Communication system having railway vehicle-side and trackside communication devices and method for the operation thereof

Abstract

A railway vehicle-side communication device for a railway vehicle for communicating with a trackside communication device. The trackside communication device has at least two communication modes, namely, a first communication mode having a first data transfer rate and a second communication mode having a second data transfer rate that is higher than the first data transfer rate. The railway vehicle-side communication device has a switch-over element setting the second communication mode in or in the vicinity of a station for communicating with a station-side communication device and setting the first communication mode outside of a station for communicating with a track-side communication device.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
   
   
       25 . A communication device on a rail vehicle for communication with a trackside communication device, comprising:
 the communication device on the rail vehicle side having at least two communication modes including a first communication mode at a first data transmission rate and a second communication mode at a second data transmission rate, the second data transmission rate being higher than the first data transmission rate; and   a switching device of the communication device on the rail vehicle side, said switching device being configured to select the second communication mode in a station or in a vicinity of a station for communication with a communication device at a station, and to select the first communication mode outside a station, for communication with the trackside communication device.   
   
   
       26 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 25 , wherein said switching device is connected to a motion or a speed sensor and configured to switch from the first communication mode to the second communication mode when the rail vehicle is travelling at less than a predetermined speed, and to switch from the second to the first communication mode when the rail vehicle is traveling above the predetermined speed. 
   
   
       27 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 25 , wherein said switching device is connected to a position-determining device and is configured to switch from the first communication mode to the second communication mode when the position determining device signals proximity to a station, and to switch from the second communication mode to the first communication mode when the position determining device signals a track outside a station. 
   
   
       28 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 27 , wherein the position determining device is formed by or comprises an automatic train monitoring system. 
   
   
       29 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 25 , wherein said switching device is configured to determine, from the signals received whether the signals are received from a communication device at the station or a trackside communication device. 
   
   
       30 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 25 , which comprises at least two transmitting and receiving devices disposed at a spacing distance from one another in the rail vehicle. 
   
   
       31 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 25 , wherein said at least two transmitting and receiving devices are disposed at a spacing distance along a vehicle longitudinal direction. 
   
   
       32 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 30 , wherein the rail vehicle is a train, at least one transmitting and receiving device is disposed in or on a first vehicle of the train, and at least one transmitting and receiving device is disposed in or on a rearmost vehicle of the train. 
   
   
       33 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 25 , which comprises a plurality of transmitting and receiving devices disposed with an offset in the vehicle longitudinal direction, wherein a distance between said transmitting and receiving devices is greater than an interference range in a vehicle longitudinal direction, predetermined by a transmitted power thereof. 
   
   
       34 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 30 , wherein said transmitting and receiving devices are configured to simultaneously transmit and/or receive mutually different data. 
   
   
       35 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 25 , wherein a transmitted power of the communication device on the rail vehicle side is lower in the second communication mode than in the first communication mode. 
   
   
       36 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 25 , wherein the communication device on the rail vehicle side is configured such that, when the communication device on the rail vehicle side has a reception filter, the device selects a higher reception sensitivity in the first communication mode than in the second communication mode. 
   
   
       37 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 25 , which comprises at least one infrared transmission device configured to communicate in the second communication mode with an infrared transmission device on the station side. 
   
   
       38 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 25 , which comprises at least two infrared transmitting and infrared receiving devices disposed at a distance from one another in the rail vehicle. 
   
   
       39 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 38 , wherein said at least two infrared transmitting and infrared receiving devices are disposed at a distance from one another in a vehicle longitudinal direction. 
   
   
       40 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 25 , which comprises a radio transmission device configured to communicate in the first communication mode with a trackside communication device by radio. 
   
   
       41 . The communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 40 , wherein said radio transmission device on the rail vehicle side can be switched between different radio standards and, in the second communication mode, can communicate with a communication device on the station side by radio, to be precise based on a different radio standard than that for communication in the first communication mode. 
   
   
       42 . A rail vehicle, comprising a communication device according to  claim 25 . 
   
   
       43 . A communication system, comprising:
 a communication device on the rail vehicle side according to  claim 25 ;   at least one communication device on a station side and having at least one trackside communication device;   said trackside communication device having a first communication mode at a first data transmission rate and said at least one communication device on the station side having a second communication mode at a second data transmission rate, which is greater than the first data transmission rate.   
   
   
       44 . The communication system according to  claim 43 , wherein said communication device on the rail vehicle side has at least two transmitting and receiving devices which are arranged at a distance from one another in the vehicle longitudinal direction in the rail vehicle, and wherein at least two transmitting and receiving devices are disposed on the station side and are arranged offset in the station longitudinal direction, wherein a distance between the transmitting and receiving devices on the rail vehicle side and the transmitting and receiving devices on the station side is at least substantially equal. 
   
   
       45 . The communication system according to  claim 44 , wherein said transmitting and receiving devices on the station side are arranged such that the transmitting and receiving devices on the rail vehicle side and the transmitting and receiving devices on the station side are opposite in pairs when the rail vehicle reaches its stopping position in the station. 
   
   
       46 . The communication system according to  claim 43 , wherein said transmitting and receiving devices on the station side are infrared transmitting and infrared receiving devices. 
   
   
       47 . A communication device on a station side of a railway system, comprising at least two transmitting and receiving devices, disposed at a mutual spacing distance in a longitudinal direction of a railway station of the railway system. 
   
   
       48 . The communication device according to  claim 47  configured for the communication system according to  claim 43 . 
   
   
       49 . The communication device on the station side according to  claim 48 , which comprises a plurality of transmitting and receiving devices arranged offset in the station longitudinal direction, wherein a distance between said transmitting and receiving devices is greater than an interference range in their station longitudinal direction, which is predetermined by a transmitted power thereof. 
   
   
       50 . The communication device on the station side according to  claim 49 , wherein said transmitting and receiving devices on the station side are infrared transmitting and infrared receiving devices. 
   
   
       51 . A method of operating a communication device on a rail vehicle, which comprises:
 providing a communication device configured to be switched between a first communication mode, having a first data transmission rate, and a second communication mode, having a second data transmission rate greater than the first data transmission rate;   switching from the first communication mode at the first data transmission rate to a second communication mode at the second data transmission rate, when the rail vehicle stops at or in a vicinity of a railway station; and   switching from the second communication mode to the first communication mode when the rail vehicle is located outside a station.   
   
   
       52 . The method according to  claim 51 , wherein the providing step comprises providing a communication device according to  claim 25 .