Railway switches and signals – Grade-crossing track protection – Automatic
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-13
2003-09-16
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Railway switches and signals
Grade-crossing track protection
Automatic
Reexamination Certificate
active
06619593
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety systems that provide warning signals, in particular to safety systems that provide signals that provide warnings of on-coming trains approaching a nearby railroad highway intersection, and more particularly pertains to a “silent” warning system which alerts the operator of a vehicle when a train is approaching an railroad highway intersection without substantially increasing the ambient noise level of the surrounding neighborhood.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Noise has long been recognized as an environmental “pollutant” which can significantly compromise the quality of life in a number of ways, such as directly disturbing sleep and by interfering with daily activities. Furthermore, it is well established in the medical community, that prolonged exposure to excessive noise levels can lead to significant losses in hearing. Therefore, for at least these reasons, it is no surprise that neighborhood communities throughout the United States have established a variety of noise abatement programs that are explicitly designed to reduce the amounts of excessive ambient noise levels escaping into these neighborhood environments. Much success in reducing unwanted noise in neighborhoods near freeways has been achieved by simply erecting large walls that either reflect away or absorb freeway noise in order to minimize the ambient noise levels found in those surrounding neighborhoods. Innovative strategies, such as, restrictive placement of airports and even limiting the operating times an airport, have also proven to be effective strategies in minimizing unwanted noise levels in the surrounding neighborhoods. Unfortunately, little or no efforts has been attempted to limit the enhanced noise levels associated with the various warning systems used by railroad train systems to warn of their impending approach into railroad highway intersections. Time honored warning systems, such as, using train whistles or cross buck bell clangs to warn motorist have traditionally been an accepted nuisance to the non-motorist residents in the nearby adjacent communities. As a consequence, trains whistles may blow and train intersection cross bucks may clang at all hours of the day or night, and as a result adversely affect the quality of life and even lower the property values of the surrounding neighborhoods.
A number of different strategies have been implemented in the hopes of limiting ambient noise levels, however many of these strategies have simultaneously created a number of very undesirable consequences. For instance, present day automobile manufacturers are building soundproof vehicles so that the motoring consumer becomes effectively isolated from exterior audible sound sources. As a consequence, this trend in producing better sound proofed motor vehicles is likely to lead to more accidents because the motorist are likely to be unable to hear a given warning signal, such as not hearing a warning from a train whistle nor hear the incessant cross bucks clanging at a given railroad highway intersection. This noise avoidance strategy maybe further frustrated when operating various emergency vehicles because these vehicles themselves contribute to significant amounts of noise to the surrounding environment due to their blaring sirens. As a consequence of enabling sirens to emit loud warning signals, the emergency vehicle itself enhances the likelihood of creating a hazardous road condition because the siren noise coupled with the sound proof insulation of the emergency vehicle effectively blocks any other external noises from alerting the emergency vehicle motorist of any other external audible warning signal.
Since there are several hundred thousand railroad roadway intersections that exist in the United States, it is undisputed that it is important to provide a reliable and accurate means of warning motorist of an approaching train to prevent accidents. A 1975 study prepared for the U.S. Department for Transportation entitled “Feasibility Study of In-Vehicle Warning System”(DOT HS-801 569) confirms the importance of warning motorist by indicating that there are approximately 12,000 railroad crossing accidents annually. These train-motor vehicle accidents result in a tremendous cost to our society in terms of loss of lives, medical payments and increased expenses to railroads. These accidents occur even though these intersections are equipped with a conventional “cross buck” warning bell and light mounted pole that is expensive to build and to maintain. Furthermore, because of the expense in building and maintaining these “cross buck” warning systems, it has been estimated that well over one hundred thousand railroad roadway intersections in the United States alone have no warning system what so ever. As a consequence, approaching trains must blare their whistles in order to warn any nearby motorist of their imminent approach into these unprotected intersections. Therefore, to overcoming the technical drawbacks of the prior systems, there is a significant economic need for a simple, economic and reliable railroad crossing warning device.
The radio warning system for hazard avoidance disclosed by Smith in U.S. Pat. No. 6,160,493 provides a transmitter that calculates and subsequently transmits a digital radio data signal to a receiver which in turn deconvolutes this digital radio data signal and subsequently alerts the user of a potential hazardous condition through the use of an audible, visual or tactile alarm. Because the Smith disclosure necessarily requires relatively elaborate and sophisticated electronics to generate and eventually translate this digital radio data signal, the economic affordability of the Smith device is likely to limit acceptance of this device. In addition, due to the complexity of the electronic devices, the Smith disclosure may also be prone to frequent failures.
The train warning system disclosed by Ferrari in U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,213 provides a compact wireless railroad/highway crossing safety warning system that actively alerts motor vehicles operators and locomotive operators to potentially dangerous route conditions that may arise at a railroad intersection where the Ferrari disclosed invention is installed. Ferrari disclosure would require that at each railroad crossing intersection a pressure sensor, as well as, a beacon transmitter must be installed so that the pressure sensor can detect the on-coming train and subsequently activate the beacon so that the beacon can transmit a warning signal to any nearby vehicle that has a responsive receivers. Therefore, for the Ferrari disclosure to be an effective safety alert system in America's railroad system, every railroad crossing intersection in America would have this equipment installed at or near each intersection. As a consequence, the Ferrari disclosure suffers a number of serious drawbacks, in particular, the Ferrari disclosure appears to be economically infeasible due to the projected expenses in providing the necessary equipment as well as installing the equipment at each railroad intersection in America. Furthermore, the Ferrari disclosure also suffers from an inherent disadvantage of being prone to having vandals who could disrupt the installed equipment at any given railroad intersection.
The wireless train proximity alert system disclosed by Shirkey and Casella in U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,982 includes a transmitter mounted onto a train communicating to a crossing-based transceiver for receiving the transmitter signal that in turn communicates a warning signal to a vehicle-based receiver. Therefore, for the Shirkey and Casella disclosure to be an effective safety alert system in America's railroad system, every railroad crossing intersection in America would have this equipment installed at or near each intersection. As a consequence, the Shirkey and Casella disclosure suffers a number of serious drawbacks, in particular, the Shirkey and Casella disclosure appears to be economically infeasible due to the project
McCarry, Jr. Robert J.
Morano S. Joseph
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