US2008105791A1PendingUtilityA1

Broken Rail Detection System

39
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Dec 13, 2004Filed: Dec 12, 2005Published: May 8, 2008
Est. expiryDec 13, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Kenneth A. Karg
B61L 3/121B61L 23/044B61K 9/10
39
PatentIndex Score
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Cited by
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References
0
Claims

Abstract

A system is for performing broken rail detection on a railway track. The system includes at least one locomotive and a monitoring entity. Each locomotive includes a receiver for receiving a track signal that is circulating in the railway track and a processing unit that is in communication with the receiver. The processing unit is operative for detecting a characteristic of the track signal and generating a signal indicative of a potential broken rail in response to a change in the characteristic of the track signal. The locomotive further includes a wireless transmitter for transmitting the signal indicative of a potential broken rail over a wireless communication link. The monitoring entity includes a receiver for receiving the signal indicative of a potential broken rail and a processing unit for detecting a broken rail at least in part on the basis of the signal indicative of a potential broken rail from the locomotive.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 33 . (canceled) 
   
   
       34 . A locomotive for travelling on a railway track, comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive a track signal circulating in the railway track;   a processor unit in communication with the receiver, the processor unit configured to: (a) detect a characteristic of the track signal; and (b) generate a signal indicative of a potential broken rail in response to a change in the characteristic of the track signal circulating in the railway track.   
   
   
       35 . The locomotive according to  claim 34 , wherein the characteristic includes presence of the track signal circulating in the railway track. 
   
   
       36 . The locomotive according to  claim 34 , wherein the characteristic includes a strength of the track signal circulating in the railway track. 
   
   
       37 . The locomotive according to  claim 34 , wherein the characteristic includes a signature of the track signal circulating in the railway track. 
   
   
       38 . The locomotive according to  claim 34 , further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit the track signal into the railway track. 
   
   
       39 . The locomotive according to  claim 38 , wherein the track signal includes a low frequency signal. 
   
   
       40 . The locomotive according to  claim 39 , wherein the track signal includes an audio signal. 
   
   
       41 . The locomotive according to  claim 38 , wherein the processor unit includes a signal generation unit in communication with the transmitter, the signal generation unit configured to select a frequency of the track signal. 
   
   
       42 . The locomotive according to  claim 41 , wherein the receiver is configured to select a frequency of track signals being detected. 
   
   
       43 . The locomotive according to  claim 34 , further comprising a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the signal indicative of a potential broken rail to a monitoring entity. 
   
   
       44 . The locomotive according to  claim 43 , wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to transmit, to the monitoring entity, information indicative of a location of the locomotive. 
   
   
       45 . The locomotive according to  claim 43 , further comprising a wireless receiver configured to receive signals from the monitoring entity. 
   
   
       46 . The locomotive according to  claim 45 , wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive railway track information from the monitoring entity. 
   
   
       47 . The locomotive according to  claim 46 , wherein the railway track information includes information indicative of at least one of: (a) a location of a shunt on the railway track; (b) a location of another locomotive on the railway track; and (c) a position of a switch on the railway track. 
   
   
       48 . The locomotive according to  claim 43 , wherein the signal indicative of a potential broken rail includes information associated with a portion of track surveyed by the locomotive. 
   
   
       49 . The locomotive according to  claim 45 , wherein the wireless transmitter and the wireless receiver are configured to communicate with the monitoring entity over an RF communication link. 
   
   
       50 . A system for performing broken rail detection on a railway track, comprising:
 at least one locomotive including:
 a receiver configured to receive a track signal circulating in the railway track; 
 a processor unit in communication with the receiver and configured to: (a) detect a characteristic of the track signal; and (b) generate a signal indicative of a potential broken rail in response to a change in the characteristic of the track signal circulating in the railway track; and 
 a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the signal indicative of a potential broken rail over a wireless communication link; and 
   a monitoring entity including:
 a receiver configured to receive the signal indicative of a potential broken rail from the locomotive; and 
 a processor unit configured to detect a broken rail at least in part in accordance with the signal indicative of a potential broken rail from the locomotive. 
   
   
   
       51 . The system according to  claim 50 , wherein the characteristic includes presence of the track signal circulating in the railway track. 
   
   
       52 . The system according to  claim 50 , wherein the characteristic includes a strength of the track signal circulating in the railway track. 
   
   
       53 . The system according to  claim 50 , wherein the characteristic includes a signature of the track signal circulating in the railway track. 
   
   
       54 . The system according to  claim 50 , wherein the locomotive includes a transmitter configured to transmit the track signal into the railway track. 
   
   
       55 . The system according to  claim 50 , wherein the wireless transmitter is further configured to transmit a signal indicative of a location of the locomotive to the monitoring entity. 
   
   
       56 . The system according to  claim 50 , wherein the locomotive includes a wireless receiver configured to receive signals from the monitoring entity. 
   
   
       57 . The system according to  claim 56 , wherein the wireless receiver is configured to receive railway track information from the monitoring entity. 
   
   
       58 . The system according to  claim 57 , wherein the railway track information includes information indicative of at least one of: (a) a location of a shunt on the railway track; (b) a location of another locomotive on the railway track; and (c) a position of a switch on the railway track. 
   
   
       59 . The system according to  claim 50 , wherein the signal indicative of a potential broken rail includes information associated with a portion of track surveyed by the locomotive. 
   
   
       60 . The system according to  claim 50 , wherein the monitoring entity is configured to initiate an action upon detection of a broken rail. 
   
   
       61 . The system according to  claim 60 , wherein the action includes sending a repair team to repair the broken rail. 
   
   
       62 . A monitoring entity for performing broken rail detection, comprising:
 a wireless receiver configured to receive a signal, indicative of a potential broken rail, from at least one locomotive;   a processor unit configured to detect a broken rail at least in part in accordance with the signal from the locomotive.   
   
   
       63 . The monitoring entity according to  claim 62 , wherein the signal indicative of a potential broken rail includes information indicative of a portion of track surveyed by the locomotive. 
   
   
       64 . The monitoring entity according to  claim 62 , further comprising a wireless transmitter configured to transmit railway track information to the locomotive. 
   
   
       65 . The monitoring entity according to  claim 64 , wherein the railway track information includes information indicative of at least one of: (a) a location of a shunt on the railway track; (b) a location of a locomotive on the railway track; and (c) a position of a switch on the railway track. 
   
   
       66 . A system for performing broken rail detection, comprising:
 a receiver mountable onboard a locomotive that travels on a railway track, the receiver configured to receive a track signal circulating in the railway track; and   a processor device configured to communicate with the receiver, the processor device configured to: (a) detect a characteristic of the track signal; and (b) generate a signal indicative of a potential broken rail in response to a change in the characteristic of the track signal circulating in the railway track.

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