Railroad signal message system and method

• US 8,412,394 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: DeSanzo, David Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUHFUSS, ZACHARY L
• Application Number:
  US12/276,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 701/19, 701/36, 246/14, 246/122.R, 246/124, 246/176, 246/217
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/009 On-board display devices
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2003/123 French standard for inductive train protection, called "Contrôle de vitesse par balises" [KVB]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/12 using magnetic or electrostatic induction; using radio waves

Abstract

A railroad signal message system is provided. The system includes: an input circuit to receive railroad data from a railroad signaling device, an aspect converter operatively coupled to the input circuit to convert the railroad data into a machine-readable message that includes an indication of the railroad signaling device, and a message translator operatively coupled to the aspect converter to translate the message into a human-perceivable message.

Claims

1. A railroad signal message system for a rail vehicle, comprising:

an input circuit to receive railroad data from a railroad signaling device;

an aspect converter operatively coupled to the input circuit to convert the railroad data into a machine-readable message that includes an indication of the railroad signaling device, wherein the machine-readable message has a predefined format that includes a railroad name, a railroad signal type, a railroad signal location, a track number, and the indication; and

a message translator operatively coupled to the aspect converter to translate the message into a human-perceivable message.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication link operatively coupled to the message translator to transmit the human-perceivable message.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an internal sensor configured to provide railroad position data to the input circuit responsive to detection of the railroad signaling device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the aspect converter is further configured to convert the railroad position data received from the internal sensor into a second message providing an indication of a spatial relationship of the rail vehicle relative to the railroad signaling device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the indication includes an alert that the rail vehicle has entered a previous block based on the internal sensor detecting the railroad signaling device for a second time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the input circuit is further configured to receive railroad data sent from an external sensor in response to detection of the rail vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the input circuit receives the railroad data prior to the rail vehicle reaching the railroad signaling device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication includes an alert that a status of a block controlled by the railroad signaling device has changed.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the message translator includes a voice synthesizer and the human-perceivable message is a voice message.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the voice synthesizer is a multilingual voice synthesizer and the voice message is generated in one of a plurality of selectable languages that is set by user input to the railroad signal message system.

11. A railroad signal message system for a rail vehicle comprising:

an input circuit to receive railroad data from a railroad signaling device;

an aspect converter operatively coupled to the input circuit to convert the railroad data into a machine-readable message having a predefined format that includes an indication of the railroad signaling device; and

a multilingual voice synthesizer operatively coupled to the aspect converter to translate the machine-readable message into a human-perceivable message responsive to a message trigger event that includes receiving railroad data at the aspect converter; and

a communication link operatively coupled to the multilingual voice synthesizer to transmit the human-perceivable message.

12. A railroad signal message system for a locomotive rail vehicle, comprising:

an input circuit to receive railroad data from a railroad signaling device;

an internal sensor configured to provide railroad position data to the input circuit responsive to detection of the railroad signaling device;

an aspect converter operatively coupled to the input circuit to convert the railroad data into a machine-readable message that includes an indication of the railroad signaling device and convert the railroad position data received from the internal sensor into a second message providing an indication of a spatial relationship of the rail vehicle relative to the railroad signaling device that includes an alert that the rail vehicle has entered a previous block based on the internal sensor detecting the railroad signaling device for a second time; and

a message translator operatively coupled to the aspect converter to translate the message into a human-perceivable message.

13. A railroad signal message system for a rail vehicle comprising:

an input circuit to receive railroad data from a railroad signaling device;

an aspect converter operatively coupled to the input circuit to convert the railroad data into a machine-readable message having a predefined format that includes an indication of the railroad signaling device; and

a multilingual voice synthesizer operatively coupled to the aspect converter to translate the machine-readable message into a human-perceivable message responsive to a message trigger event that includes receiving a request to transmit the human-perceivable message; and

a communication link operatively coupled to the multilingual voice synthesizer to transmit the human-perceivable message.

14. A railroad signal message system for a rail vehicle comprising:

an input circuit to receive railroad data from a railroad signaling device;

an aspect converter operatively coupled to the input circuit to convert the railroad data into a machine-readable message having a predefined format that includes an indication of the railroad signaling device; and

a multilingual voice synthesizer operatively coupled to the aspect converter to translate the machine-readable message into a human-perceivable message responsive to a message trigger event that includes reaching an end of a predetermined period; and

a communication link operatively coupled to the multilingual voice synthesizer to transmit the human-perceivable message.