Providing a virtual railroad crossing warning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12409875-B2
Application number	US-202318512972-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2023
Priority date	Nov 17, 2023
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving the communication of a railroad crossing warning. In one embodiment, a method includes identifying a railroad crossing in a path of a road user. The method further includes in response to determining that a train is approaching the road user at the railroad crossing, determining whether a warning mechanism of the railroad crossing satisfies a crossing threshold that is based, at least in part, on a safety condition of the warning mechanism. Moreover, the method includes controlling a display of the road user to output a virtual railroad crossing bar on the display according to the safety condition responsive to determining that the warning mechanism satisfies the crossing threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A safety system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
identify a railroad crossing in a path of a road user;
responsive to determining that a train is approaching the road user at the railroad crossing, determine whether a warning mechanism of the railroad crossing satisfies a crossing threshold that is based, at least in part, on a safety condition of the warning mechanism; and
control a display of the road user to output a virtual railroad crossing bar on the display according to the safety condition responsive to determining that the warning mechanism satisfies the crossing threshold, wherein the safety system is implemented within a user device of the road user.

2. The safety system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to determine whether the warning mechanism satisfies the crossing threshold include instructions to determine whether:
the warning mechanism is outside of a field of view of the road user,
dynamic movements of the warning mechanism are restricted, and
the warning mechanism is absent from the railroad crossing.

3. The safety system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to determine whether the warning mechanism satisfies the crossing threshold include instructions to determine:
a visibility of the warning mechanism, wherein the visibility of the warning mechanism is based, at least in part, on a field of view of the road user and a position of the warning mechanism along the railroad crossing, and
an availability of the warning mechanism, wherein the availability is based, at least in part, on a presence of the warning mechanism at the railroad crossing.

4. The safety system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to identify the railroad crossing include instructions to use sensors of the user device to acquire sensor data and process the sensor data to perceive the railroad crossing,
wherein the instructions to determine whether the warning mechanism satisfies the crossing threshold includes instructions to determine a functionality of the warning mechanism, wherein the functionality is based, at least in part, on a capability of the warning mechanism to output a warning to the road user and a capability of the warning mechanism to execute dynamic movements.

5. The safety system of claim 1 , wherein the safety condition includes an accident history of the railroad crossing, and
wherein the instructions to determine that the warning mechanism satisfies the crossing threshold include instructions to determine that the accident history of the railroad crossing satisfies a frequency threshold that is based, at least in part, on a frequency of accidents that occur at the railroad crossing.

6. The safety system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to control the display include instructions to at least one of:
control the display to output the virtual railroad crossing bar at a time that is based, at least in part, on a speed of the road user, and
vary a visualization of the virtual railroad crossing bar to maintain a gaze of the road user on the virtual railroad crossing bar.

7. The safety system of claim 1 , wherein the road user is a vehicle, and further including instructions to activate brakes of the vehicle to stop the vehicle from moving until the train passes the path of the vehicle.

8. The safety system of claim 1 , wherein the safety condition includes a usage history of the railroad crossing by the road user, and
wherein the instructions to determine whether the warning mechanism satisfies the crossing threshold include instructions to determine that the usage history of the road user satisfies a usage threshold that is based, at least in part, on a frequency of crossing the railroad crossing by the road user.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
identify, by a user device of a road user, a railroad crossing in a path of the road user;
responsive to determining, by the user device, that a train is approaching the road user at the railroad crossing, determine, by the user device, whether a warning mechanism of the railroad crossing satisfies a crossing threshold that is based, at least in part, on a safety condition of the warning mechanism; and
control, by the user device, a display of the road user to output a virtual railroad crossing bar on the display according to the safety condition responsive to determining that the warning mechanism satisfies the crossing threshold.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to determine that the warning mechanism satisfies the crossing threshold includes instructions to determine whether:
the warning mechanism is outside of a field of view of the road user,
dynamic movements of the warning mechanism are restricted, and
the warning mechanism is absent from the railroad crossing.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to determine whether the warning mechanism satisfies the crossing threshold include instructions to determine:
a visibility of the warning mechanism, wherein the visibility of the warning mechanism is based, at least in part, on a field of view of the road user and a position of the warning mechanism along the railroad crossing, and
an availability of the warning mechanism, wherein the availability is based, at least in part, on a presence of the warning mechanism at the railroad crossing.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to determine whether the warning mechanism satisfies the crossing threshold includes instructions to determine a functionality of the warning mechanism, wherein the functionality is based, at least in part, on a capability of the warning mechanism to output a warning to the road user and a capability of the warning mechanism to execute dynamic movements.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the safety condition includes an accident history of the railroad crossing, and
wherein the instructions to determine that the warning mechanism satisfies the crossing threshold include instructions to determine that the accident history of the railroad crossing satisfies a frequency threshold that is based, at least in part, on a frequency of accidents that occur at the railroad crossing.

14. A method, comprising:
identifying, by a user device of a road user, a railroad crossing in a path of the road user;
in response to determining, by the user device, that a train is approaching the road user at the railroad crossing, determining, by the user device, whether a warning mechanism of the railroad crossing satisfies a crossing threshold that is based, at least in part, on a safety condition of the warning mechanism; and
controlling, by the user device, a display of the road user to output a virtual railroad crossing bar on the display according to the safety condition responsive to determining that the warning mechanism satisfies the crossing threshold.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining whether the warning mechanism satisfies the crossing threshold includes determining whether:
the warning mechanism is outside of field of view of the road user,
dynamic movements of the warning mechanism are restricted, and
the warning mechanism is absent from the railroad crossing.

16. The method of

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Gupta Rohit
• Austin Benjamin Piya
• Garrett William Patrick
• Babian Philip J

Classifications

• B60T7/12 Primary

  for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger {(limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00)} · CPC title

• B61L29/246

  Signals or brake- or lighting devices mounted on the road vehicle and controlled from the vehicle or train · CPC title

• B61L29/32 Primary

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