Wireless crossing warning activation and monitoring

1. A railroad crossing control system comprising:

a communication system configured to wirelessly communicate with a crossing activation device communication system;

at least one crossing traffic control element; and

a crossing controller in communication with the communication system and the at least one crossing traffic control element, the crossing controller being configured to:

check a message received at the communication system to determine whether the message is a valid vital communication;

in response to determining the message is the valid vital communication, deactivate the at least one crossing traffic control element;

while the at least one crossing traffic control element is deactivated, activate the at least one crossing traffic control element in response to receiving a command to activate the at least one crossing traffic control element at the communication system; and

in response to determining the message is not the valid vital communication, activate the at least one crossing traffic control element.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the crossing controller is further configured to:

determine that a message timer has elapsed; and

in response to determining that the message timer has elapsed, activate the at least one crossing traffic control element.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the crossing controller is further configured to reset a message timer in response to determining the message is the valid vital communication.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the crossing controller is configured to check the message received at the communication system to determine whether the message is the valid vital communication by a process comprising:

determining the message was sent by the crossing activation device communication system; and

determining the message is uncoruppted.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the crossing controller is configured to check the message received at the communication system to determine whether the message is the valid vital communication by a process comprising:

determining whether the message contains a predetermined code; and

in response to determining the message does not contain the predetermined code, determining the message is not the valid vital communication.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the process further comprises:

in response to determining the message contains the predetermined code, determining the message is the valid vital communication.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the process further comprises:

determining whether the message contains an expected counter value; and

in response to determining the message does not contain the expected counter value, determining the message is not the valid vital communication.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the process further comprises:

in response to determining the message contains the predetermined code and the expected counter value, determining the message is the valid vital communication.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one crossing traffic control element comprises a visual alert device, an audible alert device, a traffic restriction device, or a combination thereof.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the crossing controller is further configured to:

determine diagnostic information for the at least one crossing traffic control element; and

respond, by the communication system, to the message with a response message including the diagnostic information.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication system, the at least one traffic control element, and the crossing controller are coupled to a same power source.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

the crossing activation device communication system configured to send the message to the communication system; and

a crossing activation device in communication with the crossing activation device communication system, the crossing activation device being configured to:

generate the message; and

generate the command,

wherein the crossing activation device and the crossing activation device communication system are housed separately from the communication system, the at least one traffic control element, and the crossing controller.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the crossing activation device and the crossing activation device communication system are coupled to a different power source from a power source to which the communication system, the at least one traffic control element, and the crossing controller are coupled.

14. A railroad crossing control method comprising:

wirelessly receiving, by a communication system, a message;

checking, by a crossing controller, the message to determine whether the message is a valid vital communication;

in response to determining the message is the valid vital communication, deactivating, by the crossing controller, at least one crossing traffic control element;

while the at least one crossing traffic control element is deactivated, activating, by the crossing controller, the at least one crossing traffic control element in response to receiving a command to activate the at least one crossing traffic control element at the communication system; and

in response to determining the message is not the valid vital communication, activating, by the crossing controller, the at least one crossing traffic control element.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining, by the crossing controller, that a message timer has elapsed; and

in response to determining that the message timer has elapsed, activating, by the crossing controller, the at least one crossing traffic control element.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising resetting, by the crossing controller, a message timer in response to determining the message is the valid vital communication.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the checking comprises:

determining the message was sent by the crossing activation device communication system; and

determining the message is uncoruppted.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the checking comprises:

determining whether the message contains a predetermined code; and

in response to determining the message does not contain the predetermined code, determining the message is not the valid vital communication.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the checking further comprises:

in response to determining the message contains the predetermined code, determining the message is the valid vital communication.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the checking further comprises:

determining whether the message contains an expected counter value; and

in response to determining the message does not contain the expected counter value, determining the message is not the valid vital communication.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the checking further comprises:

in response to determining the message contains the predetermined code and the expected counter value, determining the message is the valid vital communication.

22. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining, by the crossing controller, diagnostic information for the at least one crossing traffic control element; and

responding, by the communication system, to the message with a response message including the diagnostic information.