EP-4735323-A1 - HAZARD ALERT SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS

Abstract

Disclosed is a rail vehicle detection and warning system for providing a warning alert. The system comprises at least one rail vehicle detection unit comprising at least one rail vehicle detector for detecting an approaching rail vehicle based on a rail vehicle signal; at least one warning alert unit, and at least one control unit. The warning alert unit is configured to provide the warning alert in response to the rail vehicle detector sensing the rail vehicle signal. Through a feedback loop between the control unit and the warning alert unit, the system is configured to determine if the warning alert unit is in a safe state indicating that the warning alert unit is functioning or an unsafe state indicating that the warning alert unit is not functioning.

Inventors

• MOLYNEUX, JASON
• Molyneux, Keith

Assignees

• Efficiency Ups Ltd

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20240607

Claims (20)

1. 1. A rail vehicle detection and warning system for providing a warning alert, the system comprising: at least one rail vehicle detection unit comprising at least one rail vehicle detector for detecting an approaching rail vehicle based on a rail vehicle signal; at least one warning alert unit, and at least one control unit, wherein the warning alert unit is configured to provide the warning alert in response to the rail vehicle detector sensing the rail vehicle signal, wherein, through a feedback loop between the control unit and the warning alert unit, the system is configured to determine if the warning alert unit is in a safe state indicating that the warning alert unit is functioning or an unsafe state indicating that the warning alert unit is not functioning.
2. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the warning alert unit comprises at least one alert generator for generating the warning alert and at least one alert detector for detecting the warning alert, wherein the warning alert unit is configured to output, from the at least one alert generator, a predetermined control signal alert corresponding to the warning alert, wherein, the system is configured to determine, dependent on the predetermined control signal alert being detected by the at least one alert detector, that the warning alert unit is in the safe state.
3. 3. The system according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein, through an additional feedback loop between the control unit and the rail vehicle detection unit, the system is configured to determine if the rail vehicle detection unit is in a safe state indicating that the rail vehicle detection unit is functioning or an unsafe state indicating that the rail vehicle detection unit is not functioning.
4. 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the rail vehicle detection unit comprises at least one rail vehicle generator for generating a predetermined control rail vehicle signal, wherein the rail vehicle detection unit is configured to output, from the at least one rail vehicle generator, a predetermined control rail vehicle signal corresponding to the rail vehicle signal, wherein, the system is configured to determine, dependent on the predetermined control rail vehicle signal being detected by the at least one rail vehicle detector, that the rail vehicle detection unit is in the safe state.
5. 5. The system according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the control unit is configured to output an alert trigger signal to the warning alert unit to trigger the warning alert unit to output the predetermined control signal alert.
6. 6. The system according to claim 4 and claim 5 when dependent on claim 4, wherein the control unit is configured to output a rail vehicle trigger signal to the rail vehicle detection unit to trigger the rail vehicle detection unit to output the predetermined control rail vehicle signal.
7. 7. The system according to either of claims 5 or 6, wherein, through at least one control feedback loop between the control unit and the warning alert unit and/or the control unit and the rail vehicle detection unit, the system is configured to determine if the respective warning alert unit and/or rail vehicle detection unit is in a safe state indicating that communication between the control unit and the respective warning alert unit and/or rail vehicle detection unit is functioning or an unsafe state indicating that communication between the control unit and the respective warning alert unit and/or rail vehicle detection unit is not functioning.
8. 8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the system is configured to determine, dependent on the alert trigger signal and/or the rail vehicle trigger signal from the control unit being received by the warning alert unit and/or the rail vehicle detection unit respectively within a predetermined timescale, that the respective warning alert unit and/or rail vehicle detection unit is in the safe state.
9. 9. The system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system is configured to determine that the system is in an overall safe state when no rail vehicle has been detected and the warning alert unit and the rail vehicle detection unit are in the safe state, or an overall unsafe state when an approaching rail vehicle has been detected and/or at least one of the warning alert unit and the rail vehicle detection unit are in the unsafe state.
10. 10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the system is configured to communicate the overall state of the system to the warning alert unit such that the warning alert unit provides the warning alert when the rail vehicle detection unit and/or another warning alert unit is in an unsafe state.
11. 11. The system according to either of claims 9 or 10, the system is configured such that the at least one warning alert unit is removable from operating in the system without the system being considered to be in an overall unsafe state.
12. 12. The system according to any of claims 9-11, wherein the system is configured to communicate with equipment such that, if the overall state of the system is unsafe and/or the warning alert has been provided, the equipment stops working or moves autonomously to a position of safety.
13. 13. The system according to any of claims 9-12, wherein the system is configured to receive additional and/or remote information from external sources in at least one external feedback loop for triggering an overall unsafe state in the system.
14. 14. The system according to any of claims 1-13, wherein the system is configured to function without requiring any external information and/or any other safety or signalling system.
15. 15. The system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system is configured to be installed or is installable in an area where work is being carried out.
16. 16. The system according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one rail vehicle detector is configured to detect the rail vehicle at a distance sufficient to provide suitable warning time.
17. 17. The system according to any preceding claim, wherein the feedback loop, the additional feedback loop, the at least one control feedback loop, and/or the at least one external feedback loop is continuous.
18. 18. The system according to any preceding claim, wherein the warning alert comprises at least one of audible, visual, electric, electromagnetic, electronic, digital and/or tactile alerts.
19. 19. The system according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one warning alert unit has a power source and the system is configured such that, if the warning alert unit is in an unsafe state, the warning alert unit has enough power from the power source to produce the warning alert.
20. 20. A method of detecting a rail vehicle and providing a warning alert, the method comprising: detecting an approaching rail vehicle based on a rail vehicle signal sensed by at least one rail vehicle detector of at least one rail vehicle detection unit; providing a warning alert from at least one warning alert unit in response to the rail vehicle detector sensing the rail vehicle signal, and determining if the warning alert unit is in a safe state indicating that the warning alert unit is functioning or an unsafe state indicating that the warning alert unit is not functioning based on a feedback loop between a control unit and the warning alert unit.

