Patent ID: 8596587

Claim:
A method for sensing objects within a rail grade crossing island, said method comprising: transmitting a radar signal into the rail grade crossing island from each of a plurality of radar devices such that each portion of the rail grade crossing island is monitored by at least two of the radar devices; detecting an object in the rail grade crossing island based on received signals corresponding to the transmissions associated with a first one of the at least two radar devices; verifying whether a second one of the at least two radar devices also detected that the object is in the rail grade crossing island based on received signals corresponding to the transmissions associated with the second one of the at least two radar devices; providing an indication of system degradation if the detection of the object by the first one of the at least two radar devices deviates from the detection of the object by the second one of the at least two radar devices beyond a defined threshold; and operating a gate control device associated with the rail grade crossing based on the detection of the object in the rail grade crossing island.