Vehicle travel control device
First Claim
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1. A system to control a vehicle equipped to receive signals and therefrom control its direction of travel comprising:
- (a) a first cable system means in a travel surface defining a first direction of travel to carry and radiate a signal to be received by a first receiving means in the vehicle,(b) at least one second cable system means in the travel surface at any location where a change from the first direction of travel is desired to carry and radiate a signal to be received by a second receiving means in the vehicle, the second cable system means comprising;
(i) a first length of cable parallel to the first direction of travel,(ii) a second length of cable continuing from the end of the first length but following a direction of travel diverging from the first direction of travel, and(iii) a third length of cable continuing from the end of the second length, but following a direction of travel parallel to a second direction of travel, and(c) a third cable system means in the travel surface separated from said first and second cable means and defining the second direction of travel which is a different route than the first direction of travel to carry and radiate a signal to the first receiving means in the vehicle.
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Abstract
A vehicle direction control device is provided including three receivers in the vehicle with the center receiver controlling the direction along a primary cable in the roadway with change of direction cable systems taking over control through a side receiver originally parallel with the main line of travel, diverging to a new direction and then picking up a parallel relationship with a new primary line of travel automatically switching back to the center receiver control along the new line of travel.
32 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system to control a vehicle equipped to receive signals and therefrom control its direction of travel comprising:
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(a) a first cable system means in a travel surface defining a first direction of travel to carry and radiate a signal to be received by a first receiving means in the vehicle, (b) at least one second cable system means in the travel surface at any location where a change from the first direction of travel is desired to carry and radiate a signal to be received by a second receiving means in the vehicle, the second cable system means comprising; (i) a first length of cable parallel to the first direction of travel, (ii) a second length of cable continuing from the end of the first length but following a direction of travel diverging from the first direction of travel, and (iii) a third length of cable continuing from the end of the second length, but following a direction of travel parallel to a second direction of travel, and (c) a third cable system means in the travel surface separated from said first and second cable means and defining the second direction of travel which is a different route than the first direction of travel to carry and radiate a signal to the first receiving means in the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system to control a vehicle equipped to receive signals and therefrom control its direction of travel comprising:
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(a) a first cable system means in a travel surface defining a first direction of travel to carry and radiate a signal from a first generator means generating a guidance signal, wherein the signal is received by a first receiving means in the vehicle, (b) at least one second cable system means in the travel surface at any location where a change from the first direction of travel is desired to carry and radiate a signal from a second generator means to generate a guidance signal and a signal indicating the speed of travel of the vehicle during the change in direction, wherein the signal is received by a second receiving means in the vehicle, the second cable system means comprising at least one cable means comprising; (i) a first length of cable parallel to the first direction of travel, (ii) a second length of cable abutting but not connected to the end of the first length and following a direction of travel diverging from the first direction of travel, and (iii) a third length of cable abutting but not connected to the end of the second length and following a direction of travel parallel to a second direction of travel. (c) third cable system means in a the travel surface defining the second direction of travel to carry and radiate a signal from a third generator means generating a guidance signal and a signal indicating the appropriate speed of travel along the second direction of travel, wherein the relative distance between the first cable system and the first length of cable of the second cable system means corresponds with the distance between the centers of the capture ranges of the first receiving means and the second receiving means, and wherein the relative distance between the third length of cable of the second cable system means and the third cable system means corresponds with the distance between the centers of the capture ranges of the first receiving means and the second receiving means.
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14. A method of controlling the direction of travel of a vehicle equipped to receive signals and therefrom be guided to change the path of travel from a through path to a diverging path comprising:
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(a) equipped the vehicle with a first receiving means to receive a signal, (b) equipping the vehicle with at least one second receiving means to receive signal, wherein the second receiving means is located a certain lateral distance apart from the first receiving means, (c) laying a first cable system means in a travel surface defining a first direction of travel to carry and radiate a signal to the first receiving means, (d) laying at least one second cable system means in the travel surface at a location where a change from the first direction of travel is desired, wherein the second system means carries and radiates a signal to the second receiving means, (e) positioning a first length of cable of the second cable system means parallel to the first direction of travel, (f) positioning a second length of cable of the second cable system means abutting the end of the first length, but following a direction of travel divergent from the first direction of travel, (g) positioning a third of length of cable of the second cable system means abutting the end of the second length, but following a direction of travel parallel to a second direction of travel, and (h) laying a third cable system means in the travel surface separate from said first and second cable systems and defining the second direction of travel which is a different route than the first direction of travel, to carry and radiate a signal to the first receiving means in the vehicle.
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15. A vehicle travel control system to allow control of direction of travel of a vehicle comprising:
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(a) a vehicle multiple receiver means comprising; (i) a first receiver means to receive a signal generated from a primary cable means in a travel surface defining a first direction of travel and carrying and radiating a guidance signal, wherein the first receiver means receives a signal relative to the position of the vehicle from the primary cable means, and (ii) at least one second receiver means to receive a signal generated from a second cable means in the travel surface carrying and radiating a guidance signal, wherein the second cable means comprises a length of cable parallel to the first direction of travel, a second length of cable continuing from the end of the first length and following a direction of travel diverging from the first direction of travel, and a third length of cable following from the end of the second length a direction parallel to a second direction of travel defining a route different than the first direction of travel, and (b) a computer means to choose and direct one of the signals from the first and second receiver means to a servo means to receive a signal and to control the direction of travel of the vehicle wherein there are two second receiver means one located on the left side of the first receiver means to receive signals from a second cable means located on the left of the first direction of travel and the other second receiver means located on the right side of the first receiver means to receive signals from the second cable means positioned on the right and of the first direction of travel. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A vehicle travel control system to control the direction of travel of a vehicle comprising:
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(a) a vehicle multiple receiver means comprising; (i) a primary receiver means to receive a signal generated from a primary cable means in a travel surface defining a first direction of travel, carrying and radiating a guidance signal, wherein the first receiver means receives the signal relative to the position of the receiver means from the primary cable means, (ii) a second receiver means positioned on the vehicle to the right of the primary receiver means to receive a signal generated from a second cable means in the travel surface carrying and radiating a guidance signal, wherein the second cable means comprises a length of cable parallel to the first direction of travel, a second length of cable continuing from the end of the first length and following a direction of travel divergent from the first direction of travel and a third length of cable following from the end of the second length in a direction parallel to a second direction of travel, and (iii) a third receiver means positioned on the vehicle to the left of the primary receiver means to receive a signal generated from a third cable means in the travel surface carrying and radiating a guidance signal, wherein the third cable means comprises a length of cable parallel to the first direction of travel, a second length of cable continuing from the end of the first length and following a direction of travel diverging from the first direction of travel and a third length of cable following from the end of the second length a direction parallel to a third direction of travel defining a route different than the first or second direction of travel, (b) a steering selector switch receiving signals from the receiver means, (c) a computer means connected to receive signals from the receiver means and to choose which of the receiving means signals should pass through the steering selector switch and, (d) a vehicle steering means to receive a signal from at least one of the receiver means and correct the path of the vehicle to correspond with at least one of the cable means signals. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification