Method and apparatus for operating a vehicle, in particular a railroad vehicle

Abstract

A method for operating a vehicle, in particular a railroad vehicle, having a safety circuit to be actuated by a vehicle driver, the safety circuit initiating at least one emergency action if the vehicle driver actuates the safety circuit uninterruptedly, or not at all, in a predefinable time interval. Provision is made here that a condition of the vehicle driver is sensed by a camera device; and that the at least one emergency action is initiated depending on the condition of the vehicle driver.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for operating a vehicle, having a safety circuit to be actuated by a vehicle driver, the method comprising:
 initiating, via the safety circuit, at least one emergency action if the vehicle driver actuates the safety circuit uninterruptedly, or not at all, in a predefinable time interval;   wherein a condition of the vehicle driver is sensed by a camera device, and   wherein the at least one emergency action is initiated depending on the condition of the vehicle driver.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of an optical warning and an acoustic warning is outputted as an emergency action if the safety circuit is actuated uninterruptedly, or not at all, in the predefinable time period. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle driver is monitored by the camera device with regard to a reaction to the outputted warning. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a further emergency action is initiated after a predefinable time following output of the warning, the time being predefined depending on the reaction of the vehicle driver to the outputted warning. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predefined time is predefined to be shorter if no reaction by the vehicle driver to the outputted warning has been ascertained by the camera device, and longer if a reaction by the vehicle driver has been sensed. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein depending on the reaction of the vehicle driver, the safety circuit initiates an emergency braking operation as a further emergency action. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein depending on the reaction of the vehicle driver, the safety circuit outputs at least one of a further optical warning and a further acoustic warning as a further emergency action. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle driver is monitored by the camera device with regard to a further reaction to the further warning, and wherein the emergency braking operation is initiated depending on the further reaction. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a face recognition operation is carried out to sense a reaction of the vehicle driver. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a railroad vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for operating a vehicle, comprising:
 a safety circuit to be actuated by a vehicle driver of the vehicle, which safety circuit is configured to initiate at least one emergency action if it has been actuated by the vehicle driver uninterruptedly, or not at all, within a predefinable time interval; and   a camera device to sense a condition of the vehicle driver;   wherein the safety circuit is configured to trigger the emergency action depending on the sensed condition of the vehicle driver.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the vehicle is a railroad vehicle.