Pilot vehicle which is useful for monitoring hazardous conditions on railroad tracks

Claim 1

A system for surveying railway tracks ahead of a train, said train being adapted to travel along said railway tracks, said system comprising: a pilot vehicle traveling along said railway tracks ahead of said train, said pilot vehicle including: drive means for propelling said pilot vehicle along said railway tracks; processing means for receiving position information and control signals transmitted by said train, said processing means processing said position information and control signals to determine a safe distance said pilot vehicle is to be disposed away from said train; drive control means operatively connected to said processing means and said drive means for maintaining said pilot vehicle at said safe distance from said train; television camera means mounted on said pilot vehicle at a front end of said pilot vehicle, said television camera means monitoring a visual scene presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks, said television camera means generating a video signal representative of said visual scene presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks; transmitter/receiver means connected to said television camera means to receive said video signal from said television camera means, said transmitter/receiver means including modulating means for modulating a first radio frequency signal responsive to said video signal and an antenna for transmitting said first radio frequency signal to said train; magnetic signature sensing means mounted on an underside of said pilot vehicle in proximity with a pair of rails of said railroad track, said magnetic signature sensing means measuring a magnetic field generated by a current flowing through at least one of said pair of rails of said railroad track, said magnetic signature sensing means generating a first electrical signal proportional to an intensity of said magnetic field; said processing means receiving said first electrical signal from said magnetic signature sensing means, said processing means generating a warning message whenever a voltage level of said first electrical signal decreases below a predetermined voltage level; said modulating means modulating a second radio frequency signal responsive to said warning message; said antenna transmitting said second radio frequency signal to said train; an infrared camera mounted on the front end of said pilot vehicle, said infrared camera monitoring an infrared scene presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks, said infrared camera generating a second electrical signal representative of said infrared scene presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks; said transmitter/receiver means being connected to said infrared camera to receive said second electrical signal from said infrared camera; said modulating means modulating a third radio frequency signal responsive to said second electrical signal; and said antenna transmitting said third radio frequency signal to said train.

Claim 2

A system for surveying railway tracks ahead of a train, said train being adapted to travel along said railway tracks, said system comprising: a pilot vehicle traveling along said railway tracks ahead of said train, said pilot vehicle including: drive means for propelling said pilot vehicle along said railway tracks; processing means for receiving position information and control signals transmitted by said train, said processing means processing said position information and control signals to determine a safe distance said pilot vehicle is to be disposed away from said train; drive control means operatively connected to said processing means and said drive means for maintaining said pilot vehicle at said safe distance from said train; television camera means mounted on said pilot vehicle at a front end of said pilot vehicle, said television camera means monitoring a visual scene presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks, said television camera means generating a video signal representative of said visual scene presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks; transmitter/receiver means connected to said television camera means to receive said video signal from said television camera means, said transmitter/receiver means including modulating means for modulating a first radio frequency signal responsive to said video signal and an antenna for transmitting said first radio frequency signal to said train; magnetic signature sensing means mounted on an underside of said pilot vehicle in proximity with a pair of rails of said railroad track, said magnetic signature sensing means measuring a magnetic field generated by a current flowing through at least one of said pair of rails of said railroad track, said magnetic signature sensing means generating a first electrical signal proportional to an intensity of said magnetic field; said processing means receiving said first electrical signal from said magnetic signature sensing means, said processing means generating a warning message whenever a voltage level of said first electrical signal decreases below a predetermined voltage level; said modulating means modulating a second radio frequency signal responsive to said warning message; said antenna transmitting said second radio frequency signal to said train; an infrared camera mounted on the front end of said pilot vehicle, said infrared camera monitoring an infrared scene presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks, said infrared camera generating a second electrical signal representative of said infrared scene presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks; said transmitter/receiver means being connected to said infrared camera to receive said second electrical signal from said infrared camera; said modulating means modulating a third radio frequency signal responsive to said second electrical signal; and said antenna transmitting said third radio frequency signal to said train.

