing and second signals caused by an ultrasonic wave conducted in a second rail running over the level crossing;
transmitting and guiding an ultrasonic wave into the rail using a separate transmitter and a separate receiver for each rail; and
receiving the resulting signals;
wherein establishing the duration includes a second comparison of the first signals and the second signals.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
detecting the first signals and the second signals in a first time period, in which the level crossing is closed and the rails are clear; and
detecting the first signals and the second signals in a second time period, in which the level crossing is open;
wherein establishing the duration includes a first comparison of the signals detected in the first time period to the signals detected in the second time period.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising starting from an active switching of the level crossing with the barriers open, detecting values including a change in amplitude of the signals caused in the second time period in the first rail and second rail cyclically.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a telephone call barrier operates at the level crossing, the detection of the signals which are caused in the first time period is carried out at least temporarily in a time period following the request to open the barrier and opening the barrier.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a telephone call barrier operates at the level crossing; and
during the times that the barriers are closed, cyclically detecting the signals caused in the first time period.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein establishing the duration includes a second comparison of the first signals and the second signals.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein transmitting means and receiving means are placed opposite each other on an edge of the road traversing the crossing.

16. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising detecting amplitudes of each signal for the comparison.

Assignees

• Siemens Mobility GmbH

Inventors

• Braband Jens
• Goldammer Matthias
• Ziroff Andreas

Classifications

• B61L29/30 Primary

  Supervision, e.g. monitoring arrangements · CPC title

• B61L29/32

  Timing, e.g. advance warning of approaching train · CPC title

• B61L23/044

  Broken rails · CPC title