System and method for railway right-of-way occupancy detection

Abstract

A rail crossing occupancy detection system and method includes a plurality of LIDAR sensors operable to detect objects in one or more areas of interest within a field of interest, such as the areas including and surrounding a rail crossing, station, platform, or other railway right-of-way area. The field of interest is divided into one or more areas of interest, with one or more LIDAR sensors positioned to detect the presence of one or more objects within each of the one or more areas and to provide alerts based on the detection and behavior of the objects such as movement or other parameters associated with the objects.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows: 
     
         1 . A system for railroad right-of-way occupancy detection, comprising:
 one or more LIDAR sensors operable to detect one or more objects of interest in a field of interest; and   logic and control circuitry in communication with the LIDAR sensors, wherein the logic and control circuitry is operable to determine information associated with the one or more detected objects within the field of interest.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the field of interest comprises one or more areas of interest. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the fields of view of the one or more LIDAR sensors overlap with the one or more areas of interest. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the field of interest comprises an at-grade crossing, a station, a platform, a bridge, a tunnel, other railroad right-of-way area, area adjacent to a railroad right-of-way area, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the one or more detected objects comprises behaviors of interest. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein behaviors of interest comprises velocity, direction, location, duration, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the logic and control circuitry is further operable to generate alerts, generate notifications, generate an event log, and combinations thereof upon detection of an object. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the logic and control circuitry is configured to detect a crossing gate malfunction. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the logic and control circuitry is configured to detect a vehicle incursion into the field of interest. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the logic and control circuitry is configured to detect an object entering and/or exiting the field of interest. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the logic and control circuitry is configured to detect a near-miss of a train with an object. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the logic and control circuitry is configured to detect a collision of a train with an object. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the logic and control circuitry is configured to detect loitering of an object within the field of interest. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the logic and control circuitry is configured to detect a suspicious object within the field of interest. 
     
     
         15 . A method of railroad right-of-way occupancy detection, comprising:
 providing one or more LIDAR sensors operable to detect one or more objects of interest in a field of interest; and   providing logic and control circuitry in communication with the LIDAR sensors, wherein the logic and control circuitry is operable to determine information associated with the one or more detected objects within the field of interest.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the field of interest comprises one or more areas of interest. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the fields of view of the one or more LIDAR sensors are arranged to overlap with the one or more areas of interest. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the field of interest comprises an at-grade crossing, a station, a platform, a bridge, a tunnel, or other railroad right-of-way. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the information associated with the one or more detected objects comprises behaviors of interest.