Claim 10

A system for surveying railway tracks ahead of a train, said train being adapted to travel along said railway tracks, said system comprising: a pilot vehicle traveling along said railway tracks ahead of said train, said pilot vehicle including: drive means for propelling said pilot vehicle along said railway tracks; a computer for receiving position information and control signals transmitted by said train, said computer processing said position information and control signals to determine a safe distance said pilot vehicle is to be disposed away from said train; drive control means operatively connected to said computer and said drive means for maintaining said pilot vehicle at said safe distance from said train; a video camera mounted on said pilot vehicle at a front end of said pilot vehicle, said video camera monitoring a visual scene presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks, said video camera generating a video signal representative of said visual scene presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks; a transmitter/receiver module connected to said video camera to receive said video signal from said video camera, said transmitter/receiver module including a modulator for modulating a first radio frequency signal responsive to said video signal and an antenna for transmitting said first radio frequency signal to said train; a magnetic signature sensing system mounted on an underside of said pilot vehicle in proximity with a pair of rails of said railroad track, said magnetic signature sensing system measuring a magnetic field generated by a current flowing through at least one of said pair of rails of said railroad track, said magnetic signature sensing system generating a first electrical signal proportional to an intensity of said magnetic field; said computer receiving said first electrical signal from said magnetic signature sensing system, said computer generating a first warning message whenever a voltage level of said first electrical signal decreases below a predetermined voltage level; said modulator modulating a second radio frequency signal responsive to said first warning message; said antenna transmitting said second radio frequency signal to said train; an infrared camera mounted on the front end of said pilot vehicle, said infrared camera monitoring an infrared scene in darkness and under adverse weather conditions presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks, said infrared camera generating a second electrical signal representative of said infrared scene presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks; said transmitter/receiver module being connected to said infrared camera to receive said second electrical signal from said infrared camera; said modulator modulating a third radio frequency signal responsive to said second electrical signal; said antenna transmitting said third radio frequency signal to said train; an air sampling tube mounted on the front end of said pilot vehicle for sampling the atmosphere surrounding said pilot vehicle, said air sampling tube including a plurality of gas sensors, each of said gas sensors being adapted to sense for a presence of one of a plurality of noxious gas, said air sampling tube generating a third electrical signal whenever at least one of said gas sensors detects the presence of at least one of said plurality of noxious gases; said computer receiving said third electrical signal from said air sampling tube, said computer generating a second warning message; said modulator modulating a fourth radio frequency signal responsive to said second warning message; and said antenna transmitting said fourth radio frequency signal to said train.

Claim 11

A system for surveying railway tracks ahead of a train, said train being adapted to travel along said railway tracks, said system comprising: a pilot vehicle traveling along said railway tracks ahead of said train, said pilot vehicle including: drive means for propelling said pilot vehicle along said railway tracks; a computer for receiving position information and control signals transmitted by said train, said computer processing said position information and control signals to determine a safe distance said pilot vehicle is to be disposed away from said train; drive control means operatively connected to said computer and said drive means for maintaining said pilot vehicle at said safe distance from said train; a video camera mounted on said pilot vehicle at a front end of said pilot vehicle, said video camera monitoring a visual scene presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks, said video camera generating a video signal representative of said visual scene presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks; a transmitter/receiver module connected to said video camera to receive said video signal from said video camera, said transmitter/receiver module including a modulator for modulating a first radio frequency signal responsive to said video signal and an antenna for transmitting said first radio frequency signal to said train; a magnetic signature sensing system mounted on an underside of said pilot vehicle in proximity with a pair of rails of said railroad track, said magnetic signature sensing system measuring a magnetic field generated by a current flowing through at least one of said pair of rails of said railroad track, said magnetic signature sensing system generating a first electrical signal proportional to an intensity of said magnetic field; said computer receiving said first electrical signal from said magnetic signature sensing system, said computer generating a first warning message whenever a voltage level of said first electrical signal decreases below a predetermined voltage level; said modulator modulating a second radio frequency signal responsive to said first warning message; said antenna transmitting said second radio frequency signal to said train; an infrared camera mounted on the front end of said pilot vehicle, said infrared camera monitoring an infrared scene in darkness and under adverse weather conditions presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks, said infrared camera generating a second electrical signal representative of said infrared scene presented to said pilot vehicle as said pilot vehicle travels along said railway tracks; said transmitter/receiver module being connected to said infrared camera to receive said second electrical signal from said infrared camera; said modulator modulating a third radio frequency signal responsive to said second electrical signal; said antenna transmitting said third radio frequency signal to said train; an air sampling tube mounted on the front end of said pilot vehicle for sampling the atmosphere surrounding said pilot vehicle, said air sampling tube including a plurality of gas sensors, each of said gas sensors being adapted to sense for a presence of one of a plurality of noxious gas, said air sampling tube generating a third electrical signal whenever at least one of said gas sensors detects the presence of at least one of said plurality of noxious gases; said computer receiving said third electrical signal from said air sampling tube, said computer generating a second warning message; said modulator modulating a fourth radio frequency signal responsive to said second warning message; and said antenna transmitting said fourth radio frequency signal to said train.