CONTROL OF RUNNING-GEAR HEIGHT BY MEANS OF PASSENGER BOARDING SENSOR

[0001]The invention relates to a method for calibration of a control of running gear of a rail vehicle, as well as to a rail vehicle and to a computer program product for carrying out the method.

[0002]For ease of boarding and exiting a passenger rail vehicle a transition between platform and boarding area of the rail vehicle that is as even and horizontal as possible is desirable. Diverse so-called sliding steps or similar solutions have become known for bridging the gap between platform and vehicle, which in some cases are also adjustable as to their height. The difference in height to be compensated for is restricted however. For an optimum setting of these adjustable step platforms, height and distance between the platform and the entry to the vehicle can be determined by means of sensors. The publication WO 98/58148 A1 teaches a rail vehicle with corresponding sensors.

[0003]Through a subsequent setting behavior of a new vehicle after it has been commissioned, through wear, for example through wear on the wheels, as well as due to changes in height through uneven platforms, the horizontal dimension of platform to vehicle is continuously changing. In order to compensate for a setting behavior or wear, the vehicle is adjusted with inserts in the area of the running gear so that the vehicle lands in the area of the permitted tolerance. This also occurs after a trimming of the wheels. Expensive measurements of the vehicle and in some cases quite complex calculations for bending the vehicle body and tolerance analyses are required for this in order to thicken individual inserts, and a constant checking is also needed during manufacturing or maintenance.

[0004]The object underlying the invention is to simplify the commissioning, the operation and the maintenance of rail vehicles.

[0005]The object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Developments and embodiments of the invention are to be found in the features of the dependent claims.

[0012]On detection of the at least one value of the vehicle height with respect to the upper edge of the platform, in particular a perpendicular distance in the vertical direction between the upper edge of the platform or a platform surface and a fixed predefined point of the rail vehicle, in particular a fixed predefined point of at least one car body of the rail vehicle, is measured, wherein the rail vehicle is located on a track in front of the platform. It can be stationary at the platform or be moving past it, in particular slowly. The fixed predefined point can for example be a passenger boarding point, i.e. in particular a floor in the area of the outer door. A front edge of the floor in the boarding area is in particular formed by what is known as a kick strip. A platform is usually embodied flat so that its surface for walking—its platform surface—lies on a level with its upper platform edge. The measurement facility can be embodied and aligned for example to detect a platform surface and a kick strip in the boarding area of the rail vehicle, in order to detect a distance between platform surface and kick strip and thus a vehicle height with respect to an upper edge of the platform.

[0013]For this in particular at least one sensor for monitoring a passenger boarding point is used. In accordance with one development of the invention, the rail vehicle, as a suitable measurement facility for detecting the at least one value of the vehicle height of the rail vehicle with respect to the upper edge of the platform on the track of the rail vehicle, comprises at least one sensor for monitoring at least one passenger boarding point of the rail vehicle. This is suitably embodied, for example as a Lidar sensor, and is arranged in or on the rail vehicle and also oriented at least in sections to the platform. Method step a. is carried out according to the development by means of the at least one sensor for monitoring a passenger boarding point of the rail vehicle. Sensors for monitoring passenger boarding points can be used in order to measure the distance of the passenger boarding point from the platform, in order for example to deploy gap bridges appropriately or to recognize people on the track. Measured values for the height of a passenger boarding point above an upper edge of the platform can be used on order to control a level compensation between the passenger boarding point and the platform by means of a movable entry step arranged in the area of the passenger boarding point.

[0014]Here, the at least one value, detected in accordance with method step a., of the vehicle height of the rail vehicle with respect to the upper edge of the platform on the track of the rail vehicle, pre-processed where necessary, is transferred to a running gear controller.

[0015]In the following method step b., a running gear height of at least one running gear of the rail vehicle, predefined as normal, is adjusted as a function of the measured vehicle height by the running gear controller. The running gear controller is embodied correspondingly suitably to receive the at least one detected value of the vehicle height, to further preprocess it and then to adjust the value, predefined as normal, of the running gear height of the at least one item of running gear of the rail vehicle as a function of the at least one detected value of the vehicle height.

