Railroad collision avoidance system and method for preventing train accidents

• US 20030058131A1
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Roberts, Mark D., Grisham, William T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,759,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/907
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/246 Signals or brake- or lighting devices mounted on the road vehicle and controlled from the vehicle or train

Abstract

A railroad collision avoidance system and method are disclosed that utilize impulse radio technology to effectively warn a person when there is a locomotive in their vicinity. In one embodiment, the railroad collision avoidance system includes a transmitting impulse radio unit coupled to a locomotive and a receiving impulse radio unit coupled to a vehicle. The transmitting impulse radio unit operates to transmit an impulse radio signal towards the vehicle when the locomotive is a predetermined distance from a railroad crossing. Upon receiving the impulse radio signal, the receiving impulse radio unit makes sure the person operating the vehicle is informed about the potentially dangerous situation. Several embodiments of the railroad collision avoidance system and method are disclosed all of which operate to warn a person when there is a locomotive in their vicinity.

Claims

1. A railroad collision avoidance system comprising:

a transmitting impulse radio unit, coupled to a first object, capable of transmitting an impulse radio signal when there is a potentially dangerous situation on a railroad; and

a receiving impulse radio unit, coupled to a second object, capable of receiving the impulse radio signal and further capable of alerting a person about the potentially dangerous situation.

2. The railroad collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the first object is a locomotive and the second object is a vehicle, whereby said receiving impulse radio unit receives the impulse radio signal at the vehicle when the locomotive is in the vicinity of a railroad crossing.

3. The railroad collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein said first object is a locomotive and the second object is a railroad pole, whereby said receiving impulse radio unit receives the impulse radio signal at the railroad pole when the locomotive is in the vicinity of a railroad crossing.

4. The railroad collision avoidance system of claim 3, wherein said receiving impulse radio unit scans the railroad crossing to determine whether a vehicle is located on the railroad crossing and if yes then a person on the locomotive is informed about the vehicle.

5. The railroad collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein the first object is a control box and the second object is a vehicle, whereby said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal towards the vehicle when the control box learns of the presence of a locomotive.

6. The railroad collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein said first object is a control box and the second object is a railroad pole, whereby said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal towards the railroad pole when the control box learns of the presence of a locomotive.

7. The railroad collision avoidance system of claim 6, wherein said receiving impulse radio unit scans the railroad crossing to determine whether a vehicle is located on the railroad crossing and if yes then a person on the locomotive is informed about the vehicle.

8. The railroad collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein said first object is a locomotive and the second object is a work vehicle, whereby said receiving impulse radio unit receives the impulse radio signal at the work vehicle when the locomotive is in the vicinity of the work vehicle.

9. The railroad collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein said first object is a first locomotive and the second object is a second locomotive, whereby said receiving impulse radio unit receives the impulse radio signal at the second locomotive when the first locomotive is in the vicinity of the second locomotive.

10. The railroad collision avoidance system of claim 1, wherein said receiving impulse radio unit is capable of determining a distance between a locomotive carrying the transmitting impulse radio unit and said receiving impulse radio unit.

11. A method for preventing train accidents, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an impulse radio signal from a transmitting impulse radio unit coupled to a first object when there is a potentially dangerous situation on a railroad;

receiving the impulse radio signal at a receiving impulse radio unit coupled to a second object; and

alerting a person about the potentially dangerous situation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first object is a locomotive, the second object is a vehicle and said step of receiving further includes receiving the impulse radio signal at the vehicle when the locomotive is in the vicinity of a railroad crossing.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said first object is a locomotive, the second object is a railroad pole and said step of receiving further includes receiving the impulse radio signal at the railroad pole when the locomotive is in the vicinity of a railroad crossing.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

scanning the railroad crossing to determine whether a vehicle is located on the railroad crossing; and

informing a person on the locomotive about the vehicle if the vehicle is located on the railroad crossing.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first object is a control box, the second object is a vehicle and said step of transmitting further includes transmitting the impulse radio signal at the vehicle when the control box learns of the presence of a locomotive.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said first object is a control box, the second object is a railroad pole and said step of transmitting further includes transmitting the impulse radio signal at the railroad pole when the control box learns of the presence of a locomotive.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

scanning the railroad crossing to determine whether a vehicle is located on the railroad crossing; and

