Fiber optic monitor for railroad switch
AssigneeFibera, Inc.
InventorJohn Tsai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved railroad switch monitoring unit of the type that determines whether a mobile rail is brought into a closed state or an open state with respect to a stationary rail. The improvement comprises a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) included in the monitoring unit that is used to determine, based on stress able change in the resonant wavelength of the FBG, whether the mobile rail and the stationary rail are closed or open.
Claims8
An improved railroad switch monitoring unit of the type that determines whether a mobile rail is brought into a closed state or an open state with respect to a stationary rail, the improvement comprising:
- a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) included in the monitoring unit to determine based on stress able change in the resonant wavelength of said FBG whether the mobile rail and the stationary rail are in any of the closed state, the open state, or neither.
A method for determining whether a mobile rail and a stationary rail of a railroad switch are in a closed state or an open state, the method comprising:
- providing a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) placed such that operation of the mobile rail with respect to the stationary rail stress ably effects the resonant wavelength of said FBG;
- detecting the resonant wavelength of said FBG;
- and
- determining based on the resonant wavelength of said FBG whether the mobile rail and the stationary rail are in the closed state, the open state, or neither.
An apparatus for monitoring operation of a railroad switch having a stationary rail and a mobile rail position able into a closed state or an open state with respect to the stationary rail, the apparatus comprising:
- a fiber Bragg grating (FBG);
- and
- a mount holding said FBG such that positioning of the mobile rail with respect to the stationary rail changes the resonant wavelength of said FBG.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.