[0016]The adjusted value of the running gear height can be stored by the running gear controller, in a memory of the running gear controller, for example.

[0017]Subsequently, the adjusted value of the vehicle height can be used for running gear control by the running gear controller.

[0020]The running gear height is determined, inter alia, by the height of the secondary suspension system of the running gear. Secondary suspension systems are embodied as height-adjustable pneumatic springs, for example.

[0021]In a development the rail vehicle has at least one running gear with pneumatic suspension, in particular as a secondary suspension system, wherein a height of the pneumatic suspension is controlled as a function of the adjusted value of the running gear height by means of the suitably embodied running gear controller of the rail vehicle. The height control of the pneumatic suspension is undertaken for example via a filling pressure in the pneumatic spring which is to be increased or reduced.

[0022]With a running gear height, a vehicle height, i.e. the height of the car body of the rail vehicle supported on the running gear is controlled above the rails and thus also above the platform as a function of the adjusted and stored value.

[0023]The running gear controller is assigned to the at least one running gear of the rail vehicle and is embodied to control the height of the at least one running gear.

[0024]The rail vehicle can have a plurality of car bodies connected to one another. Each car body can rest on one or more, in particular two items of running gear. So-called Jacobs bogies are also known, on which two car bodies are supported in each case. The car bodies can also each have a number of doors. In particular for each car body at least one value of the vehicle height of the car body of the rail vehicle with respect to the upper edge of the platform on the track of the rail vehicle is detected by means of the at least one suitable measurement facility of the rail vehicle. Where necessary at least one value of the vehicle height of the car body of the rail vehicle with respect to the upper edge of the platform is detected at each door of the car body. Subsequently, in particular for each item of running gear on which the respective car body is supported, the predefined values of the respective running gear height can be adjusted as a function of the detected values of the vehicle height of the car body supported correspondingly on the running gear by the suitably embodied running gear controller of the rail vehicle. Thus a height of each item of running gear can be controlled individually. Likewise, a height of the running gears can be controlled as a function of a number of detected values of the vehicle height of the rail vehicle, for example by an average value or a median over the number of detected values of the vehicle height of the rail vehicle being formed and the respective predefined values of the running gear heights being adjusted by means of this average value or median.

[0025]In accordance with a further development, method step a. is repeated at a predefined plurality of platforms and preceding method step b. an average value or a median is firstly formed from the corresponding plurality of the detected values of the vehicle height, in particular by means of a suitably embodied running gear controller of the rail vehicle, wherein then, in method step b. an adjustment of the value, predefined as normal, of the running gear height is undertaken as a function of the average value formed or of the median formed by the suitably embodied running gear controller of the rail vehicle. This can then take place individually for each car of the rail vehicle.

[0026]Known sensor systems for monitoring passenger boarding points are additionally used to deliver height differences from platform to entry kick strips of the rail vehicle as a control variable for the running gear heights. Thus the running gear can regulate each passenger boarding point of the train to the optimal height, in order to realize an level entry, even with large differences in height.

[0027]Associated with this can be a significant reduction in costs for the planning and implementation of measures that are conventionally carried out to meet the permitted height dimension of the kick strip over the entire period that the vehicle is in use.

[0034]The at least one adjusted value of the running gear height is to be distinguished from the value of the running gear height originally predefined as normal and originally stored as normal in the running gear controller.

[0035]The method step e. can be preceded by: Transfer of the at least one adjusted value of the running gear height of the at least one item of running gear of the rail vehicle from the running gear controller to a service or maintenance center. In the service or maintenance center, also called the depot, at least the installation of the wheel wear inserts is carried out. The transfer between the rail vehicle and the land-side service or maintenance center can be undertaken wirelessly. Then both the rail vehicle and the land-side service or maintenance center are suitably equipped for sending or receiving in each instance. As an alternative, method step d. is undertaken in the land-side service or maintenance center, likewise wirelessly or by wire.

[0036]Method step e. can likewise be undertaken in the land-side service or maintenance center or already be carried out by the running gear controller of the rail vehicle. Accordingly, in method step d., as well as the adjusted value of the running gear height, its deviation from the value of the running gear height originally predefined as normal can also be read out and transferred where necessary.

