TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a liquid level alarming system for railway coaches and a method for indicating liquid level in the same. More particularly, the invention relates to a liquid level alarming system to be installed in water tanks that are placed in railway coaches.
BACKGROUND
The prior art describes various liquid level indication devices which have common applications in houses, apartments, clinics, hotels, lodges, restaurants, educational institutions and hostels having over head water tank, standpipes, wells of any size, shape and model. The water level indicators have been developed in order to prevent overflow, dry running and indicating liquid level in an empty tank to avoid wear and tear and production stoppage.
US Patent 4204203 describes a level indicator for a liquid contained in a reservoir, allowing the detection of whether the liquid level is above or below a predetermined minimum by simple, reliable and effective means. Another US Patent no. 5835018 titled as "Low water level indicator" provides a low water level indicator which offers automatic operation, easy installation, a visual alarm, and can be economically manufactured. US Publication no. 20040069694 relates to a "Fuel system including a water sensor, and a method of installing the water sensor in the fuel system".
In the present scenario of railways system, if we carefully observe, it requires the train crew members to physically check the water level inside each tank after certain intervals, and the tanks have to be manually refilled if any of them is empty and the same is accomplished through manual visual inspections. The refilling station lengths being very large thus make it almost impossible to monitor the empty tanks at every station. This manually operating system incurs huge labor cost because of manual inspections of each railway bogie .The water level inside the tank depends on its usage, the more the usage, the more rapidly the tank will get empty.
The problem to be solved is to provide advance information to the crew members in the train and at the refilling stations about coach parameters and water level status thereof and the problem is solved by providing a liquid level alarming system comprising a level sensor, level indicator, a controller, a wireless beacon and a means for communicating with the

wireless beacon to wirelessly transmit coach parameters and water level status to the crew members.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to an embodiment of the invention, a liquid level alarming system for a railway coach is provided which comprises: a liquid level sensor for sensing liquid level in a water tank of a coach; a controller operatively connected to the level sensor for receiving liquid level information from the level sensor; a level indicator operatively connected to the controller for providing an indication when the liquid level is below a preset level ; a wireless beacon operatively connected to the controller for receiving information from the controller in the form of electrical signals that the liquid level is below the preset level; and a means for communicating with the wireless beacon through radio frequency; wherein when the liquid level falls below the preset level, the controller triggers the level indicator and the wireless beacon, and the wireless beacon sends a signal to the said means providing it coach parameters and water level status.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the level indicator is a flash light which indicates to a crew member that the liquid level in the water tank is below the preset level.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the wireless beacon is enabled for communication with the said means through a short range directional wireless link.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the said means is a way side controller comprising: a beacon sensor; an RF telemetry device; and an electronic and control unit for connecting the beacon sensor and the RF telemetry device.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the beacon sensor is a short range wireless transceiver provided for receiving radio frequency signal from one or more wireless beacons.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the RF telemetry device receives radio signal from the beacon sensor and transmits the received beacon signal omni- directionally to an RF logger device for indicating the coach parameters and water level status to a crew member.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the RF logger device is capable of receiving information directly from the wireless beacon when the RF logger device is within a preset radio frequency range with the wireless beacon.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the RF logger device is connected to a display device for displaying the coach parameters and the water level status.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the said display device is provided on a handheld device.
According to an embodiment of the invention, said method comprising the steps of: sensing liquid level in a water tank of a railway coach using a liquid level sensor; receiving liquid level information from a level sensor through a controller; indicating that the liquid level is below a preset level through a level indicator; receiving information using a wireless beacon from a controller in the form of an electrical signal that the liquid level is below the preset level; sending information wirelessly using a wireless beacon that the liquid level is below the preset level; receiving information at a filling station using a means which recognizes location of the wireless beacon from which said signal is received.
According to an embodiment of the invention, said method comprises a step of informing a crew member that the liquid level is below the preset level.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the said method comprises a step of receiving radio signal from a beacon sensor and transmitting the received beacon signal from the wireless beacon omni- directionally to an RF logger device for indicating the coach parameters and the water level status to a crew member.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the method comprises directly transmitting water tank level information from the wireless beacon to an RF logger device when the RF logger device is within a preset radio frequency range with the wireless beacon.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the method comprises displaying the coach parameters and the water level status.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention depicting a liquid level alarming
system.
Figure 2 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention depicting the components of
the liquid level alarming system installed on a train.
Figure 3 illustrates another embodiment of the invention depicting a hand held device with a
display and an RF Logger device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention can be better understood by reading the following detailed description of some of the embodiments, with reference made to the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that a particular system embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. References are made to accompanying drawing in which its novel feature and advantages will be apparent.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a liquid level alarming system is provided as shown in figure 1. As shown, the system is installed in a train coach 1 which is composed of two set of water tanks 2 for each coach, distributed at the two ends of the coach. Each water tank 2 installed in the coach 1 comprises of a level indicator 4 and a level sensor 5. When the water level goes below a preset level, there is an indication to a controller 3 placed between the two water tanks 2 which is an aggregate of electronic components and performs the function of analyzing the tank conditions at regular intervals. The level sensor 5 is a user-friendly device capable of detecting/sensing minute changes in the liquid level of each tank in each coach and representing to the controller 3 as soon as the liquid level changes. The level indicator 4 is operatively connected to the controller 3 and is responsible for receiving information from the controller 3 and indicating through a visual flash light that the liquid level has gone beyond a preset level. The visual flash light can be in the form of an LED or a light bulb or a light tube. There is a wireless beacon 6 provided for receiving information from the controller 3 that the liquid level is below the preset level. The wireless beacon can send signals in any one of the forms such as: Radio Frequency, ultrasonic, infrared or magnetic for providing communication. This information in one of the above forms is sent
from the controller 3 to the said wireless beacon 6 in the form of electrical signals. Generally, the wireless beacon 6 is a transceiver at a known location, which transmits and/or receives a continuous or periodic radio signal with limited information content.
