System for grade crossing accident mitigation

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for accident mitigation at a grade crossing of a railway and a highway. One or more gates are selectively horizontally movable to block the highway such that vehicles are blocked from entering the grade crossing, or alternately movable to unblock the highway yet concurrently then block vehicles from exiting the grade crossing onto the railway without impacting at least one gate. Alternately, one or more highway-gates are selectively vertically movable to block or unblock the highway and one or more railway-gates are vertically movable to guard or unguard the railway such that a vehicle cannot exit the grade crossing onto the railway without impacting a railway-gate.

1 . A method for accident mitigation at a grade crossing of a railway and a highway, comprising: 
 when desired to prevent a vehicle from entering the grade crossing, moving at least one gate horizontally to block the highway; and    when desired to permit said vehicle to enter and pass through the grade crossing, moving said at least one gate horizontally to unblock the highway and instead guard the railway such that said vehicle cannot exit the grade crossing onto the railway without impacting a said gate.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 sensing if a said gate is impacted and producing an alarm signal; and    communicating said alarm signal to warn a human or an automated system.    
   
   
       3 . An apparatus for accident mitigation at a grade crossing of a railway and a highway, comprising at least one gate that is selectively horizontally movable to block the highway such that a vehicle thereon is blocked from entering the grade crossing and to alternately unblock the highway such that said vehicle is permitted to enter and pass through the grade crossing yet concurrently blocked from exiting the grade crossing onto the railway without impacting a said gate.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising at least one gate moving mechanism that is a member of the set consisting of electric, pneumatic, and hydraulic motors, to horizontally move at least one said gate.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 at least one sensor for sensing if a said gate is impacted; and    an alarm system responsive to said at least one sensor for producing an alarm signal to warn a human or an automated system.    
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said at least one gate includes warning indicia to visibly emphasize the presence there of to a driver of said vehicle, thereby reducing the likelihood that said driver will accidentally impact their said vehicle with a said gate.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said warning indicia include at least one member of the set consisting of a colors, marking patterns, reflectors, and lights.  
   
   
       8 . A system for accident mitigation at a grade crossing of a railway and a highway, comprising: 
 at least one gate means to selectively horizontally move to block the highway when it is desired to prevent a vehicle from entering the grade crossing; and    said at least one gate means further to horizontally move to unblock the highway and instead blockably guard the railway such that said vehicle cannot exit the grade crossing onto the railway without impacting a said gate.    
   
   
       9 . A method for accident mitigation at a grade crossing of a railway and a highway, comprising: 
 when desired to prevent a vehicle from entering the grade crossing, moving at least one highway-gate vertically to block the highway such that said vehicle cannot enter the grade crossing and, essentially contemporaneously, moving at least one railway-gate vertically to unblock the railway such that a train can enter and pass through the grade crossing; and    when desired to permit said vehicle to pass through the grade crossing, moving said at least one said highway-gate vertically to unblock the highway such that said vehicle can enter and pass through the grade crossing and, essentially contemporaneously, moving said at least one said railway-gate vertically to blockably guard the railway such that a said vehicle cannot exit the grade crossing onto the railway without impacting a said railway-gate.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 sensing if a said highway-gate or a said railway-gate is impacted and producing an alarm signal; and    communicating said alarm signal to warn a human or an automated system.    
   
   
       11 . An apparatus for accident mitigation at a grade crossing of a railway and a highway, comprising: 
 at least one highway-gate that is selectively vertically movable to block the highway such that said vehicle thereon is blocked from entering the grade crossing and alternately to unblock the highway such that said vehicle is permitted to enter and pass through the grade crossing; and    at least one railway-gate that is selectively vertically movable to unblock the railway such that a train can enter and pass through the grade crossing and alternately to blockably guard the railway such that a said vehicle cannot exit the grade crossing onto the railway without impacting a said railway-gate.    
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein: 
 said at least one highway-gate is positionably raised or lowered;    said at least one railway-gate is positionably raised or lowered; and    said highway-gates and said railway-gates are, essentially contemporaneously, alternately raised or lowered such that one is, or is being, raised while the other is, or is being, lowered.    
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one gate moving mechanism that is a member of the set consisting of electric, pneumatic, and hydraulic motors, to horizontally move at least one of said at least one highway-gate and said at least one railway-gate.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said at least one gate moving mechanism includes a counter-balance to offset the work required to move a said highway-gate by the weight of a said railway-gate or to offset the work required to move a said railway-gate by the weight of a said highway-gate.    
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 at least one sensor for sensing if a said highway-gate or a said railway-gate is impacted; and    an alarm system responsive to said at least one sensor for producing an alarm signal to warn a human or an automated system.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of said highway-gates or said railway-gates includes warning indicia to visibly emphasize the presence thereof to a driver of said vehicle, thereby reducing the likelihood that said driver will accidentally impact their said vehicle with a said highway-gate or a said railway-gate.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said warning indicia include at least one member of the set consisting of a colors, marking patterns, reflectors, and lights.  
   
   
       18 . A system for accident mitigation at a grade crossing of a railway and a highway, comprising: 
 at least one highway-gate means to selectively vertically move to block the highway when it is desired to prevent a vehicle from entering the grade crossing and to vertically move to unblock the highway when it is desired to permit said vehicle to enter and pass through the grade crossing; and    at least one railway-gate means to selectively vertically move to blockably guard the railway such that said vehicle cannot exit the grade crossing onto the railway without impacting a said railway-gate.