Detection Systems, Inc.

Star Headlight & Lantern Co., Inc.

John A Malvaso

James E Berube

Pasquale L Amodio

A visual warning system for a railway vehicle, particularly a locomotive, to illuminate the tracks or the right of way (sometimes called a ditch). The system has a first lamp and a second lamp. The first lamp is driven by a first lamp driver responsive to a first pulse width modulated signal, and the second lamp driver is driven by a second lamp driver responsive to a second pulse width modulated signal. A controller produces the first and second pulse width modulated signals in which the duty cycle of the first and second pulse width modulated signals is varied between high and low levels to alternatively turn the first and second lamps approximately fully on and approximately fully off. To turn each lamp approximately fully on, the controller increases, step-wise, the duty cycle of the lamp's respective pulse width modulated signal from the low level to the high level. The system may further include a switch for operating a horn on the vehicle. When this switch is not depressed, the controller maintains both the first and second pulse width modulated signals at either the low or high duty cycle level. When the horn switch is depressed, the controller varies the first and second pulse width modulated signals between the low and high duty cycle levels to alternatively turn the first and second lamps approximately fully on and off, and then after the horn switch is released, continues alternating the first and second lamps approximately fully on and off for a predefined period.

Visual warning system for a railway vehicle

A security system having a communications link with a central control, including a local network responds: a) to central control when the central communications link is operational; and, b) to local control when the central communications link malfunctions. More specifically, the local network includes a plurality of receivers for detecting emergency communications, an alarm for issuing a perceptible warning and a local control. The local control notifies the central control when an emergency signal is detected and activates the alarm in response to direction from the central control. The local control also includes logic for directly activating the alarm when an emergency signal is detected and there is no response from central control. According to more specific features, the central control includes data for validating emergency signals and activates the alarm only after validation. The local control, on the other hand, activates the alarm without validation.

Security system with fall back to local control

A personal security system includes signaling transmitters and receivers for detecting the transmitted signals. The receivers provide an output representing the received signal strength, which is used in combination with the position of the receiver for locating the point of transmission. All of the transmitters are substantially identical, at least in their transmission characteristics and transmitted signal strength, but include a first portable set of transmitters intended to be carried by subscribers, and a second fixed set of transmitters associated with the receivers. The fixed transmitters are actuated one after another and the receivers are polled to record received signal strength after each transmission from each receiver. The results permit comparisons with expected values, between receivers and over time.

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Victor, NY, United States of America

John A Malvaso