AU2015200621B2

AU2015200621B2 - Warning system and collision warning system for railway vehicles and persons

Info

Publication number: AU2015200621B2
Application number: AU2015200621A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Andreas Lehner; Thomas Strang
Original assignee: INTELLIGENCE ON WHEELS IOW GmbH
Current assignee: INTELLIGENCE ON WHEELS (IOW) GmbH
Priority date: 2014-02-07
Filing date: 2015-02-09
Publication date: 2019-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 2035-02-09
Also published as: DE102014001534B4; AU2015200621A1; DE102014001534A1

Abstract

Abstract A portable personal warning device (10) is proposed for the avoidance of collision of a person (12) with railway vehicles (62), this having a receiver unit (14) for the receipt of movement information (16) of the railway vehicle (62) as well as a sensor unit (18) which determines at least position information (22) of the person. A storage unit (28) stores railway network information (30) of the surroundings of a current position of the person (12). A signalling unit (38) is designed to transmit a warning signal (36) to the person. A processor unit (34) calculates a probability of a collision between the person (12) and the railway vehicle (62), based on the movement information (16) and situational information (20) of the person (12) as well as the railway network information (30), and transmits a warning signal (36) to the person (12) based on this probability. In a further aspect, a collision warning system (60) for railway vehicles (62, 64) and persons (12) wherein the information transmitted by the railway vehicle (62) can be received by both a further railway vehicle (64) and also by a personal warning device (10). 5 4' 18 20,50 20f 42 - 034 Fig. 1 16,22 52,54 lo 60 16,22 72-\, 72 62 <> > 70 16,22 64 68 66 16,22 12 66 7 10 Fig. 2

Description

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to the Applicant:-1 2015200621 09 Feb 2015

-2Warning System and Collision Warning System for Railway Vehicles and Persons

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to systems for the protection of people and vehicles in the vicinity of rail networks. The invention particularly relates to a portable personal warning device for the avoidance of collisions of a person with railway vehicles as well as a collision warning system for railway vehicles and people.

Background of the Invention

Official statistics show that railway workers are exposed to a sometimes higher risk of being injured by collisions with railway vehicles during the carrying out of their 15 duties. Thus, in some parts of the world, hundreds of railway workers annually are injured to some extent by impacts with railway vehicles. Known preventative measures for the protection of a group of railway workers (for example, known under the term “red”), include, for example, acoustic warning signals by sirens or horns which are tripped by activation of an electric or inductive contact by a railway vehicle 20 for example some 100 metres before a construction site. Usually, a displacement between such a contact and the position of the railway worker is estimated to be between several 100 metres up to several kilometres, independent of the expected average speed of the approaching train. The known solutions do, however, have various disadvantages. Amongst these is, for example, the need for the laying of 25 comparatively long electrical lines along the railway tracks or the need for the laying of at least as many contacts as there are approach possibilities to the construction site area.

2015200621 02 May 2019

-3 Furthermore, in the prior art, there are solutions known wherein the railway vehicles convey wireless information about their speed or azimuthal orientation to other vehicles or objects. Disadvantages can however ensue, in that the movement information or position information has only coarse accuracy and limitations with respect to the local availability. Known systems use, for example, signals from navigational satellites such as GPS or GLONASS for the provision of position-and/or movement- information. DE 44 34 861 Al describes, for example, an arrangement for the protection of stretches of rail against collisions of trains with other trains or with other obstacles. In spite of the manifold technologies and systems available, in many cases a sufficiently exact and timely warning of railway workers cannot be achieved.

Summary of the invention

In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided Personal warning device for the avoidance of collision of a person with approaching railway vehicles, wherein the personal warning device is designed to be located on the person having: (i) a receiver unit which is designed to receive from a railway vehicle wirelessly transmitted movement information of the railway vehicle; (ii) a sensor unit which is designed to provide situational information of the person, wherein the sensor unit is at least designed to provide position information of the person by means of a navigation satellite system (GNSS); (iii) a storage unit which is designed to store a railway network information of the vicinity of a current position of the person, wherein the railway network information comprises a network topology of the railway network; (iv) a signalling unit which is formed to transmit to the person a warning signal; (v) a processor unit which is designed to receive the movement information of the railway vehicle from the receiver unit, to receive the situational information of the person from the sensor unit, and to read railway network information from the storage unit, wherein the processor unit is furthermore designed, on the basis of the received movement information of the railway vehicle, the situational- information of the person and the railway network information for a particular time-point, to calculate a time-point dependent probability of a collision between the person and the railway vehicle; and wherein the processor unit is furthermore designed to actuate the

- 3a 2015200621 04 Apr 2019 signalling unit on the basis of the time-point dependent probability, so that the transmission of a warning signal to the person occurs.

