System for inductive transfer of power, communication and position sensing to a guideway-operated vehicle

A vehicular signal transfer system for transferring signals between a pathway and a vehicle moving on the pathway, such system comprising

• a pathway conductor sets having a pattern of conductors fixedly disposed and extending along the pathway,
• a vehicle transducer mountable on the vehicle to inductively couple with the pathway conductor sets to transfer electromagnetic energy therebetween, and
• at least a portion of said pathway conductor sets or said vehicle transducer being formed with a circuit board having a lead pattern of distinct windings arranged with a topology or symmetry effective to inductively couple plural distinct types of signals while avoiding crosstalk therebetween.

A signal transfer system for a pathway vehicle, such vehicle being of the type powered by a linear motor for moving along a fixed pathway, and wherein the pathway carries a plurality of spatially offset current lines for driving the linear motor, said signal transfer system comprising a transducer carried on the vehicle and having a plurality of conductors for coupling at least two types of signals selected from among power, position and data communication signals, wherein the plurality of conductors form separate windings for coupling each type of signal and the separate windings are spatially disposed for inductively coupling said signals while canceling induced crosstalk signals therebetween.

A signal transfer system for coupling signals along a pathway with a vehicle, the vehicle being powered by a linear motor for moving along the pathway, and the pathway includes a current line for driving the linear motor, wherein the signal transfer system includes a circuit board positioned on the pathway or carried on the vehicle and having two or more distinct conductor patterns effective to inductively couple distinct signals between the vehicle and the pathway, the distinct patterns being disposed to generate and intercept mutually canceling fluxes so the distinct signals are non-interfering.

A vehicular signal transfer system for transferring signals between a pathway and a vehicle moving on the pathway, such system comprising

• a pathway conductor sets having a pattern of conductors fixedly disposed and extending along the pathway,
• a vehicle transducer mountable on the vehicle to inductively couple with the pathway conductor sets for communication of electrical signal energy therebetween, and
• said vehicle transducer and said pathway conductor sets each including plural distinct conductors configured to couple to corresponding plural distinct types of signals with said pathway conductor sets by inductive coupling across a common gap.

A vehicular signal transfer system for transferring signals between a pathway and a vehicle moving on the pathway, such system comprising

• a pathway conductor sets having a pattern of conductors fixedly disposed and extending along the pathway,
• a vehicle transducer mountable on the vehicle to inductively couple with the pathway conductor sets for communication of electrical signal energy therebetween, and
• said vehicle transducer and said pathway conductor sets each including plural distinct conductors configured to couple to corresponding plural distinct types of signals with said pathway conductor sets by inductive coupling across a common gap, and at least one of said assemblies being formed as a circuit board.