Remote monitoring of grade crossing warning equipment

• US 6,688,561 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mollet, Samuel R., Brown, Augustus Henry, Colucci, Anthony F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCarry, Jr., Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US10/173,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20030122039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 246/423.R, 246/473.1, 246/473.3, 246/476, 246/111, 246/112, 246/114.R, 246/115, 246/117
• US Class Current: 246/473.1
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 29/30 Supervision, e.g. monitoring arrangements

Abstract

A system (40) and method for remotely monitoring the operating status of railroad grade crossing warning equipment. A sensor (46) generates a signal (48) responsive to the operation of a grade crossing annunciator (42). In one embodiment, the annunciator may be a bell or speaker horn (92) and the sensor may be an accelerometer (99) mechanically coupled to the bell. A wayside controller (52) uses the signal as input for developing information (70) indicative of the operating status of the annunciator. A communications link (74) transmits the information to a location remote from the grade crossing. A system controller (78) located at the remote location may diagnose the information to direct a maintenance center (82) and/or operations center (86) in response to an indication of degraded performance of the annunciator. The communications link may include the Internet and may be used for two-way communication between the remote location and the grade crossing location (22).

Claims

1. Apparatus for monitoring railroad grade crossing warning equipment, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry for activating an annunciator at a grade crossing location in response to the approach of a train;

a sensor for generating a signal responsive to the operation of the annunciator;

circuitry responsive to the signal for generating information representing an operating status of the annunciator; and

a communicating link for communicating the information to a location remote from the grade crossing,

wherein the annunciator comprises a sound producing device, and wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a mounting bracket attached to the sound producing device;

a circuit board attached to the mounting bracket and including circuitry for operating the sound producing device;

the accelerometer being attached to the circuit board;

signal processing circuitry associated with the accelerometer mounted on the circuit board; and

a mounting device for attaching the mounting bracket to a support and for providing isolation at frequencies equal to or greater than a center frequency of sound produced by the sound producing device.

3. Apparatus for monitoring railroad grade crossing warning equipment, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry for activating an annunciator at a grade crossing location in response to the approach of a train;

a sensor for generating a signal responsive to the operation of the annunciator;

circuitry responsive to the signal for generating information representing an operating status of the annunciator; and

a communications link for communicating the information to a location remote from the grade crossing, further comprising;

a database for receiving and storing the information; and

a data processor associated with the database for processing the information.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the annunciator comprises a light, and wherein the sensor comprises a photo sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the annunciator comprises a swing gate, and wherein the sensor comprises a position sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the communications link comprises a two-way communication device for further communicating from the remote location to the grade crossing location.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the communications link comprises a receiver located on the train.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the communications link further comprises a multi-media information network.

9. Apparatus for monitoring railroad grade crossing warning equipment the apparatus comprising:

circuitry for activating an annunciator at a grade crossing location in response to the approach of a train;

a sensor for generating a signal responsive in the operation of the annunciator;

circuitry responsive to the signal for generating information representing an operating status of the annunciator; and

a communications link for communicating the information to a location remote from the grade crossing;

further comprising a test circuit for selectively operating the annunciator in a test mode independent of the approach of a train.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the test circuit is responsive to the information.

11. Apparatus for monitoring railroad grade crossing warning equipment, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry for activating an annunciator at a grade crossing location in response to the approach of a train;

a sensor for generating a signal responsive to the operation of the annunciator;

circuitry responsive to the signal for generating information representing an operating status of the annunciator; and

a communications link for communicating the information to a location remote from the grade crossing;

further comprising a maintenance center connected to the communications link for receiving the information ion.

12. Apparatus for monitoring railroad grade crossing warning equipment, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry for activating an annunciator at a grade crossing location in response to the approach of a train;

a sensor for generating a signal responsive to the operation of the annunciator;

circuitry responsive to the signal for generating information representing an operating status of the annunciator; and

a communications link for communicating the information to a location remote from the grade crossing;

further comprising an operations center connected to the communications link for receiving the information.

13. An apparatus for monitoring a railroad grade crossing warning bell, the apparatus comprising:

an accelerometer mechanically coupled to a railroad crossing warning bell for receiving mechanical vibrations produced by the bell and for producing a signal responsive to the vibrations; and

a controller for receiving the signal and for developing information regarding an operating status of the bell.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a mounting bracket attached to the bell;

a circuit board attached to the mounting bracket and including circuitry for operating the bell;

the accelerometer being attached to the circuit board;

signal processing circuitry associated with the accelerometer mounted on the circuit board; and

a mounting device for attaching the mounting bracket to a support and for providing isolation at frequencies equal to or greater than a center frequency of sound produced by the bell.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a communications link connected to the controller for transmitting the information to a remote location.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the communications link comprises a multi-media communications network.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the communications link comprises a two-way communication device for further communicating from the remote location to a grade crossing location.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the communications link comprises a receiver located on a train.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a maintenance center connected to the communications link for receiving the information.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an operations center connected to the communications link for receiving the information.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a test circuit for operating the bell in a test mode.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the test circuit is responsive to the information.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a database fur receiving and storing the information; and

a data processor associated with the database for processing the information.

24. A method of monitoring the operational status of an annuciator for railway grade crossing warning equipment, the method comprising:

sensing the operation of an annuciator at a grade crossing location;

generating a signal responsive to the operation of the annunciator;

processing the signal to produce information indicative of an operating status of the annuciator; and

transmitting the information to a location remote from the grade crossing location.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising communicating the information via a multi-media communication network.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising comparing the information to data stored in a database located remote from the grade crossing location.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising exercising the annunciator with a test circuit to produce the information.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising communicating from the remote location to the grade crossing location via a communication path used to communicate the information to the remote location.