US 8,752,797 B2Granted

Rail line sensing and safety system

AssigneeMetrom Rail, LLC

InventorsRichard C. Carlson, Peter Strezev, Kurt A. Gunther, Marc W. Cygnus

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A rail line sensing and safety system adapted to reliably sense the presence, and optionally the direction and speed, of vehicles traveling on a rail line, and when a vehicle is sensed, to indicate whether a safety device, such as crossing gates, lights, bells, etc., should be activated. The system comprises at least one detection module typically mounted on a rail, at least one remote module typically located near a detection module, and at least one control module typically located near a safety device. In operation, a detection module senses a vehicle traveling on a rail line and sends signals to a remote module. The remote module then processes signals received from the detection module and transmits signals to the control module. The control module then directs, either directly or indirectly as a backup or supplement to an existing sensing and safety system, whether a safety device should be activated.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A sensing device for a rail line comprising:

a first sensor detecting a vehicle traveling on the rail line, the first sensor comprising a first coil of wire to inductively couple to a part of the vehicle, the first sensor operable to signal a first detection event;
a second sensor detecting the vehicle traveling on the rail line, the second sensor located a fixed distance away from the first sensor, the second sensor comprising a second coil of wire to inductively couple to a part of the vehicle, the second sensor operable to signal a second detection event;
electrical circuitry accepting signals from the first and second sensors, the electrical circuitry configured to generate:
for the first sensor, a first coupling signal and a first output pulse signal, and
for the second sensor, a second coupling signal and a second output pulse signal;
and
electrical connections electrically connecting the first sensor, the second sensor, and the electrical circuitry;
wherein the first coupling signal has a magnitude based on the amount of inductive coupling between the first coil of wire and the vehicle,
wherein the first output pulse signal is triggered when the amount of inductive coupling between the first coil of wire and the vehicle is at or exceeds a first predetermined level,
wherein the second coupling signal has a magnitude based on the amount of inductive coupling between the second coil of wire and the vehicle, and
wherein the second output pulse signal is triggered when the amount of inductive coupling between the second coil of wire and the vehicle is at or exceeds a second predetermined level.

8 more elements

A rail line sensing and safety system comprising:

at least one sensing device comprising:
a first sensor capable of detecting a vehicle traveling on the rail line and signaling a first detection event;
a second sensor capable of detecting the vehicle traveling on the rail line and signaling a second detection event, wherein the second sensor is located a fixed distance away from the first sensor;
electrical circuitry that accepts signals from the two sensors;
and
electrical connections that electrically connect the two sensors and the electrical circuitry, wherein each sensing device outputs one or more signals that indicate at least one of the presence, direction and speed of a vehicle traveling on the rail line;
at least one remote module that accepts signals outputted by at least one of the sensing devices, wherein the remote module processes signals and transmits one or more signals, wherein the remote module is located near the sensing device from which it accepts signals;
a control module that accepts signals outputted by at least one of the remote modules, wherein the control module performs operations based on signals and outputs one or more signals;
one or more solar panels electrically connected to at least one of the sensing device, the remote module, and the control module;
and
one or more battery packs electrically connected to at least one of the sensing device, the remote module and the control module
wherein the signals outputted by the control module indicate whether one or more safety devices should be activated, the safety devices being lights, gates, bells, visual, audio or physical warnings, and combinations thereof,
wherein the control module and the safety devices are located near an intersection of a rail line and a road, a second rail line, or other path of travel.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/310,006Filed 2 Dec 2011 · us provisional application
Priority: 3 Dec 2010
Published: US 2012/0138752 A17 Jun 2012
Granted: 17 Jun 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B61L 3/02
Devices along the route for controlling devices on the vehicle or train, e.g. to release brake or to operate a warning signal: at selected places…
B61L 1/164
Detection devices: mechanical
B61L 1/181
Railway track circuits: details
B61L 29/222
Electrically: using conductor circuits with separate contacts or conductors

Family

Application61/458,805Us provisional application · filed 3 Dec 2010
Application61/457,532Us provisional application · filed 18 Apr 2011
Application61/519,202Us provisional application · filed 19 May 2011
Application61/627,270Us provisional application · filed 11 Oct 2011
US 2012/0138752 A1Pre-grant publication · published 7 Jun 2012
US 8,752,797 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.