Collision avoidance system for automatically controlled vehicles moving at short headways
First Claim
1. A collision avoidance system, for vehicles operating over a right of way, comprising:
- block control means that register vehicle occupancy of a plurality of zones along the right of way and impose revocable restrictions on the operation of a trailing vehicle in a selected number of zones behind a zone occupied by a leading vehicle to protect said trailing vehicle against collision with said leading vehicle;
vehicle control means to measure the distance between said trailing vehicle and said leading vehicle, and further comprising means to restrict the operation of said trailing vehicle in accordance with the measured distance between said trailing vehicle and said leading vehicle to protect said trailing vehicle against collision with said leading vehicle;
means to revoke said revocable restrictions imposed by said block control means with respect to operation of said trailing vehicle when said trailing vehicle is protected against collision in accordance with said measured distance between said trailing vehicle and said leading vehicle, said vehicle control means located in each said vehicle remaining continuously invoked.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Safe separation distances between automatically controlled vehicles moving at short headways on a guideway are maintained through the cooperative action of a block control system and reflectometer (radar) and transponder (beacon) intervehicle distance measuring equipment installed in vehicles. A reflectometer determines distance to a leading vehicle through measurement of the delay between a transmitted signal and a received signal relayed by a transponder in the leading vehicle. A transmission line acts as the medium of transmission. Problems associated with non-transponder-equipped reflectometers are obviated. In the event of transponder malfunction, the block control system maintains backup safety regardless of transponder activity in other vehicles. Exessively short block lengths generally required for short-headway maintenance by block control systems are not required. Merge protection is effected through the cooperative action of the block control system and stationary reflectometers, installed at the wayside, which measure distances to merging vehicles through interaction with transponders located in the vehicles.
33 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A collision avoidance system, for vehicles operating over a right of way, comprising:
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block control means that register vehicle occupancy of a plurality of zones along the right of way and impose revocable restrictions on the operation of a trailing vehicle in a selected number of zones behind a zone occupied by a leading vehicle to protect said trailing vehicle against collision with said leading vehicle; vehicle control means to measure the distance between said trailing vehicle and said leading vehicle, and further comprising means to restrict the operation of said trailing vehicle in accordance with the measured distance between said trailing vehicle and said leading vehicle to protect said trailing vehicle against collision with said leading vehicle; means to revoke said revocable restrictions imposed by said block control means with respect to operation of said trailing vehicle when said trailing vehicle is protected against collision in accordance with said measured distance between said trailing vehicle and said leading vehicle, said vehicle control means located in each said vehicle remaining continuously invoked. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In a collision avoidance system for vehicles operating over a right of way, the combination comprising:
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block control means that register vehicle occupancy of a plurality of zones within specified segments of right of way and impose restrictions on the operation of vehicles within said zones, said right of way comprising separate lanes that join to form a merge junction; interacting wayside means and vehicle mounted means to measure the distances between a defined point of right-of-way juncture and a plurality of merging vehicles which approach said merge junction on said separate lanes, and merge controller means which govern block control restrictions on said separate lanes in accordance with said measured distances between said defined point of right-of-way juncture and said merging vehicles, to prevent collision between merging vehicles, said merge controller means further determining zone occupancy status of said merging vehicles from said measured distances, said merge controller means further comparing said zone occupancy status, determined from said measured distances with said registered vehicle occupancy status, to identify malfunctioning distance measurement means and to govern block control restrictions accordingly to prevent collision between merging vehicles. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification