EP1693272B1 - Antenna arrangement used for data transmission between vehicle and track - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves connecting a grounded communication unit to a longitudinal cable (20) for sending and receiving signals. Safety relevant data are transmitted to a channel via a pair of wires (1) of the cable. Another separate channel is provided for transmission of another set of data, and another pair of wires (2) is provided for the former channel. The channels are operated at different frequencies and with different modulations. An independent claim is also included for an antenna arrangement for bidirectional transmission of data for a train control system between a communication unit that is mounted on a rail vehicle and a grounded communication unit.

Description

The present invention relates to a method and an antenna arrangement between the vehicle and the track area according to the preamble of patent claims 1 and 5, respectively.

The present invention relates to data transmission in railway engineering between a track as a stationary device and at least one rail-bound vehicle.

For this purpose, radiation cables are used. These are usually coaxial cables with a special outer conductor, which allow the coupling of a magnetic field. Other arrangements use a single-core conductor which is loops and is crossed at appropriate intervals.

In particular, in the station area security-relevant data, such as the stop position or data for departure prevention are transmitted in this way. There, the vehicle must be supplied with safety-relevant data from the Zugleitprozess, such as the stop position to be reached, the speed limit and data for departure prevention. These data may depend on influencing factors such as vehicle weight, train length, brake system and weather conditions.

In addition to safety-relevant data, further data, such as process data and status information of the train or of the locomotive, are of interest for transmission to the authority responsible for the infrastructure. For example, in the event of a failure of a function such as a drive motor, specific data may be sent. But also for passenger billing systems or intrusion systems (burglary and vandalism in vehicles) is a data transfer from the vehicle to the outside of interest. For uplink applications is the passenger seat reservation as an example. For these tasks, the existing infrastructure should be widely used.

With the coaxial cables used for the Loopfunktion there is the problem of ensuring safety, if in addition to the train security information other relevant for railway operation data between the vehicle and system technology are also exchanged on the same head. The requirements of the required separation and thus uninfluenceability are no longer given.
In practice, it also shows that the coaxial cable with its non-symmetrical structure against a metallic conductive environment have significant disadvantages due to the capacitive and inductive coupling of the outer conductor with constructive elements such as the rail and points. It creates uncontrolled current paths, which generate an additional H-field, which usually causes interference.

From the Scriptures EP 1 413 495 A1 An arrangement with symmetrical cables is twisted pair / twisted pair or then stranded in quad for use as a radiation cable instead of coaxial cable. This achieves extensive coupling symmetry with conductive structures in the environment, so that colateral current paths which generate an additional H field are largely absent. This reduces the impact of the environment on the cable.

In the professional world, a distinction is made between the terms twisted and stranded. Uniform handling in practice is not. In this document falls under the term twisted any arrangement that has a helical conductor structure, for example, the occasionally specifically discussed in the art terms of stranding, quad stranding, layer stranding and Dieselhorst-Martin stranding. In effect on the inventive method and the arrangement is no fundamental difference.

The present invention has for its object to provide an antenna arrangement that allows to transfer additional data between the vehicle and rail while largely using existing infrastructure, without unduly compromising the security requirements for the transmission of security-related data.

This object is achieved by the measures specified in claim 1..

The inventive antenna arrangement, according to which
the one conductor pair (1, 2) is arranged in the core (7) of the cable (20) and the other conductor pair (1, 2) is arranged in a hollow cylindrical segment around the core (7),
allows transmission of additional data without undue influence on security-relevant data. The track-side antenna arrangement, for which a further separate channel is provided for the transmission of further data for which there is another pair of conductors, allows the use of existing infrastructure.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in further claims.

