Electronic processing apparatus and method for mounting an electric processing apparatus

Abstract

The invention describes an electronic processing apparatus ( 10 ) for determining railroad information, comprising a sensor adapted to provide a sensor signal representing a railroad property or a railroad event, a gateway adapted to communicate with the sensor and with a remote processing unit, and a mounting base ( 12 ) adapted to be fixedly mounted to a crosstie ( 14 ) of the railroad, wherein the mounting base ( 12 ) carries at least one electronic device ( 8 ) of the electronic processing apparatus ( 10 ).

1 . Electronic processing apparatus for determining railroad information, comprising:
 a sensor adapted to provide a sensor signal representing a railroad property or a railroad event and   a gateway adapted to communicate with the sensor and with a remote processing unit,   wherein   a mounting base is adapted to be fixedly mounted to a crosstie of the railroad, wherein the mounting base carries at bast one or more electronic device of the electronic processing apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein it further comprises one or more anchor elements having a first portion connected to or adapted to be connected to the mounting base and a second portion adapted to be inserted into a hole of a crosstie such as to be fixedly mounted to the crosstie. 
     
     
         3 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein it further comprises a curing material adapted to establish a material bonded connection between the anchor element and the crosstie and/or between the mounting base and the crosstie. 
     
     
         4 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the mounting base comprises a mounting plate, wherein a lower side of the mounting plate is adapted to be fixedly mounted onto an upper surface of a crosstie and an upper side of the mounting plate is carrying the one or more electronic device. 
     
     
         5 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a casing is mounted to the mounting base, wherein the one or more electronic device devices is accommodated within the casing. 
     
     
         6 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein it includes a plurality of sensors each being adapted to provide a sensor signal representing a railroad property or a railroad event, wherein all sensors are adapted to communicate with the same gateway. 
     
     
         7 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is adapted to detect a motion state of the railroad and/or a motion state of the crosstie. 
     
     
         8 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is rigidly mounted to the mounting base or to a sensor mounting body rigidly mounted to the mounting base, such that vibrations of the mounting base are transmitted to the sensor substantially without loss. 
     
     
         9 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is rigidly mounted, directly or via a sensor mounting body, to another railroad element, preferably to a rail, such that vibrations of the other railroad element are transmitted to the sensor substantially without loss. 
     
     
         10 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic processing apparatus is adapted to detect a time series of sensor signals, in particular a time series of motion states of the crosstie or a time series of motion states of another railroad element. 
     
     
         11 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic processing apparatus further comprises a wake-up/send-to-sleep unit adapted to switch the electronic processing apparatus between a ready state and a low-power consumption state according to predetermined conditions. 
     
     
         12 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the wake-up/send-to-sleep unit comprises a wake-up/send-to-sleep sensor for detecting a wake-up/send-to-sleep sensor signal, preferably a motion state of the crosstie, and wherein the wake-up/send-to-sleep unit is adapted to switch the electronic processing apparatus between the ready state and the low-power-consumption state based on detected wake-up/send-to-sleep sensor signal. 
     
     
         13 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the wake-up/send-to-sleep unit is adapted to switch the electronic processing apparatus between the ready state and the low-power-consumption state based on a wake-up/send-to-sleep sensor signal received from a clock or from a remote processing unit-R- 64  or from another electronic processing apparatus. 
     
     
         14 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the electronic processing apparatus further comprises a power source adapted for self-sustaining operation of the electronic processing apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein it further comprises an energy harvesting device adapted to generate electric power by collecting ambient energy from the surroundings, wherein the energy harvesting device is arranged to supply power to the gateway and/or the sensor. 
     
     
         16 . Electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the gateway comprises a wireless communication module adapted to send sensor data based on the sensor signal via a wireless communication, to the remote processing unit. 
     
     
         17 . System comprising
 a plurality of electronic processing apparatuses according to  claim 1 ,   a plurality of crossties, each of which having one or more of electronic processing apparatuses fixedly mounted thereto, and   a remote processing unit adapted to communicate with the plurality of electronic processing apparatuses to transmit sensor data and to derive railroad information from the sensor signals.   
     
     
         18 . Method for mounting an electronic processing apparatus according to  claim 1  to a crosstie of a railroad, comprising the steps of:
 drilling at least one hole in the crosstie, 
 introducing a curing material into the hole, 
 inserting an anchor element into the hole, wherein said anchor element is connected to the mounting base and/or the method further includes a step of connecting the mounting base to the anchor element). 
 
     
     
         19 . Method according to  claim 18 , further including a step of applying curing material to a lower surface of the mounting base and/or to a upper surface of the crosstie and establishing material bonded surface contact between the two surfaces via said curing material.