Customized techniques and operational rules to improve level crossings by means of imaging methods

In the past, several approaches were carried out to build up automated railway operations using imaging methods. Most approaches were using video-based camera technologies. However, none of these approaches were implemented in practice. On the contrary, imaging methods for applications to assist the operations of the German railways are in use since longer times. As an example may be named that the Hamburg commuter railway system is using video technology for the dispatching of the trains in stations by the train driver. Further applications for imaging methods for example are the track surveying and the level crossing monitoring. The video based level crossing monitoring is only used as a technical aided system for the signal man, to observe a distant level crossing. The protection of the level crossing against unauthorized crossing is still not implemented using imaging methods