GATE MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20090194642A1
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Railway Equipment Company Inc.
• Original Assignee: Railway Equipment Company
• Inventors: Honeck, Randall G., Fox, David K., Gabel, Craig P., Phelps, Greggory C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,066,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 246/114.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/08 Operation of gates; Combined operation of gates and signals
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/30 Supervision, e.g. monitoring arrangements

Abstract

A monitoring system and method is provided for monitoring the lighting and the gate arm position at a railroad crossing.

Claims

1. A crossing arm system comprising:

a crossing arm including a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the second end portion is positioned above the first end portion when the crossing arm is in a raised position, and wherein the second end portion is lowered when the crossing arm is in the lowered position;

a plurality of lights connected on the crossing arm, wherein the lights are configured to be not illuminated when the crossing arm is in the raised position;

an arm position sensor connected to the second end portion of the crossing arm, wherein the arm position sensor is electrically connected to at least one of the lights to receive electrical power therefrom;

wherein the arm position sensor includes a charge pump configured to magnify the electrical energy received from the light to a level that is sufficient to power the arm position sensor even when the light is not illuminated.

2. The crossing arm system of claim 1, wherein the arm position sensor is configured to send a signal to the controller in the base that corresponds to the position of the second end of the crossing arm.

3. The crossing arm system of claim 2, wherein the signal is a current pulse.

4. The crossing arm system of claim 3, wherein the current pulse of a first frequency is sent when the arm position sensor senses that the arm is in the raised position and wherein a current pulse of a second frequency is sent when the arm position sensor senses that the arm is in the lowered position.

5. The crossing arm system of claim 3, wherein the arm position sensor includes an electrical component that generates the current pulse, sensing unit, and a microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor is configured to calibrate the sensing unit, receive signals from the sensing unit, and trigger the electrical component to generate current pulses.

6. The crossing arm system of claim 3, wherein current pulses are decoded as arm position signals, which are communicated to the end user.

7. The crossing arm system of claim 1, wherein no wires are extended exclusively between the position sensor and the base.

8. A position sensing unit comprising:

a charge pump;

a multi-axis accelerometer electrically connected to the charge pump;

a microprocessor connected to the multi-axis accelerometer; and

a pulse generator electrically connected to the microprocessor;

wherein the microprocessor is configured to direct the pulse generator to send current pulses based on the signal received from the multi-axis accelerometer.

9. The position sensing unit of claim 8, wherein the charge pump is configured to receive electricity from wires connected to LED lights that are not illuminated.

10. The position sensing unit of claim 9, further comprised a housing that houses at least the charge pump, the multi-axis accelerometer, the microprocessor, and the pulse generator.

11. The position sensing unit of claim 10, wherein the housing is configured to be attached to a crossing gate arm to sense whether the crossing arm is in a raised or lowered position.

12. The position sensing unit of claim 9, wherein the microprocessor and multi-axis accelerometer can be calibrated based on user selected criteria.

13. The position sensing unit of claim 11, wherein the microprocessor triggers the pulse generator to send a pulse at a first frequency when the multi-axis accelerometer indicates that the gate arm is in the raised position, and a second frequency when the multi-axis accelerometer indicates that the gate arm is in the lowered position.

14. The position sensing unit of claim 13, wherein the lowered position corresponds to the gate arm being in a first angle range, and the raised position corresponds to the gate arm being in a second angle range.

15. A method of monitoring a crossing arm comprising:

connecting a position sensor to a distal end of the crossing arm;

powering the position sensor with one or more wires that power LED lights on the crossing arm; and

configuring the position sensor to send current pulses through the wires that correspond to the position of the crossing arm.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the position sensor is configured to send pulses at a first frequency when the arm is in the raised position, and send pulses at a second frequency when the arm is in the lowered position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the position sensor is configured to not send pulses when the crossing arm is between the raised and lowered positions.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the lowered position corresponds to a first range in the angle of the crossing arm relative to the horizontal, and the raised position corresponds to a second range in the angle of the crossing arm relative to the horizontal.