Systems and methods for controlling a railroad crossing gate

Abstract

A method of controlling a gate system located at a railroad crossing includes receiving a track selection signal indicative of a service request to disable operation of the gate system. The method further includes receiving track status data indicating operational safety conditions for a segment of a track corresponding to the gate system. The method further includes determining whether the gate system satisfies predefined safety criteria based on the track status data. The method further includes determining whether to grant the service request based on whether the gate system satisfies the predefined safety criteria. The method further includes providing the service request to a dispatch server and receiving an approval message indicating to disable the operation of the gate system. The method further includes providing, to a controller configured to operate the one or more components of the gate system, instructions indicating to disable the operation of the gate system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for controlling one or more components of a gate system located at a railroad crossing, comprising:
 a jumper panel located in an equipment enclosure, the jumper panel comprising:
 a selection interface configured to receive a selection of a segment of a track that corresponds to the one or more components of the gate system, where the selection of the segment is indicative of a service request to disable operation of the one or more components of the gate system, 
 one or more memories, and 
 a plurality of processors; 
   a computing device, communicatively coupled to the plurality of processors, the computing device comprising a memory and a processor; and   a controller, communicatively coupled to the computing device, the controller configured to operate the one or more components of the gate system,   wherein the plurality of processors of the jumper panel are to perform the following operations:
 receive, by at least one processor of the plurality of processors, a track selection signal indicative of the service request to disable operation of the one or more components of the gate system, 
 receive, by the at least one processor and from the computing device, track status data indicating operational safety conditions for the selected segment of the track, 
 determine, by each of the plurality of processors, whether the one or more components of the gate system satisfy predefined safety criteria based on the track status data, 
 determine, by each of the plurality of processors, whether to grant the service request based on whether the one or more components of the gate system satisfy the predefined safety criteria, and 
 in response to determining to grant the service request, transmit, by the at least one processor, the service request to the computing device, and 
   wherein the processor of the computing device is to:
 provide the service request to a dispatch server, 
 receive an approval message from the dispatch server indicating to disable the operation of the one or more components of the gate system, and 
 provide, to the controller, instructions indicating to disable the operation of the one or more components of the gate system. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor of the computing device is further to:
 receive a message indicating that the operation of the at least one component of the one or more components of the gate system is to be re-enabled, the message being received based on expiration of a predefined timer indicating a maximum permissible duration for completing a maintenance task associated with the service request, and   provide, to the controller, instructions indicating to re-enable the operation of the one or more components of the gate system.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of processors of the jumper panel include a first processor and a second processor, and wherein the first processor and the second processor, when determining whether to grant the service request, are to:
 determine, by the first processor, to grant the service request,   determine, by the second processor, to grant the service request,   compare, by the first processor and the second processor, a decision of the first processor to grant the service request and a decision of the second processor to grant the service request, and   grant, by the first processor and the second processor, the service request based on the first processor and the second processor independently determining to grant the service request.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of processors of the jumper panel include a first processor and a second processor, and wherein the first processor and the second processor, when determining whether to grant the service request, are to:
 determine, by the first processor, to grant the service request,   determine, by the second processor, to deny the service request,   compare, by the first processor and the second processor, a decision of the first processor to grant the service request and a decision of the second processor to deny the service request,   deny, by the first processor and the second processor, the service request based on the first processor and the second processor independently determining different grant-denial decisions, and   perform, by at least one of the first processor and the second processor, one or more actions to report and/or correct an error that caused the first processor and the second processor to determine different grant-denial decisions.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of processors of the jumper panel include a first processor and a second processor, and wherein the first processor and the second processor, when determining whether to grant the service request, are to:
 determine, by the first processor, to deny the service request,   determine, by the second processor, to deny the service request,   compare, by the first processor and the second processor, a decision of the first processor to deny the service request and a decision of the second processor to deny the service request, and   deny, by the first processor and the second processor, the service request based on the first processor and the second processor independently determining to deny the service request.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the selection interface is a user interface that displays a selectable representation of the segment of the track in a manner that depicts a relative geographic location of the segment relative to geographic locations of other segments of other tracks which are also selectable via the user interface. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of processors are further to:
 authenticate a maintenance worker submitting the service request; and   wherein each of the plurality of processors, when determining whether to grant the service request, are to:
 determine whether to grant the service request based on whether the authentication is successful. 
   
     
     
