Systems and methods for determining passage status of a train at a railroad crossing

A vehicle comprising:

• a communication system;
• a camera configured to capture an image of a first object that provides a visual indication of a safety status of a railroad crossing at various times, the various times including a first period of time ahead of an arrival of a train at the railroad crossing, a second period of time when the train is moving past the railroad crossing, and a third period of time when the train has moved past the railroad crossing;
• a railroad crossing status detector system that includes a computer comprising:
• a memory that stores computer-executable instructions;
• and
• a processor configured to access the memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
• receiving from the camera, the image of the first object;
• determining, based on evaluating the image of the first object, a fourth period of time during which it is hazardous for the vehicle to move across a railway track at the railroad crossing, the fourth period of time including at least the first period of time and the second period of time;
• and
• transmitting, via the communication system, an advisory to another vehicle to select an alternate travel route that avoids the railroad crossing during the fourth period of time,
• wherein the first object is a crossbar that extends across at least a portion of a road at the railroad crossing, and wherein evaluating the image of the first object comprises detecting a deployment of the crossbar over the fourth period of time.

A vehicle comprising:

• a communication system;
• a camera configured to capture an image of a first object that provides a visual indication of a safety status of a railroad crossing at various times, the various times including a first period of time ahead of an arrival of a train at the railroad crossing, a second period of time when the train is moving past the railroad crossing, and a third period of time when the train has moved past the railroad crossing;
• an audio capture system configured to capture an audible signal emitted by a second object, the audible signal providing an audible indication of the safety status of the railroad crossing at the various times;
• and
• a railroad crossing status detector system that includes a computer comprising:
• a memory that stores computer-executable instructions;
• and
• a processor configured to access the memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
• receiving from the camera, the image of the first object;
• determining, based on evaluating the image of the first object, a fourth period of time during which it is hazardous for the vehicle to move across a railway track at the railroad crossing, the fourth period of time including at least the first period of time and the second period of time;
• transmitting, via the communication system, an advisory to another vehicle to select an alternate travel route that avoids the railroad crossing during the fourth period of time;
• and
• determining, based on evaluating the audible signal, the fourth period of time during which it is hazardous for the vehicle to move across the railway track at the railroad crossing.