Monitoring unit for monitoring a railway track and method for monitoring a railway track

Abstract

A monitoring unit for monitoring a railway track is provided. The monitoring unit may include a processing unit, at least one wheel sensor connectable to a rail of the railway track, and a sensor arrangement connectable to a railway switch of the railway track. The wheel sensor and the sensor arrangement may be connected with the processing unit, and the processing unit may include an output that is connectable to a signaling system. Furthermore, a method for monitoring a railway track is provided.

1 . A monitoring unit for monitoring a railway track, the monitoring unit comprising:
 a processing unit;   at least one wheel sensor connectable to a rail of the railway track; and   a sensor arrangement connectable to a railway switch of the railway track, wherein:   the wheel sensor and the sensor arrangement are connected with the processing unit; and   the processing unit comprises an output that is connectable to a signaling system.   
     
     
         2 . The monitoring unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to receive signals detected by the wheel sensor or signals detected by the sensor arrangement. 
     
     
         3 . The monitoring unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a sensor that is configured to measure a spatial position of at least a segment of a movable railway element of the railway switch in a contactless measurement and to differentiate between at least two different spatial positions of the segment of the movable railway element. 
     
     
         4 . The monitoring unit according to  claim 3 , wherein the movable railway element comprises a tongue rail. 
     
     
         5 . The monitoring unit according to  claim 3 , wherein the sensor is configured to differentiate between at least three different spatial positions of the segment of the movable railway element. 
     
     
         6 . The monitoring unit according to  claim 3 , wherein the sensor arrangement is configured to provide a sensor signal to the processing unit, and the sensor signal comprises the measured spatial position. 
     
     
         7 . The monitoring unit according to  claim 6 , wherein the processing unit is configured to provide an output signal at its output to the signaling system, and the output signal comprises information from the sensor signal. 
     
     
         8 . The monitoring unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the wheel sensor comprises an inductive sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The monitoring unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is configured to receive a position signal from the wheel sensor, the processing unit is configured to provide an output signal at its output to the signaling system, and the output signal comprises information from the position signal. 
     
     
         10 . The monitoring unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the position signal comprises the information that a wheel of a rail vehicle passed a position of the wheel sensor. 
     
     
         11 . A method for monitoring a railway track, the method comprising:
 detecting at least one position signal by a wheel sensor connected to a rail of the railway track;   transferring the position signal to a processing unit;   detecting at least one sensor signal by a sensor arrangement connected with a railway switch of the railway track;   transferring the sensor signal to the processing unit; and   providing an output signal by the processing unit to a signaling system.   
     
     
         12 . The method for monitoring a railway track according to  claim 11 , wherein the output signal comprises information from the position signal and information from the sensor signal. 
     
     
         13 . The method for monitoring a railway track according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein a spatial position of at least a segment of a movable railway element of the railway switch is measured in a contactless measurement by a sensor of the sensor arrangement, and   wherein the sensor is configured to differentiate between at least two different spatial positions of the segment of the movable railway element.   
     
     
         14 . The method for monitoring a railway track according to  claim 13 , wherein the sensor signal comprises the measured spatial position. 
     
     
         15 . The method for monitoring a railway track according to  claim 11 , wherein the position signal comprises the information that a wheel of a rail vehicle passed a position of the wheel sensor.