Systems and methods for remote activation of railroad crossing signals

Abstract

A method for the remote activation of railroad crossing signals includes determining a physical location of a client system. The method further includes determining, from a plurality of records of railroad crossing signals, an eligible railroad crossing signal that is within a predetermined distance of the physical location of the client system. The method further includes sending identification information about the eligible railroad crossing signal to the client system. The method further includes receiving, from the client system, an indication of a user selection to activate the eligible railroad crossing signal. The method further includes sending an activation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal in response to receiving the indication of the user selection to activate the eligible railroad crossing signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A railroad crossing signal activation system comprising:
 one or more memory units configured to store a plurality of records of railroad crossing signals; and   one or more computer processors communicatively coupled to the one or more memory units and configured to:
 determine a physical location of a client system; 
 determine, from the plurality of records of railroad crossing signals, an eligible railroad crossing signal that is within a predetermined distance of the physical location of the client system; 
 send identification information about the eligible railroad crossing signal to the client system; 
 receive, from the client system, an indication of a user selection to activate the eligible railroad crossing signal; and 
 send an activation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal in response to receiving the indication of the user selection to activate the eligible railroad crossing signal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more computer processors are further configured to:
 continuously monitor a current physical location of the client system after sending the activation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal; and   send a deactivation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal when a distance between the eligible railroad crossing signal and the current physical location of the client system exceeds the predetermined distance.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more computer processors are further configured to:
 start a first timer upon sending the activation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal;   upon expiration of the first timer:
 start a second timer; 
 send one or more instructions to display a deactivation user interface on the client system, the deactivation user interface comprising:
 a first user-selectable element configured to continue activation of the eligible railroad crossing signal; 
 a second user-selectable element configured to deactivate the eligible railroad crossing signal; and 
 a visual indication of the second timer; 
 
   send a deactivation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal upon expiration of the second timer;   send the deactivation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal upon receiving an indication of selection of the second user-selectable element; and   restart the first timer upon receiving an indication of selection of the first user-selectable element.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more computer processors are further configured to:
 determine, from the plurality of records of railroad crossing signals, that no railroad crossing signals are within the predetermined distance of the physical location of the client system; and   in response to determining that no railroad crossing signals are within the predetermined distance of the physical location of the client system, send one or more instructions to display a message on the client system, the message indicating that no eligible railroad crossing signals are within range of the client system.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the physical location of the client system comprises latitude and longitude coordinates from a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit in the client system. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein determining the eligible railroad crossing signal that is within the predetermined distance of the physical location of the client system comprises comparing latitude and longitude coordinates stored in each of the plurality of records of railroad crossing signals to the latitude and longitude coordinates of the client system. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the identification information about the eligible railroad crossing signal comprises one or more of:
 a street name associated with the eligible railroad crossing signal;   a Department of Transportation (DOT) identification number of the eligible railroad crossing signal; and   a unique asset identification number of the eligible railroad crossing signal.   
     
     
         8 . A method by a computing system for the remote activation of railroad crossing signals, the method comprising:
 determining a physical location of a client system;   determining, from a plurality of records of railroad crossing signals, an eligible railroad crossing signal that is within a predetermined distance of the physical location of the client system;   sending identification information about the eligible railroad crossing signal to the client system;   receiving, from the client system, an indication of a user selection to activate the eligible railroad crossing signal; and   sending an activation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal in response to receiving the indication of the user selection to activate the eligible railroad crossing signal.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 continuously monitoring a current physical location of the client system after sending the activation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal; and   sending a deactivation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal when a distance between the eligible railroad crossing signal and the current physical location of the client system exceeds the predetermined distance.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 starting a first timer upon sending the activation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal;   upon expiration of the first timer:
 starting a second timer; 
 sending one or more instructions to display a deactivation user interface on the client system, the deactivation user interface comprising:
 a first user-selectable element configured to continue activation of the eligible railroad crossing signal; 
 a second user-selectable element configured to deactivate the eligible railroad crossing signal; and 
 a visual indication of the second timer; 
 
   sending a deactivation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal upon expiration of the second timer;   sending the deactivation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal upon receiving an indication of selection of the second user-selectable element; and   restarting the first timer upon receiving an indication of selection of the first user-selectable element.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 determining, from the plurality of records of railroad crossing signals, that no railroad crossing signals are within the predetermined distance of the physical location of the client system; and   in response to determining that no railroad crossing signals are within the predetermined distance of the physical location of the client system, sending one or more instructions to display a message on the client system, the message indicating that no eligible railroad crossing signals are within range of the client system.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the physical location of the client system comprises latitude and longitude coordinates from a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit in the client system. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein determining the eligible railroad crossing signal that is within the predetermined distance of the physical location of the client system comprises comparing latitude and longitude coordinates stored in each of the plurality of records of railroad crossing signals to the latitude and longitude coordinates of the client system. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the identification information about the eligible railroad crossing signal comprises one or more of:
 a street name associated with the eligible railroad crossing signal;   a Department of Transportation (DOT) identification number of the eligible railroad crossing signal; and   a unique asset identification number of the eligible railroad crossing signal.   
     
     
         15 . One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 determining a physical location of a client system;   determining, from a plurality of records of railroad crossing signals, an eligible railroad crossing signal that is within a predetermined distance of the physical location of the client system;   sending identification information about the eligible railroad crossing signal to the client system;   receiving, from the client system, an indication of a user selection to activate the eligible railroad crossing signal; and   sending an activation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal in response to receiving the indication of the user selection to activate the eligible railroad crossing signal.   
     
     
         16 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 continuously monitoring a current physical location of the client system after sending the activation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal; and   sending a deactivation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal when a distance between the eligible railroad crossing signal and the current physical location of the client system exceeds the predetermined distance.   
     
     
         17 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 starting a first timer upon sending the activation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal;   upon expiration of the first timer:
 starting a second timer; 
 sending one or more instructions to display a deactivation user interface on the client system, the deactivation user interface comprising:
 a first user-selectable element configured to continue activation of the eligible railroad crossing signal; 
 a second user-selectable element configured to deactivate the eligible railroad crossing signal; and 
 a visual indication of the second timer; 
 
   sending a deactivation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal upon expiration of the second timer;   sending the deactivation signal to the eligible railroad crossing signal upon receiving an indication of selection of the second user-selectable element; and   restarting the first timer upon receiving an indication of selection of the first user-selectable element.   
     
     
         18 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 determining, from the plurality of records of railroad crossing signals, that no railroad crossing signals are within the predetermined distance of the physical location of the client system; and   in response to determining that no railroad crossing signals are within the predetermined distance of the physical location of the client system, sending one or more instructions to display a message on the client system, the message indicating that no eligible railroad crossing signals are within range of the client system.   
     
     
         19 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 15 , wherein the physical location of the client system comprises latitude and longitude coordinates from a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit in the client system. 
     
     
         20 . The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of  claim 19 , wherein determining the eligible railroad crossing signal that is within the predetermined distance of the physical location of the client system comprises comparing latitude and longitude coordinates stored in each of the plurality of records of railroad crossing signals to the latitude and longitude coordinates of the client system.