[0037]After installation of the at least one selected and installed wheel wear insert a new value of the running gear height is predefined as normal in the running gear controller. The further, where necessary still stored, adjusted value of the running gear height can be deleted accordingly.

[0046]The stated values each relate to an item of running gear on which the car body concerned, of which the vehicle height has been detected, rests. The running gear controller concerned, as already explained above, is responsible for the control of the running gear.

[0047]The new predefined value of the running gear height in the running gear controller can also be predefined as a function of further parameters, for example as a function of, for example caused by setting behavior, material fatigue or wear, dimensional changes on the running gear or on the car body, for example of primary springs, or the secondary springs or of previously attached wheel wear inserts etc.

[0048]As likewise already stated above, the use of the at least one sensor serves for monitoring the passenger boarding point or the use of the values of the vehicle height detected by this sensor for calibration of the running gear control, in particular of the height control, of the at least one item of running gear of the rail vehicle. Thus even a level control in the track can be undertaken, so that the passenger boarding points of the rail vehicle are on a level with the platform. In order to compensate for such differences in height at each stop, i.e. for each platform, an adaptation of the item of running gear or of the running gear ad hoc is relatively expensive however. Therefore such differences in height can advantageously be compensated for with mobile entry platforms, so that the rail vehicle can in particular be boarded or left again without a step and without barriers, in particular in a level manner. Instead a height level of the rail vehicle over its entire length is preferably set by means of regulating the height of each item of running gear. This is to compensate, on the one hand, for differing wear or setting behavior of the car and on the other hand to set the rail vehicle to a known route to be traveled as well as to greatly simplify its maintenance. The height of the rail vehicle can easily be adapted so that all platforms located and arrived to on the route lie within a predefined tolerance. On a predefined route the individual platform heights mostly vary only slightly; this can be made possible by sliding entry steps or entry platforms, as long as the vertical distances from the boarding points to the platforms lie within the predefined tolerance.

[0049]Through this the commissioning and the maintenance of rail vehicles is greatly simplified, since a vehicle does not have to be expensively measured. The invention is suitable both for rail vehicles with sliding entry steps and also for use in rail vehicles with fixed kick strips.

[0050]An inventive computer program product comprises commands that, when the program is executed by a suitable mobile terminal, cause said terminal to carry out the inventive method. A provision apparatus for the computer program product stores the computer program product and/or makes said product available for execution. The provision apparatus involves in particular a data medium on which the computer program product is stored.

[0051]The invention allows numerous forms of embodiment. It will be explained in greater detail with the aid of the figures below, in which an exemplary embodiment is shown in each case. The same elements in the figures are labeled with the same reference numbers.

[0052]FIG. 1 shows schematically an embodiment of a passenger boarding area of a rail vehicle,

[0053]FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of an embodiment of the inventive method.

[0054]Shown schematically in FIG. 1 is a car of a rail vehicle 1. A car body 2 of the rail vehicle 1 is detected, which is supported on at least one item of running gear 7 and which has at least one passenger boarding door 3. Arranged in the area of the passenger boarding door 3 is a sensor 4 for monitoring the passenger boarding point 6, which is suitably embodied to detect at least one value of a vehicle height of the car body 2 of the rail vehicle 1 with respect to an upper edge of the platform 5 on the track of the rail vehicle 1 and to transfer it for further processing to a running gear controller, not shown in the figure.

[0055]FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a flow diagram of the method. In accordance with method step a. first of all at least one value of a vehicle height of the rail vehicle 1 with respect to and upper edge of the platform 5 on the track of the rail vehicle 1 is detected by means of at least one suitable measurement facility 4 of the rail vehicle 1 and transferred to a running gear controller of the rail vehicle 1 which, in accordance with method step b. subsequently adjusts a predefined value of a running gear height as a function of the at least one detected value of the vehicle height of the rail vehicle 1.

[0056]Thereafter, according to method step c., a running gear height is controlled as a function of the adjusted value of the running gear height by means of the running gear controller of the rail vehicle 1.