Patent ID: 8909396

Claim:
A potential blocked rail crossing detection and notification system, said system comprising: a processing device; a communications interface communicatively coupled to said processing device and operable for facilitating communications between said processing device and at least one external device; at least one vehicle detection mechanism placed proximate to a rail grade crossing, said at least one vehicle detection mechanism communicatively coupled to said processing device and being continuously operable to provide one of a first signal and a second signal to said processing device, the first signal indicative of a presence of a vehicle within a defined area surrounding an intersection of a roadway and one or more railroad tracks, the second signal indicative of a non-presence of a vehicle within the defined area surrounding the intersection of the roadway and one or more railroad tracks; and said processing device being programmed to continuously communicate with the at least one external device, wherein the processing device is programmed to communicate the first signal to the external device when the first signal is provided by the at least one vehicle detection mechanism, and wherein the processing device is programmed to continuously communicate the second signal to the external device when the second signal is provided by the at least one vehicle detection mechanism.