Railway system with diagnostic system and method for operating same

1 . A railway system, comprising:

a diagnostic system for monitoring railway components of the railway system; and

at least one railway component connected to said diagnostic system;

said at least one railway component being configured, as part of a plug-and-play process following a connection to said diagnostic system, to autonomously transmit a self-describing data set or to allow said diagnostic system to request the data set, wherein the data set is a data set specific to the railway component and the data set by itself completely describes the railway component and the data set includes at least:

an unambiguous identification of the railway component;

a data structure of the information or diagnostic data of the railway component; and

rules which could lead to a diagnostic result; and

said diagnostic system being configured to receive the data set from the railway component and to integrate the railway component into a further diagnostic operation on a basis of the data set.

2 . The railway system according to claim 1 , wherein said diagnostic system is configured to receive the data set from said at least one railway component, and to integrate said at least one railway component into the further diagnostic operation, while live diagnostic operation is taking place in relation to other railway components.

3 . The railway system according to claim 1 , wherein

said at least one railway component has a first component part which meets or exceeds a predetermined safety standard, and a second component part which does not meet the predetermined safety standard; and

the data set is stored in said second component part.

4 . The railway system according to claim 3 , wherein said second component part is configured to autonomously transmit the data set to said diagnostic system following connection to said diagnostic system.

5 . The railway system according to claim 3 , wherein said second component part is configured to enable said diagnostic system to request the data set following connection to said diagnostic system.

6 . The railway system according to claim 3 , wherein:

said first and second component parts are connected via a data diode which allows a data flow exclusively from said first component part to said second component part; and

wherein information relating to said first component part, which must be transmitted to said diagnostic system for a diagnostic purpose, is transferred via the data diode to said second component part and from said second component part to said diagnostic system.

7 . The railway system according to claim 1 , wherein:

said railway component is connected to said diagnostic system via a data diode which allows a data flow exclusively from said railway component to said diagnostic system; and

said railway component is configured, following connection to said diagnostic system, to autonomously transmit the data set and subsequently information which must be transmitted to the diagnostic system for diagnostic purposes, via the data diode to said diagnostic system as part of the plug-and-play process.

8 . The railway system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following is true:

said at least one railway component is a railroad switch configured to transmit, as information that must be transmitted to the diagnostic system for diagnostic purposes, at least one of current values or switch throwing times to the diagnostic system;

said at least one railway component is a signal device configured to transmit, as information that must be transmitted to the diagnostic system for diagnostic purposes, current values to the diagnostic system;

said at least one railway component is an interlocking tower configured to transmit, as information that must be transmitted to the diagnostic system for diagnostic purposes, interlocking tower data to the diagnostic system;

said at least one railway component is a rail control center configured to transmit, as information that must be transmitted to the diagnostic system for diagnostic purposes, control center data to the diagnostic system; or

said at least one railway component is an axle counter configured to transmit, as information that must be transmitted to the diagnostic system for diagnostic purposes, axle counter data to the diagnostic system.

9 . The railway system according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one rail component is further configured to autonomously transmit a self-describing data set to said diagnostic system of the railway system following a connection to the diagnostic system of the railway system.

10 . The railway system according to claim 9 , comprising a computing device that is programmed in software or in hardware to autonomously transmit the self-describing data set to said diagnostic system following the connection to said diagnostic system of the railway system.

11 . The railway system according to claim 1 , wherein said diagnostic system is further configured to receive a data set from a railway component that is newly connected to the diagnostic system and to integrate the railway component into a further diagnostic operation on a basis of the data set.

12 . The diagnostic system according to claim 11 , comprising a computing device that is programmed in software or in hardware to receive the data set from the railway component that is newly connected to the diagnostic system and to integrate the railway component into a further diagnostic operation on a basis of the data set.

13 . The railway system according to claim 1 , wherein the data set received from the railway component comprises

further component-specific information, including alarm reports in different languages or symbols which graphically represent the railway component.

14 . A method for operating a railway system which has a diagnostic system for monitoring railway components of the railway system, the method comprising:

following a connection of a railway component to the diagnostic system, autonomously transmitting with the railway component a self-describing data set and/or allowing the diagnostic system to request a self-describing data set as a part of a plug-and-play process, wherein the data set is a data set specific to the railway component, the data set by itself completely describes the railway component, and the data set includes at least:

an unambiguous identification of the railway component;

a data structure of the information or diagnostic data of the railway component; and

rules which could lead to a diagnostic result; and

receiving the data set by the diagnostic system from the railway component and integrating the railway component into a further diagnostic operation based on the data set.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the data set which arrives at the diagnostic system as part of the plug-and-play process following connection to the diagnostic system is a complete data set which itself completely describes the railway component and itself alone enables the subsequent diagnosis by the diagnostic system.

16 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the data set which arrives at the diagnostic system is a complete data set which completely describes the railway component and which enables a subsequent diagnosis by the diagnostic system.