Tram coordinating method and apparatus

• US 5,676,059 A
• Filed: 11/29/1996
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John Darby Alt
• Original Assignee: John Darby Alt
• Inventors: Alt, John Darby
• Primary Examiner(s): Morano, S. Joseph
• Application Number:
  US08/758,387
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 104/67, 104/88.03, 104/88.05, 104/88.06, 104/130.09, 104/139, 105/72.2, 105/177, 180/401, 246/2, 246/3, 246/4, 246/167 R, 246/187 A
• US Class Current: 104/88.06
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 1/00 General arrangement of stations, platforms, or sidings; Railway networks; Rail vehicle marshalling systems shunting humps and shunting devices B61J; construction of platforms E01F1/00; time-tables G09D
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/22 for controlling traffic in two directions over the same pair of rails
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/265 especially adapted for guiding road vehicles carrying loads or passengers, e.g. in urban networks for public transportation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for coordinating the movement of a plurality of oppositely directed trams operating generally simultaneously along a single, dedicated lane, including a plurality of stop-boarding areas, a plurality of corresponding by-pass lanes, sensors along the lane to sense the location of the trams, a central processor to compare the location of the trams and calculate signals to pairs of oppositely moving trams such that they will adjust their speeds to arrive at a common stop-boarding area at substantially the same time.

Claims

1. A method of coordinating the movement of a plurality of oppositely directed trams operating along a single lane, comprising:

positioning a plurality of stop-boarding areas along the lane;

locating corresponding by-pass lanes at at least some of the stop-boarding areas;

placing a plurality of sensors along the lane;

operating a plurality of trams generally simultaneously in opposite directions along the lane;

sensing the location of the trams along the lane;

communicating the sensed location of the trams to a processor;

signalling at least certain of the trams from the processor, thereby controlling the speed of certain of the trams in relation to the location of other of the trams and thereby coordinating the arrival time of a pair of oppositely directed trams at a common stop-boarding area.

2. The method of claim 1, including coordinating the movement of the trams whereby a pair of trams arrives at a common stop-boarding area at substantially the same time.

3. The method of claim 2, including directing one of the pair of trams to continue along the lane in one direction, and directing the other of the pair of trams along the by-pass lane in the opposite direction whereby neither tram must stop to wait for a clear path on the lane.

4. The method of claim 1, including locating a plurality of signal actuators along the lane sensing the location of the trams;

pairing signal actuators according to a pre-programed sequence;

comparing the paired signal actuators'"'"' respective times of actuation and calculating a pre-programmed signal associated with each comparison.

5. The method of claim 4, including causing a first signal actuator to send a signal to the processor upon the passing of a tram;

identifying the actuated signal actuator;

pairing the first actuated signal actuator with a second signal actuator according to a pre-programmed sequence;

comparing the time of actuation of the first signal actuator with the time of actuation of the second signal actuator;

based on a compared time differential, processing a pre-programmed signal calculation and causing the calculated signal to be sent back to the tram.

6. A passenger carrying tram system comprising,

a plurality of trams operating along a single dedicated lane;

a plurality of stop-boarding areas located along the dedicated lane;

a plurality of by-pass lanes located at at least some of the stop-boarding areas;

a plurality of signal actuators located between stop-boarding areas sensing the location of the trams along the dedicated lane;

a central processor receiving signals from the signal actuators and signalling at least one of the trams moving in a first direction and at least one tram moving in a second, opposite direction, and signalling at least one other tram moving in parallel direction with either the first or second directions, to arrive at a common stop-boarding area at substantially the same time, such that after passengers embark and debark from the trams, one tram will continue along the dedicated lane in the first direction while the other tram will continue along the by-pass lane in the second direction without requiring the trams to stop and wait for a clear path along the dedicated lane.

7. The system of claim 6, including a signal display device signalling one tram in response to the location of another tram.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each signal actuator comprises first and second actuators, one being spaced apart from the other by a distance 2X.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the actuators comprise photo-cells.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the signal display device is located at a distance X from each actuator, the distance X being determined by the maximum speed of a tram and the time required for the central processor to process a signal such that a tram, traveling in a direction from either actuator toward the signal display device, will not pass the signal display device before a signal is calculated and displayed by the central processor.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein each actuator is connected to the central processor, and the central processor is connected to the signal display device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each signal actuator further comprises a first and a second timer switch associated with and interrupting the connection between the first and second actuators and the central processor, said timer switches being disposed such that the activation of the first actuator will cause the timer switch associated with the second actuator to interrupt its signal and vice versa;

and

the timer switches interrupting their respective communication connections for a pre-determined period of time such that a tram, moving in either direction, and passing both the first and second actuators, causes a signal to be received by the central processor from only one of the actuators such that, after the tram has passed both of the actuators, the switch will return to its original, signal passing position.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the actuators are electromagnetic devices.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein each tram has a tram-based actuation device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the actuation device comprises a photo-cell actuating light source cooperating with photo-cell actuators.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of signal actuators and each tram-based actuation device are disposed such that a tram, passing one of the signal actuators, causes the tram-based actuation device to activate the actuators associated with the signal actuator, thus causing a signal to be sent to the central processor;

and

wherein the central processor then causes a calculated signal to be displayed on the signal display device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the actuation device comprises an electromagnetic energy source cooperating with electromagnetic signal actuators.

18. The system of claim 7, wherein the signal display device comprises a land-based component which receives information from the central processor, and a tram-based component which displays the signal.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the land-based component of the signal display device comprises a plurality of photo-cell actuating light sources connected to the central processor, and wherein the central processor energizes and deenergizes the light sources in a calculated on-off sequence;

and

the tram-based component of the signal display device comprises at least one photo-cell actuator connected to a tram-based display device; and

wherein as a tram passes in either direction, the on-off sequence of the land-based photo-cell actuating light sources will activate the tram-based photo-cell actuator, causing a sequence of signals to be sent to the tram-based display device.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the land-based component of the signal display device comprises a plurality of electromagnetic energy sources connected to the central processor, and wherein the central processor energizes and deenergizes the electromagnetic energy sources in a calculated on-off sequence;

and

the tram-based component of the signal display device comprises at least one electromagnetic actuator connected to a tram-based display device; and

wherein as a tram passes in either direction, the on-off sequence of the land-based electromagnetic energy sources will activate the tram-based electromagnetic actuator, causing a sequence of signals to be sent to the tram-based display device.