System and method for controlling a level crossing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10471978-B2
Application number	US-201815904992-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2018
Priority date	Mar 22, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

Controlling a level crossing includes one or more transceivers located in proximity of a level crossing area on a first side of a railway track; corresponding passive reflective targets located in proximity of the level crossing area on a second side of the railway track opposite to the first side where each transceiver is located and a control unit connected to each transceiver. Each target is arranged to receive RF signals coming from each transceiver and to send back corresponding reflected signals. Each transceiver is arranged to elaborate said reflected signals to calculate predetermined parameters values. Also, the control unit is arranged to acquire said parameters values from each transceiver and to elaborate them to detect the presence of a train in an area around the level crossing area and, in case of presence of said train, to send a warning message and/or close bars of the level crossing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for controlling a level crossing associated with a railway track and comprising:
one or more transceivers located in proximity of a level crossing area;
one or more corresponding passive reflective targets located in proximity of the level crossing area;
a control unit connected to each transceiver;
wherein:
each target, which is an object present within the field of view of the radar transceivers, is arranged to receive RF signals coming from each transceiver and to send back corresponding reflected signals;
each transceiver is arranged to elaborate said reflected signals so as to calculate predetermined parameters values;
each transceiver and each target are arranged in order that when a train circulates in an area around the level crossing area, the train disturbs the signals exchanged between each transceiver and each target; and
the control unit is arranged to acquire said parameters values from each transceiver and to elaborate them so as to detect the presence of a train in the area around the level crossing area and, in case of presence of said train, to send a warning message and/or close bars of the level crossing.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each transceiver is located on a first side of a railway track and each target is located on a second side of the railway track opposite to the first side.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each transceiver comprises a specific control unit arranged to acquire said parameters values from the associated transceiver and to elaborate them so as to detect the presence of a train in an area around the level crossing area and, in case of presence of said train, to send a warning message and/or close bars of the level crossing.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each target is chosen among rails of the railway track, railway ties of the railway track, a ballast receiving the railway track, a train powering system installed along the railway track, an electrical bungalow installed along the railway track.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said parameters values include a first distance between each transceiver and a corresponding first target; a second distance between each transceiver and a corresponding second target; and for each transceiver:
a first angle defined by a horizontal line extending between the transceiver and its corresponding first target and a horizontal line extending parallel to the railway track in the level crossing area; and
a second angle defined by a horizontal line extending between the transceiver and its corresponding second target and the horizontal line extending parallel to the railway track in the level crossing area.

6. The system according to claim 2 , wherein said parameters values include a first distance between each transceiver and a corresponding directly opposite target; a second distance between each transceiver and a corresponding diagonally opposite target; and for each transceiver:
a first angle defined by a horizontal line extending between the transceiver and its corresponding directly opposite target and a horizontal line extending parallel to the railway track in the level crossing area; and
a second angle defined by a horizontal line extending between the transceiver and its corresponding diagonally opposite target and the horizontal line extending parallel to the railway track in the level crossing area.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is arranged to compare the parameters values with predetermined thresholds and, if these values are out of ranges defined by said thresholds, to consider that the presence of a train is detected.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each transceiver modulates a dynamic code with safety (CRC) on the RF signal transmitted towards each target, and validates the received RF signal reflected from the target only when it contains an expected checking data.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition of the parameters values from each transceiver is only activated when the control unit receives from the approaching train a corresponding activation signal.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each target is arranged to reflect a signal whose magnitude is related the size of the target itself.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each target and each transceiver are of radar type.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system comprises two transceivers located in proximity of the level crossing area on a first side of the railway track and two targets located in proximity of the level crossing area on a second side of the railway track opposite to the first side where the transceivers are located.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system comprises two transceivers and two targets located in proximity of the level crossing area.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein transceivers are located each on a respective different side of a road crossing the railway track in the level crossing area and targets are also located each on a respective different side of the road.

15. A method for controlling a level crossing between a railway track and a road comprising the steps of:
sending a respective RF signal from one or more transceivers towards one or more corresponding passive reflective targets, wherein each transceiver is in proximity of a level crossing area, wherein each target is in proximity of the level crossing area, and wherein each target is an object present within a field of view of its corresponding transceiver;
receiving at each transceiver respective reflected signals coming from each target;
elaborating these signals so as to calculate predetermined parameters values;
sending back said parameters values to a control unit;
comparing these parameter values with predefined thresholds to identify the presence of a train on the railway track in an area surrounding the level crossing area; and
sending at least one of a warning message and closing bars of the level crossing in case the comparison of the previous step identifies the presence of said train.

Assignees

• Alstom Transp Tech

Inventors

• Fries Jeffrey
• Shields William

Classifications

• B61L29/30

  Supervision, e.g. monitoring arrangements · CPC title

• B61L23/041

  Obstacle detection · CPC title

• G08C2201/91

  Remote control based on location and proximity · CPC title

• G08C17/02

  using a radio link · CPC title

• B61L29/32

  Timing, e.g. advance warning of approaching train · CPC title