METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DISTANCE MEASUREMENT

• US 20110234451A1
• Filed: 11/11/2009
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Evers, Bernhard, Bock, Ulrich, Schnieder, Lars
• Application Number:
  US13/132,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20110234451A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/109
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2003/123 French standard for inductive train protection, called "Contrôle de vitesse par balises" [KVB]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/026 Relative localisation, e.g. using odometer
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/121 using magnetic induction
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/125 using short-range radio transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00

Abstract

A method and a device provide distance measurement between two points or one point on a path and a rail vehicle. In order to achieve a high measurement accuracy, the measurement of the propagation time of a radio frequency identification (RFID) signal is provided between the points or the point on a path and the rail vehicle.

Claims

1-4. -4. (canceled)

5. A method for distance measurement between two track points or one track point and a rail vehicle, which comprises the step of:

measuring a delay time of a radio-frequency identification (RFID) signal between the track points or the track point and the rail vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 5, which further comprises measuring a delay time of the RFID signal between position reference points.

7. The method according to claim 5, which further comprises determining a speed of the rail vehicle in dependence on the delay time of the RFID signal and using the speed determined for calibration of speed sensors.

8. The method according to claim 5, which further comprises measuring a delay time of the RFID signal between Eurobalises.

9. The method according to claim 5, which further comprises measuring a delay time of the RFID signal between coupling coils.

10. The method according to claim 7, which further comprises providing Doppler radar sensors as the speed sensors.

11. An apparatus for measuring distances between two track points, the apparatus comprising:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transmitter/receiver associated with a first track point;

an RFID receiver/transmitter associated with a second track point; and

means for delay-time measurement of an RFID signal between the first and the second track points.

12. An apparatus for measuring distances between one track point and a rail vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transmitter/receiver associated with a first track point;

an RFID receiver/transmitter associated with the rail vehicle; and

means for delay-time measurement of an RFID signal between the first track point and the rail vehicle.