By means of embodiments of the invention, the accuracy and/or reliability of warning devices and collision warning systems can inter alia be improved. This can be achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further embodiments of the invention result from the dependent claims and from the following description.

The present invention is based inter alia on the following considerations: a reliability or effectiveness of the warning system for people, in particular railway workers, can to a large extent depend on the accuracy of reckoning of probability of collision of a railway vehicle with an obstacle, here for example a railway worker, at a particular time-point. It is thus desirable, to determine information as accurately as possible about an expected future position of railway vehicles in relation to the situation (activity, position, surrounding noise etc.) of one or more track workers. Because with trains, track bound vehicles are concerned, a railway vehicle can only move in the existing railway network on the tracks available. This can advantageously limit a number of possible locations of railway vehicles and thereby additionally increase the accuracy for the already available current location information of the railway vehicles. This property is typically utilised by all Map Matching-algorithms.

-42015200621 09 Feb 2015

A portable personal warning device for the avoidance of collision of a person with approaching railway vehicles is proposed. The personal warning device is designed to be located on the person. The portable personal warning device has a receiver unit so formed as to receive wirelessly emitted movement information of the railway vehicle 5 from a railway vehicle or also from other emitting sources. Furthermore, the personal warning device has a sensor unit which is so formed as to provide situational information of the person, wherein the sensor unit is at least formed to provide position information of the person by means of a navigational satellite system (GNSS). The personal warning device furthermore has a storage unit which is so 10 formed as to store a geo-topographic railway network information of the surroundings of a current position of the person, as well as a signalling unit which is so formed as to convey a warning signal to the person. Furthermore, the personal warning device has a processor unit which is so formed as to receive the movement information of the railway vehicle from the receiver unit to receive the situational information of the 15 person from the sensor unit, and to read railway network information from the storage unit. Furthermore, the processor unit is so formed as to reckon a probability of collision between the person and the railway vehicle on the basis of the received movement information of the railway vehicle, the situational information of the person and the railway network information for the determined time-point. The 20 processor unit is furthermore so designed as to actuate the signalling unit so that the transmission of a warning signal is carried out to the person on the basis of a timepoint dependent probability.

Such a portable personal warning device can, for example, be located in the pocket of 25 the clothing of the person, on a carrier, a belt or in another manner on the body of the person or in their immediate vicinity. It is possible herewith, in accordance with an example, that the sensor unit or part of the sensor unit can be located at a suitable place separate from the person, and connected via wireless connection or a cable connection with the personal warning device. In a further example, further situational 30 information of the person can be determined, wherein various sensors are located directly in the personal warning device or outside (e.g. in the clothing) and connected with the personal warning device electrically. Sensors of this type can be, for

-52015200621 09 Feb 2015 example, microphones for the recording of surrounding noise, heat sensors, magnetic field sensors, pressure sensors, (absolute) position sensors for the determination of speeds and accelerations, gas detectors for the detection of perspiration activity etc. By “portable”, the possibility of a simple change of location and/or possibility of the 5 wearing of the personal warning device is understood. The term “portable” can also be understood herewith in the sense of “mobile”. By a receiver unit can be understood, for example, a receiver, for example for wireless radio signals. The receiver unit thereby receives at the same frequency as that also used by the railway vehicle for the transmission of movement information. In one example, the movement 10 information of the railway vehicle is transmitted from a station outside of the railway vehicle. This can, for example, be a relay station.

Movement information can contain a multitude of information regarding the locomotion of the railway vehicle as well as situational- or status- information which, 15 in the broadest sense, describes a situation, status, technical feature, placement, speed, direction of movement, or similar. For example, this information can be about future occurrences or features, such as brake profile of the railway vehicle or a planned route of the railway vehicle. Movement information can also have geographical and/or topological position information or pose (e.g. bearing/heading, pitch, yaw, bank) 20 information.

The navigational satellite system used for the determination of positional information of the person can, for example, be based on GPS or GLONASS. For this, further additional information is used for improvements of accuracy of the positional 25 determination, for example EGNOS-signals or ground-based augmentation systems (GBAS, SAPOS etc.).

By a storage unit can be understood, for example, an electronic database such as, for example, ROMs (read-only memory), RAM (random access memory), hard disk 30 storage unit, flash memory or similarly known storage media. In one example, the railway network information stored in the storage unit is updatable. In one example,

-62015200621 09 Feb 2015 the updating can be so carried out that the storage unit or the data on the storage unit are exchangeable by remote access. For example, the storage unit is insertable and removable in the personal warning device, e.g. by means of a USB-port. By use of the storage unit, railway network information can thereby be supplied or provided locally 5 in the personal warning device.

