Apparatus and Method for Vital Signal State Detection in Overlay Rail Signal Monitoring
First Claim
1. A monitoring apparatus for determining a state of an item of railroad wayside signaling equipment having a plurality of signaling elements, the monitoring apparatus comprising:
- a first vital processing unit;
a second vital processing unit separate and diverse from the first vital processing unit;
a current sensing unit having a first current sensor and a second current sensor, the first current sensor and the second current sensor each being configured to measure a current being provided to one or more of the plurality of signaling elements; and
means for measuring a plurality of voltage levels, each of the voltage levels being a voltage level being supplied to a respective one of the plurality of signaling elements;
wherein the first vital processing unit receives a first current measurement from the first current sensor and each of the measured voltage levels, wherein the second vital processing unit receives a second current measurement from the second current sensor and each of the measured voltage levels, and wherein the first vital processing unit and the second vital processing unit are each programmed to determine based on one or more of the first current measurement, the second current measurement and the measured voltage levels;
(i) the state of the item of railroad wayside signaling equipment, (ii) failures within the item of railroad wayside signaling equipment, and (iii) failures within the monitoring apparatus itself.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A railroad monitoring apparatus includes first and second diverse vital processing units, first and second current sensors configured to measure the current being provided to one or more signaling elements of an item of wayside signaling equipment, and means for measuring voltage levels being supplied to each of the signaling elements. The first processing unit receives a first current measurement from the first current sensor and the measured voltage levels, and the second vital processing unit receives a second current measurement from the second current sensor and the measured voltage levels. The vital processing units are each programmed to determine based on one or more of the first current measurement, the second current measurement and the measured voltage levels: (i) the state of the item of railroad wayside signaling equipment, (ii) failures within the item of railroad wayside signaling equipment, and (iii) failures within the monitoring apparatus itself.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A monitoring apparatus for determining a state of an item of railroad wayside signaling equipment having a plurality of signaling elements, the monitoring apparatus comprising:
-
a first vital processing unit; a second vital processing unit separate and diverse from the first vital processing unit; a current sensing unit having a first current sensor and a second current sensor, the first current sensor and the second current sensor each being configured to measure a current being provided to one or more of the plurality of signaling elements; and means for measuring a plurality of voltage levels, each of the voltage levels being a voltage level being supplied to a respective one of the plurality of signaling elements; wherein the first vital processing unit receives a first current measurement from the first current sensor and each of the measured voltage levels, wherein the second vital processing unit receives a second current measurement from the second current sensor and each of the measured voltage levels, and wherein the first vital processing unit and the second vital processing unit are each programmed to determine based on one or more of the first current measurement, the second current measurement and the measured voltage levels;
(i) the state of the item of railroad wayside signaling equipment, (ii) failures within the item of railroad wayside signaling equipment, and (iii) failures within the monitoring apparatus itself. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method of determining a state of an item of railroad wayside signaling equipment having a plurality of signaling elements, comprising:
-
providing a monitoring apparatus having a first vital processing channel and a second vital processing channel separate and diverse from the first vital processing channel; making a first current measurement and a second current measurement, both the first current measurement and the second current measurement comprising a measurement of a current being provided to one or more of the plurality of signaling elements; receiving in the first vital processing channel the first current measurement and receiving in the second vital processing channel the second current measurement; measuring a plurality of voltage levels, each of the voltage levels being a voltage level being supplied to a respective one of the plurality of signaling elements; receiving the measured voltage levels in the first vital processing channel and the second vital processing channel; determining in each of the first vital processing unit and the second vital processing unit the state of the item of railroad wayside signaling equipment based on one or more of the first current measurement, the second current measurement and the measured voltage levels, wherein the first vital processing unit and the second vital processing unit are able to detect failures within the item of railroad wayside signaling equipment and failures within the monitoring apparatus itself based on one or more of the first current measurement, the second current measurement and the measured voltage levels, and wherein the state of the item of railroad wayside signaling equipment will comprise an error state if a failure within the item of railroad wayside signaling equipment or a failure within the monitoring apparatus itself is detected. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
Specification