In another embodiment, an arrangement of few major components has been depicted on the train. As shown in figure 2 of the present invention, the wireless beacon 6 and level indicator 4 have been shown at the beginning and end of a rail coach for indicating the water level in the water tank of the coach. Further, figure 2 shows the structure of one of the means of communicating with the wireless beacon i.e. a way side controller 8 which comprises of a Beacon Sensor 7, Electronics and control unit 10 and RF Telemetry 9. The said way side controller 8 is installed adjacent to the track for communicating with the wireless beacon 6 through radio frequency signals. When the liquid level goes below the preset level, controller 3 triggers the level indicator 4 and the wireless beacon 6. On being triggered, the wireless beacon 6 sends a signal to the way side controller 8 providing it coach parameters i.e. the coach numbers which have the liquid levels below the preset level and the water level status in each of the respective coach. The beacon sensor 7 installed in the way side controller 8 is a short range transceiver provided for receiving radio frequency signals from one or more wireless beacons 6.
An RF telemetry device 9 is placed in the way side controller 8 for receiving radio signal from the beacon sensor 7 and for transmitting the received beacon signals in different directions for informing the crew members that the water level is below the preset level in one or more water tanks 2. A wireless telemetry working on radio frequency (with single point or multi- point communication) is usually equipped with monitoring systems which supervise conditions of power failure, water level, battery voltage, intrusion, etc. and it has chart recorders, alarm control panels, and data loggers used for the supervision.
In yet another embodiment, a handheld device along with a display device 13 is provided as shown in figure 3. Another means called an RF logger device 12 is connected to the display device 13 for displaying the railway coach numbers which the water tank 2 needs to be refilled. The handheld device with a display 13 can be a mobile phone with a keypad, and the device is kept with the railway authority for being informed of details of coach numbers and water level status in the water tanks 2. The handheld device 13 can communicate directly with the wireless beacon device 6 whenever it comes in the preset wireless range. The preset frequency range can be in the medium radio frequency range of 30 to 300 KHz. Now, the RF
Logger device 12 is meant for recording coach parameters of the train such as: coach numbers and the water tanks in each coach 1 in which the water level is below the preset level. This information is needed by the concerned railway authority at the time of refilling selective tanks in each coach and hence, avoids manual inspection of all the water tanks in each coach of the train.

I CLAIM:
1. A liquid level alarming system for a railway coach comprising:
a) a liquid level sensor for sensing liquid level in a water tank of a coach;
b) a controller operatively connected to the level sensor for receiving liquid level information from the level sensor;
c) a level indicator operatively connected to the controller for providing an indication when the liquid level is below a preset level;
d) a wireless beacon operatively connected to the controller for receiving information from the controller in the form of electrical signals that the liquid level is below the preset level; and
e) a means for communicating with the wireless beacon through radio frequency; wherein when the liquid level falls below the preset level, the controller triggers the level indicator and the wireless beacon, and the wireless beacon sends a signal to said means providing it coach parameters and water level status.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the level indicator is a flash light which indicates to a crew member that the liquid level in the water tank is below the preset level.
3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wireless beacon is enabled for communication with said means through a short range directional wireless link.
4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means is a way side controller comprising:
a beacon sensor;
an RF telemetry device; and
an electronic and control unit for connecting the beacon sensor and the RF telemetry
device.
5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the beacon sensor is a short range wireless
transceiver provided for receiving radio frequency signal from one or more wireless
beacons.
6. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the RF telemetry device receives radio signal from the beacon sensor and transmits the received beacon signal omnidirectionally to an RF logger device for indicating the coach parameters and water level status to a crew member.
7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the RF logger device is capable of receiving information directly from the wireless beacon when the RF logger device is within a preset radio frequency range with the wireless beacon.
8. The system as claimed in any one of the claims 6 or 7, wherein the RF logger device is connected to a display device for displaying the coach parameters and the water level status.
9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said display device is provided on a handheld device.
10. A method for indicating liquid level in a railway coach, said method comprising the steps of:
i) sensing liquid level in a water tank of a railway coach using a liquid level
sensor; ii) receiving liquid level information from a level sensor through a controller; iii) indicating that the liquid level is below a preset level through a level indicator; iv) receiving information using a wireless beacon from a controller in the form of
an electrical signal that the liquid level is below the preset level; v) sending information wirelessly using a wireless beacon that the liquid level is
below the preset level; vi) receiving information at a filling station using a means which recognizes
location of the wireless beacon from which said signal is received.
11. The method as claimed in claim 10, said method comprises a step of informing a crew member that the liquid level is below the preset level.
12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the method comprises a step of receiving radio signal from a beacon sensor and transmitting the received beacon signal omni-
directionally to an RF logger device for indicating the coach parameters and the water level status to a crew member.
13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the method comprises directly transmitting water tank level information from the wireless beacon to the RF logger device when the RF logger device is within a preset radio frequency range with the wireless beacon.
14. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the method comprises displaying the coach parameters and the water level status.
15. The liquid level alarming system for a railway coach and a method thereof substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.