Railway crossing collision avoidance system

• US 5,699,986 A
• Filed: 07/15/1996
• Issued: 12/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alternative Lining Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Alternative Lining Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Welk, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Application Number:
  US08/679,902
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 246/122 R, 246/126, 246/125, 246/174, 246/176, 246/292 R, 246/293, 246/473.1, 340/901, 340/902, 340/903, 340/904
• US Class Current: 246/125
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/24 Means for warning road traffic that a gate is closed or closing, or that rail traffic is approaching, e.g. for visible or audible warning

Abstract

With the vehicle anti-collision system of the present invention, road vehicles in the vicinity of a railway crossing are alerted as a train approaches the crossing. A signalling device operating in conjunction with a GPS receiver located in the train emits a signal to a receiver located at the railway crossing to provide an indication of the rail vehicle'"'"'s location with respect to the railway crossing. The signal is sent continuously at predetermined intervals to provide the railway crossing with sufficient data to estimate the velocity and time of arrival of the train or railway vehicle at the crossing. The railway crossing processes the information and transmits an alarm signal to approaching road vehicles as the rail vehicle approaches the crossing. The signal emitted by the crossing is received at the road vehicle which provides various levels of alarms depending on how close the rail vehicle is to the crossing.

Claims

1. A railroad crossing collision avoidance system for alerting a road vehicle approaching a railroad crossing of an oncoming rail vehicle, comprising:

tracking means on said rail vehicle to determine said rail vehicle'"'"'s position with respect to said railroad crossing;

transmitter means responsive to said tracking means for transmitting tracking data at a unique radio frequency carrier, said tracking data being indicative of the location of said rail vehicle from said railroad crossing;

first receiver means comprised of a multi-frequency scanner at said railroad crossing for receiving said transmitted tracking data from one or more of said rail vehicles;

processor means at said railroad crossing for calculating the velocity and arrival time of said rail vehicle in response to said tracking data; and

transmitter means at said railroad crossing responsive to said processor means for transmitting an alarm signal to an approaching road vehicle, said alarm signal being indicative of the velocity and time of arrival of a rail vehicle at said railroad crossing.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said tracking means comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

3. A system as defined in claim 2, wherein said rail vehicle comprises a multi-wagon train with a GPS receiver located at each end of said multi-wagon train.

4. A system as defined in claim 3, wherein said tracking data is transmitted continuously at periodic intervals to said first receiver means.

5. A system as defined in claim 4, wherein said tracking data is further comprised of a time stamp.

6. A system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a second receiver means at said road vehicle for receiving said alarm signal in order to alert an operator of said road vehicle of a potential collision with a rail vehicle, at said railroad crossing.

7. A system as defined in claim 6, wherein said second receiver means is comprised of an audio and video signalling device responsive to said alarm signal.

8. A system as defined in claim 7, wherein said second receiver means is further comprised of a reset key to reset said audio and video signalling device.

9. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein said second receiver means is comprised of a memory for storing information on said alarm signal received at said second receiver means.

10. A railroad crossing collision avoidance system for alerting a road vehicle approaching a railroad crossing of an oncoming rail vehicle, comprising:

tracking means on said rail vehicle to derive tracking data indicative of said rail vehicle'"'"'s position with respect to said railroad crossing;

storing means on said rail vehicle for storing locations of railroad crossings along a railway line travelled by said rail vehicle;

processor means on said rail vehicle for calculating the velocity of said rail vehicle and arrival time at said railroad crossing, in response to said tracking data; and

first transmitter means responsive to said processor means for transmitting an alarm signal to an approaching road vehicle, said alarm signal being indicative of the velocity and time of arrival of a rail vehicle at said railroad crossing; and

second transmitter means at said railroad crossings for transmitting its location to each oncoming rail vehicle, as said rail vehicle travels along said railway line.

11. A system as defined in claim 10, wherein said tracking means comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

12. A system as defined in claim 11, wherein said rail vehicle comprises a multi-wagon train with a GPS receiver located at each end of said multi-wagon train.

13. A system as defined in claim 12, wherein said first transmitter means is located at each railway crossing so as to transmit an alarm signal to said approaching road vehicles in response to the velocity and time of arrival data received from said rail vehicle.

14. A system as defined in claim 13, wherein said velocity and time of arrival data is transmitted continuously at periodic railway crossings from an approaching rail vehicle.

15. A system as defined in claim 14, wherein velocity and time of arrival data is transmitted from each rail vehicle on a unique radio frequency carrier.

16. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein each railway crossing is further provided with a multi-frequency scanner to receive velocity and time of arrival data from different rail vehicles.

17. A system as defined in claim 10, further comprising second receiver means at said road vehicle for receiving said alarm signal in order to alert an operator of said road vehicle of a potential collision with a rail vehicle, at said railroad crossing.

18. A system as defined in claim 17, wherein said second receiver means is comprised of an audio and video signalling device responsive to said alarm signal.