informing a person on the locomotive about the vehicle if the vehicle is located on the railroad crossing.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said first object is a locomotive, the second object is a work vehicle and said step of receiving further includes receiving the impulse radio signal at the work vehicle when the locomotive is in the vicinity of the work vehicle.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said first object is a first locomotive, the second object is a second locomotive and said step of receiving further includes receiving the impulse radio signal towards the second locomotive when the first locomotive is in the vicinity of the second locomotive.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of determining a distance between a locomotive carrying the transmitting impulse radio unit and said receiving impulse radio unit.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a transmitting impulse radio unit capable of transmitting an impulse radio signal to a receiving impulse radio unit that is coupled to an object when there is a potentially dangerous situation on a railroad, wherein said object is capable of alerting a person about the potentially dangerous situation.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said apparatus is a locomotive or a control box.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said object is a vehicle and said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal at the vehicle when the locomotive is in the vicinity of a railroad crossing.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said object is a railroad pole and said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal towards the railroad pole when the locomotive is in the vicinity of a railroad crossing.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said object is a work vehicle and said receiving impulse radio unit receives the impulse radio signal towards the work vehicle when the locomotive is a predetermined distance from the work vehicle.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said object is a second locomotive and said receiving impulse radio unit receives the impulse radio signal at the second locomotive when the first locomotive is in the vicinity of the second locomotive.

27. A method for preventing train accidents, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting an impulse radio signal to a receiving impulse radio unit that is coupled to an object when there is a potentially dangerous situation on a railroad; and

alerting a person about the potentially dangerous situation.

28. The method claim 27, wherein a locomotive or a control box includes a transmitting impulse radio unit that transmits the impulse radio signal.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said object is a vehicle and said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal towards the vehicle when the locomotive is in the vicinity of a railroad crossing.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein said object is a railroad pole and said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal towards the railroad pole when the locomotive is in the vicinity of a railroad crossing.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein said object is a work vehicle and said receiving impulse radio unit receives the impulse radio signal at the work vehicle when the locomotive is in the vicinity of the work vehicle.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein said object is a second locomotive and said receiving impulse radio unit receives the impulse radio signal towards the second locomotive when the first locomotive is in the vicinity of the second locomotive.

33. An apparatus comprising:

a receiving impulse radio unit coupled to an object and capable of receiving an impulse radio signal from a transmitting impulse radio unit when there is a potentially dangerous situation on a railroad, wherein said object is capable of alerting a person about the potentially dangerous situation.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said object is a locomotive or a control box.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said apparatus is a vehicle, railroad pole, work vehicle or a second locomotive.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said object is the vehicle and said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal towards the vehicle when the locomotive is a predetermined distance from a railroad crossing.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said object is the railroad pole and said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal towards the railroad pole when the locomotive is a predetermined distance from a railroad crossing.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said receiving impulse radio unit scans the railroad crossing to determine whether the vehicle is located on the railroad crossing and if yes then a person on the locomotive is informed about the vehicle.

39. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said object is the work vehicle and said receiving impulse radio unit receives the impulse radio signal at the work vehicle when the locomotive is in the vicinity of the work vehicle.

40. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said object is the second locomotive and said receiving impulse radio unit receives the impulse radio signal at the second locomotive when the first locomotive is in the vicinity of the second locomotive.

41. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said receiving impulse radio unit is capable of determining a distance between a locomotive carrying the transmitting impulse radio unit and said receiving impulse radio unit.

42. A method for preventing train accidents, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at an object an impulse radio signal from a transmitting impulse radio unit when there is a potentially dangerous situation on a railroad; and

alerting a person about the potentially dangerous situation.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein a vehicle or a railroad pole includes a receiving impulse radio unit that receives the impulse radio signal.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein said object is a locomotive and said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal towards the vehicle when the locomotive is in the vicinity of a railroad crossing.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein said object is a control box and said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal towards the railroad pole when a locomotive is in the vicinity of a railroad crossing.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising the steps of:

scanning the railroad crossing to determine whether the vehicle is located on the railroad crossing; and

informing a person on the locomotive about the vehicle if the vehicle is located on the railroad crossing.

47. The method of claim 42, wherein said object is a locomotive and said receiving impulse radio unit receives the impulse radio signal at a work vehicle when the locomotive is in the vicinity of the work vehicle.

48. The method of claim 42, wherein said object is the locomotive and said receiving impulse radio unit receives the impulse radio signal at a second locomotive when the first locomotive is in the vicinity of the second locomotive.

49. A subway collision avoidance system comprising:

a transmitting impulse radio unit, coupled to a first subway train, capable of transmitting an impulse radio signal when there is a potentially dangerous situation on a track; and

a receiving impulse radio unit, coupled to a second subway train, capable of receiving the impulse radio signal and further capable of alerting a person about the potentially dangerous situation.