Method and system for communicating data between a transmitter and a receiver via a physical transmission medium interposed there between, wherein the transmitter outputs over the transmission medium towards the receiver, a predefined precursor signal followed by a target signal carrying data packet. Based on the precursor signal received at the receiver, estimated values of actual electrical parameters of the physical transmission medium are computed via a predetermined model of the physical transmission medium, wherein the computed estimated values of the electrical parameters are indicative of a distortion caused by the physical transmission medium on the predefined precursor signal outputted by the transmitter. The data packets originally outputted by the transmitter are estimated based on the computed estimated values of the actual electrical parameters and on the target signal received at the receiver.

Aspects of the disclosed embodiments generally relate to railway track circuits, in particular track circuits with continued distance monitoring and broken rail protection.

A grade crossing control system includes a controller that receives start and end inputs corresponding to a train traversing an outer approach, determines the difference in time between the start and end inputs, and uses the difference in time to determine a delay period by which activation of a grade crossing warning system will be delayed following detection of the train by a track occupancy circuit in an inner approach in order to compensate for slow moving trains. The start and end inputs for the outer approach may be supplied in different ways including a separate track occupancy circuit for the outer approach, by train detection devices unconnected to the track at the start and end of the outer approach, or by overlapping track occupancy circuits positioned at the start of the outer and inner approaches.

A method of railroad track control includes partitioning a physical track block into a plurality of virtual track blocks, the physical track block defined by first and second insulated joints disposed at corresponding first and second ends of a length of railroad track. The presence of an electrical circuit discontinuity in one of the plurality of virtual track blocks; is detected and in response a corresponding virtual track block position code indicating the presence of the discontinuity in the one of the plurality of virtual track blocks is generated.

A method of railroad track control includes partitioning a physical track block into a plurality of virtual track blocks, the physical track block defined by first and second insulated joints disposed at corresponding first and second ends of a length of railroad track. The presence of an electrical circuit discontinuity in one of the plurality of virtual track blocks; is detected and in response a corresponding virtual track block position code indicating the presence of the discontinuity in the one of the plurality of virtual track blocks is generated.

A method of railroad track control includes partitioning a physical track block into a plurality of virtual track blocks, the physical track block defined by first and second insulated joints disposed at corresponding first and second ends of a length of railroad track. The presence of an electrical circuit discontinuity in one of the plurality of virtual track blocks; is detected and in response a corresponding virtual track block position code indicating the presence of the discontinuity in the one of the plurality of virtual track blocks is generated.

Aspects of the disclosed embodiments generally relate to railway track circuits, in particular track circuits with continued distance monitoring and broken rail protection.

Method, system and software code for calibrating a rail track circuit comprising a plurality of rails coupled to form a track section having a predefined length, a transmit processing unit coupled to the track section at a first end of the track section, and a receive processing unit coupled at the second end of the track section. A transfer function between a transmit voltage applied by the transmit processing unit at the track section and a resulting receive current detected at the receive processing unit is first determined and then applied to the rail track circuit for automatic initial calibration or recalibration.

A system for detecting the presence of a train on a railway track (1b) comprising a plurality of sections (2a, 2b, . . . , 2n), the system comprising: a transmitter (10b) arranged to emit a main signal towards the plurality of sections (2a, 2b, . . . , 2n); a plurality of selecting devices (14a, 14b, . . . , 14n) associated respectively to the plurality of sections (2a, 2b, . . . , 2n) along the railway track (1b) and arranged to selectively allow passage of said main signal towards respective sections of said plurality of sections (2a, 2b, . . . , 2n); a receiver (12b) arranged to receive the main signal after having passed through the plurality of sections (2a, 2b, . . . , 2n); a control unit (20) associated to said receiver (12b) arranged to perform an analysis of said received signal so as to detect the presence of a train on a predetermined section (2a, 2b, . . . , 2n) of said plurality of sections (2a, 2b, 2n).

System, method and portable device for analyzing signals travelling along track circuits of railway lines, wherein at least one antenna captures, in a contactless manner, a plurality of signals travelling along a track circuit, and a demodulator is adapted to separate into individual signals the plurality of signals captured by the antenna and selectively demodulate one or more of the captured signals. An interface is adapted for transferring, to a user interface, data indicative of the demodulated signals. Each demodulated signal is displayed on a screen for a user to trigger any needed corrective action.