VEHICLE GUIDANCE TRACK OF TRANSVERSE EXTENT

• US 3,714,625 A
• Filed: 03/30/1971
• Issued: 01/30/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard E. Fayling
• Original Assignee: Richard E. Fayling
• Inventors: Fayling, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Myers, Randall P.
• Application Number:
  US05/129,521
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 340/31R,31A,32,33,38R,38L 180/97,98,103 29/307 94/1.5R
• US Class Current: 340/905
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096725 where the received information generates an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096783 where the origin of the information is a roadside individual element

Abstract

A vehicle guidance track comprising a plurality of magnet installations aligned in spaced relation on the longitudinal axis of the track and extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis. The magnet installations change, and correspondingly the magnetic fields of the installations change, over the transverse extent of the installation. Thus, flux sensors in vehicles traveling over the track generate signals that indicate the transverse location of the vehicles on the track.

Claims

1. A vehicle guidance track on a roadway comprising a set of magnet installations aligned in spaced relation on a longitudinal axis of the roadway, characterized in that at least a plurality of the magnet installations individually extend in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis and change in a predetermined manner over at least part of their transverse extent such that the parts of said transversely extending magnet installations located at a first distance from said longitudinal axis contribute a first set of vector components of magnetic field as measured at a sensing line that is transverse to the longitudinal axis and parallel to the surface of the roadway, and the parts of said magnet installations located at at least one different distance from said longitudinal axis contribute a second set of vector components of magnetic field at said sensing line, the second set of vector components being different from the first set of vector components, whereby electric signals are generated in flux-sensors in vehicles traveling over the track that indicate the transverse location of the vehicles on the track.

2. A track of claim 1 in which said plurality of magnet installations comprise polymer-based magnets.

3. A track of claim 1 in which the change in said plurality of magnet installations is a change in geometric configuration.

4. A track of claim 1 in which at least part of at least one magnet installation has a straight-line shape and extends at an angle of less than 90* to the longitudinal axis of the track.

5. A track of claim 1 in which at least one magnet installation comprises two straight-line-shaped parts joined together at an angle, with the apex of the angle located at the longitudinal axis of the track.

6. A track of claim 1 in which at least part of at least one magnet installation has a curved-line shape.

7. A track of claim 3 in which at least one of said plurality of magnet installations comprises a polymer-based magnet and the change in geometric configuration is provided by changing the cross-sectional size of the magnet over its transverse extent.

8. A magnet installation on a roadway comprising at least one polymer-based magnet, the magnet installation extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the roadway and changing in a predetermined manner over at least part of its transverse extent such that the parts of said transversely extending magnet installation located at a first distance from said longitudinal axis contribute a first set of vector components of magnetic field as measured at a sensing line that is transverse to the longitudinal axis and parallel to the surface of the roadway, and the parts of said magnet installation located at at least one different distance from said longitudinal axis contribute a second set of vector components of magnetic field at said sensing line, the second set of vector components being different from the first set of vector components, whereby electric signals are generated in flux-sensors in vehicles traveling over the magnet installation that indicate the transverse location of the vehicles with respect to the magnet installation.

9. A vehicle guidance track on a roadway comprising a set of magnet installations aligned in spaced relation on a longitudinal axis of the roadway, at least a plurality of the magnet installations individually extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, comprising at least one elongated polymer-based magnet strip, and having a geometric configuration that changes in a predetermined manner over at least part of their transverse extent such that the parts of said transversely extending magnet installation located at a first distance from said longitudinal axis contribute a first set of vector components of magnetic field as measured At a sensing line that is transverse to the longitudinal axis and parallel to the surface of the roadway, and the parts of said magnet installation located at at least one different distance from said longitudinal axis contribute a second set of vector components of magnetic field at said sensing line, the second set of vector components being different from the first set of vector components, whereby electric signals are generated in flux sensors in vehicles traveling over the track that indicate the transverse location of the vehicles on the track.

10. A track of claim 9 in which the magnet installations are installed in a channel in the roadway.

11. A track of claim 9 which exhibits bi-directional symmetry.