By a signalling unit can be understood, for example, an assembly unit which generates one or more various signals which can be directly perceived by the person concerned. These can be acoustic, visual, haptic, their combinations or other suitable signals.

Examples therefor are acoustic signals in the form of loud signal chimes, sound sequences or similar, haptic signals can be, for example, vibrations or any movement of the personal warning device directly perceptible by the person. Examples of visual signals can be light flashes, blinking lights, laser signals or similar. It can thus be of importance that the warning signals generated by the signalling unit are suitable to be directly perceived by the person concerned, in order thereby to direct the attention of the person to the danger of an approaching railway vehicle. In addition, the choice of signalling form and the content thereof depend on which activity the railway worker is carrying out at the moment. This can be determined by a suitable evaluation of the available sensor signals (“Activity Recognition”). Also, the surroundings (noise, 20 presence and activities of other railway workers in the vicinity etc.) can influence the type, point in time and content of the signalling.

By a processor unit can be understood, for example, a microcontroller or microprocessor which can mathematically relate with one another the movement 25 information of the railway vehicle, the situational information of the person and the railway network information from the storage unit, in order therefrom to calculate the time-point dependent probability of a collision. This can for example be carried out by means of suitable software which can also be stored in the personal warning device.

By railway network information can, for example, be understood to be a route map or a track plan of the vicinity of the personal warning device or rather of the person. The

2015200621 09 Feb 2015

-7railway network information can for example contain topological information (network topology, which route elements are connected with which other route elements, typically via railway switches) as well as exact geographical coordinates of tracks which a railway vehicle could use. The railway network information here used could include, for example, further additional information such as maximum speeds, lateral (“camber”) and longitudinal (“pitch”) grading information, additional infrastructure present such as overhead lines, tunnels, train platforms, electronic position generators, axle counters, frequency of use of particular track sections, junction plate information, (light-) signalling facilities, track magnets and further information. By means of the consideration of railway network information, the probability as well as the time-point of a possible collision can be determined with a greater accuracy. A further advantage may be that unnecessary warnings could hereby be avoided or could be optimised.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the processor unit is able to determine an earliest time-point before the imminent collision at which the signalling unit transmits a warning signal to the person, based on the probability in connection with the corresponding time-point of the imminent collision, for an effective warning of the person, it can be expedient to transmit a warning signal to the person as early as necessary but also, at the same time, as late as possible. The earliest time-point can also be an “optimal” time-point, which optimises both named aspects in the sense of a working efficiency of the track worker. In other words, it is aimed to initiate a warning sufficiently early, but at the same time should allow a person to remain in the track area as long as possible for the carrying out of work. The processor unit can, for example, be preset for calculation of this earliest time-point by the specification of particular parameter-defined boundary conditions. One of these parameters can be, for example, that the track worker has acknowledged an advance warning.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the control unit has a compass and/or acceleration sensor which are developed to provide situational information in the form of position-and/or movement-information. A compass here can, for example,

-82015200621 09 Feb 2015 determine an azimuthal orientation of the person. In a similar manner, an acceleration and turn rate sensor (e.g. an inertial unit) can also determine the posture of the person, thus for example, stooped or upright standing. An acceleration sensor can provide information about type and direction of the movement as well as the dynamics of a 5 movement. The more explicitly and exactly the position and/or the bearing or rather posture of a railway worker or a person in general can be determined, the more reliably and exactly the time-point dependent probability of a collision, or rather the optimal time-point of a warning, can be determined. In one example, the control unit furthermore has a barometer for the registration of an atmospheric pressure and thus 10 can provide information about the height of a person above ground. Situational information can further be direction-, height- or posture-information.

To that end, according to a further embodiment of the invention, further personspecific situational information such as age, weight and/or a height, as well as a 15 general “Fitness-Factor” of the person are regarded as situational information. For example, a person with a high age and/or weight would be warned earlier ahead of an approaching railway vehicle than a person with lesser age and/or weight, because here it could be assumed that the latter could vacate the track area more quickly. In one example, a fitness coefficient is determined from a variety of situational information 20 of the person, which combines as situational information a multiplicity of person specific characteristics such as, for example, weight, age and height. One advantage is seen in this in a more simple and/or more exact calculation of the time-point dependent probabilities of a collision.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the sensor unit has an acoustic sensor which is designed to detect situational information in the form of ambient sounds in the environment of the person. An acoustic sensor here can, for example, be a microphone or similar sonic sensor which is suitable to detect an intensity and/or quality as well as certain pattern of ambient sounds in the area of the person. For 30 example, these can be used to emit a loud acoustic signal if loud noises or a high noise level predominate in the vicinity. In one example the acoustic sensor, together with the sensor unit and optionally also the signalling unit, is designed to detect certain

-92015200621 09 Feb 2015 predefined noises and thus to detect and to provide as additional situational information certain activities or appliances such as, for example, pneumatic hammers, welding or similar, or to suppress as active noise cancellation by active noise control.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the processor unit is designed to store a multiplicity of similar types of situational information of the person over a period of time and, on the basis of this situational information, to calculate a probability of future situations of the person. In other words, the processor unit is able to learn from the movement behaviour of the person to date, and the behaviour of the person in the 10 past, to assign a probability to future situations. At the same time, a classification of situational information can also be carried out.