• i) Betreiben der verschiedenen Kanäle auf verschiedenen Frequenzen. Dadurch lassen sich insbesondere Interferenzphänomene vermeiden. Massnahmen zur Verhinderung einer gegenseitigen Beeinflussung können klein gehalten werden oder fallen gänzlich weg.
• ii) Verdrillung von Leiterpaaren untereinander und/oder miteinander. Bei einer geeigneten Wahl der Schlaglänge heben sich dabei die unterschiedlichen Einflüsse eines elektromagnetischen Felds auf die Hin- und die Rückleitung eines Leiterpaars im Wesentlichen auf.
• iii) Vermeidung von Sekundärströmen durch eine geeignete geometrische Anordnung der Leiter im Kabel.
• iv) Symmetrische Anordnung von Leiterpaaren im Kabel. Dadurch können insbesondere elektromagnetische Kopplungen zwischen diesem Leiterpaar und seiner Umgebung, insbesondere jedoch der Kabelumgebung reduziert werden.
• v) Anordnung der Leiter im Kabel so, dass in einem Querschnitt durch das Kabel ein Leiterpaar im Wesentlichen in einem Bereich in der Nähe der Verbindungslinie des anderen Leiterpaars, jedoch ausserhalb der Verbindungsstrecke dieses anderen Leiterpaars angeordnet ist (Fig. 10). In diesem Bereich zeigen die magnetischen Feldvektoren im Wesentlichen in entgegensetzte Richtungen und heben sich daher teilweise auf.
• vi) Alle Leiter weisen den genau gleichen Schlag auf. Damit weist ein beliebiger Leiter an jeder Stelle entlang des Kabels zu jedem der weiteren Leiter im Kabel eine konstante Koppelgrösse auf.
• vii) Betreiben der verschiedenen Kanäle mit unterschiedlichen Modulationsverfahren.
• viii) Nutzung eines Kabels in dem die für Übertragungs-Leiterschleifen nicht genutzten Leiter durch vereinfachte Substitute/Platzhalter aus Kunststoff ohne elektrische Leiter ersetzt werden.

By the following features individually or in combination with each other, the reliability and / or the transmission capacity of the data transmission can be further increased and / or made particularly simple and cost-effective:

• i) operating the different channels on different frequencies. As a result, in particular interference phenomena can be avoided. Measures to prevent mutual interference can be kept small or completely eliminated.
• ii) Twisting of pairs of conductors with each other and / or each other. In the case of a suitable choice of the lay length, the different influences of an electromagnetic field on the forward and return lines of a pair of conductors essentially cancel each other out.
• iii) Prevention of secondary currents by means of a suitable geometric arrangement of the conductors in the cable.
• iv) Symmetrical arrangement of conductor pairs in the cable. As a result, in particular electromagnetic couplings between this pair of conductors and its environment, but in particular the cable environment can be reduced.
• v) Arrangement of the conductors in the cable so that in a cross section through the cable, a conductor pair is arranged substantially in an area in the vicinity of the connecting line of the other pair of conductors, but outside the connection path of this other pair of conductors ( Fig. 10 ). In this region, the magnetic field vectors essentially point in opposite directions and therefore partially cancel each other out.
• vi) All leaders have exactly the same beat. Thus, any conductor at any point along the cable to each of the other conductors in the cable has a constant coupling size.
• vii) operating the different channels with different modulation methods.
• viii) Use of a cable in which the conductors not used for transmission conductor loops are replaced by simplified plastic substitutes / placeholders without electrical conductors.

Figur 1

Darstellung der Verlegung eines Kabels im Gleisbereich;

Figur 2

Elektrische Ersatzschaltung einer zusätzlichen Antenne aus einem weiteren Leiterpaar;

Figur 3

Darstellung des Aderaufbaus;

Figur 4

Anordnung und Beschaltung eines Kabels gemäss Stand der Technik;

Figur 5

Anordnung und Beschaltung eines Kabels gemäss Stand der Technik;

Figur 6

Anordnung und Beschaltung eines Kabels gemäss Stand der Technik;

Figur 7

Anordnung und Beschaltung des Kabels gemäss Stand der Technik;

Figur 8

Anordnung und Beschaltung eines Kabels in einer Ausführungsform der Erfindung;

Figur 9

Anordnung und Beschaltung eines Kabels in einer weiteren Ausführungsform der Erfindung;

Figur 10

Anordnung und Beschaltung eines Kabels in einer weiteren Ausführungsform der Erfindung;

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, for example. Showing:

FIG. 1

Illustration of the laying of a cable in the track area;

FIG. 2

Electrical equivalent circuit of an additional antenna from another pair of conductors;

FIG. 3

Representation of the vein structure;

FIG. 4

Arrangement and wiring of a cable according to the prior art;

FIG. 5

Arrangement and wiring of a cable according to the prior art;

FIG. 6

Arrangement and wiring of a cable according to the prior art;

FIG. 7

Arrangement and wiring of the cable according to the prior art;

FIG. 8

Arrangement and wiring of a cable in an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9

Arrangement and wiring of a cable in a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10

Arrangement and wiring of a cable in a further embodiment of the invention;

In FIG. 1 is the laying of a cable 20 shown in the track area. The terminating resistor 22 and the communication unit 21 are also visible.

