Patent Description:
Assistance systems, such as driver advisory systems (DASs), for operators of rail vehicles are intended to generate action recommendations for energy-optimized operation of railway vehicles on the basis of static and dynamic route, timetable and vehicle data. Such systems are commonly integrated into the overall vehicle control system. Program modules are executed in a central control unit and possibly in remote control units fixed provided in the rail vehicle, as so-called non-portable on-board device. The recommendations are output via a display unit connected to a vehicle bus (e.g. a Multifunction Vehicle Bus) and tightly coupled to a driver panel display device (also called Human Machine Interface (HMI)).

Prior art <CIT> discloses a system for generating action recommendations for the operator of a rail vehicle. In order to provide a generic system that can be retrofitted quickly and easily to an existing rail vehicle. The system comprises a device like a mobile phone that can be carried by the operator. This device has at least one data interface unit for receiving basic data (dynamic and static data, like timetable or position). The device further has a storage unit for storing at least one program module, a processing unit provided for executing the program module in order to generate the action recommendations at least on the basis of the basic data, and an output unit (display) for outputting the action recommendations.

<CIT> relates to a system and a method of providing recommendations for action to a driver of a rail vehicle. In this system, a vehicle intern wireless network is set up and used to provide a server functionality for allowing access to the recommendations via a browser application of a mobile device of the driver via the wireless network.

A system for providing action recommendations to a driver of a rail vehicle is also known from <CIT>.

The object of the present invention is to provide a system for providing action recommendations to a driver of a rail vehicle having high accuracy and reliability.

This object is solved by a system for providing action recommendations to a driver of a rail vehicle having the features of claim <NUM> and a method of providing action recommendations to a driver of a rail vehicle having the features of claim <NUM>. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are specified in the dependent claims.

The present invention comprises the teaching that the remote source comprises a calculation means for calculating the action recommendations for the on-board device based on current input data of the rail vehicle. The on-board device comprises a processing unit calculating the action recommendations, in case that action recommendations of the remote source are missing. For calculating the action recommendations a calculation algorithm of less computational complexity is used compared to the remote source.

In computer science, the time complexity is the computational complexity that describes the amount of time it takes to run an algorithm. Time complexity is commonly estimated by counting the number of elementary operations performed by the algorithm, supposing that each elementary operation takes a fixed amount of time to perform. Thus, the amount of time taken and the number of elementary operations performed by the algorithm are taken to differ by at most a constant factor.

The communication interface thereby comprises all visual or audible means for communicating with the driver. Input data according to the invention are data relating to the rail vehicle e.g. velocity, location, timetable and route. Based on this data the remote source calculates via the calculation means, which may be a computer having high processing capability the action recommendations. This computer thereby preferably receives data from each train in this region. Therefore, the location and velocity of all these rail vehicles can be used for calculating the action recommendations. Accordingly, it is possible to provide an action recommendation having a high accuracy so that the rail vehicle can be driven in an energy-optimized manner.

However, in order to provide the driver with action recommendations in case of e.g. a dead spot of the wireless network the on-board device as a fallback system provides the driver with action recommendations. This has the advantage that the reliability of the system according to the present invention is guaranteed.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wireless network is a mobile railway network and/or a public mobile network. The railway network system thereby is a special network of the railway provider. This network has the advantage that it is used for the railway traffic, only. Accordingly, this network usually is not overloaded due to a high network traffic. By using the railway network in combination with the public mobile network, a high reliability can be assured so that a dead spot event rarely occur.

In a further preferred embodiment, the current input data of the rail vehicle are provided by an on-board rail system and/or an offboard rail system. The on-board system thereby could be e.g. the European Train Control System (ETCS) or a Train Control and Management System (TCMS). A respective offboard rail system could be e.g. a trackside ECTS or another trackside infrastructure. As these data are anyway determined for the rail vehicle, no separate system is required. Accordingly, a respective system easily and economically can be provided for a rail vehicle.

According to another embodiment, the remote source is a cloud or a server. The server thereby is a computer system in a remote office. The computer system mostly has to be provided by the railway provider. A cloud thereof does not require a large computer system provided by the railway provider in order to calculate the action recommendations. Additionally the cloud has a high accessibility in the internet with an increased reliability.

In a further embodiment, the processing unit is a local computing means of the rail vehicle. A local computing means according to the present invention is a computer, which e.g. already is used on the train for other reason. In other words, by using a local computing means no separate computer is needed to calculate the action recommendations. Accordingly, a respective system can be easily and cost efficient provided to a rail vehicle.

