METHOD AND MEANS FOR VARYING THE SPEEDS OF VEHICLES MOVING ALONG A TRACK

• US 3,790,780 A
• Filed: 03/14/1972
• Issued: 02/05/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Conrad D. Helmcke, Hans J. Wendt
• Original Assignee: Conrad D. Helmcke, Hans J. Wendt
• Inventors: Helmcke, Conrad D., Wendt, Hans J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Forlenza, Gerald M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Libman, George H.
• Application Number:
  US05/234,604
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 246/30,29,187C,167 340/31,33,34,263 343/7A,7ED 180/98
• US Class Current: 246/187.00C
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0058 responsive to externally generated signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/34 for indicating the distance between vehicles or trains by the transmission of signals therebetween
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/225 using separate conductors along the route
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/227 using electromagnetic radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

In the disclosed method and system, vehicles travelling along a track in single file transmit signals to the following vehicles and receive signals from the preceding vehicles. The information content of the transmitted signals varies with the speed of the transmitting vehicle. The information content of the received signals is also modulated by the speed of the receiving vehicle. The speed of the receiving vehicle is varied in dependence upon the signals received.

Claims

1. The method of controlling the speed of objects moving in a single line along a track, which comprises sensing the speed of each object, transmitting a signal from each object to the immediately following object, varying the information content of the transmitted signal on the basis of the speed of the transmitting object, sensing the signal from the immediately preceding object, varying the sensing on the basis of the speed of the object sensing the signal, and controlling the speed of the object sensing the signal on the basis of the sensed signal, the steps of varying the information content of the transmitted signal including varying the intensity of the transmitted signal inversely with the speed of the transmitting object to obtain a maximum when the transmitting object stops and to reach a minimum when the transmitting object reaches the maximum speed.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the sensitivity of the sensing is varied with the speed of the object sensing the signal.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the sensing is performed so as to create maximum sensitivity when the object sensing the signal reaches a maximum speed and minimum sensitivity when the sensing object stops.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the speed of the object includes comparing the sensed signal with the speed of the object sensing the signal and varying the speed of the object on the basis of the comparison.

5. The method as in claim 2, wherein the step of controlling the speed of the object includes comparing the sensed signal with the speed of the object sensing the signal and varying the speed of the object on the basis of the comparisoN.

6. The method as in claim 3, wherein the step of sensing the signal includes forming a guide quantity y and the step of sensing the speed of each object includes a control quantity x in the sensing object, comparing the quantity x with the quantity y and varying the speed of the sensing object so as to slow down the car when the quantity y is exceeded by the quantity x.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the method is used in individual cars travelling along the track.

8. A system for controlling the speeds of objects travelling along a track in single file, comprising transmitter means mounted on each object for transmitting signals to the following object, receiver means mounted on each object for receiving signals from the preceding object, speed responsive means in each of said objects for producing a signal corresponding to the speed of each object along the track, control means in each of said objects responsive to said speed responsive means and coupled to said transmitter means and said receiver means for decreasing the power of the transmitted signals with increasing travel speed of the object and increasing the sensitivity of the receiver means to the received signals with increasing speed of the object, and speed regulating means on each object responsive to said receiver means on that object for controlling the speed of the object having said regulating means.

9. A system as in claim 8, wherein said regulating means includes comparator means coupled to said speed responsive means and said receiver means for comparing the output of said receiver means and said speed responsive means and controlling the speed of the vehicle on the basis of the comparison.

10. A system as in claim 8 further comprising a plurality of second transmitter means and second receiver means arranged along the track.

11. A system as in claim 13, wherein said transmitter means and said receiver means include means for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves.

12. A system as in claim 11, wherein said regulating means includes comparator means coupled to said speed responsive means and said receiver means for comparing the output of said receiver means and said speed responsive means and controlling the speed of the vehicle on the basis of the comparison.

13. A system as in claim 8, wherein said transmitter means and receiver means transmit and receive light waves.

14. A system as in claim 10, wherein said transmitter means and receiver means transmit and receive light waves.

15. A system as in claim 8, wherein said transmitter means and receiver means transmit and receive sound waves.

16. A system as in claim 10, wherein said transmitter means and receiver means transmit and receive sound waves.

17. A system as in claim 8, further comprising wave guide means extending along said track and coupling said transmitter means to each other and receiver means.

18. A system as in claim 17, wherein each control means controls the transmitting power of said transmitter means inversely with the speed of the object and varying the sensitivity of said receiver means with the speed of each object having said transmitter means and said receiver means.

19. A system as in claim 17, wherein said regulating means includes comparator means coupled to said speed responsive means and said receiver means for comparing the output of said receiver means and said speed responsive means and controlling the speed of the vehicle on the basis of the comparison.

20. A system as in claim 17, wherein said wave guide means form tubular conductors slotted in the longitudinal direction, said transmitter means and said receiver means extending into said tubular conductors and forming probes therein.