Method for operating railbound vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9308832-B2
Application number	US-201214114841-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2012
Priority date	May 4, 2011
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A method for operating railbound vehicles includes transmitting driving information, between a first railbound vehicle and a second railbound vehicle, relating to the future driving operation of at least one of the two railbound vehicles, and coordinating the future driving operation of the two railbound vehicles on the basis of that driving information transmitted therebetween, in such a manner that braking energy fed back by the first railbound vehicle during a braking operation can be used at least partially by the second railbound vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating railbound vehicles, the method comprising the following steps:
transmitting driving information between a first railbound vehicle and a second railbound vehicle not connected to the first railbound vehicle, the driving information relating to future driving operation of at least one of the first and second railbound vehicles; and
coordinating the future driving operation of the first and second railbound vehicles based on the driving information transmitted between the first and second railbound vehicles, to permit braking energy fed back by the first railbound vehicle during a braking operation to be used at least partially by the second railbound vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises carrying out the step of coordinating the future driving operation of the first and second railbound vehicles by causing the second railbound vehicle to determine or alter a driving curve, based on which the driving operation of the second railbound vehicle takes place, while taking the transmitted driving information into consideration.

3. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises carrying out the step of coordinating the future driving operation of the first and second railbound vehicles by causing the second railbound vehicle to determine or alter a time for its startup, while taking the transmitted driving information into consideration.

4. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises carrying out the step of coordinating the future driving operation of the first and second railbound vehicles by causing the first railbound vehicle to determine or alter a driving curve, based on which the driving operation of the first railbound vehicle takes place, while taking the transmitted driving information into consideration.

5. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:
ascertaining a time slot for a startup of the second railbound vehicle; and
transmitting an indication of the time slot ascertained for the startup from the second railbound vehicle to the first railbound vehicle while using the driving information.

6. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:
ascertaining a time slot for a braking operation of the first railbound vehicle; and
transmitting an indication of the time slot ascertained for the braking operation of the first railbound vehicle from the first railbound vehicle to the second railbound vehicle while using the driving information.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission of the driving information between the first and second railbound vehicles is radio-based.

8. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises transmitting the driving information between the first and second railbound vehicles at least partially by broadcasting.

9. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises involving at least one additional railbound vehicle in the transmission of the driving information and in the coordination of the future driving operation.

Assignees

• Erhard Karl-Heinz
• Oechsner Jens-Harro
• Schmidtke York
• Tieftrunk Bernd
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Erhard Karl-Heinz
• Oechsner Jens-Harro
• Schmidtke York
• Tieftrunk Bernd

Classifications

• B61L27/0027

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B61L23/34

  for indicating the distance between vehicles or trains by the transmission of signals therebetween · CPC title

• B60L15/32 Primary

  Control or regulation of multiple-unit electrically-propelled vehicles · CPC title

• B60L15/42

  Adaptation of control equipment on vehicle for actuation from alternative parts of the vehicle or from alternative vehicles of the same vehicle train (B60L15/32 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B61L15/0027

  Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R · CPC title