Track worker safety information system and method
In a method of operating a system for announcing the presence of one or more individuals on or near a pathway to an operator of a vehicle traveling on the pathway, each of a number of data readers positioned along the pathway receives data input by the one or more individuals. In response to each data reader receiving the data input, a unique subset of a number of lamps, also positioned along the pathway, is caused to illuminate. The system includes a computer network that controls the operation of the lamps in response to the input of data.
1. A computer-implemented method for providing warning notifications about one or more track workers along a track, the method comprising:
detecting presence of the one or more track workers along the track via a network of detectors coupled to a communications network; and
controlling broadcast of one or more human-perceivable indications across the communications network to one or more broadcast units based on the presence of the track workers.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the presence of the one or more track workers comprises detecting one or more devices on the one or more track workers.
3. The method of claim 1 , comprising detecting the presence of at least one train on the track.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the one or more human-perceivable indications comprises generating a visual indication or an audible indication.
5. The method of claim 4 , comprising generating the visual indication as a flashing light at the one or more broadcast units.
6. The method of claim 4 , comprising generating the audible indication as an audible message at the one or more broadcast units.
7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising alerting a train operator within the one or more trains using the visual indication.
8. The method of claim 7 , comprising generating the visual indication in a vicinity of the one or more track workers or in a vicinity of the one or more trains such that the visual indication is noticeable by the one or more track workers or the train operator.
9. The method of claim 8 , comprising controlling the visual indication based on movement of the one or more track worker or the one or more trains.
10. The method of claim 1 , comprising generating a human-perceivable indication to the one or more track workers confirming detection of the presence of the one or more track workers.
11. The method of claim 10 , comprising generating a caution message as part of the human-perceivable indication.
12. The method of claim 5 , comprising controlling the frequency of the flashing light.
13. The method of claim 6 , comprising generating one of a pre-recorded or a live message as part of the audible message.
14. The method of claim 1 , comprising selecting some or all of the broadcast units for output of the one or more human-perceivable indications.
15. A system for providing notification of the presence of one or more track workers along a track, the system comprising:
one or more identification readers situated along a length of the track and operative for reading one or more identification tags carried by the one or more track workers;
one or more beacons situated along the length of the track for broadcasting notifications regarding the location of the one or more track workers along the track; and
a communication network linking the tag readers and the beacons to a processor controlled data processing system.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein at least one identification reader includes a human machine interface to allow one of the track workers to input data into the data processing system.
17. The system of claim 15 , further comprising one or more broadcast units, each broadcast unit integrating at least one identification reader and at least one beacon.
18. The system of claim 17 , each broadcast unit is networked via the communication network and controlled by the data processing system.
19. The system of claim 15 , wherein each beacon includes means for providing a visual indication, an audible indication, or both.
20. The system of claim 15 , wherein each identification reader includes means to confirm identification of the one or more track workers.
21. The system of claim 15 , wherein more than one beacon broadcasts the notifications.
22. The system of claim 15 , wherein the communication network is a wired communication network, a wireless communication network, or a combination of a wired and wireless communication network.
23. The system of claim 15 , wherein the communication network is a wired communication network comprising one or more of the following: network-based communication, optics-based communication, and cable-based communication.