METHOD FOR MONITORING AT LEAST ONE SYSTEM PARAMETER WHICH INFLUENCES THE OPERATING BEHAVIOUR OF VEHICLES OR TRAINS OF VEHICLES

• US 20110077815A1
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knorr-Bremse Systeme FüR Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Knorr-Bremse Systeme FüR Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Nock, Marco, Walter, Manfred
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/00 Railway vehicle profile gauges; Detecting or indicating overheating of components; Apparatus on locomotives or cars to indicate bad track sections; General design of track recording vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/00 Testing of vehicles testing fluid tightness G01M3/00; testing elastic properties of bodies or chassis, e.g. torsion-testing, G01M5/00; testing alignment of vehicle headlight devices G01M11/06; testing of engines G01M15/00

Abstract

A method monitors at least one system parameter which influences an operating property of vehicles or trains of vehicles, using an adaptable theoretical model which generates a theoretical behavior of a vehicle or train of vehicles from operating data of the vehicle or train of vehicles. The method includes determination of a real behavior of a vehicle or train of vehicles from operating data such as acceleration and/or deceleration of the vehicle or of the train of vehicles, comparison of the real behavior of the vehicle or train of vehicles with the theoretical behavior of the vehicle or train of vehicles, and monitoring of the system parameter by the theoretical model if the theoretical behavior of the vehicle or train of vehicles corresponds to the real behavior of the vehicle or train of vehicles.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring at least one system parameter which influences an operating property of vehicles or vehicle trains, the method comprising:

determining of a real vehicle or vehicle train behavior based on operating data of the vehicle or of the vehicle train;

comparing the real vehicle or vehicle train behavior with the theoretical vehicle or vehicle train behavior;

monitoring the at least one system parameter if the theoretical vehicle corresponds to the real vehicle or vehicle train behavior; and

if the at least one system parameter exceeds or drops below a predefined limiting value and/or lies outside a predefined limiting value range, generating a fault message and/or instructions for the vehicle driver and/or automatically initiating at least one countermeasure, or

adapting an original theoretical model configured to generate the theoretical vehicle or vehicle train behavior from the vehicle or vehicle train operating data to provide an adapted theoretical model until the theoretical vehicle or vehicle train behavior corresponds to the real vehicle or vehicle train behavior, and if a deviation between the at least one system parameter acquired with the original theoretical model and the at least one system parameter acquired with the adapted theoretical model does not exceed or does not drop below a predefined limiting value and/or lies within a predefined limiting value range, continuing to monitor the at least one system parameter acquired with the adapted theoretical model and generating a fault message and/or instructions for the vehicle driver and/or automatically initiating countermeasures if the at least one system parameter acquired with the adapted theoretical model if that at least one system parameter exceeds or drops below a predefined limiting value and/or lies outside a predefined limiting value range, or

generating a fault message relating to a presence of a fault or of destruction at the vehicle, at the vehicle train and/or in the theoretical model if the deviation between the at least one system parameter acquired with the original theoretical model and the at least one system parameter acquired with the adapted theoretical model exceeds or drops below the predefined limiting value and/or lies outside the predefined limiting value range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating data of the vehicle or of the vehicle train contain request signals of at least one of the driver, route data, and vehicle data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored at least one system parameter a safety-relevant system parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically initiated countermeasure is rapid braking.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the safety-relevant system parameter is the breaking power of the vehicle or of the vehicle train.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed using an adaptable theoretical model configured to generate the theoretical vehicle or vehicle train behavior based on operating data of the vehicle or vehicle train.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating data includes at least one of acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle or of the vehicle train.

8. A system for monitoring at least one system parameter which influences an operating property of vehicles or vehicle trains, the system comprising an adaptable theoretical model configured to generate a theoretical vehicle or vehicle train behavior from operating data of the vehicle or vehicle train, the system comprising:

means for determining a real vehicle or vehicle train behavior based on operating data-of the vehicle or of the vehicle train

means for comparing the real vehicle or vehicle train behavior-with the theoretical vehicle or vehicle train behavior;

means for monitoring the at least one system parameter if the theoretical vehicle or vehicle train behavior corresponds to the real vehicle or vehicle train behavior;

means for generating a fault message and/or instructions for the vehicle driver and/or automatically initiating at least one countermeasure if the at least one system parameter exceeds or drops below a predefined limiting value and/or lies outside a predefined limiting value range; and

means for adapting an original theoretical model configured to generate the theoretical vehicle or vehicle train behavior from the vehicle or vehicle train operating data to provide an adapted theoretical model until the theoretical vehicle or vehicle train behavior corresponds to the real vehicle or vehicle train behavior, and if a deviation between the at least one system parameter acquired with the original theoretical model and the at least one system parameter acquired with the adapted theoretical model-does not exceed or does not drop below a predefined limiting value and/or lies within a predefined limiting value range, said means for monitoring being configured to continue to monitor the at least one system parameter acquired with the adapted theoretical model and said means for generating a fault message being configured to generate a fault message and/or instructions for the vehicle driver and/or automatically initiating countermeasures if the at least one system parameter acquired with the adapted theoretical model if that at least one system parameter exceeds or drops below a predefined limiting value and/or lies outside a predefined limiting value range,

wherein said means for generating a fault message being further configured to generate a fault message relating to a presence of a fault or of destruction at the vehicle, at the vehicle train and/or in the theoretical model if the deviation between the at least one system parameter acquired with the original theoretical model and the at least one system parameter acquired with the adapted theoretical model exceeds or drops below the predefined limiting value and/or lies outside the predefined limiting value range.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operating data of the vehicle or of the vehicle train contain request signals of at least one of the driver, route data, and vehicle data.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the monitored at least one system parameter is a safety-relevant system parameter.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the automatically initiated countermeasure is rapid braking.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the safety-relevant system parameter is the breaking power of the vehicle or of the vehicle train.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the adaptable theoretical model is configured to generate the theoretical vehicle or vehicle train behavior based on operating data of the vehicle or vehicle train.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operating data includes at least one of acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle or of the vehicle train.