# US 2017/0282946 A1 · Method For Commanding A Railway Level Crossing Protection System > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0282946 A1 - Document ID: US20170282946A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/475,710 - Filed: 2017-03-31 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-05 - Assignees: Alstom Transport Technologies - Applicants: Alstom Transport Technologies - Inventors: Alfonso Matias LOZANO-OVEJERO; Oscar MARTIN-BLASCO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170282946A1 ## CPC - B61L 29/30: Supervision, e.g. monitoring arrangements - B61L 7/06: using electrical transmission - B61L 7/08: Circuitry - B61L 23/14: automatically operated - B61L 25/021: {Measuring and recording of train speed} - B61L 25/025: {Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates} - B61L 29/22: electrically - B61L 2201/00: Control methods - B61L: GUIDING RAILWAY TRAFFIC; ENSURING THE SAFETY OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC (brakes or auxiliary equipment B61H, B61K; point or crossing construction E01B) ## Abstract A method for commanding a railway level crossing protection system comprising: a) activating a railway signal preventing a train from driving beyond a level crossing; b) detecting an incoming train approaching the level crossing and measuring a speed of said incoming train; c) calculating a waiting time, as a function of the train's measured speed; d) waiting until expiration of the calculated waiting time and, once said waiting time expires, sending an order to commute the protection system into the protected state; and e) querying the state of the protection system and if said protection system is found to have commuted into the protected state, deactivating said railway signal, and maintaining said railway signal in the activated state otherwise. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for commanding a railway level crossing protection system, said protection system equipping a level crossing between a railway track and a road and being able to switch selectively between a protected state, in which road vehicles on said road are prohibited from crossing the railway track, and an unprotected state, in which said road vehicles may cross the railway track, the level crossing protection system initially being in the unprotected state, this method comprising steps of automatically: a) activating a railway signal preventing a train from driving beyond the level crossing, b) detecting an incoming train approaching the level crossing and measuring a speed of said incoming train, c) calculating a waiting time, as a function of the train's measured speed; d) waiting until expiration of the calculated waiting time and, once said waiting time has expired, sending an order to switch the level crossing protection system into the protected state; and e) querying the state of the level crossing protection system and: if said level crossing protection system is found to have commuted into the protected state, deactivating said railway signal, thus allowing the train to drive beyond the level crossing, and otherwise; if said level crossing protection system is found to be still in the unprotected state, maintaining said railway signal in the activated state; wherein the calculation of the waiting time comprises: acquiring reference data comprising a plurality of speed value intervals each associated to a predefined waiting time value; selecting the speed value interval corresponding to the measured speed value; and selecting the predefined waiting time value associated to the selected speed value interval. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the number of speed values intervals of the reference data is comprised between 2 and 50. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the deactivation of the railway signal comprises updating a Movement Authority of the train by moving the end point of the Movement Authority beyond the level crossing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the railway signal is according to ETCS Level 2 specifications, said railway signal being transmitted to the train using a radio block center. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein it includes further, during step b), after detecting the train, sending a temporary speed restriction to the detected incoming train. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the railway signal is according to ETCS Level 1 specifications, said railway signal being transmitted to the train using a beacon through a lineside encoder unit or a radio-infill device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A data storage unit comprising instructions for implementing the method according to claim 1 when said instructions are executed by a data processing unit. ### Claim 8 A data processing unit for an electronic calculator of a railway interlocking facility configured to command a railway level crossing protection system equipping a level crossing between a railway track and a road, said protection system being able to switch selectively between a protected state, in which road vehicles on said road are prohibited from crossing the railway track, and an unprotected state, in which said road vehicles may cross the railway track, the level crossing protection system initially being in the unprotected state, said calculator being programmed to: a) activate a railway signal preventing a train from driving beyond the level crossing, b) detect an incoming train approaching the level crossing and measuring a speed of said incoming train, c) calculate a waiting time, as a function of the train's measured speed; d) wait until expiration of the calculated waiting time and, once said waiting time expires, sending an order to commute the level crossing protection system into the protected state; e) query the state of the level crossing protection system and: if said level crossing protection system is found to have commuted into the protected state, deactivate said railway signal, thus allowing the train to drive beyond the level crossing; and if said level crossing protection system is found to be still in the unprotected state, maintain said railway signal in the activated state; wherein said data processing unit is further programmed to, during step c) of calculation of the waiting time: acquire reference data comprising a plurality of speed value intervals each associated to a predefined waiting time value; select the speed value interval corresponding to the measured speed value; and select the predefined waiting time value associated to the selected speed value interval. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A railway interlocking facility, adapted to command a level crossing protection system, wherein said railway interlocking facility comprises the data processing unit of claim 8 in order to command said level crossing protection system.