Description

Hazard Alert System for Railways Field This invention relates to a hazard detection and warning system and a method of detecting a hazard and providing a warning alert. More particularly, the invention relates to a rail vehicle (e.g. train) detection and warning system and a method of detecting a rail vehicle (e.g. train) and providing a warning alert. Background Maintenance and construction may need to be carried out on railways in areas where trains are still running on the railways tracks (i.e. a live railway). This avoids railway tracks being closed for the maintenance causing excessive disruption to the train network. However, due to the trains running on the track, a person or persons (e.g. track workers) on the railway may be exposed to unsafe working environments in which near miss incidents and fatalities occur. In other words, approaching trains (including any items/vehicles moving along the rails, such as a trolley or road rail vehicle) may be considered a hazard to the track workers. Manual detection and warning may be a method used when railway track work (e.g. maintenance) has to be performed on tracks on which trains are operating. One or more of the track workers have to supervise the track at a remote location relative to the work location, and inform (e.g. call) their colleagues working at the work location if a train should appear. There are methods available to detect the presence of an approaching train as a hazard. Furthermore, there are methods available to alert workers of approaching trains. It is desired to improve safety for the track workers as well as reduce set up time for the safety equipment and reduce closure time of the railway. The present invention seeks to overcome or ameliorate at least some of the problems associated with the known art. This background serves only to set a scene to allow a skilled reader to better appreciate the following description. Therefore, none of the above discussion should necessarily be taken as an acknowledgement that that discussion is part of the state of the art or is common general knowledge. One or more aspects/embodiments of the disclosure may or may not address one or more of the background issues. Summary According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a rail vehicle detection and warning system for providing a warning alert, the system comprising: at least one rail vehicle detection unit comprising at least one rail vehicle detector for detecting an approaching rail vehicle based on a rail vehicle signal; at least one warning alert unit, and at least one control unit, wherein the warning alert unit is configured to provide the warning alert in response to the rail vehicle detector sensing the rail vehicle signal, wherein, through a feedback loop between the control unit and the warning alert unit, the system is configured to determine if the warning alert unit is in a safe state indicating that the warning alert unit is functioning or an unsafe state indicating that the warning alert unit is not functioning. Advantages include improving worker safety when working on the railway (e.g. improving reliability of the safety system), and reducing the time required to establish protection methods as part of the declared safe system of work on the railway (e.g. improving the ratio of ‘set up time’ to ‘time on tools’). The warning alert may be provided when the at least one warning alert unit is determined to be in the unsafe state. The system may comprise a plurality of warning alert units. The control unit may be configured to determine if the warning alert unit is in the safe state or the unsafe state. The control unit may be separate to the warning alert unit and/or the rail vehicle detection unit or at least part of the control unit may be considered to form part of or be within the warning alert unit and/or rail vehicle detection unit. The control unit may comprise at least one signal processor. The control unit may comprise at least one data acquisition signal processor. The control unit may comprise a computing apparatus. The computing apparatus may comprise a processing apparatus for processing of data. The processing apparatus may comprise a central processing unit (CPU). The computing apparatus may also include a hard drive and other components of a PC including RAM, ROM, a data bus, an operating system including various device drivers, and hardware devices. The rail vehicle detection unit (e.g. the control unit at the rail vehicle detection unit) may comprise a signal processor arranged for receiving the rail vehicle signal from the at least one rail vehicle detection unit and determining if an approaching rail vehicle has been detected based on the rail vehicle signal. The rail vehicle detection unit (e.g. the control unit) may be configured to determine, dependent on the rail vehicle signal being detected by the at least one rail vehicle detector, that the rail vehicle detection unit is in an unsafe state ind