A specific embodiment specifies that the communication interface is provided by a portable or an on-board device. An on-board device is provided as a device in the driver's cabin. The availability of this communication interface thereby is ensured. Portable devices like mobile phones or tablets have the advantage that the driver can carry these devices. Accordingly, these devices can be used on other rail vehicle. Additionally, the rail vehicle does not require two communication interfaces for both possible driving directions of the rail vehicle. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide each rail vehicle with two separate communication interfaces so that the system economically can be provided to a rail vehicle.

The aforementioned object of the invention is also achieved by a method of providing action recommendations to a driver of a rail vehicle comprising the aforementioned system. The method comprising the steps of calculating action recommendations for the driver on the offboard remote source on the basis of current input data of the rail vehicle, transmitting the action recommendations via the wireless network to an on-board device, retrieving action recommendations for the driver by the on-board device using a calculation algorithm of less computational complexity compared to the remote source in case that action recommendations of the offboard remote source are missing, communicating the action recommendations to the driver via a communication interface of the on-board device. This method has the same advantages as already outlined for the system above.

In a further preferred embodiment, the on-board device determines the action recommendations based on precalculated driving recommendations. Precalculated driving recommendations are recommendations, which are made e.g. before the trip. These recommendations thereby are e.g. dependent on the location and the velocity of the rail vehicle. The advantage of these recommendations is that the calculation effort is low so that it can be calculated with simple devices on the rail vehicle.

Preferably, the calculation of action recommendations by the on-board device is started when action recommendations from the offboard remote source are missing. In other words, a calculation during normal operation is not conducted. This has the advantage that calculation capacity is reduced, so that it can be easily calculated on existing devices on the rail vehicle.

According to a preferred embodiment, the on-board device calculates action recommendations continuously and parallel to the offboard calculations. Accordingly, the action recommendations are calculated during the whole trip of the rail vehicle. Thus, in case of a dead spot it is possible immediately providing the driver with action recommendations. Further, a plausibility check on the action recommendations of the remote source can be conducted so that a malfunction of the remote source can be detected.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the figures and are explained in detail in the following description. The figures showing:.

<FIG> shows a system for providing action recommendations to a driver of a rail vehicle <NUM>. The rail vehicle <NUM> comprises an on-board device <NUM>, which is provided on the train vehicle <NUM>. The on-board device <NUM> thereby comprises a communication interface <NUM> for the driver, which in this embodiment is provided as a mobile device having a display for the driver. On this display, the communication interface <NUM> shows the driver action recommendations for energy-optimized operation of the railway vehicle <NUM>.

The on-board device <NUM> further comprises a mobile communication module <NUM>. With this mobile communication module <NUM>, which usually is in connection with a wireless network <NUM> the on-board device <NUM> receives action recommendations for the driver. The wireless network <NUM> thereby may be either a mobile railway communication network or a public mobile network. The action recommendations are calculated by a remote source <NUM>, which is provided offboard the railvehicle <NUM>. This remote source <NUM> comprises a calculation means <NUM>. Based on current input data of the rail vehicle <NUM> the action recommendations are calculated. These current input data are provided either by an on-board rail system or by an offboard rail system. The current input data thereby comprises data relating to e.g. timetable, static vehicle data, the location, the velocity and real-time timetable.

However, there are events where the on-board device <NUM> does not receive action recommendations. The reasons therefore are that there is a malfunction of the wireless network <NUM> or there is no connection to the wireless network <NUM> due to a dead spot of the network <NUM>. Usually in this case the driver would not get action recommendations. In order to further, provide the driver with action recommendations the on-board device <NUM> comprises a processing unit <NUM>, which is able to calculate these action recommendations. Thus, the driver continuously can be provided with action recommendations.

The algorithm for calculating these on-board side recommendations is different from the algorithm of the remote source. The input data of the calculations in on-board device and the remote source could be the same or different.

Claim 1:
System for providing action recommendations to a driver of a rail vehicle (<NUM>), comprising an on-board device (<NUM>) having at least a communication interface (<NUM>) for communicating action recommendations to the driver, wherein the on-board device (<NUM>) comprises a mobile communication module (<NUM>) for communicating via a wireless network (<NUM>) with a remote source (<NUM>) provided offboard the rail vehicle (<NUM>), the on-board device being adapted to output the action recommendations to the driver,
the remote source (<NUM>) comprises a calculation means (<NUM>) for calculating the action recommendations for the on-board device (<NUM>) based on current input data of the rail vehicle (<NUM>), characterized in that
the on-board device (<NUM>) comprises a processing unit (<NUM>) calculating the action recommendations using a calculation algorithm of less computational complexity compared to the remote source (<NUM>), in case that action recommendations of the remote source (<NUM>) are missing. ,