Method and system for automated fault reporting

An automated method for reporting faults on a train comprising the steps of:

• determining that the train is near a wayside status device;
• listening for status information from the wayside status device;
• reporting a wayside status device failure if no status information is received from the wayside status device;
• if status information is received and the status information indicates a problem, allowing the train to proceed at a speed sufficiently slow to allow an operator to visually determine that proceeding is safe until the operator indicates that the status information is incorrect or until the train passes an area monitored by the wayside status device;
• and
• reporting a fault in the status information if the operator indicates that the status information is incorrect or the train passes the area monitored by the wayside status device;
• wherein the determining, listening, allowing, and both reporting steps are performed by a control device.

An automated method for reporting faults comprising the steps of:

• determining that a train is approaching a wayside status device;
• receiving status information from the wayside status device;
• and
• if status information is received and indicates that there is a problem, allowing the train to proceed past an area associated with the wayside status device at a speed sufficiently slow to allow an operator to determine that it is safe for the train to proceed and reporting a fault in the status information if the train passes the area or the operator indicates that the status information is incorrect;
• wherein the determining, receiving, allowing and reporting steps are performed by a control device.

A system for reporting wayside status device faults comprising:

• a receiver;
• a transmitter;
• and
• a control unit connected to the receiver and the transmitter, the control unit being configured to perform the steps of
• listening for status information from a wayside status device with the receiver;
• transmitting via the transmitter a message indicating a failure of the wayside status device to transmit status information if no status information is received from the wayside status device;
• transmitting via the transmitter a message indicating an unsafe condition if status information received from the wayside status device correctly indicates an unsafe condition;
• transmitting via the transmitter a message indicating that the wayside status device is incorrectly transmitting status information if status information received from the wayside status device incorrectly indicates an unsafe condition.