Patent ID: 8118266

Claim:
An apparatus located on a rail-bound vehicle ( 7 ) generates position signals, which indicate the position of the rail-bound vehicle ( 7 ) along a travel way ( 1 ), including many markings ( 9 , 23 ), located along the travel way ( 1 ), at least one sensor ( 11 ), for scanning the markings ( 9 , 23 ) and outputting signals thus ascertained, and an evaluation unit ( 17 ), connected to the at least one sensor ( 11 ), for generating the position signals by evaluating the signals generated by the markings ( 9 , 23 ); wherein the markings ( 9 , 23 ) are embodied such that when the rail-bound vehicle ( 7 ) passes a marking ( 9 , 23 ), the sensor ( 11 ) outputs a “marking present” signal and otherwise outputs a “marking absent” signal; wherein the rail-bound vehicle ( 7 ) has a receiver ( 18 ) of a navigation system configured, for outputting current location signals and which is connected to the evaluation unit ( 17 ); wherein the evaluation unit ( 17 ) is connected to a memory device ( 20 ), in which position data associated with the markings ( 9 , 23 ) are pre-stored; and wherein the evaluation unit ( 17 ), upon receiving each “marking present” signal, outputs a position signal associated with the marking ( 9 , 23 ) on the basis of a comparison of the current location signal with the pre-stored position data.