FIG. 2 shows an electrical equivalent circuit of an additional antenna of a twisted further pair of conductors 2. This further pair of conductors is connected to a Communication unit 21 connected and completed via a terminating resistor 22.

FIG. 3 is a representation of the vein structure. One wire 5 serves as a forward conductor o, the other wire 5 as a return conductor x. The wires have a strand 3, usually made of copper, as well as an insulation 4.

FIG. 4 shows an arrangement and wiring of a cable 20 with a first pair of conductors 1 according to the prior art.

FIG. 5 shows an arrangement and wiring of a cable 20 according to the prior art with a first pair of conductors 1 for transmission of safety-related information and another pair of conductors 2 for transmitting further information.

FIG. 6 shows an arrangement and wiring of a cable 20 according to the prior art. In this embodiment, an axis-symmetrical first conductor pair 1 is used for transmitting safety-relevant information, while another likewise axially symmetrical further conductor pair 2 is provided for transmitting further information. In this embodiment, these two pairs of conductors 1, 2 are arranged in a first hollow cylindrical segment.

FIG. 7 shows an arrangement and wiring of the cable 20 according to the prior art. Also in this embodiment, the conductor pairs 1, 2 are arranged a first hollow cylindrical segment.

FIG. 8 shows an arrangement and wiring of a cable 20 with a jacket 8 in an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, security-relevant data is transmitted in the core 7 of the cable 20, while other data in one to the first Pair of conductors 1 orthogonally arranged another pair of conductors 2 are transmitted in the first cylindrical layer. The arrangement of the first pair of conductors 1 in the core 7 of the cable has the advantage that better compensate the different influences of an electromagnetic field on forward o and return x of the first pair of conductors 1, since the distance between the two conductors is smaller than when the first pair of conductors 1 in an outer segment of the cable 20 would be arranged.

FIG. 9 shows an arrangement and wiring of a cable 20 with a jacket 8 in a further embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, security-relevant data are transmitted in the core 7 of the cable 20, while further data are transmitted in a parallel to the first pair of conductors 1 further pair of conductors 2 in the first cylindrical layer. Are all conductors, as in this illustration in a line, it may also be useful, depending on lay lengths, to arrange the first pair of conductors 1 in the outer segment, since the magnetic fields of the individual conductors of the inner conductor pair compensate there partially.

FIG. 10 shows an arrangement and wiring of a cable 20 according to another embodiment of the invention with the associated field lines 9. In the area outside the connecting line of the other conductor pair 2, the field strength is less than at the same distance in the vertical direction. Therefore, this area is particularly suitable for positioning there a first pair of conductors 1 intended for transmission of safety-relevant data. This pair of conductors may be twisted (not shown). If the further conductor pair 2 is also twisted, it may be arranged in a spiral around the further conductor pair 2 in addition to its own twist. If the spiral arrangement has the same impact as the further conductor pair 2, then the position of the first conductor pair in the desired range of low magnetic field strength over the entire length of the cable 20 are maintained.

List of reference numbers used

1

First pair of conductors for transmission of safety-related information

2

Further pair of conductors for transmission of further data

3

Wire, conductor

4

isolation

5

Vein

7

core

8th

coat

9

field lines

20

electric wire

21

Earthbound communication unit

22

terminator

O

go conductor

X

return conductor

Claims (4)

1. Antenna arrangement for bidirectional data transmission for a train control system between a communication unit installed on a rail vehicle and a terrestrial communication unit (21) which is formed from a cable (20) routed alongside a track, which has a first pair of conductors (1) via which a first channel is provided for transmission of safety-relevant data, the cable (20) features at least one further pair of conductors (2) via which a further separate channel for transmission of further data is provided,
   characterised in that,
   one pair of conductors (1, 2) is arranged in the core (7) of the cable (20) and the other pair of conductors in a hollow cylindrical segment around the core (7).
2. Antenna arrangement according to claim 1,
   characterised in that,
   different frequencies and/or different modulations are provided for the respective first channel and the further channel.
3. Antenna arrangement according to one of the claims 1 or 2,
   characterised in that
   at least one pair of conductors (1, 2) is a twisted pair.
4. Antenna arrangement according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that
   in a cross-section through the cable (20) the first pair of conductors (1) is arranged essentially in the area of the axis of connection of the further pair of conductors (2), but is outside the connection link of the further pair of conductors (2).

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