This can have the advantage that a more exact calculation of the probability and of the time-point of a collision can be carried out and, optionally, an effective warning can 15 be carried out at the correct time-point with the suitable warning signal. The longer one and the same person uses a personal warning device, the more exact a prediction of certain future movements or typical situations of the person can be. In one example, the processor unit is designed to recognise certain dependencies of situations. Thus, for example, it can be determined, on average, how quickly a worker 20 removes himself from the danger zone following a warning, or at what signalling threshold (volume, vibration or similar) he reacts.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the processor unit is designed to actuate the signalling unit on the basis of the probabilities of future situations. In other 25 words, if, for example, only a slow evacuation movement of the person is expected, a warning of the person by the processor unit and the signalling unit can be placed a little earlier, at the cost of a slightly shorter working time. This can advantageously allow an effective warning of the person with simultaneous optimisation of the earliest time-point of a warning.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the signalling unit is designed to transmit a warning signal to the person, which includes a recommended direction of movement of the person for the avoidance of a collision with a further railway vehicle

-102015200621 09 Feb 2015 or other dangerous equipment such as, for example, a live (conductor) rail. To this end, various sensors of the device can be referred to, e.g. a compass as well as, in particular, the electronic map of the track infrastructure and its vicinity. In other words, the person can be informed in which direction, for example, a retreat away 5 from the line should ensue, in order to avoid a collision. This information can, for example, be effected by means of a vibration generator, at various places or sides of the body of the person. Another possibility would be, for example, acoustic warnings by means of speech or similar suitable warning signals. Such an optimal de-escalation can minimise a risk of a collision of the person with a railway vehicle. Due to the 10 specific construction of the system, the traffic on the neighbouring line can also be considered grounded in the case of direction recommendation.

In one example, the personal warning device is designed so that following transmission of the warning signal, the person can trip a confirmation signal, for 15 example, by hitting a key on the personal warning device or by a particular gesture

e.g. a hand movement (e.g. waving or tapping) which is recognised by a sensor of the personal warning device. Other gestures can be used for the monitoring of the reactivity of the person e.g. in answer to a particular attention signal (acoustic, vibration etc.) which differs from an alarm signal. In this manner, a mechanism along 20 the lines of a safety control switch used by the driver inside the train (“Sifa”) can be implemented for the carrier of a personal warning device. The confirmation signal can, for example, confirm a correct transmission of the warning signal within the personal warning device, for example, for protocol purposes, and/or also transmit the confirmation signal to the railway vehicle. The railway vehicle can thus, for example, 25 signal to a driver of the railway vehicle that the railway worker actually has noticed a warning signal and the driver of the railway vehicle, for his part, needs to initiate no, or only a limited, de-escalation measure such as brakes.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the receiver unit is designed to 30 receive the movement- and situational-information by means of the TETRAStandards (Terrestrial Trunked Radio, originally Trans-European Trunked Radio). Under the TETRA-Standard, a standard for digital trunked radio is understood. In this standard, a multiplicity of different radio services are realised. The railway vehicle in

2015200621 09 Feb 2015 one example is also designed to transmit its movement information by means of the TETRA-Standard, so that the personal warning device can receive this movement information by means of the same wireless transmission standard. In a further example, the personal warning device is designed to transmit information, e.g. for the 5 place, the orientation and for the activity of the person, by means of the TETRAStandard. An advantage of the TETRA-Standard can be seen in that an already existing communication system can be used for speech transmission and data transmission. In the sector of modern railway networks, such TETRA-trunked radio systems can be relied upon in many countries with a sufficiently good distribution.

