Signal Effectiveness Enhancement System

Abstract

The Signal Effectiveness Enhancement system utilizes audible warning apparatus to reduce the number of accidents due to rail-vehicle operators missing wayside signals. The system accomplishes this by monitoring the light patterns emanating from wayside signals to identify the displayed message such as: “stop” or “limit speed” and to detect faulty signal operation such as a “dark signal”. The system also tracks the speed of and the distance to approaching vehicles using a range measuring system located at the wayside signal or onboard the approaching vehicle. If the vehicle is complying with the displayed traffic control signal no action is taken. If the vehicle is approaching dangerously or if the signal is dark, the system triggers trackside sound generators located upstream from the wayside signal or triggers a warning system in the cab of the vehicle to gain the vehicle operator's attention.

1 . Signaling Effectiveness Enhancer for use in conjunction with a vehicle for transporting at least one individual along a fixed guideway, wherein the improvement comprises:
 at least one first sensor disposed within the vicinity of or at a preselected location for sensing information with respect to a vehicle as said vehicle approaches said preselected location and providing at least one first signal indicative of said information;   at least one first processor, said at least one first processor capable of analyzing said at least one first signal in order to provide at least one further second signal indicative of vehicle performance characteristics including at least a distance to said vehicle, a speed of said vehicle, and further information about said vehicle;   at least one second sensor, said second sensor disposed within the vicinity of or at said preselected location senses a pattern of visible light emanating from a wayside signal disposed within the vicinity of or at said preselected location, in order to provide at least one third signal carrying at least one code indicative of said pattern of visible light;   at least one second processor, said at least one second processor capable of an analysis of said at least one third signal using a predefined library containing at least one code indicative of a traffic control message and containing at least one code indicative of a wayside signal fault, a further fourth signal is provided for communicating at least one said traffic control message code, and a fifth signal is provided for communicating at least one said wayside signal fault code;   at least one third processor, said at least one third processor capable of carrying out an analysis of all of said wayside signal fault code received via at least one said fifth signal, said vehicle performance information received via said at least one second signal, said traffic control message code received via said at least one fourth signal, wherefrom to compute a variable Γ, if a magnitude of said Γ is less than or equal to 0.9 for the case of a traffic control message being displayed calling for a stop at or near said preselected location, said vehicle is approaching safely and hence no change in said vehicle's performance is required. Wherefore if said magnitude of said Γ exceeds 0.9 said third processor issues a sixth signal concerning at least one course of action in order to prevent an accident at or within the vicinity of said preselected location needs to be communicated to said at least one individual.   a fourth processor able to receive at least one said sixth signal from a communication device from at least one third processor, said fourth processor controls at least one sound generator, said at least one sound generator generates a sound indicative of said course of action to at least the prevention of accidents at or within the vicinity of said preselected location, said sound generator is aimed at said vehicle's cab in order to communicate through transparent windows of said cab to said at least one individual and is activated by said sixth signal when said vehicle performance information indicates that said vehicle's cab is at or in the vicinity of at least one of said sound generators installed substantially upstream from said preselected location in close proximity to the fixed guideway.   
     
     
         2 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said fourth processor is located within said vehicle receives at least one sixth signal from a communication device using an electronic transmitter and an electronic receiver in order to control a sound generator located in the cab of said vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said sound generators are omitted and the speed and range profile of each approaching vehicle along with the message displayed on the wayside signal is stored for later retrieval for analysis of each train operators performance or the performance of an automatic control system. 
     
     
         4 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a imaging light sensor located in the vicinity of the fixed guideway and upstream from a wayside signal, is imaging the wayside signal, in order to determine that said wayside signal is visible to individuals in the vehicle approaching the wayside signal. 
     
     
         5 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , whereby the range measurement is made by timing the two-way passage of a signal transmitted from the moving vehicle, received by a transponder mounted on the wayside signal, retransmitted to the approaching vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The system as claimed in  claim 5 , whereby a range measurement is made by timing the two-way passage of a signal transmitted from a moving vehicle approaching a second vehicle which is ahead of the moving vehicle, received by a transponder mounted on the rear of the vehicle traveling ahead and retransmitted to the following vehicle in order to determine if a rear-end collision could occur. 
     
     
         7 . The system as claimed in  claim 5 , whereby a range measurement is made by timing the two-way passage of a signal transmitted from a moving vehicle approaching a second vehicle which is ahead of the moving vehicle, received by a retroreflective device whereby said retroreflective device encodes a retransmitted pulse with an identification code unique to each equipped vehicle to permit determining the range to multiple vehicles ahead. 
     
     
         8 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , whereby a stop-at-half-the-distance-to-the wayside signal is being displayed by the wayside signal, a 10% buffer is provided for this case of the magnitude of Γ=0.45. 
     
     
         9 . The system as claimed in  claim 1 , whereby a range sensor to be used in conjunction with said range sensor located on the wayside signal, is scanning perpendicular to multiple fixed guideways, said range sensor is located in advance of the wayside signal to determine which of the multiple tracks is occupied.