Colour Temperature Control

Using colour-changing RGB-LEDs (red, green and blue) for light colour temperature control, different atmospheres can be created in the separate vehicle cabins. The same technique can also be used, for example, to guide passengers to the right direction with a green light, to indicate upcoming arrival at a station, etc.

Colour temperature control makes the journey more comfortable and pleasant. The adjustment range could be from 3000K (warm white) to 5000K (cold white), or even up to 7000K. The adjustment between different colour temperatures is smooth and any colour temperatures can be chosen between range limits. Colour temperature control has an influence on human activity. The influence on activity is not the only benefit of colour temperature control - it also has an influence on journey comfort. On a hot summer day, cold white lights inside the vehicle create the feeling of a cooler train cabin and vice versa on a cold day, warm white lights create the feeling of a warm cabin.

The controlling method for colour temperature control is based on the Intelligent Light Control unit (ILC) manufactured by Teknoware. ILC can be connected to the vehicle´s own computer via CAN-bus or with another similar network (RS-485, RS-232 et cetera). The vehicle´s own computer can, of course, control the lighting, but also the diagnostics data of the lights are available. The ILC unit can send diagnostic data to the vehicle computer and maintenance personnel can use this information when planning future maintenance work.

Alternatively, the ILC unit can also be controlled via SMS messages sent from a mobile phone. This arrangement is based on a GSM/GPRS modem. Each modem has its own SIM card slot, such that a client can utilize multiple SIM cards and assign a designated phone number to each vehicle. By using commonly available SMS services, one SMS message can be sent to all relevant vehicles at one time. The SMS message control commands prevent any undesirable influence of accidentally sent messages. Also, for safety reasons, lights can never be switched off completely via SMS messages.