IP Library Granted Patent US 9,725,103
Granted Patent B2
US 9,725,103 · App. 14/396,758 · Granted Aug 8, 2017

Method and arrangement for determining the occupancy of a rail vehicle

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,725,103
App. No.
14/396,758
Granted
Aug 8, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method determines the occupancy of a rail vehicle. In order to be able to carry out such a method particularly easily with sufficient accuracy, switched-on states of mobile phones which are present on the rail vehicle are determined by a detecting device, and the occupancy of the rail vehicle is determined by an evaluation unit from the detected switched-on states. An arrangement also determines the occupancy of the rail vehicle.

Claims (16)

1. A method for determining an occupancy of a rail vehicle, which comprises the steps of:

determining switched-on states of cell phones present on the rail vehicle by a detection device, the detection device being a pre-existing detection device on the rail vehicle; and

determining the occupancy of the rail vehicle from detected switched-on states via an evaluation unit, wherein the occupancy is a determination of a number of passengers on the rail vehicle and the number of passengers on the rail vehicle is equal to a number of the switched-on states of the cell phones plus a statistical variable based on how many passengers usually travel with a cell phone.

2. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises determining the switched-on states of the cell phones by detecting ready to receive signals of switched-on cell phones.

3. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises providing a repeater of the rail vehicle as the detection device.

4. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:

determining the switched-on states of the cell phones by detecting electromagnetic radiation of switched-on cell phones; and

providing the detection device with a receiver configuration for detecting the electromagnetic radiation of the switched-on cell phones.

5. The method according to claim 4 , which further comprises detecting the electromagnetic radiation of the switched-on cell phones which are present on the rail vehicle in its entirety by means of the receiver configuration which is composed of a single receiver unit.

6. The method according to claim 4 , which further comprises detecting the electromagnetic radiation of the switched-on cell phones which are present on the rail vehicle by means of the receiver configuration which has a plurality of receiver devices disposed distributed in the rail vehicle.

7. A configuration for determining an occupancy of a rail vehicle, the configuration comprising:

a detection device for determining switched-on states of cell phones present on the rail vehicle, wherein said detection device is disposed in the rail vehicle; and

an evaluation device connected downstream of said detection device, said evaluation unit determining the occupancy of the rail vehicle from detected switched-on states, wherein the occupancy is a determination of a number of passengers on the rail vehicle and the number of passengers on the rail vehicle is equal to a number of the switched-on states of the cell phones plus a statistical variable based on how many passengers usually travel with a cell phone.

8. The configuration according to claim 7 , wherein said detection device is a repeater of the rail vehicle which detects ready to receive signals of switched-on cell phones as the switched-on states of the cell phones.

9. The configuration according to claim 7 , wherein said detection device contains a receiver configuration with a single receiver unit which detects electromagnetic radiation of switched-on cell phones on the rail vehicle.

10. The configuration according to claim 7 , wherein said detection device has a plurality of receiver devices disposed distributed in the rail vehicle, said detection device detects electromagnetic radiation of switched-on cell phones on the rail vehicle.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 16, 2019
From: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
To: SIEMENS MOBILITY GMBH
Reel/Frame 048079/0310 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2014
From: WEIGEL, HENNING
To: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 034062/0775 →