Method and apparatus with an axle counter for operating a railroad crossing, computer program product and delivery apparatus for the computer program product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12454296-B2
Application number	US-202217950278-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2022
Priority date	Sep 22, 2021
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

A method for operating a railroad crossing includes using an axle counter to capture measurement data for rail vehicles approaching the railroad crossing during passage of the rail vehicle. The velocity and the acceleration of the rail vehicle are calculated from the measurement data as properties of the rail vehicle by arithmetic measures. A time of closure is specified for triggering a closure of the railroad crossing as a function of the calculated properties of the rail vehicle. The velocity and the acceleration are calculated from the measurement data of the axle counter. The time of closure of the railroad crossing is specified with reference to the calculated velocity and the calculated acceleration as the rail vehicle is leaving the axle counter. An apparatus for operating a railroad crossing, a computer program product and a delivery apparatus for the computer program product are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for operating a railroad crossing, the method comprising, for rail vehicles approaching a railroad crossing:
using an axle counter to capture measurement data during a passage of the rail vehicle; using arithmetic measures to calculate a velocity of the rail vehicle and an acceleration of the rail vehicle as properties of the rail vehicle from the measurement data of the axle counter; specifying a time of closure for triggering a closure of the railroad crossing as a function of the calculated properties of the rail vehicle with reference to:
a calculated velocity as the rail vehicle is leaving the axle counter, and
a calculated acceleration as the rail vehicle is leaving the axle counter;
calculating a first further property as to whether the rail vehicle is a passenger train or a freight train, by arithmetic measures based on calculated axle spacings; in a first checking step during the calculation of the first further property, checking whether identical or similar patterns can be identified in at least a predominant share of a sequence of axle spacings; and
if no pattern could be identified, assigning to the rail vehicle a property of a freight train as the first further property, or
if a pattern was identified, at least one of assigning to the rail vehicle a property of a passenger train as the first further property or performing a further checking step.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises, when specifying the time of closure, modifying a standard time of closure by postponing the time of closure at least once or moving the time of closure to a later time.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises taking a calculated property of the velocity into account, with reference to a distance of the axle counter from the railroad crossing, to specify an arrival of the rail vehicle at the railroad crossing.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises taking a calculated property of the acceleration into account, with reference to a distance of the axle counter from the railroad crossing and with reference to the property of the acceleration, to specify an arrival of the rail vehicle at the railroad crossing.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises, in a second checking step, disregarding at least one of a number of axle spacings at a beginning of the sequence or a number of axle spacings at an end of the sequence in the sequence of axle spacings.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises in a second checking step or in the further checking step, calculating a magnitude of the axle spacings, and assigning to the rail vehicle a property of a passenger train as the first further property if a magnitude of a largest axle spacing occurring in the pattern exceeds a defined limit value.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises, in a second checking step or in the further checking step, comparing the patterns of the axle spacings with reference patterns of axle spacings, and upon detecting an agreement of one of the patterns with one of the reference patterns, assigning to the rail vehicle, as a second further property, a train type associated with the one reference pattern.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises using a machine learning method to evaluate criteria for at least one of a second checking step or the further checking step.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises calculating probability densities for the properties by using measurement data from a multiplicity of measurements.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises using a data pool in which times of closure are associated with the calculated properties or train types of rail vehicles to specify the time of closure.

11 . A computer program product with instructions stored on a non-transitory delivery apparatus, that when the program instructions are executed by a processor, perform the method according to claim 1 .

12 . A non-transitory delivery apparatus for the computer program product according to claim 11 , wherein the delivery apparatus at least one of stores or provides the computer program product.

13 . An apparatus for operating a railroad crossing, the apparatus comprising:
at least one axle counter for capturing measurement data as rail vehicles pass; and a computer; said computer configured to calculate, by arithmetic measures, a velocity of a rail vehicle and an acceleration of the rail vehicle as properties of the rail vehicle from the measurement data of the axle counter; said computer configured to close the railroad crossing for rail vehicles approaching the railroad crossing; and said computer configured to specify a time of closure for triggering a closure of the railroad crossing as a function of the calculated properties of the rail vehicle with reference to:
the calculated velocity as the rail vehicle is leaving the axle counter, and
the calculated acceleration as the rail vehicle is leaving the axle counter.

Assignees

• Siemens Mobility GmbH

Inventors

• Griebel Stephan
• Braband Jens

Classifications

• B61L2201/00

  Control methods · CPC title

• B61L1/16

  Devices for counting axles; Devices for counting vehicles · CPC title

• B61L25/021

  Measuring and recording of train speed · CPC title

• B61L25/04

  Indicating or recording train identities · CPC title

• B61L29/32 Primary

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