Apparatus and method for monitoring the output of a warning or indicator light
First Claim
1. An operational status detection system for a railroad warning device having a warning light, comprising:
- a photodiode configured to generate a signal corresponding to a light output of the warning light of the railroad warning device;
an amplifier for increasing a signal strength of said signal and providing an output corresponding to said signal;
a filter receptive to said output and configured to only allow portions of said output corresponding to the light output of the warning light to be presented as an output signal of the warning light, wherein a portion of said output corresponding to ambient sunlight is filtered by said filter; and
a microcontroller receptive to said output signal and for comparing said output signal to at least one threshold value, said at least one threshold value corresponding to an acceptable light output of the warning light.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An operational status detection system for a railroad warning device having a warning light, comprising: a photodiode configured to generate a signal corresponding to a light output of the warning light of the railroad warning device; an amplifier for increasing a signal strength of the signal and providing an output corresponding to the signal; a filter for receiving the output, the filter being configured to only allow portions of the output corresponding to the light output of the warning light to be presented as an output signal of the warning light; and a microcontroller receptive to the output signal and for comparing the output signal to a threshold value, the threshold value corresponding to an acceptable light output of the warning light.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. An operational status detection system for a railroad warning device having a warning light, comprising:
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a photodiode configured to generate a signal corresponding to a light output of the warning light of the railroad warning device;
an amplifier for increasing a signal strength of said signal and providing an output corresponding to said signal;
a filter receptive to said output and configured to only allow portions of said output corresponding to the light output of the warning light to be presented as an output signal of the warning light, wherein a portion of said output corresponding to ambient sunlight is filtered by said filter; and
a microcontroller receptive to said output signal and for comparing said output signal to at least one threshold value, said at least one threshold value corresponding to an acceptable light output of the warning light. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An operational status detection system for a railroad warning device having a warning light, comprising:
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a plurality of photodiodes, each of said plurality of photodiodes being configured to generate a signal corresponding to a light output of the warning light of the railroad warning device;
an amplifier for each of said plurality of photodiodes, said amplifier being configured to increase a strength of said signal and provide an output corresponding to said signal;
a filter circuit for each of said plurality of photodiodes, said filter circuit comprising a high pass filter for receiving said output of said amplifier of each of said plurality of photodiodes, said high pass filter being configured to only allow portions of said output of said amplifier of each of said plurality of photodiodes corresponding to the light output of the warning light to be presented as an output signal of the warning light, wherein a portion of said output corresponding to ambient sunlight is filtered by said filter circuit; and
a microcontroller receptive to said output signals of the warning light and for comparing said output signals to at least one threshold value, said at least one threshold value corresponding to an acceptable light output of the warning light. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for remotely monitoring a light output of a warning light of a railroad crossing warning system, comprising:
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sampling the light output of the warning light with a photodiode, said photodiode generating a signal corresponding to an output current of said photodiode;
filtering said signal corresponding to said output current with a filter, wherein ambient sunlight is filtered from said signal to provide a filtered signal;
comparing said filtered signal to an acceptable threshold value to generate an operational status signal; and
providing said operational status signal to a remote monitoring system. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. A warning light for a railroad crossing, comprising:
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a housing for a light emitting device;
a roundel secured to said housing, said roundel being positioned in front of said light emitting device to provide an illuminated surface of the warning light;
a shroud extending from said housing and said roundel;
a sensor secured to said shroud and being positioned to detect light from said illuminated surface wherein said sensor is configured to provide an operational status signal of the warning light, said sensor comprising;
a photodiode configured to generate a signal corresponding to a light output of said illuminated surface;
an amplifier for increasing a signal strength of said signal and providing an output corresponding to said signal;
a filter receptive to said output and configured to only allow portions of said output corresponding to said light output of said illuminated surface to be presented as an output signal of the warning light; and
a microcontroller receptive to said output signal and for comparing said output signal to a threshold value, said threshold value corresponding to an acceptable light output of said illuminated surface. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification