VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 3,734,229 A
• Filed: 04/11/1969
• Issued: 05/22/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald T. Comer
• Original Assignee: Donald T. Comer
• Inventors: Comer, Donald T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Application Number:
  US04/815,467
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 340/32 325/26,28,23,117,312,314 180/98 246/2-5,8
• US Class Current: 180/168
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/04 Automatic systems, e.g. controlled by train; Change-over to manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/225 using separate conductors along the route
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/24 not vehicle-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0421 with control for stacker crane operations
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0265 using buried wires
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

A vehicle control system for supplying vehicle control data or other communicative data to a plurality of vehicles which are constrained to transit a predetermined network of travel paths. An array of twin lead conductors are disposed beneath the surface of the travel paths and form a distributed antenna network. Vehicles passing along the transit paths are equipped with transmitting apparatus which uses the antenna network as a communicative medium for providing two way communication between a stationary control unit and the vehicle carried mobile control units. An array of single conductors is also disposed along the travel paths and are energized with a low frequency AC signal for developing magnetic fields which are detected by a vehicle carried guidance control unit for guiding the vehicle along a particular path.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system for controlling the operation of a warehousing vehicle and directing its movement over at least two intersecting vehicle paths, comprising:

a first guidance conductor disposed along one of said paths and a second guidance conductor disposed along the other of said paths;

means for electrically energizing said first and second conductors with signals of different frequencies to develop a first magnetic guidance field along said one path and a second magnetic guidance field along said other path;

a transmission line extending longitudinally along both said paths and operative to develop an electro-magnetic communication field along the length thereof when energized by a first communication signal, said transmission line being further operative to conduct a first response signal induced therein by an electro-magnetic response field;

a warehouse control unit including first control logic for developing said first communication signal and for receiving said first response signal; and

a vehicle control unit carried by said vehicle including, a first transducer responsive to said communication field and operative to develop a second communication signal, said first transducer being additionally responsive to a second response signal and operative to develop said electro-magnetic response field, second control logic responsive to said second communication signal and operative to develop a function control signal, a path selection signal and said second response signal, function control means responsive to said function control signal and operative to control at least one function of said vehicle, a second transducer responsive to said magnetic guidance field and operative to develop guidance signals, and guidance means responsive to said guidance signals and said path selection signal and operative to guide said vehicle along a selected one of said paths.

2. A vehicle control system for controlling the operation of a warehousing vehicle and for directing its movement over at least two intersecting vehicle paths, comprising:

a guidance conductor disposed along and defining each of said intersecting vehicle paths and means for electrically energizing each guidance conductor with a signal of a different frequency to develop a different guidance field along each of said paths;

a transmission line extending longitudinally along each of said paths, said transmission line being operative to develop a communication field along the length thereof when energized by a communication signal, and being operative to be energized by a response signal induced therein by a response field developed along portions of the length thereof;

a warehouse control unit including control logic for developing said communication signal and for receiving said response signal; and

a vehicle control unit carried by said vehicle including, receiver means responsive to said communication field and said guidance field and operative to develop guidance signals to guide said vehicle along a selected one of said pAths, and transmitter means operative to develop said response field to communicate data to said warehouse control unit.

3. A vehicle control system in accordance with claim 2 in which said transmission line is of twin lead configuration.

4. A vehicle control system in accordance with claim 3 in which said twin lead transmission line is terminated into its characteristic impedance at its distal end.