Patent Description:
The present invention is essentially related to the field of guided vehicle communication, wherein the expression "guided vehicle" refers to public transport means such as subways, trains or train subunits, etc., as well as load transporting means such as, for example, freight trains, for which safety is a very important factor and which are guided along a route or railway by at least one rail, in particular by two rails. More specifically, the present invention concerns electrified guided vehicles, e.g. powered by an electrical rail (usually called third-rail) or an electrical overhead line (also called catenary), i.e. powered by an electrical infrastructure like wires used to supply electricity to the guided vehicle that is equipped with a connecting device for collecting the electrical power, for instance a pantograph usually installed on the roof of the guided vehicle and configured for collecting power through contact with the overhead line, wherein the voltage range provided to the guided vehicle is typically a medium-voltage (i.e. between 1kV to 36kV), or sometimes a low-voltage ranging between 600V and 1kV.

A general problematic with respect to guided vehicles is the communication between the guided vehicle and a control center located remotely and in charge of operating the guided vehicle. Currently, three main technologies enabling a communication between a guided vehicle and the control center exist.

Other communication techniques have been proposed. For instance, <CIT> uses a Power Line Communication (PLC) technique for transmitting data, but only within the cars of a vehicle, like a train, and <CIT> describes the use of said PLC technology in a network formed of electrically and communicatively isolated rail segments, wherein each rail segment is managed by a dedicated central coordinator (CCo), wherein the set of CCo is controlled by a main controller, and wherein information that has to be provided to a cart running on a rail segment managed by a CCo is first provided by the main controller to said CCo, and then transmitted by the CCo to the cart using PLC, making the system very complex and expensive.

An objective of the present invention is to propose a low cost and universal solution to enable a direct communication between a control center and a guided vehicle, notably with respect to existing infrastructures, and which enables a high level of security and is reliable.

For achieving said objective, the present invention proposes notably a communication system and method as disclosed by the objects of the independent claims. Other advantages of the invention are presented in the dependent claims.

