Vehicle detector unit, vehicle detector system and a method for detecting presence of a vehicle on a rail

Abstract

A vehicle detector unit for detecting presence of a vehicle moving along a rail, including a distance sensor for sensing a body of the vehicle, a rail translation sensor for sensing translation of the rail, a rail torsion sensor for sensing torsion of the rail, and a processor adapted to process data received from the distance sensor, the rail translation sensor and the rail torsion sensor, whereby the processor applies an algorithm to said data to determine whether to output an alert signal.

1 . A vehicle detector unit for detecting presence of a vehicle moving along a rail, including a distance sensor for sensing a body of the vehicle, a rail translation sensor for sensing translation of the rail, a rail torsion sensor for sensing torsion of the rail, and a processor adapted to process data received from the distance sensor, the rail translation sensor and the rail torsion sensor, whereby the processor applies an algorithm to said data to determine whether to output an alert signal. 
     
     
         2 . A vehicle detector unit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the processor applies said algorithm to detect uncorrelated data received from the distance sensor, the rail translation sensor and the rail torsion sensor to distinguish between a dangerous event, in which case the vehicle detector unit outputs an alert signal, and a non-dangerous event, whereby the processor identifies a non-dangerous event in response to detecting uncorrelated data, and the processor identifies a dangerous event in response to detecting correlated data. 
     
     
         3 . A vehicle detector unit as claimed in  claim 1  , wherein the processor is arranged to detect possible degradation of operation of the vehicle detector unit when greater than a predetermined threshold of non-dangerous events are detected within a predetermined period and the absence of detecting a dangerous event. 
     
     
         4 . A vehicle detector unit as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the vehicle detector unit outputs an error signal in response to detecting possible degradation of operation of the vehicle detector unit. 
     
     
         5 . A vehicle detector unit as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the processor is arranged to detect correlated data when there is consistency between data received from the distance sensor, the rail translation sensor and the rail torsion sensor to indicate presence of a vehicle moving along the rail, based on the threshold values for each of the sensors. 
     
     
         6 . A vehicle detector unit as claim in  claim 5 , wherein the processor is arranged to detect correlated data for fast short vehicles and slow long vehicles on the rail, and to detect uncorrelated data for wind-blown debris, dust, rain and the like. 
     
     
         7 . A vehicle detector unit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the processor is arranged to distinguish presence of vehicles on adjacent tracks from presence of vehicles on said rail. 
     
     
         8 . A vehicle detector unit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the distance sensor is in the form of an ultrasonic sensor. 
     
     
         9 . A vehicle detector unit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the rail translation sensor is in the form of an accelerometer. 
     
     
         10 . A vehicle detector unit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the rail torsion sensor is in the form of a gyroscopic sensor. 
     
     
         11 . A vehicle detector unit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle detector unit includes base for passing beneath said rail, a first clamp which is fixed relative to the base for clamping one side of the rail, and a second clamp which is selectively movable relative to the base for clamping an opposite side of the rail. 
     
     
         12 . A vehicle detector unit as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the second clamp is selectively held in place relative to the base by operation of a releasable fastener. 
     
     
         13 . A vehicle detector system for detecting presence of a vehicle moving along a rail relative to a work site, said system including a pair of vehicle detector units at spaced locations along the rail, a first one of the vehicle detector units being located in one direction from the work site and a second one of the vehicle detector units being located in an opposite direction from the work site, each of the vehicle detector units being a vehicle detector unit as claimed in  claim 1 , said system further including a site warning unit located at the work site, wherein the site warning unit is in communication with the vehicle detector units, and the site warning unit outputs audible and/or visual alerts in response to an alert signal received from either of the vehicle detector units. 
     
     
         14 . A vehicle detector system as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the site warning unit is in communication with the vehicle detector units by way of radio communication. 
     
     
         15 . A method for detecting presence of a vehicle on a rail, said method including the steps of:
 using a distance sensor for sensing a body of the vehicle,   using a rail translation sensor for sensing translation of the rail,   using a rail torsion sensor for sensing torsion of the rail, and   processing data received from the distance sensor, the rail translation sensor and the rail torsion sensor, whereby an algorithm is applied to said data to determine whether to output an alert signal.   
     
     
         16 - 18 . (canceled)