Rail having an identification marker, and apparatus and method for identifying the rail

Abstract

A rail for a rail vehicle track that has a longitudinal extension (L), an apparatus for identifying the rail, and a method for identifying the rail. An identification marker is attached along the longitudinal extension (L) of the rail on an inner side and/or an outer side of the rail. The identification marker is composed of a plurality of symbols, each symbol having at least one partial length (TL) of 0.15 meters, and one identification marker having at least eight symbols. The rail makes it possible for the rail vehicle to identify the rail laid as track during travel in normal operation.

1 . A rail for a rail vehicle track, wherein the rail has a longitudinal extent (L), characterized in that an identification mark which is composed of a plurality of symbols is applied along the longitudinal extent (L) of the rail, preferably on an inner side and/or an outer side of the rail, the respective symbols having at least one partial length (TL) of 0.15 meters and an identification mark consisting at least of eight, preferably of sixteen, particularly preferably of twenty symbols, the identification mark having an error-detecting property. 
     
     
         2 . The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in  claim 1 , the identification mark is arranged at least twice along the longitudinal extent. 
     
     
         3 . The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the error-detecting property is configured as a Hamming code, a triplicate code or a parity bit. 
     
     
         4 . The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the identification mark is composed of a plurality of symbols, which are applied on different faces in the longitudinal extent of the rail. 
     
     
         5 . The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the identification mark on a face along the longitudinal extent (L) is composed of symbols lying above one another. 
     
     
         6 . The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the identification mark is configured in such a way that it can be read both in a forward direction and in a backward direction. 
     
     
         7 . The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the identification mark consists of three-dimensional symbols and/or of symbols with a different color and/or fluorescent or reflective color. 
     
     
         8 . The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the identification mark extends along a length of at least 3 m, preferably at least 5 m, in the longitudinal extent (L). 
     
     
         9 . The rail for a rail vehicle track as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the identification mark is applied both on the inner side and on the outer side of the rail. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for identifying a rail as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising.
 an optical sensor device,   an evaluation device,   an apparatus for application onto a rail vehicle,   a speed recording device, which records the speed of the rail vehicle, wherein the optical sensor device can fully record an identification mark on the rail only during a movement along the rail, the optical sensor device transmits a multiplicity of recorded signals to the evaluation device during the movement along the rail, the evaluation device being able to uniquely identify the identification mark, consisting of a plurality of symbols, of the rail with the aid of the multiplicity of recorded signals and with the aid of the speed of the rail vehicle.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus for identifying a rail as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the optical sensor device operates according to a light stripe method in order to record three-dimensional symbols. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus for identifying a rail as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the optical sensor device has a sampling rate of at least 1000 measurements per second. 
     
     
         13 . A method for identifying a rail as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein an optical sensor device can fully record an identification mark on the rail by a movement in the longitudinal extent (L) of the rail, the optical sensor device transmitting recorded signals to an evaluation device, and the evaluation device being able to uniquely identify the identification mark, consisting of a plurality of symbols, from the signals and with the aid of a rate of movement of the optical sensor device in the longitudinal extent (L) of the rail.