Electromagnetically propelled high-speed high-capacity transportation system for short-distance travel in urban and suburban areas

A transportation system comprising:

• a. a dedicated guideway with embedded means for carrying a modulated electric current which generates a varying electromagnetic field for propelling vehicles on said guideway;
• b. a plurality of vehicles, each vehicle having a means of being supported on the guideway, each vehicle also having a means of being propelled by generating a d-c magnetic field, to create a propulsive force by interacting with the electromagnetic field of the modulated electric current in the guideway, and each vehicle also having a means of being guided on the guideway, and each of said plurality of vehicles also having a means of being supported off the guideway, a means of being propelled off the guideway, and a means of being guided off the guideway, to enable each vehicle to operate off the guideway on roads and streets, and each of said plurality of vehicles also having a means of switching from the means of being supported on the guideway, the means of being propelled on the guideway, and the means of being guided on the guideway, to the means of being supported off the guideway, the means of being propelled off the guideway and the means of being guided off the guideway, and vice versa;
• c. a system of entry and exit ramps joined to the guideway in such manner as to assist and enable each vehicle to switch between such ramps and the guideway, each ramp having embedded means for carrying a modulated electric current to generate a varying electromagnetic field for propelling, accelerating and decelerating vehicles on said ramp, and, further each ramp having a length sufficient for vehicle acceleration and deceleration at a chosen rate from the vehicle speed at the beginning of the ramp;
• d. a global control center for centrally controlling vehicles operating on the guideway and on entry and exit ramps;
• e. means for communicating data, information and commands between and among vehicles, the global control center, at least one local control center, and the means for modulating the electric current in the guideway;
• f. means for programming the operation of vehicles on the guideway and on entry and exit ramps to assure uninterrupted traffic flow on the guideway at a chosen operating speed, including means for determining the instantaneous guidance and propulsion forces needed to be applied to each vehicle, means for sequencing and scheduling vehicles travelling on the guideway, and means for determining adjustments to relative positions of vehicles on the guideway as necessary to permit entering and exiting vehicles to merge with and disengage from guideway traffic;
• and
• g. means for monitoring and adjusting the programmed operation of vehicles, including means for determining the instantaneous position, velocity and acceleration of each of said plurality of vehicles on said guideway and on entry and exit ramps, and means for comparing the determined instantaneous position, velocity and acceleration of each vehicle with an expected instantaneous position, velocity and acceleration.