Road vehicle control system

A motor vehicle guidance system for use on a roadway having a plurality of lane marking elements comprising magnetic elements affixed generally centrally of the lane of travel and extending along the lane of travel, and transverse magnetic elements affixed across the width of the lane of travel to indicate a lower speed zone, the guidance system comprising:

• sensing means comprising a first sensing element located along the left side of the motor vehicle, a second sensing element located along the right side of the motor vehicle, and third and fourth sensing elements located on the motor vehicle intermediate said first and second sensors and spaced laterally from one another for bracketing or straddling the magnetic elements extending along the lane when the motor vehicle is properly positioned therein, said sensing means operative to sense the proximity of said marking elements in the roadway and to generate sensing signals indicative thereof;
• control means operative in response to sensing signals from said third and fourth sensing elements to produce control signals indicative of the position of the motor vehicle within the lane and operative in response to sensing signals from said first and second sensing elements to produce control signals indicative of the presence of a lowered speed zone;
• indicating means operative in response to said control signals to produce an indication to the vehicle operator of corrective steering required to maintain the motor vehicle within said lane and of the presence of a lowered speed zone;
• and
• guidance means operative in response to said control signals to produce steering command signals.

A motor vehicle guidance system for use on a roadway having lane marking elements along the edges of the lane of travel and transverse marking elements and also for use on a roadway having lane marking elements within and extending along the lane of travel, both roadway marking systems having transverse marking elements to indicate lowered speed zones, the guidance system comprising:

• first and second sensing means attached to said motor vehicle along the left and right side thereof respectively;
• third and fourth sensing means attached to said motor vehicle intermediate of said first and second sensing means, and spaced apart from each other laterally with respect to the motor vehicle, said first, second, third and fourth sensing means for generating sensing signals indicative of the proximity of the marking elements;
• control means operative in response to sensing signals from the sensing means to produce control signals corresponding to the position of the motor vehicle with respect to the lane of travel and of the presence of a lowered speed zone;
• indicating means operative in response to said control signals to produce an indication to the motor vehicle operator of corrective steering required to maintain the motor vehicle within the lane of travel on said roadway, and of the presence of a lowered speed zone;
• and
• connecting means selectively operative for use on a roadway having lane-edge marking elements for connecting said first and second sensing means to said control means to produce said control signals corresponding to the position of the motor vehicle with respect to the lane of travel and connecting said third and fourth sensing means to said control means to produce said control signals indicative of the presence of a lowered speed zone, and said connecting means selectively operative for use on a roadway having lane marking elements within the lane of travel for connecting said third and fourth sensing means to said control means to produce said control signals corresponding to the position of the motor vehicle with respect to the lane of travel and connecting said first and second sensing means to said control means to produce said control signals corresponding to the presence of a lowered speed zone.