         8 . A method of controlling one or more components of a gate system located at a railroad crossing, the method comprising:
 receiving, by at least one processor of a plurality of processors of a jumper panel located in an equipment enclosure, a track selection signal indicative of a service request to disable operation of the one or more components of the gate system;   receiving, by the at least one of processor, track status data indicating operational safety conditions for a segment of track corresponding to the one or more components of the gate system;   determining, by each of the plurality of processors, whether the one or more components of the gate system satisfy predefined safety criteria based on the track status data;   determining, by each of the plurality of processors, whether to grant the service request based on whether the one or more components of the gate system satisfy the predefined safety criteria;   providing, by the at least one processor, the service request to a dispatch server;   receiving, by the at least one processor, an approval message from the dispatch server, the approval message indicating to disable the operation of the one or more components of the gate system; and   providing, by the at least one processor and to a controller configured to operate the one or more components of the gate system, instructions indicating to disable the operation of the one or more components of the gate system, the instructions to cause the controller to disable the operation of the one or more components of the gate system.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the dispatch server, a message indicating that the operation of the at least one component of the one or more components of the gate system is to be re-enabled, the message being received based on expiration of a predefined timer indicating a maximum permissible duration for completing a maintenance task associated with the service request, and   providing, to the controller, instructions indicating to re-enable the operation of the one or more components of the gate system.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of processors of the jumper panel include a first processor and a second processor, and wherein determining whether to grant the service request comprises:
 determining, by the first processor, to grant the service request,   determining, by the second processor, to grant the service request,   comparing, by the first processor and the second processor, a decision of the first processor to grant the service request and a decision of the second processor to grant the service request, and   granting, by the first processor and the second processor, the service request based on the first processor and the second processor independently determining to grant the service request.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of processors of the jumper panel include a first processor and a second processor, and wherein determining whether to grant the service request comprises:
 determining, by the first processor, to grant the service request,   determining, by the second processor, to deny the service request,   comparing, by the first processor and the second processor, a decision of the first processor to grant the service request and a decision of the second processor to deny the service request,   denying, by the first processor and the second processor, the service request based on the first processor and the second processor independently determining different grant-denial decisions, and   performing, by at least one of the first processor and the second processor, one or more actions to report and/or correct an error that caused the first processor and the second processor to determine different grant-denial decisions.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of processors of the jumper panel include a first processor and a second processor, and wherein determining whether to grant the service request comprises:
 determining, by the first processor, to deny the service request,   determining, by the second processor, to deny the service request,   comparing, by the first processor and the second processor, a decision of the first processor to deny the service request and a decision of the second processor to deny the service request, and   denying, by the first processor and the second processor, the service request based on the first processor and the second processor independently determining to deny the service request.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 providing, for display on a user interface of the jumper panel, a selectable representation of the segment of the track in a manner that depicts a relative geographic location of the segment relative to geographic locations of other segments of other tracks which are also selectable via the user interface.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 authenticating, by each of the plurality of processors, a maintenance worker submitting the service request; and   wherein determining whether to grant the service request comprises:
 determining whether to grant the service request based on whether the authentication is successful. 
   
     
     
         15 . A method of controlling one or more components of a gate system located at a railroad crossing, the method comprising:
 receiving, by at least one processor of a plurality of processors of a jumper panel located in an equipment enclosure, a track selection signal indicative of a service request to disable operation of the one or more components of the gate system;   receiving, by at least one of the plurality of processors, track condition data from one or more track monitoring devices;   determining, by the at least one processor, track status data indicating operational safety conditions for a segment of track corresponding to the one or more components of the gate system, the track status data being determined based on the track condition data;   determining, by each of the plurality of processors, whether the one or more components of the gate system satisfy predefined safety criteria based on the track status data;   determining, by each of the plurality of processors, whether to grant the service request based on whether the one or more components of the gate system satisfy the predefined safety criteria;   providing, by the at least one processor, the service request to a dispatch server;   receiving, by the at least one processor, an approval message from the dispatch server, the approval message indicating to disable the operation of the one or more components of the gate system; and   providing, by the at least one processor and to a controller configured to operate the one or more components of the gate system, instructions indicating to disable the operation of the one or more components of the gate system.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving, by at least one of the plurality of processors, a message from the dispatch server indicating that the operation of the at least one component of the one or more components of the gate system is to be re-enabled, and   providing, by at least one of the plurality of processors, instructions indicating to re-enable the operation of the one or more components of the gate system.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of processors of the jumper panel include a first processor and a second processor, and wherein determining whether to grant the service request comprises:
 determining, by the first processor, to grant the service request,   determining, by the second processor, to deny the service request,   comparing, by the first processor and the second processor, a decision of the first processor to grant the service request and a decision of the second processor to deny the service request,   denying, by the first processor and the second processor, the service request based on the first processor and the second processor independently determining different grant-denial decisions, and   performing, by at least one of the first processor and the second processor, one or more actions to report and/or correct an error that caused the first processor and the second processor to determine different grant-denial decisions.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of processors of the jumper panel include a first processor and a second processor, and wherein determining whether to grant the service request comprises:
 determining, by the first processor, to deny the service request,   determining, by the second processor, to deny the service request,   comparing, by the first processor and the second processor, a decision of the first processor to deny the service request and a decision of the second processor to deny the service request, and   denying, by the first processor and the second processor, the service request based on the first processor and the second processor independently determining to deny the service request.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of processors includes a first processor, a second processor, and a third processor, and wherein determining whether to grant the service request comprises:
 determining, by the first processor and the second processor, to grant the service request,   determining, by the third processor, to deny the service request,   comparing, by each processor, an independently computed determination as to whether to grant or deny the service request, and   granting, by the first, second, and third processor, the service request based on a majority of said processors determining to grant the service request.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 providing, for display on a user interface of the jumper panel, a selectable representation of the segment of the track in a manner that depicts a relative geographic location of the segment relative to geographic locations of other segments of other tracks which are also selectable via the user interface.