Cab signal quality detecting and reporting system and method

A system comprising a locomotive equipped with a railroad cab signal quality collection and reporting system which comprises a cab signal detector for detecting a cab status signal, a cab signal conditioner for receiving the detected cab status signal from the signal detector and providing a conditioned signal to a cab signal converter for converting the conditioned signal from analog to digital format which is indicative of the cab status signal, and a cab aspect display system for displaying the cab status to an operator, further comprising:

• a signal measurement subsystem associated with the cab signal detector for measuring a cab signal parameter;
• a quality analysis subsystem for analyzing the measured cab signal parameter and determining a measure of quality of the cab signal parameter;
• and
• a reporting subsystem for receiving the determined measure of quality of the cab signal parameter from the quality analysis subsystem and for generating a report containing the received determined measure of quality.

A railroad cab signaling system comprising a cab signal parameter and a cab signal transmitter for transmitting the cab signal parameter onto a railway rail, further comprising:

• a signal detector for detecting the status signal transmitted via the railroad rail;
• a signal conditioner for conditioning the status signal detected by the signal detector and for providing a conditioned cab signal;
• a signal converter associated with the signal conditioner for receiving the conditioned cab signal and converting the conditioned cab signal to a digital cab signal;
• a signal measurement subsystem for measuring a cab signal parameter from the digital cab signal;
• a quality analysis subsystem for analyzing the measured cab signal parameter and determining a measure of quality of the cab signal parameter;
• and
• a reporting subsystem for receiving the determined measure of quality of the cab signal parameter from the quality analysis subsystem and for generating a report containing the received determined measure of quality.

A quality monitoring method for use with a railroad cab signaling system in which a status signal is carried on a railroad rail, the status signal having a cab signal parameter that is indicative of a status of a zone of track, the method comprising:

• detecting the status signal;
• measuring the cab signal parameter from the detected status signal;
• determining a measure of quality of the measured cab signal parameter;
• and
• reporting the determined measure of quality of the measured cab signal parameter.