Patent ID: 9266544
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: B61L

Claim Text:
1. A method for transferring alarm data between a first broken-down train and a control center, consisting of: evaluating the operating state of said first train; and, when the operating state of said train corresponds to a breakdown, determining whether it is possible to use a first primary radio communication link between a primary communication device of said first broken-down train and a ground infrastructure to which said control center is connected; and, if not, establishing a backup radio communication link between a first autonomous backup communication device of said first train and a second autonomous backup communication device of a second train that passes through a coverage region of said first autonomous backup communication means; once said backup radio communication link is established, transferring, from the first train to the second train, the alarm data relative to the first train; storing said alarm data relative to the first train in storage means of said second train; transmitting said alarm data relative to the first train to a primary communication device of said second train; transferring the alarm data relative to the first train, by using a second primary radio communication link between the primary communication device of said second train and the ground infrastructure; and, at the control center, developing an intervention strategy according to the alarm data relative to the first train that has been received, wherein, to establish the backup communication link, said first autonomous backup communication device of the first train transmits a preliminary signaling beacon informing a wireless environment of the first train that the latter is broken down, wherein the second autonomous backup communication device of the second train being, by default, in a standby mode, it continuously listens to a wireless environment of the second train and, upon receipt of a preliminary signaling beacon from said first train, the second communication device switches into an active mode and answers said first backup communication device of the first train to establish the backup link, and wherein, after the answer from the second autonomous backup communication device, the first and second backup communication devices negotiate, among available wireless resources, the resource to be used to establish the backup communication link.