Through the use of the TETRA-Standard for the avoidance of collisions and for warning purposes, a convergence of various services can be achieved on the basis of one or only few transmission networks.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the receiver unit is designed to 15 receive the movement information by means of the DMO-Mode of the TETRAStandard. In this, the DMO-Mode describes a Direct Mode Operation (direct mode), wherein two apparatus can communicate with each other directly, without the utilisation of a base station and independently of further network infrastructure. This can advantageously allow a utilisation of the personal warning device also in regions 20 without TETRA-base station infrastructure. In one example, the railway vehicles or any relevant relay stations support the TETRA-Standard or the DMO-Mode of the TETRA-Standard respectively, during the transmitting of the movement information of the railway vehicle.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the receiver unit is designed for the wireless receipt of movement information of railway vehicles and/or railway network information (for example, a digital zone map) from a control point of the railway network. In other words, a provision of movement information of the railway vehicle or railway network information can take place alternatively from a central station or central entity. In a further example, the railway network information is received from a multiplicity of track-side safety installations, these being respectively designed to transmit corresponding railway network information so that it can be received by the personal warning device. In this case, a provision of the information is not carried out

- 122015200621 09 Feb 2015 centrally but rather by a decentralised or distributed system. Advantages of such an embodiment could then particularly ensue if there are network upgrades or similar events which cause changes in the railway network or variations of the railway network information, in particular also temporary. Here, it can also be advantageous 5 that, by means of the central provision of the information, a current version of the railway network information or current movement information of the railway vehicles can in each case be available. In both cases, the railway network information can also be hierarchically structured so that, for example, the centrally provided map only contains the main track of a route and in addition, locally supplemented railway 10 network information about side tracks is distributed.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the receipt of information from the control point of the railway network takes place via a wireless data communication network based on GSM/GSM-R, UMTS, ITS G5 (802.lip) and/or LTE. In other 15 words, for the transfer of information from the control point of the railway network and for the transfer of information from the track-side safety installations, alternative further data transfer networks are used, these being based, for example, on the wellestablished Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. This can increase an availability such as reliability of the personal warning device.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a collision warning system for railway vehicles and people is proposed. The collision warning system has a railway vehicle device which is mountable on a railway vehicle as well as a portable or mobile personal warning device. The railway vehicle device is designed to transmit 25 movement information and/or position information of the railway vehicle, wirelessly via a data communication service. The movement information transmitted is designed and transmitted in a manner that it is receivable by at least one further railway vehicle device of a further railway vehicle and/or by the personal warning device via the data communication service. Such a railway vehicle device can, for example, be located 30 temporarily or permanently in a railway vehicle and miscellaneous information and data with respect to movement information of the railway vehicle is collected or provided. In one example, movement direction, speed, position and further data such as, for example, brake rating, loading mass, is determined. The features described in

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- 13 connection with the personal warning device in respect of the storage of railway network information, the calculation of collision probabilities, the calculation of timepoints and signalling for the warning, in respect of the TETRA-Standard or the DM0Mode of the TETRA-Standard, can also be used with the railway vehicle device in the 5 railway vehicle. The data communication service here can be based on the TETRAStandard or the DMO-Mode of the TETRA-Standard. The movement information transmitted by the railway vehicle can be used both in this to prevent a collision with a second railway vehicle and also to prevent a collision with other obstacles, in particular, persons with a personal warning device. In other words, one and the same 10 system can be used for both aspects of the collision warning system.

This can advantageously reduce complexity and costs of a collision warning system for railway vehicles and persons.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the data communication service of the collision warning system is designed to communicate directly between the railway vehicle device and the personal warning device. This means that no base station or additional, external, network infrastructure is necessary for the transmission of movement information. This has particular advantages in regions which have no such 20 external network infrastructure. An example for a direct communication of information is the DMO-Mode of the TETRA-Standard. Also, other direct radio links or other wireless connection possibilities (e.g. optical) are possible.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the railway network device and/or the 25 personal warning device furthermore has a communication interface for the transmission of speech and/or further data by means of the data communication service. In other words, by means of the exact system components, for example by means of the TETRA-trunked radio networks, a further service can be used, without additional infrastructure needing to be provided for it. Such a combination of different 30 services on the basis of a communication network can reduce a complexity and costs for the operation of such services.

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Short Description of the Figures

In the following, embodiment examples of the invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures. Neither the description nor the figures should 5 be construed as limiting the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a personal warning device according to one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a collision warning system for railway vehicles and persons according to 10 one embodiment of the invention.

It is to be understood that features of the personal warning device as described above and below can also be features of the collision warning system and vice versa.

The drawings are merely schematic and not true to scale. Basically, identical or similar parts are indicated using the same reference symbol or number.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

In Fig. 1, an example is shown of a personal warning device 10 in accordance with the invention for the avoidance of collisions of a person 12 with railway vehicles (not shown). In particular, such collisions can be avoided as are caused by the passage of a railway vehicle through a section of track. The personal warning device 10 is so designed that it can be located on the person 12 in its entirety, or in his relative 25 proximity. The personal warning device 10 has a receiver unit 14 which is designed to receive movement information 16 wirelessly emitted from a railway vehicle.

