Systems and methods for management of crossings near stations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340220-B2
Application number	US-201313900649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2013
Priority date	May 23, 2013
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A system includes a determination module and a communication module. The determination module is configured to be located onboard a first vehicle that travels along a first route including a crossing corresponding to an intersection of the first route with a second route. The determination module is configured to be communicatively coupled with a remote crossing module that is configured to impede travel of a second vehicle through the crossing, and to identify an upcoming stop at a station within a range of a track detection system associated with the remote crossing module. The communication module is configured to communicatively couple the determination module to the remote crossing module, and to transmit an inhibit request message to the remote crossing module. The inhibit request message is configured to prevent the remote crossing module from activating a warning when the first vehicle is stopped at the station.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a determination module configured to be located onboard a first vehicle configured to travel along a first route, the first route including a crossing corresponding to an intersection of the first route with a second route, the determination module configured to be communicatively coupled with a remote crossing module configured to control a warning system to impede travel of a second vehicle through the crossing along the second route when the first vehicle is proximate to the crossing on the first route, wherein the determination module is configured to identify an upcoming stop of the first vehicle at a station disposed along the first route and interposed between the first vehicle and the crossing within a range of a track detection system associated with the remote crossing module; and
a communication module configured to communicatively couple the determination module to the remote crossing module, the communication module configured to transmit one or more inhibit request messages to the remote crossing module, the one or more inhibit request messages configured to prevent the remote crossing module from activating the warning system when the first vehicle is approaching or stopped at the station.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the inhibit request messages spaced a predetermined amount of time apart from each other while the first vehicle is approaching the station or stopped at the station.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined amount of time is configured to occur at least twice during a timeout period of the remote crossing module.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication module is further configured to transmit a crossing release request to the remote crossing module before the first vehicle departs the station, the crossing release request directing the remote crossing module to activate or re-activate the warning system.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the crossing release request at least one of pursuant to a manual input by an operator or automatically by the first vehicle.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the communication module is configured to receive a crossing acknowledgement message from the remote crossing module, the system further comprising a control module configured to control operation of the first vehicle in accordance with information included in the crossing acknowledgement message.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the one or more inhibit request messages to the remote crossing module responsive to the upcoming stop at the station that is identified.

8. A system comprising:
a determination module configured to be located onboard a first vehicle configured to travel along a first route, the first route including a crossing corresponding to an intersection of the first route with a second route, the determination module configured to be communicatively coupled with a remote crossing module configured to control a warning system to impede travel of a second vehicle through the crossing along the second route when the first vehicle is proximate to the crossing on the first route, wherein the determination module is configured to identify an upcoming stop of the first vehicle at a station disposed along the first route and interposed between the first vehicle and the crossing within a range of a track detection system associated with the remote crossing module; and
a communication module configured to communicatively couple the determination module to the remote crossing module, the communication module configured to transmit one or more inhibit request messages to the remote crossing module, the one or more inhibit request messages configured to prevent the remote crossing module from activating the warning system when the first vehicle is approaching or stopped at the station;
wherein the communication module is further configured to transmit a crossing release request to the remote crossing module before the first vehicle departs the station, the crossing release request directing the remote crossing module to activate a re-activate the warning system;
wherein the communication module is configured to receive a crossing acknowledgement message from the remote crossing module, the system further comprising a control module configured to control operation of the first vehicle in accordance with information included in the crossing acknowledgement message; and
wherein the control module is configured to prevent departure of the first vehicle from the station until a departure time specified by the crossing acknowledgement message.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a display module configured to provide a visual display to an operator corresponding to the departure time.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the inhibit request messages spaced a predetermined amount of time apart from each other while the first vehicle is approaching the station or stopped at the station.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined amount of time is configured to occur at least twice during a timeout period of the remote crossing module.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the crossing release request at least one of pursuant to a manual input by an operator or automatically by the first vehicle.

13. A system comprising:
a remote crossing module, the remote crossing module configured to be disposed along a first route along which a first vehicle is configured to travel, the first route comprising a track and a crossing corresponding to an intersection of the first route with a second route, the remote crossing module configured to control a warning system configured to impede travel of a second vehicle along the second route through the crossing when the first vehicle is proximate to the crossing on the first route, the remote crossing module comprising:
an automatic closure module configured to activate the warning system configured to impede travel of the second vehicle along the second route using information obtained from a track detection system configured to detect signals sent via the track; and
a communication module configured to communicatively couple the remote crossing module to the first vehicle, the communication module configured to receive one or more inhibit request messages from the first vehicle corresponding to a stop by the first vehicle at a station disposed within a range of the track detection system, wherein the remote crossing module is configured to prevent activation of the warning system otherwise indicated by the information obtained from the track detection system responsive to receiving the one or more inhibit request messages.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the communication module is configured to receive a crossing release request from the first vehicle, the system further comprising a determination module configured to determine, responsive to the receipt of the crossing release request, a departure time for the first vehicle from the station corresponding to a time at which the remote crossing module will have sufficient time to activate the warning system, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit an acknowledgement message of the receipt of the crossing release request to the first vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the acknowledgement message includes departure timing information correspondin

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Alstom Transp Tech

Inventors

• Fries Jeffrey Michael
• Murphy Steven Ray
• Steffen Ii Michael
• Herlocker Jesse Lee
• Jorgensen Nels
• Sawh Anuka

Classifications

• B61L13/00 Primary

  Operation of signals from the vehicle or by the passage of the vehicle · CPC title

• B61L25/025

  Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates · CPC title

• B61L29/22 Primary

  electrically · CPC title

• B61L2205/04

  Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] · CPC title