The present application discloses a communication system (<NUM>) for enabling a communication between a guided vehicle (<NUM>) comprising one or several on-board systems (<NUM>) and a remote control center (<NUM>), wherein the guided vehicle (<NUM>) is powered by electricity provided by an electrified railway network comprising a power electrical infrastructure -hereafter PEI-used for providing electrical power to the guided vehicle (<NUM>), the communication system (<NUM>) comprising: - a power line communication system - hereafter PLC system (<NUM>), configured for being connected to the control center (<NUM>) via an IP network (<NUM>) configured for enabling a communication of IP-based telegrams between them, the PLC system (<NUM>) further comprising a coupling unit (30A) for its coupling to the PEI in order to use the latter as physical communication channel, the PLC system (<NUM>) being configured for encoding each IP-based telegram received from the control center (<NUM>) into a PLC signal and for sending the PLC signal to the guided vehicle (<NUM>) by using the PEI as communication channel, and- an on-board power line IP based communication system - hereafter OPLC system (<NUM>), configured for being installed on-board the guided vehicle (<NUM>), configured for being connected to said one or several on-board systems (<NUM>) of the guided vehicle, said OPLC system (<NUM>) comprising a coupling unit (65A) configured for coupling the OPLC to the PEI that is used as a physical communication channel for the transmission of PLC signals, the OPLC system being configured for decoding into an IP-based telegram a PLC signal received from the control center (<NUM>) and/or from another guided vehicle via the PEI and for determining whether the IP-based telegram is addressed to one of said one or several on-board systems of the guided vehicle it is configured to equip, and in the affirmative, transmitting the IP-based telegram or data comprised within said IP-based telegram to the on-board system (<NUM>) addressed by said IP-based telegram, otherwise re-encoding the IP-based telegram into a PLC signal and re-injecting the latter in the PEI; wherein each IP-based telegram comprises an identification data configured for enabling an identification of one or several recipients of the IP-based telegram. The present application discloses a method of communication for a guided vehicle (<NUM>) powered by electricity provided by an electrified railway network comprising a power electrical infrastructure - hereafter PEI - used for providing electrical power to the guided vehicle (<NUM>), the method comprising the following steps:a) for transmitting a signal or data from a remote control center (<NUM>) to the guided vehicle (<NUM>):- sending (<NUM>) from the control center (<NUM>) to a PLC system (<NUM>) an IP-based telegram encoding said signal or data;- encoding (<NUM>), by means of the PLC system (<NUM>), the received IP-based telegram into a PLC signal;- sending (<NUM>) from the PLC system (<NUM>) said PLC signal, wherein said sending comprises using the PEI as channel for communicating PLC signals; - receiving (<NUM>), by means of an OPLC system (<NUM>) configured for being installed on-board the guided vehicle (<NUM>), said PLC signal and decoding the latter in order to determine the IP-based telegram which was encoded into said PLC signal;- determining (<NUM>) whether the IP-based telegram is addressed to an on-board system (<NUM>) of the guided vehicle the OPLC system equips, and in the affirmative, transmitting the IP-based telegram or data comprised within said IP-based telegram to the on-board system addressed by said IP-based telegram, otherwise reencoding the IP-based telegram into a PLC signal and re-injecting the latter in the PEI as it was originally sent by the PLC or OPLC system that created the original PLC signal. The present application discloses a communication system (<NUM>) for enabling a communication between a guided vehicle (<NUM>) comprising one or several on-board systems (<NUM>) and a remote control center (<NUM>), wherein the guided vehicle (<NUM>) is powered by electricity provided by an electrified railway network comprising a power electrical infrastructure -hereafter PEI-used for providing electrical power to the guided vehicle (<NUM>), the communication system (<NUM>) comprising:- a power line communication system - hereafter PLC system (<NUM>), configured for being connected to the control center (<NUM>) via an IP network (<NUM>) configured for enabling a communication of IP-based telegrams between them, the PLC system (<NUM>) further comprising a coupling unit (30A) for its coupling to the PEI in order to use the latter as physical communication channel, the PLC system (<NUM>) being configured for decoding a PLC signal sent by the guided vehicle (<NUM>) via the PEI and for transmitting to the control center (<NUM>) an IP-based telegram determined by decoding the received PLC signal if the control center (<NUM>) is a recipient of the IP-based telegram, - an on-board power line IP based communication system - hereafter OPLC system (<NUM>), configured for being installed on-board the guided vehicle (<NUM>), configured for being connected to said one or several on-board systems (<NUM>) of the guided vehicle, said OPLC system (<NUM>) comprising a coupling unit (65A) configured for coupling the OPLC to the PEI that is used as a physical communication channel for the transmission of PLC signals, the OPLC system being configured for encoding an IP-based telegram received from one of said one or several on-board systems (<NUM>) into a PLC signal and for sending the PLC signal to another guided vehicle and/or to the control center (<NUM>) by using the PEI as communication channel, wherein each IP-based telegram comprises an identification data configured for enabling an identification of one or several recipients of the IP-based telegram. A present application discloses a method of communication for a guided vehicle (<NUM>) powered by electricity provided by an electrified railway network comprising a power electrical infrastructure - hereafter PEI - used for providing electrical power to the guided vehicle (<NUM>), the method comprising the following steps: (b) for transmitting a signal or data from the guided vehicle (<NUM>):-sending (<NUM>) by an on-board system (<NUM>) of the guided vehicle (<NUM>) data or an IP-based telegram encoding said data which have to be transmitted to the control center (<NUM>) and/or to another guided vehicle;- receiving (<NUM>) by the OPLC system (<NUM>) said data or said IP-based telegram and creating a PLC signal encoding the received IP-based telegram or an IP-based telegram encoding the received data;- sending (<NUM>) from the OPLC system (<NUM>) said PLC signal, wherein said sending comprises using the PEI as communication channel for communicating said PLC signal;- receiving (<NUM>), by means of the PLC system (<NUM>), said IP-based telegram and decoding the latter in order to determine the IP-based telegram which was encoded into the PLC signal;- determining, by the PLC system (<NUM>), whether the IP-based telegram is addressed to the control center and/or to one or several on-board systems of said another guided vehicle, and if the control center (<NUM>) is indicated by the identification data as a recipient of the IP-based telegram, then transmitting by means of the PLC system the IP-based telegram to the control center (<NUM>), otherwise if an on-board system of said another guided vehicle is indicated as recipient of the IP-based telegram, while the control center is not part of the recipients, then the PLC system re-encodes the received IP-based telegram into a PLC signal and re-injects the latter into the PEI.

Further aspects of the present invention will be better understood through the following drawings, wherein like numerals are used for like and corresponding parts:.

<FIG> illustrates a preferred embodiment of a communication system <NUM> enabling a control center <NUM> and one or several guided vehicles <NUM> of an electrified railway network to communicate with each other.

