Computer-implemented method and control device for determining a real time steering angle

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for determining a real time steering angle (58) for a railway bogie (1) and to a control device (40) which is configured to perform the method, the method comprising: deter-mining by a sensor assembly at least one lateral real time sensor signal (38), which is characteristic for a lateral position of a tread of at least one wheel of the railway bogie (1) with respect to a railway track, determining, by means of a positioning algorithm (47), a real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie (1) with respect to the railway track (31), using the received at least one lateral real time sensor signal (38) and determining the real time steering angle (58) for steering of the railway bogie (1), using the determined real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie (1).

1 . A computer-implemented method for determining a real time steering angle for a railway bogie, the method comprising:
 a. determining by a sensor assembly at least one lateral real time sensor signal, which is characteristic for a lateral position of a tread of at least one wheel of the railway bogie with respect to a railway track;   b. determining, by means of a positioning algorithm, a real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track, using the determined at least one lateral real time sensor signal; and   c. determining the real time steering angle for steering of the railway bogie, using the determined real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a. determining by the sensor assembly at least one vertical real time sensor signal, which is characteristic for a vertical position of the sensor assembly with respect to the railway track, and   b. determining the real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track, further using the received vertical real time sensor signal.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a. determining by the sensor assembly a first lateral real time sensor signal, which is characteristic for a lateral position of the tread of a first wheel of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track, and a second lateral real time sensor signal, which is characteristic for a lateral position of the tread of a second wheel of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track;   b. determining, the real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track, using the received first and second lateral real time sensor signals.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a. determining by the sensor assembly of at least one wheel of the railway bogie a front lateral real time sensor signal, which is characteristic for a lateral position of the tread of the wheel, a front vertical real time sensor signal, which is characteristic for a vertical position of the sensor assembly, using a front sensor unit of the sensor assembly of the wheel and/or determining by the sensor assembly of the at least one wheel of the railway bogie a back lateral real time sensor signal, which is characteristic for a lateral position of the tread of the wheel, a back vertical real time sensor signal, which is characteristic for a vertical position of the sensor assembly, using a back sensor unit of the sensor assembly of the wheel;   b. determining, the real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track, using the received front and back real time sensor signals.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a. adapting the received at least one real time sensor signal using predetermined sensor calibration data.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , wherein in the step of determining the real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie, the positioning algorithm filters the received at least one real time sensor signal using at least one predefined filter parameter and determines the relevant real time sensor signal data, which are used for determining the real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track, based on the result of the filtering. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 6 , wherein the at least one predefined filter parameter depends on at least one of: a railway bogie type, a railway vehicle type, a railway bogie load, a railway bogie speed and a wheel size. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the real time steering angle further uses predetermined steering parameters. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a. transmitting the determined real time steering angle to a steering actuator controller, and   b. controlling, by the steering actuator controller, a steering actuator for steering the railway bogie around a vertical steering axis using the real time steering angle.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , wherein in the step of determining the real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie, the positioning algorithm uses a neural network for determining the real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track, wherein the at least one real time sensor signal is the input data for the neural network and the real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track is the output data of the neural network. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 10 , wherein the neural network is trained by:
 a. using the neural network for determining the real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track, controlling the steering of the railway bogie based on the determined real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie and receiving a feedback reward for steering of the railway bogie based on the actual position and/or orientation of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track for training of the neural network.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 10 , wherein the neural network is trained with training data obtained by operating the railway bogie on that section of the railway track for which the specific railway bogie is intended to be used. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising to determine a rolling contact fatigue parameter of the railway track using at least one of the real time sensor signals of the sensor assembly. 
     
     
         14 . A control device for determining a real time steering angle for a railway bogie, the control device comprising a processor, which is configured to perform the following steps:
 a. receiving, by the processor, from a sensor assembly at least one lateral real time sensor signal, which is characteristic for a lateral position of a tread of at least one wheel of the railway bogie with respect to a railway track;   b. determining, by the processor, by means of a positioning algorithm, a real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track, using the received at least one lateral real time sensor signal; and   c. determining, by the processor, the real time steering angle for steering of the railway bogie, using the determined real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie.   
     
     
         15 . The control device according to  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 a. receiving, by the processor, from the sensor assembly at least one vertical real time sensor signal, which is characteristic for a vertical position of the sensor assembly with respect to the railway track, and   b. determining, by the processor, the real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track, using additionally the received vertical real time sensor signal.   
     
     
         16 . The control device according to  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 a. receiving, by the processor, from the sensor assembly a first lateral real time sensor signal, which is characteristic for a lateral position of the tread of a first wheel of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track, and a second lateral real time sensor signal, which is characteristic for a lateral position of the tread of a second wheel of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track;   b. determining, by the processor, the real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track, using the received first and second lateral real time sensor signals.   
     
     
         17 . The control device according to  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to adapt the received at least one real time sensor signal using predetermined sensor calibration data. 
     
     
         18 . The control device according to  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured, by means of the positioning algorithm, to filter the received at least one real time sensor signal using at least one predefined filter parameter, and to determine relevant real time sensor signal data, which are used for determining the real time position and/or orientation of the railway bogie with respect to the railway track, based on the result of the filtering. 
     
     
         19 . The control device according to  claim 18 , wherein the at least one predefined filter parameter depends on at least one of: a railway bogie type, a railway vehicle type, a railway bogie load, a railway bogie speed and a wheel size. 
     
     
         20 . The control device according to  claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to further use predetermined steering parameters for the determination of the real time steering angle. 
     
     
         21 . The control device according to  claim 14 , the processor being further configured to transmit the determined real time steering angle to a steering actuator controller, which is configured to control a steering actuator to steer the railway bogie around a vertical steering axis using the received real time steering angle. 
     
     
         22 . The control device according to  claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to receive and process the at least one real time sensor signals from an ultrasound/ultrasonic sensor, an inductive sensor, a laser sensor, a capacitive sensor, an optical sensor and/or a radar sensor of the sensor assembly. 
     
     
         23 . The control device according to  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a rolling contact fatigue parameter of the railway track using at least one of the real time sensor signals received from the sensor assembly.