Railroad Crossing Warning System

Abstract

A railroad crossing warning system and method that include an obstruction detection system establishing a surveillance zone at a railroad crossing configured to detect the presence of an obstruction on a railroad track. A communication system is configured to transmit a warning to a railroad operator when an obstruction is detected within the surveillance zone.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A railroad crossing warning system comprising:
 an obstruction detection system establishing a surveillance zone at a railroad crossing configured to detect the presence of an obstruction on a railroad track; and   a communication system configured to transmit a warning to a railroad operator when an obstruction is detected within the surveillance zone.   
     
     
         2 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 1 , wherein the obstruction detection system is configured to detect the presence of an obstruction within the surveillance zone exceeding a threshold period of time. 
     
     
         3 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 1 , wherein the obstruction detection system includes:
 one or more of:
 at least one light emitting source configured to transmit an optical signal; and 
 at least one non-light emitting source configured to transmit one or more of a radar signal and a combination of an optical signal and a radar signal 
   at least one optical receiving sensor configured to receive at least one of the optical signal, the radar signal, and the combination of an optical signal and a radar signal;   a processor couple with the at least one optical receiving sensor configured to determine that the optical receiving sensor has not received the optical signal from the light emitting source for a threshold period of time.   
     
     
         4 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one light emitting source includes one or more of an LED and a laser emitter. 
     
     
         5 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one optical receiving sensor includes one or more of a photodiode, a phototransistor, and a photovoltaic cell. 
     
     
         6 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 1 , wherein the obstruction detection system includes one or more LIDAR systems. 
     
     
         7 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 1 , further including an image capture system configured to capture an image of a detected obstruction. 
     
     
         8 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 7 , wherein the image capture system includes one or more of a still-image capture system and a video capture system. 
     
     
         9 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 7 , wherein the communication system is further configured to transmit the image of the detected obstruction. 
     
     
         10 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 7 , wherein the image capture system is configured to store the image of the detected obstruction. 
     
     
         11 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 1 , further including a control system configured to monitor operational status of the warning system. 
     
     
         12 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 11 , wherein the control system is configured to remotely reset the warning system. 
     
     
         13 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 11 , wherein the control system is configured to inhibit transmitting the warning when a train is proximate the surveillance zone. 
     
     
         14 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a power backup system configured to power the warning system in the event of an outage of a primary electrical supply. 
     
     
         15 . A railroad crossing warning system comprising:
 a plurality of light emitting sources configured to emit respective light beams across a respective plurality of portions of a railroad crossing;   one or more optical receivers configured receive the respective light beams;   a control system configured to determine an obstruction in the railroad crossing based upon, at least in part, a change in received light beams; and   a communication system configured to transmit an alert regarding the determined obstruction.   
     
     
         16 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of light emitting sources include a plurality of light emitting sources emitting respective light beams at different heights across the railroad crossing. 
     
     
         17 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 15 , wherein the communication system is configured to transmit the alert via one or more of a landline transmission, a cellular transmission, a satellite transmission, and a radio transmission. 
     
     
         18 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 15 , further comprising an image capture system configured to capture one or more of a digital picture and a video clip of at least a portion of the railroad crossing in response to the determined obstruction, and wherein the alert includes at least a portion of one or more of the digital picture and the video clip. 
     
     
         19 . The railroad crossing warning system according to  claim 15 , further comprising a battery backup providing electrical power in the event of an outage of a primary electrical source. 
     
     
         20 . A method for improving railroad crossing safety comprising:
 establishing a surveillance zone including at least a portion of a railroad crossing including:
 transmitting one or more light beams into at least a portion of the surveillance zone; 
 receiving the one or more light beams; and 
 determining the presence of an obstruction within the surveillance zone based upon, at least in part, the received one or more light beams; and 
   communicating the presence of the obstruction within the surveillance zone to one or more of a train heading toward the railroad crossing and a rail operations center responsible for the railroad crossing.