The control center <NUM> comprises typically one or several processors and a memory. In addition, the control center <NUM> may comprise one or several of the following: a display, an ATS <NUM>, an IP-based telephony system <NUM>, a database <NUM>, a server <NUM>, a CCTV control center, an operator interface. The control center <NUM> is in charge of managing the displacement of the guided vehicles <NUM> on the electrified railway network.

The control center <NUM> is connected to an IP-network <NUM>, which is configured for enabling a communication, i.e. the exchange of data/signals, between said control center <NUM> and other systems, for instance a PLC system <NUM>, and/or a signaling network <NUM>, and/or systems/devices of a first railway infrastructure <NUM>, and/or systems/devices of a second railway infrastructure <NUM>. Each of said railway infrastructures <NUM>, <NUM>, might be the railway infrastructure of a station, and might comprise one or several systems or devices, notably wayside equipment, connected to said signaling network <NUM>, like an interlocking system <NUM> connected to field elements 511A (e.g. points, axle counter, traffic lights, etc.), a train control system <NUM> connected to a radio system 512A for communicating with the guided vehicles <NUM>.

All systems and devices previously described which are connected to the IP network <NUM> use preferentially IP-based telegrams, and thus internet protocols, for communicating with each other. For instance, the control center <NUM> according to the invention is configured for creating IP-based telegrams encoding data/signals to be sent to another device/system connected to the IP network <NUM>, and for reading the data/signal comprised in any IP-based telegram it receives.

According to the present invention, the control center <NUM> is configured for communicating with the guided vehicle <NUM> using the PLC technology. The guided vehicle <NUM> is an electric guided vehicle configured for moving on an electrified railway network. Typically, the electrified railway network comprises an electrical infrastructure, like an overhead line <NUM> or an electrical third rail, used for powering the guided vehicle <NUM>. In order to collect power from said electrical infrastructure, the guided vehicle <NUM> comprises one or several connecting devices, like the pantograph <NUM>, that are used for connecting the guided vehicle to the electrical infrastructure, as well for disconnecting it from said electrical infrastructure, for instance if the guided vehicle has to be shut down. The energy acquired though the connection of the connecting device to the electrical infrastructure is then used for powering electrical motors of the guided vehicle <NUM> used for moving said guided vehicle, as well as for powering one or several on-board systems, like a train control system <NUM>, a user interface system <NUM>, a radio system <NUM>, a light system, or a speed control system, etc..

According to the present invention, at least one OPLC system <NUM> is configured for being installed on-board the guided vehicle <NUM> and is configured for generating, reading and exchanging PLC signals with the PLC system <NUM> to which the control center <NUM> is connected and/or with an OPLC system of another guided vehicle. Each PLC system <NUM> and OPLC system <NUM> according to the invention works by coupling to the existing electrical infrastructure, e.g. to the wiring of the overhead line <NUM>, a modulated signal of a given frequency band. For this purpose, the PLC system and the OPLC system both comprise a coupling unit 30A, 65A configured for safely connecting the PLC/OPLC system to the electrical infrastructure of the electrified railway network. The PLC signals are preferentially coupled onto the electrical infrastructure using inductive or capacitive couplers of the coupling unit, specifically designed for this purpose. While the PLC system might be directly connected to the electrical infrastructure by means of its coupling unit 30A, the OPLC system has its coupling unit 65A connected to the connecting device <NUM>, which itself may contact the electrical infrastructure. Said electrical infrastructure is thus used as a physical communication medium or channel that allows the propagation of energy in the form of PLC signals which are for instance pulses or variations in voltage, current or light intensity. Preferentially, each connecting device <NUM> of the guided vehicle is connected to a different OPLC system, so that a redundancy might be ensured. PLC and OPLC systems are the interface between the voltage network embodied by the electrical infrastructure of the electrified railway network and the control center (for the PLC system) or the on-board systems (for the OPLC system).

<FIG> illustrates a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention in the form of a flowchart. The two following aspects will be described: a first case corresponding to the sending of data from the control center <NUM> to the guided vehicle <NUM> and a second case corresponding to the sending of data from an on-board device <NUM> to the control center <NUM> and/or to another guided vehicle.

