Railroad collision avoidance system and method for preventing train accidents

• US 20040155760A1
• Filed: 01/08/2004
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Humatics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Time Domain Corporation (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Roberts, Mark D., Grisham, William T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,917,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/435
• 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 warning 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; 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 warning system of claim 1, wherein the first object is a first vehicle and the second object is a second vehicle, whereby said receiving impulse radio unit receives the impulse radio signal when the first vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the second vehicle.

3. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said first object is a vehicle and the second object is a stationary warning device, whereby said receiving impulse radio unit receives the impulse radio signal when the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the stationary warning device.

4. The warning system of claim 3, wherein said receiving impulse radio unit scans a defined area to determine whether the vehicle is located within the defined area and if so then a person is alerted about the vehicle.

5. The warning system of claim 1, wherein the first object is a stationary warning device and the second object is a vehicle, whereby said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal towards the vehicle when the stationary warning device learns of the potentially dangerous situation.

6. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said first object is a control device and the second object is a warning device, whereby said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal towards the warning device when the control device learns of the potentially dangerous situation.

7. The warning system of claim 6, wherein said control device scans a defined area to determine whether a vehicle is located within the defined area.

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

9. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said receiving impulse radio unit is capable of determining a distance between the transmitting impulse radio unit and said receiving impulse radio unit.

10. A method for preventing 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 that could result in an accident;

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.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first object is a first vehicle, the second object is a second vehicle and said step of receiving further includes receiving the impulse radio signal at the second vehicle when the first vehicle is within a predefined distance.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said first object is a first vehicle, the second object is a warning device and said step of receiving further includes receiving the impulse radio signal at the warning device when the first vehicle is aware of a potentially dangerous situation.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

scanning a defined area to determine whether a second vehicle is located within the defined area; and

informing a person in the first vehicle about the second vehicle if the second vehicle is located within the defined area.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first object is a control device, the second object is a first vehicle and said step of transmitting further includes transmitting the impulse radio signal to the first vehicle when the control device learns of the presence of a second vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said first object is a control device, the second object is a warning device and said step of transmitting further includes transmitting the impulse radio signal to the warning device when the control device learns of the potentially dangerous situation.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said first object is a first vehicle, the second object is a second vehicle and said step of receiving further includes receiving the impulse radio signal at the second vehicle when the first vehicle is in the vicinity of the second vehicle.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of determining a distance between said transmitting impulse radio unit and said receiving impulse radio unit.

18. 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, wherein said receiving impulse radio unit is capable of alerting a person about the potentially dangerous situation.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said object is a first vehicle and said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal to the first vehicle when a second vehicle is in the vicinity of the first vehicle.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said object is a warning device and said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal towards the warning device when a vehicle is in the vicinity of the warning device.

21. A method for preventing 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; and

alerting a person about the potentially dangerous situation.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said object is one of a vehicle and a stationary warning device.

23. An apparatus comprising:

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

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said object is one of a vehicle and a stationary warning device.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal towards said receiving impulse radio unit when said transmitting impulse radio unit and said receiving impulse radio unit are determined to be within a predetermined distance.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal towards said receiving impulse radio unit when said receiving impulse radio unit is determined to be within a defined area.

27. A method for preventing 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; and

alerting a person about the potentially dangerous situation.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said object is one of a vehicle and a stationary warning device that includes a receiving impulse radio unit that receives the impulse radio signal.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said transmitting impulse radio unit transmits the impulse radio signal when said object is determined to be within a defined area.