Accurate position-sensing and communications for guideway operated vehicles

A guideway-based system for determining position, comprising

• a winding comprising two or more phased conductors forming at least one closed current path, wherein each phased conductor comprises a conductive element configured in a periodically repeating pattern, the repeating patterns of all of the phased conductors repeating over a period substantially equal to a first period, and phases of the periodically repeating patterns being offset with respect to one another,
• a transmitter, disposed in electromagnetic coupling with the winding, for applying at least one position-sensing signal thereto, the position-sensing signal having an envelope that varies as a periodic function of a first position relative to the winding, and
• a plurality of sensors disposed in electromagnetic coupling to the winding substantially at a second position relative thereto, each sensor generating a distance signal indicative of a distance between the first and second positions relative to the winding, the distance signal being generated as a function of a superposition of the position-sensing signals at the sensor,
• the sensors being offset with respect to one another.

A system for the transmission of information over a guideway, comprising

• a winding comprising two or more phased conductors forming at least one closed current path,
• a transmitter, disposed in electromagnetic coupling with the winding, for applying to the winding
• (i) a transmitted information signal containing information being transmitted, the coupled information signal having an envelope that varies as a periodic function indicative of a first position relative to the winding,
• (ii) at least one position-sensing signal, the position-sensing signal having an envelope that varies as a periodic function indicative of a first position relative to the winding, and
• a receiver, coupled to the winding, for generating a received information signal containing the information being transmitted, the received information signal being generated as a function of a superposition of the transmitted information signals in the two or more phased conductors at a second position relative to the winding and as a function of a superposition of the position-sensing signals in the two or more phased conductors at the second position relative to the winding.

A system for the transmission of information over a guideway, comprising

• a winding comprising two or more phased conductors forming at least one closed current path,
• a transmitter, disposed in electromagnetic coupling with the winding, for applying thereto a transmitted information signal representing information being transmitted,
• a plurality of sensors, each comprising an inductive element disposed relative to the winding such that a magnetic flux resulting from the transmitted information signal induces in each sensor a channel signal having an envelope that varies as a periodic function of a position of that sensor relative the transmitter, wherein the sensors are offset with respect to one another, and
• a receiver, coupled to the plurality of sensors, for generating a received information signal as a function of the channel signals induced in the sensors, which function reduces a dependence of the information signal on the position of sensors relative to the transmitter, wherein the received information represents the information being transmitted.

A system for position-sensing and communication over a guideway, comprising

• a winding comprising two or more phased conductors forming at least one closed current path,
• a transmitter, disposed in electromagnetic coupling with the winding, for applying to the winding
• (i) a transmitted information signal containing information being transmitted, the coupled information signal having an envelope that varies as a periodic function of a first position relative to the winding,
• (ii) at least one position-sensing signal, the coupled position-sensing signal having an envelope that varies as a periodic function of a first position relative to the winding, and
• a sensor, disposed in electromagnetic coupling to the winding at a second position relative thereto, for generating a distance signal indicative of a distance between the first and second positions relative to the winding, the distance signal being generated as a function of a superposition of the position-sensing signals at the second position;
• a receiver, coupled to the winding and to the sensor, for generating a received information signal containing the information being transmitted, the received information signal being generated as a function of a superposition of the transmitted information signals in the two or more phased conductors at a second position relative to the winding and as a function of the distance signal.