In the first case, the method according to the invention comprises notably the following steps:
At step <NUM>, the control center <NUM> sends an IP-based telegram to the PLC system <NUM>, wherein said IP-based telegram is configured for encoding some data, which have been for instance acquired by the control center <NUM> from a field element 511A of the railway infrastructure <NUM>. Said IP-based telegram might be generated by the control center <NUM> and might comprise an identification data used by any OPLC or PLC system for identifying a recipient of the IP-based telegram. Said identification data may comprise a list of recipients. The identification data is preferentially generated by the control center <NUM>. Alternatively, the PLC system might generate said identification data. For instance, it may comprise a database storing different sets of recipients, wherein for each sender, a set of recipients is predefined. By this way, i.e. by knowing the sender of an IP-based telegram (e.g. from its IP address), the PLC system is capable of automatically creating said identification data.

At step <NUM>, the PLC system <NUM> receives the IP-based telegram and encodes the latter into a PLC signal. The control center <NUM> and the PLC system <NUM> use the IP network <NUM> as communication network for exchanging IP-based telegrams.

At step <NUM>, the PLC system injects, by means of its coupling unit 30A, said PLC signal onto the electric signal carried by the electrical infrastructure of the electrified railway network. Said electrical infrastructure is thus used as a communication channel between the PLC system <NUM> and the OPLC system <NUM> of the guided vehicle <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the OPLC system <NUM> receives, via its coupling to the electrical infrastructure by means of its coupling unit 65A, said PLC signal. The OPLC system <NUM> is capable of detecting the PLC signal injected onto the electric signal carried by said electrical infrastructure.

At step <NUM>, the OPLC system <NUM> decodes the received PLC signal in order to determine whether the IP-based telegram encoded in the received PLC signal is addressed to one or several on-board systems of the guided vehicle <NUM>. For that purpose, the OPLC system <NUM> is configured for reading the identification data comprised in the IP-based telegram which was encoded in the received PLC signal and for determining whether one or several of the recipients defined by said identification data are on-board systems of the guided vehicle the OPLC system equips. For that purpose, each OPLC system <NUM> may comprise a memory storing a list of all on-board systems equipping the guided vehicle and to which an IP-based telegram might be addressed by the control center or by an on-board system of another guided vehicle. By comparing said list to a list of recipients comprised within the identification data, the OPLC system might quickly determine whether the IP-based telegram shall be forwarded to an on-board system of the guided vehicle it equips. Depending on the on-board network <NUM> installed within the guided vehicle <NUM>, the OPLC system <NUM> might forward either directly the received IP-based telegram to one of the on-board systems, or data comprised within said IP-based telegram.

If the OPLC system <NUM> determines that the identification data of the IP-based telegram indicates an on-board system <NUM> of the guided vehicle as recipient of said IP-based telegram, then the OPLC system automatically transmits the IP-based telegram (or data comprised within said IP-based telegram) to the concerned on-board system indicated as recipient by the identification data. The on-board system <NUM> then receives the IP-based telegram (or directly said data), which might for instance trigger some action by the on-board system <NUM>. If the identification data comprises as recipients only on-boards systems of the guided vehicle equipped by the OPLC system which has acquired the PLC signal at the origin of said identification data, then the OPLC does not reinject any PLC signal related to the received IP-based telegram in the electrical infrastructure. If the identification data comprises as recipient an on-board system of another guided vehicle, then, in addition of transmitting the IP-based telegram (or data) to the concerned on-board system, the OPLC system is configured for automatically updating the identification data of the IP-based telegram by withdrawing from the recipients each on-board system of the guided vehicle it equips, and creating an amended IP-based telegram comprising the updated identification data, and encoding said amended IP-based telegram into a PLC signal which is then injected in the electrical infrastructure through its coupling with the latter.

If the OPLC system determines from the identification data that none of the on-board systems figures among the recipients of the IP-based telegram, then it automatically reencodes the IP-based telegram into a PLC signal and reinjects the latter in the electrical infrastructure. Preferentially, the reinjected PLC signal is identical to the one that was originally sent by the PLC system in order to avoid any attenuation effects.

The reception by an on-board system <NUM> of an IP-based telegram sent by the control center <NUM> and retransmitted by the OPLC system <NUM>, may trigger an action by the on-board system <NUM> and generate a response of the latter, in the form for instance of an IP-based telegram to be sent to the control center <NUM> and/or to another guided vehicle. Because of this, the flowchart of <FIG> might be represented as a loop wherein IP-telegrams are exchanged between different recipients, each IP-telegram received from a sender triggering in response the transmission of a new IP-telegram sent by the recipient to the sender. Of course, other communication models are possible.

