US 11,702,119 B2
Method for determining a status of a track section of a railroad; associated apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium
Jeffrey Fries, Grain Valley, MO (US); Chris Schuchmann, Melbourne, FL (US); Richard Lawson, Melbourne Beach, FL (US); Shawn Clark, Melbourne, FL (US); and John Ross, Melbourne, FL (US)
Assigned to ALSTOM Transport Technologies, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine (FR)
Filed by ALSTOM Transport Technologies, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine (FR)
Filed on May 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/316,361.
Prior Publication US 2022/0355841 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. B61L 25/06 (2006.01); G01V 3/02 (2006.01); G01N 27/04 (2006.01)
CPC B61L 25/06 (2013.01) [G01N 27/041 (2013.01); G01V 3/02 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for determining a status of a track section of a railroad, the track section comprising first and second ends, a first rail and a second rail, wherein the first end and the second end are electrically connected to a first detector and a second detector, respectively, and wherein the first and second detectors are in communication with at least one computer, the method comprising:
by the first detector, transmitting a first current along the first rail of the track section towards the second detector,
by the second detector, receiving the first current and transmitting a second current along the second rail of the track section toward the first detector,
by the first detector, receiving the second current,
by the at least one computer, calculating an instant value of the status of the track section as a function of an instant vector of measures that comprises:
a first coordinate corresponding to a measure of an intensity of the first current as measured by the first detector;
a second coordinate corresponding to a measure of an intensity of the second current as measured by the first detector; and
a third coordinate corresponding to a measure of an intensity of the second current as measured by the second detector.