US 12,304,538 B2
Railway safety notification system and device with proportional warnings
Brad Cross, McLeansboro, IL (US); Destry Diefenbach, Benton, IL (US); Pete Ksycki, McLeansboro, IL (US); and Nicholas Freed, Thompsonville, IL (US)
Assigned to STC, Inc., McLeansboro, IL (US)
Filed by STC, INC., McLeansboro, IL (US)
Filed on Oct. 22, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/077,899.
Application 17/077,899 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/027,700, filed on Jul. 5, 2018, granted, now 11,827,257.
Application 16/027,700 is a continuation of application No. 15/370,655, filed on Dec. 6, 2016, granted, now 10,029,716.
Application 15/370,655 is a continuation of application No. 13/652,217, filed on Oct. 15, 2012, granted, now 9,542,852, issued on Jan. 10, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/924,513, filed on Oct. 22, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/924,522, filed on Oct. 22, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/547,387, filed on Oct. 14, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2021/0107542 A1, Apr. 15, 2021
Int. Cl. B61L 23/06 (2006.01); B61L 15/00 (2006.01); B61L 23/34 (2006.01); B61L 25/02 (2006.01); G08G 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC B61L 23/06 (2013.01) [B61L 15/0027 (2013.01); B61L 23/34 (2013.01); B61L 25/021 (2013.01); B61L 25/025 (2013.01); G08G 9/00 (2013.01); B61L 2205/04 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for alerting a worker to potential danger, the method comprising:
equipping a worker with a personal notification unit (PNU);
equipping a vehicle with a vehicle communication unit (VCU);
establishing a work zone where workers are potentially in danger from an approaching vehicle;
establishing a safe zone where workers are not in danger from an approaching vehicle;
said VCU transmitting vehicle information, said vehicle information including at least one of a speed of said vehicle, a direction of travel of said vehicle, an estimated time of arrival of said vehicle to a predetermined point, or a location of said vehicle relative said work zone, to said PNU;
said PNU determining if said PNU is within said work zone or said safe zone upon receiving said vehicle information;
if said determining determines said PNU is within said safe zone, said PNU not issuing an alert to said worker; and
if said determining determines said PNU is within said work zone:
said PNU determining a level of danger said worker equipped with said PNU is in from said vehicle based at least in part on said vehicle information; and
said PNU issuing an alert to said worker, said alert being proportional to said level of danger; and
said PNU ceasing said alert if said PNU is determined to move from said work zone to said safe zone.