In the second case, i.e. the case of a data transmission from the on-board system <NUM> to the control center <NUM> and/or to another guided vehicle, the method according to the invention comprises preferably the following steps:
At step <NUM>, the on-board system <NUM> sends to the OPLC system <NUM> an IP-based telegram encoding data or a signal to be transmitted to the control center <NUM> and/or to another guided vehicle. Depending on the on-board network <NUM>, the on-board system <NUM> might send directly said data or signal to the OPLC instead of an IP-based telegram. Whatever is sent, resp. IP-based telegram, data, or signal, it preferentially comprises an identification data indicating one or several recipients of resp. the IP-based telegram, data, or signal. As explained before for the PLC system, in the case of the OPLC system the identification data is preferentially generated by the on-board system, but alternatively, it might be generated by the OPLC. As for the PLC system, the OPLC system may comprise a database storing different sets of recipients, wherein for each sender (i.e. on-board system having sent the IP-based telegram or data or signal) a set of recipients is predefined. By this way, i.e. by knowing the sender of an IP-based telegram (e.g. from its IP address), the OPLC system is capable of automatically creating said identification data.

At step <NUM>, the OPLC system received resp. the IP-based telegram, data, or signal, and creates a PLC signal encoding resp. said IP-based telegram, or an IP-based telegram generated by the OPLC system from resp. said signal or data. The IP-based telegram comprises in any case said identification data.

At step <NUM>, the OPLC systems injects (i.e. sends), via its coupling with the electrical infrastructure, said PLC signal onto the electric signal carried by the electrical infrastructure.

At step <NUM>, the PLC system <NUM> or another OPLC system acquires, by means of its coupling to the electrical infrastructure, the PLC signal and determines the IP-based telegram encoded in the latter. The case of an OPLC system acquiring the PLC signal has been previously discussed in the previous steps <NUM>-<NUM> and applies here mutatis mutandis again. The case of the PLC system <NUM> acquiring the PLC signal is discussed below.

From said PLC signal, the PLC system <NUM> is configured for determining whether the IP-based telegram is addressed to the control center <NUM> and/or to one or several on-board systems of another guided vehicle. If the PLC system determines from the identification data that the control center <NUM> figures among the recipients of the IP-based telegram, then it automatically forwards the IP-based telegram to the control center <NUM> via said IP network <NUM>. If the control center is the single recipient of the PLC signal, then the PLC system does not reinject any PLC signal onto the electrical infrastructure after determination of said IP-based telegram. If the PLC system <NUM> determines that, apart from the control center <NUM>, an on-board system of another guided vehicle is a recipient of the acquired IP-based telegram, then the OPLC system is further configured for reinjecting onto the signal carried by the electrical infrastructure a PLC signal encoding an amended IP-based telegram, wherein said amended IP-based telegram is created by the PLC system from the previously determined IP-based telegram to which the identification data has been amended by withdrawing the control center from the recipients defined within the identification data. The PLC signal encoding the amended IP-based telegram is then reinjected onto the electrical signal carried by the electrical infrastructure so that the other recipient(s) of the previously received IP-based telegram might receive the latter, while avoiding that it is retransmitted to the control center <NUM>.

If the PLC system determines that the control center <NUM> is not part of the recipients of the IP-based telegram decoded from the acquired PLC signal, then the PLC system <NUM> reencodes the received IP-based telegram into a PLC signal and reinjects the latter into the PEI, as it would have been originally injected (e.g. same amplitude).

According to the present invention, each PLC and OPLC system comprises preferentially said coupling unit that is used for coupling the PLC, resp. OPLC system, to the electrical infrastructure, resp. connecting device, wherein the coupling unit comprises a capacitor configured for being coupled in series with the electrical infrastructure, resp. connecting device, and a line trap connected in series with the capacitor and to which the PLC/OPLC system (e.g. communication equipment of the PLC/OPLC system) is connected. An advantage of such coupling unit is that it is able to cancel an echo of the PLC signal and might be used therefore to prevent a propagation of the PLC signal so that only PLC signals (re)injected by the PLC or OPLC system will have a chance to reach recipients indicated by the identification data, a PLC signal acquired but not reinjected being considered as completely attenuated in the electrical infrastructure (its intensity is sufficiently decreased for enabling to neglect the remaining residual PLC signal in the electrical infrastructure). Therefore, thanks to the coupling unit, each PLC signal read by the PLC/OPLC system is considered as withdrawn from the electrical infrastructure.