Furthermore, the personal warning device 10 has a sensor unit 18 which is designed to provide situational information 20 of the person 12. The sensor unit 18 is, amongst other things, designed to provide position information 22 of the person 12 by means 30 of a navigation satellite system 24. For this, an antenna 26 of the navigation satellite system is located directly on the body or in close vicinity of the body of the person 12, in order by this means to provide position information 22 of the person 12. For

2015200621 09 Feb 2015

- 15 example, such a navigation satellite system 24 can be based on the GPS-Standard or similar navigation satellite system is 24. The movement information 16 of other trains or persons which is received by the receiver unit 14, can, for example, be received electromagnetically via a radio link. For this, a corresponding transmitter device is 5 provided in the railway vehicle as part of the railway vehicle device (see Fig. 2).

Furthermore, the personal warning device 10 has a storage unit 28 which is designed to store a railway network information 30 of the vicinity of a current position of person 12. For example, this can be a track plan, a route map or similar, which can be 10 stored in electronic form and can represent a route network in such a form that it is suitable for further computer-based processing. In one example, the storage unit 28 is designed to receive updates of the railway network information from a control point 32. For example, a control point of the railway network has ready, at any one time, the current information about the route network and, in particular, information about the 15 railway vehicle or movement information 16 of railway vehicles. It is therefore desirable that the personal warning device 10 has ready the most current information at any one time. For this, the storage unit 28 can receive the current information via an updating device 31 of the storage unit 28 of the control point 32. Furthermore, the personal warning device 10 has a processor unit 34 which is designed to receive the 20 movement information 16 of the railway vehicle from the receiver unit 14, to receive the situational information 20 of the person 12 from the sensor unit 18, and to read railway network information 30 from the storage unit 28. The processor unit 34 can, for example, be a microcontroller or a microprocessor which is suited, for example, for insertion into portable devices. In one example, the processor unit 34 can 25 furthermore have a memory for the filing of software, wherein the software is suited for supporting or providing the functionalities of the personal warning device 10. The processor unit 34 is designed to calculate a probability and the time-point of a collision between the person 12 and the railway vehicle, based on the received movement- and situational- information 16 of the railway vehicle, the situational 30 information 20 of the person 12 and the railway network information 30. The calculation of this probability can be carried out by means of the software and a microprocessor or microcontroller in the processor unit 34. The processor unit 34 is furthermore designed, based on the probability, to control a signalling unit 38 so that

- 162015200621 09 Feb 2015 the transmission of a warning signal 36 is carried out to the person 12. In other words, the person 12 is warned before the approach of a railway vehicle by the signal 36 and can thus vacate a hazardous area on time and thus prevent a collision of the person 12 with the railway vehicle.

In one example, the processor unit calculates, on the basis of the probability, an earliest time-point at which the signalling unit 38 transmits the warning signal 36 to the person 12. In the calculation of the earliest time-point, various criteria are taken as a basis, for example, that a warning should be carried out as early as necessary but as 10 late as possible, in order, for example, to allow a railway worker the longest possible presence in the relevant construction site area, but simultaneously also to allow sufficient safety before collisions.

In the example shown here, the sensor unit 18 has a compass 40 which is designed to 15 determine and to provide, as situational information 20 to the sensor unit 18, the azimuthal orientation of the person 12 together with, for example, information on the posture as well as the position. For example, an orientation of the person can possibly give information about whether the person is looking right in the direction of the approaching train or not, or in which direction a person 12 could move during the 20 following seconds. Such additional information could improve a reliability and accuracy of probability calculation by the processor unit 34. Furthermore, in the example shown here, the sensor unit 18 has an acceleration- and turn rate sensor 42.

This acceleration- and turn rate sensor 42 can, for example, be implemented in MEMS-technology (micro-electro-mechanical-system technology) in order to achieve 25 a smallest possible size of implementation. For example, a multiplicity of acceleration- and turn rate sensors 42 can be arranged at various on-body positions of the person 12, in order to provide exact information about the initiated movement or pattern of movement of various zones of the body. For example, such accelerationand turn rate sensors 42 can be incorporated in the clothing of the person 12. 30 Furthermore, the sensor unit 18 has an acoustic sensor 44 which, for example, is designed to detect and relay to the sensor as situational information 20 an intensity or particular type of ambient sound.

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In one example, an acoustic sensor 44 can recognise a particular type of signal tone generated by a supervisor and, in addition to that, release a warning signal 36 (not necessarily also acoustic) to the person 12. In a further example, the acoustic sensor 44 is designed to determine an intensity or volume of ambient sounds and the sensor 5 unit 18 and the processor unit 34 transmit with a higher ambient volume, for example, a more intensive or louder warning signal 36 to the person 12.

