Vehicle guidance system employing radio blocking

In a guidance system for guiding a plurality of vehicles along a traffic layout divided into a plurality of traffic control blocks, the combination comprising:

• identification means for each of said blocks which provide a unique identifying signal for each block;
• and vehicle control means for each vehicle including heading means for directing the vehicle along the traffic layout, input means for receiving the identifying signals for each block as the vehicle passes adjacent to the identification means for the blocks, means responsive to identifying signals received by said input means for generating position signals indicative of the location to the vehicle along the traffic layout, each position signal comprising a binary coded signal identifying the block in which the vehicle is located, timing means operable when enabled to generate a plurality of binary coded timing signals which define and identify a plurality of time channels, certain ones of said time channels being associated with different ones of said blocks, enabling means including a comparator circuit for comparing one of said position signals with said timing signals and for generating an enabling signal during at least one of said time channels, identified by a coded timing signal corresponding to said one position signal, and transmitter means responsive to said enabling signal to generate a presence signal representative of the location of the vehicle along the traffic layout.

In a guidance system for guiding a plurality of vehicles along a traffic layout divided into a plurality of traffic control blocks, the combination comprising:

• path defining means for defining said traffic layout;
• identification means for each of said blocks which provide a unique identifying signal for each block;
• and a control system for each vehicle including heading means responsive to said path defining means for directing said vehicle along said traffic layout;
• input means for receiving different ones of said identifying signals in response to movement of the vehicle adjacent to different ones of said identification means;
• each vehicle control system including control means operable when enabled to respond to said input means and provide a position signal indicative of the location of said vehicle along said traffic layout;
• synchronizing means at a control location for periodically generating a synchronizing signal which is transmitted to all of the vehicles;
• each vehicle control system further including timing means responsive to said synchronizing signal for generating a plurality of timing signals which define a plurality of time slots, different ones of said time slots being assigned to different ones of said blocks, transmitter means for each vehicle responsive to the position signal provided by its associated control means to transmit a presence signal during a time slot indicative of the block in which the vehicle is located, receiver means for each vehicle for receiving the presence signals transmitted by other vehicles, and hold means responsive to said position signal and a received presence signal to halt the vehicle in its movement into a given block during the period another vehicle is transmitting a presence signal indicative of its presence in a block having a predetermined relation to said given block.

In a guidance system for guiding a plurality of vehicles along a traffic layout divided into a plurality of traffic control blocks, the combination comprising:

• path defining means for defining said traffic layout;
• identification means for each of said blocks which provide a unique identifying signal for each block;
• and a control system for each vehicle including heading means responsive to said path defining means for directing said vehicle along said traffic layout;
• input means including sensing means for sensing said identifying signals as said vehicle enters the associated block, encoder means responsive to said sensing means for providing data signals coded to represent information provided by the identification means;
• memory means for storing said data signals, said memory means including present memory means for storing data signals representing the identification of the block in which the vehicle is presently traveling, past memory means for storing data signals representing the identification of the block in which the vehicle was previously traveling;
• transmitter means operable to transmit a presence signal indicative of the location of said vehicle along said traffic layout;
• control means responsive to data signals stored by said past memory means to control the operation of said transmitter means;
• and receiver means for receiving presence signals transmitted by other vehicles, said control means being responsive to said first data signals stored by said present memory means and a received presence signal to halt the vehicle in its movement into a given block during the period another vehicle is transmitting a signal indicative of its presence in a block having a predetermined relation to said given block;
• memory control means responsive to said input means to be effective each time the vehicle enters a new block to cause the data signals stored in said present memory means to be transferred to said past memory means and to cause data signals, representing the identification of the new block, provided by said encoder means to be stored in said present memory means.

