Audio railway crossing detector
US5910929A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 10, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jun 8, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 10, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S367/909
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention, generally speaking, provides an acoustic railway crossing detector. The present invention provides a means of not only detecting the presence of a train, but it can determine speed and direction of travel. This allows a more adaptive control of the railway crossing gates and may reduce the nuisance factor of having the gate close too far in advance of the train reaching the crossing. It is also much less susceptible to false activation by natural causes or acts of vandalism. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an acoustic railway crossing detector includes at least one acoustic emitter; at least one acoustic detector; multiple reflectors arranged to reflect acoustic energy produced by an acoustic emitter toward an acoustic detector, and control circuitry coupled to an acoustic detector for producing an indication of whether or not a train is present.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.