The transmission of the warning signal to the person 12 can take place in the example shown here by means of a signal generator 48. This signal generator can, for example, 10 produce and transmit to the person acoustic, haptic or optical warning signals.

Examples hereto are vibration generators, flashing lights, rotating flashing beacons, audio warnings, electrical impulses and similar signals. Here it can depend on whether the signals are directly discernible by the person and can be understood by the person 12 as warning. In addition to the situational information 20 of the sensor unit 18 in the 15 example shown here, person specific situational information 50 such as, for example, an age, weight and/or a height of the person 12 is transmitted to the processor unit 34.

In one example, the processor unit 34 is designed to read this information from a separate memory, which can possibly also be updated, to allow the use of the personal warning device 10 by various persons 12. In one example, the device learns person 20 specific characteristics over the duration of use of the device.

The control point 32 transmits movement- and situational- information 16 from trains or railway network information 30 via data communication networks 52, 54 to the personal warning device 10. Thus, for example, the first data communication network 25 52 can be based on the TETRA-Standard and, for example, without using infrastructure such as base stations, is able to transmit updated information with respect to movement information 16 and/or railway network information 30 via adhoc networks consisting of land mobile railway-or street- vehicles (Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks, VANETS) or mobile, typical person dedicated devices to the personal 30 warning device 12. A further possibility for transmission of updated information is the use of further mobile communications networks 54, these being based, for example, on the TETRA TM0-, GSM-, UMTS-, ITS-G5-, or UTE- Standard. This can

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- 18 ensure an availability of such information in the reception area covered by the respective network.

In Fig. 2, an example of a collision warning system 64 for railway vehicles and persons in accordance with the invention is shown. A first railway vehicle 62 moves along a railway network 66 which can, for example, be a track network or similar vehicle network in which vehicles move on particular pre-defined routes or stretches. The railway vehicle 62 thereby can, for example, be a locomotive, a traction vehicle or also any other type of railway vehicle. It is thereby of no consequence how the 10 railway vehicle 62 is powered or whether it is powered. The collision warning system should prevent collisions of a first railway vehicle 62 at least with a second railway vehicle 64. At the same time, the collision warning system 60 should also prevent a collision of the first railway vehicle 62 with persons 12 or correspondingly with another obstacle equipped with a personal warning device. The persons 12 could, for 15 example, be railway workers in local areas of the railway network 66.

The first railway vehicle 62 and the second railway vehicle 64 each have a railway vehicle device 68. The railway vehicle device 68 is designed to transmit movement information 16 and/or position information 22 of the railway vehicles 62, 64 20 wirelessly via a data communication service 52, 54. In the example shown here, a

DMO-Mode of the radio standard TETRA is used for the direct transmission of the movement- and situational- information 16 and/or position information 22 by means of a first sender/receiver unit 70 which supports the DMO-Mode of the TETRAStandard. This information is received by the first sender/receiver unit 70 of the 25 railway vehicle device 68 of the second railway vehicle 64 by direct path. A transmission of information directly between the respective first sender/receiver unit of the first railway vehicle 62 and the second railway vehicle 64 thus takes place directly.

Alternatively, a transmission of movement-and situational-information 16 and/or position information 22 can take place via a second sender/receiver unit 72 of the first railway vehicle 62 to a data communication network 52, 54 which can transfer the information 16, 22 via, for example, base stations and an own network infrastructure

- 192015200621 09 Feb 2015 to second sender/receiver unit 72 of the second railway vehicle 64. In this case, the transmission of the information 16, 22 takes place indirectly via one or more data communication networks 52, 54. Both paths of information transfer can be carried out herewith individually or also in combination with each other.

Personal warning devices 10 which, as described above, can receive movement-and situational- information 16 and position information 22 of the railway vehicle 62, 64, are in each case arranged on the persons 12. The movement- and situationalinformation 16 and/or position information 22 transmitted from the first railway 10 vehicle 62 is received by the personal warning device 10 and serves for the transmission of a warning signal to the person 12 on the basis of a time-point dependent probability of collision and its time-point of the first railway vehicle 62 with the person 12. In other words, the transmitted movement- and situationalinformation 16 and/or position information 22 of the railway vehicle are designed and 15 will be transmitted in such a manner that they are receivable by at least a further railway vehicle device 68 of a second railway vehicle 64 and/or by the personal warning device 10, preferably by direct path or alternatively via a data communication service 52, 54.

In one example, the railway vehicle device 68 and the personal warning device 10 is designed to provide additional further communications services, for example for transfer of speech and/or further data services.

It is additionally pointed out that “comprising” does not exclude other elements or 25 steps and “a” or “an” do not exclude a plurality. It is also pointed out that features or steps which are described with reference to one of the above embodiments can also be used in combination with other features or steps of other above described embodiments.