While the present invention has been described for embodying a communication between a control center and a guided vehicle, the communication system according to the invention is also perfectly suited for the communication between any remote device connected to the PLC system via the IP network and the on-board system connected to the OPLC system. Indeed, the PLC system and OPLC system enable such a communication between a remote device and an on-board device, wherein the previously described technique based on IP-based telegrams is applied mutatis mutandis.

Finally, the present invention provides the following advantages compared to existing techniques:.

In particular, the system according to the invention is configured for exchanging instant messages (i.e. said IP-telegrams) between a guided vehicle driver and a control center operator. Advantageously, the control center according to the invention may comprise predefined messages or customiza-ble messages that might be sent to a guided vehicle on-board system which enables a communication with the guided vehicle driver. According to another embodiment, the control center comprises an interface configured for implementing a chat-like functionality, wherein communications between guided vehicle driver and control center operator are automatically recorded. Advantageously, the control center and the OPLC system are configured for automatically requesting a confirmation of a reception of a message, wherein a reception of said confirmation is used for triggering one or several train operations.

Preferentially, the OPLC system according to the invention is configured for automatically collecting one or several guided vehicle inputs from one or several on-board systems and for automatically forwarding said guided vehicle inputs to the control center using the IP-based telegrams. Said guided vehicle input is for instance one of the following: an equipment status, a CCTV streaming, a dead man's switch signal, a passenger emergency call. Preferentially, at reception of one of said inputs, the control center is configured for automatically triggering a predefined response, i.e. free of any human intervention.

Advantageously, the system according to the invention enables a sending of regulation instructions to a guided vehicle driver, and according to regulation goals that might be set by a railway operator (e.g. timetable or headway adherence). Preferentially, the control center is configured for automatically sending via the PLC system driver instructions regarding a countdown to depart, and/or a distance to a following and/or previous guided vehicle, and/or a current trip time deviation, and/or a change to dwell time at a platform.

The control center according to the invention is further configured for automatically sending, via said PLC system, information about an event detected and/or commanded by the control center, including for instance a temporary speed restriction, a train stranded ahead for a certain amount of time, an electrified status of the railway network. Additionality, the control center is further configured for automatically sending via the PLC system an overview of a topology of the railway network, so that the latter is automatically displaced in a guided vehicle cabin for informing the driver about guided vehicle positions, routes set, tracks blocked, etc..

Claim 1:
Communication system (<NUM>) for enabling a communication between a guided vehicle (<NUM>) comprising one or several on-board systems (<NUM>) and a remote control center (<NUM>), wherein the guided vehicle (<NUM>) is powered by electricity provided by an electrified railway network comprising a power electrical infrastructure -hereafter PEI-used for providing electrical power to the guided vehicle (<NUM>), the communication system (<NUM>) comprising:
- a power line communication system - hereafter PLC system (<NUM>), configured for being connected to the control center (<NUM>) via an IP network (<NUM>) configured for enabling a communication of IP-based telegrams between them, the PLC system (<NUM>) further comprising a coupling unit (30A) for its coupling to the PEI in order to use the latter as physical communication channel, the PLC system (<NUM>) being configured for encoding each IP-based telegram received from the control center (<NUM>) into a PLC signal and for sending the PLC signal to the guided vehicle (<NUM>) by using the PEI as communication channel, and
- an on-board power line IP based communication system - hereafter OPLC system (<NUM>), configured for being installed on-board the guided vehicle (<NUM>), configured for being connected to said one or several on-board systems (<NUM>) of the guided vehicle, said OPLC system (<NUM>) comprising a coupling unit (65A) configured for coupling the OPLC to the PEI that is used as a physical communication channel for the transmission of PLC signals, the OPLC system being configured for decoding into an IP-based telegram a PLC signal received from the control center (<NUM>) and/or from another guided vehicle via the PEI and for determining whether the IP-based telegram is addressed to one of said one or several on-board systems of the guided vehicle it is configured to equip, and in the affirmative, transmitting the IP-based telegram or data comprised within said IP-based telegram to the on-board system (<NUM>) addressed by said IP-based telegram, otherwise reencoding the IP-based telegram into a PLC signal and reinjecting the latter in the PEI;
wherein each IP-based telegram comprises an identification data configured for enabling an identification of one or several recipients of the IP-based telegram.