In a guidance system for guiding a plurality of vehicles along a traffic layout divided into a plurality of traffic control blocks, the combination comprising:

• path defining means for defining said traffic layout;
• identification means for each of said blocks which provide a unique identifying signal for each block;
• and a control system for each vehicle including heading means responsive to said path defining means for directing said vehicle along said traffic layout;
• input means for receiving different ones of said identifying signals in response to movement of the vehicle adjacent to different ones of said identification means and for providing data signals indicative of the location of the vehicle along the traffic layout;
• present memory means for storing the data signals;
• past memory means for receiving said storing data signals from the present memory means to thereby store data signals representing the identity of the block in which the vehicle was previously traveling, time slot generating means for providing timing signals defining a plurality of time slots including a different time slot corresponding to each of said blocks;
• first comparator circuit means responsive to said timing signals and to data signals stored by said memory means to effect transmission of a position signal during the time slot assigned to the block in which the vehicle was previously traveling, and second comparator circuit means responsive to said timing signals and to data signals stored by said present memory means to generate an output to cause the vehicle to be halted whenever a position signal provided by another vehicle is received during the time slot assigned to the block in which the vehicle is presently traveling.

In a guidance system for guiding a plurality of vehicles along a traffic layout, which includes at least one traffic path having a plurality of stations and a plurality of location identification points spaced along said path, including said stations, positioned at said points, the combination comprising guidance conductor means extending along said traffic layout, drive means for energizing said guidance conductor means to provide course-defining signals along said guidance conductor means, each of said vehicles including guide path sensing means for sensing the course defining signals to providing heading information indicative of desired route to a preselected one of said stations and control means for controlling route selection and advancement of said vehicle along said route, said control means including sensing means responsive to each location identification means to provide location data signals;

• control means responsive to data signals to generate a control output;
• transmitter means responsive to said control output to generate a presence signal indicative of the position of said vehicle, means for coupling said presence signal to said guidance conductor means for transmission thereover to other vehicles located on said traffic layout;
• and receiver means coupled to said guidance conductor means for receiving presence signals transmitted by other vehicles and for providing an output to said control means to effect halting of the vehicle in accordance with the location of the vehicle relative to other vehicles, and synchronizing means coupled to said guidance conductor means at a control location for generating a synchronizing signal which is transmitted over said guidance conductor means to all of said vehicles for synchronizing the operation of the control means thereof to thereby enable different ones of said vehicles to transmit their position signals during a different one of a plurality of time intervals each of which is indicative of a different location along the traffic layout.

In a guidance system for guiding a plurality of vehicles along a traffic layout divided into a plurality of traffic control blocks and having a main path and a seconary path diverging from said main path at a decision point and a plurality of stations located along said paths, the combination comprising:

• identification means positioned at a number of points along said layout, including said stations and said decision point, for providing coded information signals, including block-identification signals, the identification means at each of said points being operable to provide block identification signals which are different than the block identification signals provided at other points in the traffic layout, a control system for each vehicle for controlling the travel of the vehicle to a preselected station beyond said decision point over a first, preferred path, said control system including sensing means operative to sense the information provided by the identification means at said decision point, heading means for comparing information indicative of said preselected station with the location information provided by said sensing means, steering means operable to provide a steering signal representative of the preferred path for said identified decision point to said preselected station;
• transmitter means for transmitting a presence signal indicative of the location of the vehicle;
• receiver means for receiving the presence signals transmitted by other mobile vehicles located along said traffic layout;
• and control means for utilizing the received presence signals to over-ride the steering signal in the selection of a second, alternative path whenever the steering signal would otherwise direct a vehicle to enter the first path and encounter a congested traffic condition thereat, said control means including timing means operable when enabled for generating a plurality of timing signals defining a plurality of time slots, different ones of said time slots being assigned to different ones of said points along said layout, and said control means including means responsive to said timing signals and to the information sensed by said sensing means to transmit its position signal during the time slot assigned to the block in which the vehicle was previously traveling, said control means further including means responsive to presence signals received from other vehicles and to information sensed by said sensing means in selecting a path for the vehicle beyond said decision point;
• and synchronizing means for periodically generating a synchronizing signal which is transmitted to the vehicles for enabling the timing means of each of said vehicle control means, thereby synchronizing the operation of the timing means for all of the vehicles.