Vehicle control system
First Claim
1. A vehicle control system for issuing control signals to vehicles to control their movements along a route between a first location and a second location, the vehicles comprising a set of vehicles of a first type, to which the system can issue control signals at more than one location within the route to control the vehicles of the first type in a moving block manner and a set of vehicles of a second type to which the system cannot issue control signals at more than one location within the route, the system comprising:
- sensing means which senses vehicles entering and leaving the route, and the type of these vehicles;
storage means which stores a record of the number of vehicles within the route and a record of the type of vehicle that most recently entered the route;
signalling means for signalling to vehicles whether they may enter the route by moving beyond the first location; and
control means which receives information form the storage means and transmits signals to the signalling means, and which;
1) in response to the storage means indicating that there is at least one vehicle within the route and that the vehicle that most recently entered the route was of the first type controls the signalling means to issue a signal of a first type indicating that only vehicles of the first type may enter the route;
2) in response to the storage means indicating that there are no vehicles within the route controls the signalling means to issue a signal of a second type indicating that vehicles of the first type or the second type may enter the route; and
3) otherwise controls the signalling means to issue a signal of a third type indicating that no vehicles may enter the route.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle control system issues control signals to vehicles to control their movements along a route between a first location and a second location, the vehicles comprising a set of vehicles of a first type, to which the system can issue control signals at more than one location within the route, and a set of vehicles of a second type to which the system cannot issue control signals at more than one location within the route. Sending devices sense vehicles entering and leaving the route and the type of these vehicles, storage devices stores a record of the number of vehicles within the route and a record of the type of vehicle that most recently entered the route, signalling devices signal to vehicles whether they may enter the route by moving beyond the first location and control devices receives information from the storage devices and transmits signals to the signalling devices. In response to the storage devices indicating that there is at least one vehicle within the route and that the vehicle that most recently entered the route was of the first type, the control devices controls the signalling devices to issue a signal of a first type indicating that only vehicles of the first type may enter the route. In response to the storage devices indicating that there are no vehicles within the route, the control devices controls the signalling devices to issue a signal of a second type indicating that vehicles of the first type or the second type may enter the route. Otherwise the control devices controls the signalling devices to issue a signal of a third type indicating that no vehicles may enter the route.
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Citations
5 Claims
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1. A vehicle control system for issuing control signals to vehicles to control their movements along a route between a first location and a second location, the vehicles comprising a set of vehicles of a first type, to which the system can issue control signals at more than one location within the route to control the vehicles of the first type in a moving block manner and a set of vehicles of a second type to which the system cannot issue control signals at more than one location within the route, the system comprising:
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sensing means which senses vehicles entering and leaving the route, and the type of these vehicles; storage means which stores a record of the number of vehicles within the route and a record of the type of vehicle that most recently entered the route; signalling means for signalling to vehicles whether they may enter the route by moving beyond the first location; and control means which receives information form the storage means and transmits signals to the signalling means, and which; 1) in response to the storage means indicating that there is at least one vehicle within the route and that the vehicle that most recently entered the route was of the first type controls the signalling means to issue a signal of a first type indicating that only vehicles of the first type may enter the route; 2) in response to the storage means indicating that there are no vehicles within the route controls the signalling means to issue a signal of a second type indicating that vehicles of the first type or the second type may enter the route; and 3) otherwise controls the signalling means to issue a signal of a third type indicating that no vehicles may enter the route. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification