Method for the state-based maintenance of a coupling arrangement, and monitoring system

Abstract

A method for the state-based maintenance of a coupling arrangement of a track-bound vehicle includes the steps of: providing coupling arrangement data and surroundings data; transmitting the coupling arrangement data and/or the surroundings data to a data processing system and determining a target specification for a maintenance requirement of the coupling arrangement as a function of the coupling arrangement data and the surroundings data; recording images of the coupling arrangement for optical reproduction of an actual state and transmission to the data processing system; and evaluating an optical actual state of the coupling arrangement from the images taking account of the target specification, which is formed from the operating data and the state data, for the maintenance requirement at an evaluation time and taking the evaluating as a basis for correcting the target specification.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for the state-based maintenance of a coupling arrangement of a track-bound vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) providing coupling arrangement data (KAD) and surroundings data, the coupling arrangement data (KAD) being formed as operating data and state data relating to the coupling arrangement, the surroundings data (UD) being for describing information relating to a plurality of ambient conditions to which the coupling arrangement is subject, the coupling arrangement including at least one coupling head configured for coupling to a diametrically opposed coupling head of a mating coupling;   b) transmitting at least one of the coupling arrangement data (KAD) and the surroundings data (UD) to a data processing system and determining a target specification (Xsoll) for a maintenance requirement of the coupling arrangement as a function of the coupling arrangement data (KAD) and the surroundings data (UD);   c) recording a plurality of images of the coupling arrangement for optical reproduction of an actual state and transmission to the data processing system; and   d) evaluating an optical actual state of the coupling arrangement from the plurality of images taking account of the target specification (Xsoll), which is formed from the operating data and the state data, for the maintenance requirement at an evaluation time and taking the evaluating as a basis for correcting the target specification (Xsoll) of the maintenance requirement.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the target specification (Xsoll) determined for the maintenance requirement is a variable that at least indirectly characterizes a permissible remaining operating period of the coupling arrangement before a next maintenance as a function of at least one of (i) a captured coupling arrangement data (KAD) and surroundings data (UD) and (ii) a correction (XKn) of the target specification (Xsoll) using at least one mathematical model. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a data comprising the coupling arrangement data (KAD), the surroundings data (UD) and the plurality of images are provided with a timestamp and stored therewith. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, during an operation of the track-bound vehicle that bears or has the coupling arrangement, the coupling arrangement data (KAD) and the surroundings data (UD) are captured at least in part on the track-bound vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein, during the operation of the track-bound vehicle ( 2 ) that bears or has the coupling arrangement, the coupling arrangement data (KAD) and the surroundings data (UD) are captured in full on the track-bound vehicle by way of a data providing device associated with the track-bound vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the coupling arrangement data (KAD) and the surroundings data (UD) relating to at least one of the coupling arrangement and a plurality of components thereof are captured at least in part using a data providing device associated with the coupling arrangement. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least the coupling arrangement data (KAD) and the surroundings data (UD) that follow are captured for the coupling arrangement:
 a running time of the track-bound vehicle bearing the coupling arrangement;   number of coupling operations performed;   a plurality GPS coordinates of the coupling arrangement or the track-bound vehicle;   a coupling speed;   an exterior temperature; and   a coupling ID.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of images are recorded and evaluated on demand at a demand time or in predefined time intervals. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the steps a) and b) are carried out at least at the demand time or in the predefined time intervals for recording the plurality of images. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least steps a) and b) are cyclically or iteratively repeated, with the result that the target specification (Xsoll) for the maintenance requirement is at least one of verified and adapted. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein steps c) and d) are cyclically or iteratively repeated. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the evaluating of the optical actual state of the coupling arrangement involves the actual state (ABist) being compared with a target state (ABsoll), the target specification (Xsoll) for the maintenance requirement from the coupling arrangement data (KAD) and the surroundings data (UD) being retained if no variance between the actual state (ABist) and the target state (ABsoll) is determined, and wherein, if a variance is determined, a change of the target specification (Xsoll) for the maintenance requirement being determined and set as a new target specification (Xsollneu) based on a type, an extent, and a direct or an indirect influence of the variance on a functioning and a remaining operating period, which is able to be described by the target specification (Xsoll), of at least one of the coupling arrangement and a plurality of individual components thereof before a next maintenance. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the method further includes the steps of:
 classifying a plurality of the variance into a plurality of classes—which are different from one another—as a function of a direct effect or an indirect effect of the plurality of the variance on at least one of the functioning and the remaining operating period of the coupling arrangement; and   predetermining at least one change of the target specification (Xsoll) for the maintenance requirement for each individual one of the plurality of classes, a correction (Xkmin) of the target specification within a respective one of the plurality of classes being determined as a function of the variance having a greatest effect on at least one of the functioning and the remaining operating period of the coupling arrangement.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of (i) the coupling arrangement data (KAD), (ii) the surroundings data (UD), and (iii) the plurality of images are stored in a database that is a part of a plurality of providing devices, of an edge device, or of a cloud structure, and wherein at least one of (i) the determining of the target specification (Xsoll) for the maintenance requirement and (ii) the evaluating of the optical actual state (ABist) of the coupling arrangement from the plurality of images taking account of the target specification (Xsoll), which is formed from the operating and state data, for the maintenance requirement at the evaluation time are performed by edge processing or cloud computing. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the coupling arrangement includes at least one line coupling configured for coupling to a line coupling of the mating coupling so as to transmit an electrical charge, data, and a liquid media or a gaseous media; and   the evaluating step includes evaluating the optical actual state of the coupling arrangement from the plurality of images taking account of the target specification (Xsoll), which is formed from the coupling arrangement data (KAD) and the surroundings data (UD), for the maintenance requirement at the evaluation time and taking the evaluating as a basis for correcting the target specification (Xsoll) of the maintenance requirement.   
     
     
         16 . A monitoring system for the state-based maintenance of a coupling arrangement of a track-bound vehicle, the coupling arrangement including at least one coupling head for coupling to a diametrically opposed coupling head of a mating coupling, the monitoring system comprising:
 at least one first device configured for capturing and for providing at least one of coupling arrangement data (KAD) and surroundings data (UD);   a second device configured for recording and providing a plurality of images of at least one of the coupling arrangement and a plurality of components thereof;   at least one data memory configured for storing the coupling arrangement data (KAD), the surroundings data (UD), and the plurality of images; and   a data processing system configured for analyzing and for processing the coupling arrangement data (KAD), the surroundings data (UD), and the plurality of images, the data processing system being configured for being coupled to the at least one first device and the second device so as to transmit data.   
     
     
         17 . The monitoring system according to  claim 16 , wherein the data processing system is formed as a cloud structure configured for cloud computing. 
     
     
         18 . The monitoring system according to  claim 17 , wherein the at least one first device configured for capturing and for providing at least one of the coupling arrangement data (KAD) and the surroundings data (UD) is configured for being formed by a controller associated with the track-bound vehicle.