Claims

The Claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. Personal warning device for the avoidance of collision of a person with approaching railway vehicles, wherein the personal warning device is designed

5 to be located on the person having:

(i) a receiver unit which is designed to receive from a railway vehicle wirelessly transmitted movement information of the railway vehicle;

(ii) a sensor unit which is designed to provide situational information of the person, wherein the sensor unit is at least designed to provide position

10 information of the person by means of a navigation satellite system (GNSS);

(iii) a storage unit which is designed to store a railway network information of the vicinity of a current position of the person, wherein the railway network information comprises a network topology of the railway

15 network;

(iv) a signalling unit which is formed to transmit to the person a warning signal;

(v) a processor unit which is designed to receive the movement information of the railway vehicle from the receiver unit, to receive the situational

20 information of the person from the sensor unit, and to read railway network information from the storage unit, wherein the processor unit is furthermore designed, on the basis of the received movement information of the railway vehicle, the situationalinformation of the person and the railway network information for a particular 25 time-point, to calculate a time-point dependent probability of a collision between the person and the railway vehicle; and wherein the processor unit is furthermore designed to actuate the signalling unit on the basis of the time-point dependent probability, so that the transmission of a warning signal to the person occurs.
2. Personal warning device according to Claim 1, wherein the processor unit is designed to determine, on the basis of the probability in connection with the

2015200621 02 May 2019 corresponding time-point, an earliest time-point at which the signalling unit transmits a warning signal to the person.
3. Personal warning device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the sensor

5 unit has a compass and/or an acceleration- and turn rate sensor, these being designed to provide situational-information in the form of position- and/or movement- information of the person;
4. Personal warning device according to any one of the preceding Claims,

10 wherein the situational-information has an age, weight and/or a height of the person.
5. Personal warning device according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the sensor unit has an acoustic sensor which is designed to determine

15 situational information in the form of ambient noise in the surroundings of the person and/or one or more magnetic field sensor.
6. Personal warning device according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the processor unit is designed to store a plurality of similar types of situational-

20 information of the person over a period and, on the basis of this situationalinformation, to determine a probability of future situations of the person.
7. Personal warning device according to Claim 6, wherein the processor unit is designed to actuate the signalling unit on the basis of the probability of future

25 situations.
8. Personal warning device according to any one of the previous Claims, wherein the device is able to detect specific gestures such as 2x rough tapping as interaction for acknowledging a certain alarm state.
9. Personal warning device according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the signalling unit is designed to transmit a warning signal to the person which has information about a recommended direction of movement of the person for the avoidance of a collision with a railway vehicle.

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10. Personal warning device according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the receiver unit is designed to receive the movement information on the basis of the TETRA-Standard.
11. Personal warning device according to Claim 10, wherein the receiver unit is designed to receive the movement information by means of the DMO-Mode of the TETRA-Standard.

10
12. Personal warning device according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the receiver unit is formed for the wireless receipt of movement information of the railway vehicle from a control point of the railway network and/or railway network information from a control point of the railway network.
13. Personal warning device according to Claim 12, wherein the receipt of information takes place via a wireless data communication network based on GSM, UMTS, ITS-G5 (802.1 lp) and/or LTE.

20
14. Personal warning device according to any one of the Claims 1 to 13, wherein an acknowledge signal is transmitted back from the warning device via a wireless network.
15. The personal warning device of any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the

25 railway network information further comprises a route map and/or a track plan of a vicinity of the personal warning device or the person wearing the personal warning device.
16. The personal warning device of any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the railway network information further comprises one or more of maximum speeds; lateral (“camber”) information; longitudinal (“pitch”) grading information; and additional infrastructure present.

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17. The personal warning device of Claim 16, wherein the additional infrastructure present comprises one or more of: an overhead line; a tunnel; a train platform; an electronic position generator; an axle counter; frequency of

5 use of one or more particular track section; junction plate information;

signalling facilities; and a track magnet.
18. Collision warning system for railway vehicles and persons, having:

(i) a railway vehicle device which is mountable in a railway vehicle; and

10 (ii) a portable personal warning device according to one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the railway vehicle device is designed to transmit movement information and/or position information of the railway vehicle wirelessly via a data communication service; and wherein the transmitted information is designed, and is transmitted in a

15 manner, so that it is receivable by at least one further railway vehicle device of a further railway vehicle by the personal warning device via the data communication service.
19. Collision warning system according to Claim 18, wherein the data
20 communication service is designed to communicate the movement information directly between the railway vehicle device and the personal warning device.

20. Collision warning system according to Claim 18 or Claim 19, wherein the railway vehicle device and/or the personal warning device furthermore have a
25 communication interface for the transfer of speech and/or further data by means of the data communication service.