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US 12,722,671 B2Granted
Train warning system for rail operations
AssigneeBlue-Band LLC
InventorsKevin D. Yorke, Roberto C. Adair
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computing device communicatively coupled to a light assembly that is coupled to a railroad track and that is operable to emit light in a plurality of different colors, determines a current train state of a plurality of different train states at a first location. In response to determining that the current train state is a first train state of the plurality of different train states, the computing device causes the light assembly to emit a first color of the plurality of different colors emittable by the light assembly.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- determining, by a first train warning device comprising a computing device and a light assembly that is coupled to a railroad track and that is operable to emit light in a plurality of different colors, a current train state of a plurality of different train states at a first location, wherein the first train warning device is one of a plurality of train warning devices, each train warning device comprising a computing device and a light assembly coupled to the railroad track, and wherein determining the current train state comprises receiving, by the first train warning device from an upstream train warning device, a train detection message, the train detection message indicating a state to which the first train warning device is to set the current train state of the first train warning device;
- in response to determining that the current train state is a first train state of the plurality of different train states, causing the light assembly to emit a first color of the plurality of different colors emittable by the light assembly;
- decrementing, by the first train warning device, a hop count identified in the train detection message;
- determining that the hop count is greater than zero;
- and
- in response to determining that the hop count is greater than zero, transmitting the train detection message, by the first train warning device to a neighboring downstream train warning device of the plurality of train warning devices that is farther from a detected train than the first train warning device.
3 more elements
A train warning system comprising:
- a first train warning device comprising:
- a light assembly operable to emit light in a plurality of different colors, the light assembly being configured to be coupled to a railroad track at a first location;
- a computing device communicatively coupled to the light assembly, the computing device operable to:
- determine a current train state of a plurality of different train states at the first location, wherein the current train state is a first train state of the plurality of different train states, wherein the first train warning device is one of a plurality of train warning devices, each train warning device comprising a computing device and a light assembly coupled to the railroad track, and wherein to determine the current train state the computing device is operable to receive, from an upstream train warning device, a train detection message, the train detection message indicating a state to which the first train warning device is to set the current train state of the first train warning device;
- in response to determining that the current train state is the first train state, cause the light assembly to emit a first color of the plurality of different colors emittable by the light assembly;
- decrement a hop count identified in the train detection message;
- determine that the hop count is greater than zero;
- and
- in response to determining that the hop count is greater than zero, transmit the train detection message to a neighboring downstream train warning device of the plurality of train warning devices that is farther from a detected train than the first train warning device.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- determining, by a first train warning device comprising a computing device and a light assembly that is coupled to a railroad track and that is operable to emit light in a plurality of different colors, a current train state of a plurality of different train states at a first location;
- in response to determining that the current train state is a first train state of the plurality of different train states, causing the light assembly to emit a first color of the plurality of different colors emittable by the light assembly;
- determining, by the first train warning device, that a train is passing over the first location;
- in response to determining that the train is passing over the first location, generating, by the first train warning device, a train detection message;
- inserting, by the first train warning device into the train detection message, a hop count value that identifies a number of train warning devices of a plurality of downstream train warning devices to which the train detection message is to be propagated;
- and
- inserting, into the train detection message, a first train state to which a first plurality of the plurality of downstream train warning devices is to set corresponding current train states and a second train state to which a second plurality of the plurality of downstream train warning devices is to set corresponding current train states.
4 more elements
A train warning system comprising:
- a first train warning device comprising:
- a light assembly operable to emit light in a plurality of different colors, the light assembly being configured to be coupled to a railroad track at a first location;
- a computing device communicatively coupled to the light assembly, the computing device operable to:
- determine a current train state at the first location, wherein the current train state is a first train state;
- in response to determining that the current train state is the first train state, cause the light assembly to emit a first color of the plurality of different colors emittable by the light assembly;
- determine that a train is passing over the first location;
- in response to determining that the train is passing over the first location, generate a train detection message;
- insert, into the train detection message, a hop count value that identifies a number of train warning devices of a plurality of downstream train warning devices to which the train detection message is to be propagated;
- and
- insert, into the train detection message, a first train state to which a first plurality of the plurality of downstream train warning devices is to set corresponding current train states and a second train state to which a second plurality of the plurality of downstream train warning devices is to set corresponding current train states.
7 more elements
A method comprising:
- determining, by a first train warning device comprising a computing device and a light assembly that is coupled to a railroad track and that is operable to emit light in a plurality of different colors, a current train state of a plurality of different train states at a first location;
- in response to determining that the current train state is a first train state of the plurality of different train states, causing the light assembly to emit a first color of the plurality of different colors emittable by the light assembly;
- determining, by the first train warning device, that an object is within a first predetermined distance of the railroad track;
- in response to determining that the object is within the first predetermined distance from the railroad track, causing the light assembly to emit a first warning light signal, wherein the first warning light signal is a pulsing of the first color at a first pulse rate;
- determining, by the first train warning device, that the object is within a second predetermined distance of the railroad track that is closer to the railroad track than the first predetermined distance;
- and
- in response to determining that the object is within the second predetermined distance from the railroad track, causing the light assembly to emit a second warning light signal, wherein the second warning light signal is a pulsing of the first color at a second pulse rate that is a quicker pulse rate than the first pulse rate.
4 more elements
A train warning system comprising:
- a first train warning device comprising:
- a light assembly operable to emit light in a plurality of different colors, the light assembly being configured to be coupled to a railroad track at a first location;
- a computing device communicatively coupled to the light assembly, the computing device operable to:
- determine a current train state at the first location, wherein the current train state is a first train state;
- and
- in response to determining that the current train state is the first train state, cause the light assembly to emit a first color of the plurality of different colors emittable by the light assembly;
- determine that an object is within a first predetermined distance of the railroad track;
- in response to determining that the object is within the first predetermined distance from the railroad track, cause the light assembly to emit a first warning light signal, wherein the first warning light signal is a pulsing of the first color at a first pulse rate;
- determine that the object is within a second predetermined distance of the railroad track that is closer to the railroad track than the first predetermined distance;
- and
- in response to determining that the object is within the second predetermined distance from the railroad track, cause the light assembly to emit a second warning light signal, wherein the second warning light signal is a pulsing of the first color at a second pulse rate that is a quicker pulse rate than the first pulse rate.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.