Vehicle control system for automated durability road (ADR) facility
First Claim
1. A computer system for generating signals for controlling a plurality of vehicles, each vehicle including an on-board vehicle controller (VCON), the vehicles being disposed on a test track, the computer system comprising:
- an operator computer for generating mission signals representative of desired vehicle movements around the test track; and
a base computer electrically connected to the operating computer for accessing the mission signals, the base computer including;
for each VCON, a respective vehicle manager, each vehicle manager being in communication with its respective VCON for communicating mission signals thereto and for receiving status signals therefrom;
a traffic manager for receiving the status signals and generating control signals in response.
21 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for remote testing of a plurality of vehicles on a test track includes a plurality of guide wires and position transponders embedded in the track. Each vehicle to be tested includes an onboard vehicle controller (VCON) which in turn includes various servo components for operating the steering wheel, shift lever, brake and accelerator pedals of the vehicle. A base computer receives desired missions from an operating computer, and the base computer loads a respective mission into each VCON via an rf link. Then, the base computer monitors the vehicles for proper, safe operation. The VCONs execute the missions loaded by the base station and periodically report their status to the base computer.
127 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A computer system for generating signals for controlling a plurality of vehicles, each vehicle including an on-board vehicle controller (VCON), the vehicles being disposed on a test track, the computer system comprising:
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an operator computer for generating mission signals representative of desired vehicle movements around the test track; and a base computer electrically connected to the operating computer for accessing the mission signals, the base computer including; for each VCON, a respective vehicle manager, each vehicle manager being in communication with its respective VCON for communicating mission signals thereto and for receiving status signals therefrom; a traffic manager for receiving the status signals and generating control signals in response. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer readable medium for operating a plurality of vehicles in a vehicle test track system comprising:
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computer readable code means for generating mission signals representative of desired vehicle movements around the test track; computer readable code means for communicating mission signals to the vehicles and for receiving status signals therefrom; computer readable code means for receiving the status signals and generating signals in response; computer readable code means for generating a control signal when a status signal indicates that a vehicle'"'"'s speed is less than a predetermined speed; computer readable code means for generating a control signal when a status signal indicates that a vehicle'"'"'s position is outside an expected position envelope; and computer readable code means for generating a control signal when a status signal indicates that the distance between any two vehicles is less than a minimum separation distance. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method for automatically operating a plurality of vehicles comprising the steps of:
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generating mission signals representative of desired vehicle movements around the test track; communicating mission signals to the vehicles and receiving status signals therefrom; receiving the status signals and generating control signals in response; generating a control signal when a status signal indicates that a vehicle'"'"'s speed is less than a predetermined speed; generating a control signal when a status signal indicates that a vehicle'"'"'s speed is less than a predetermined speed; generating a control signal when a status signal indicates that a vehicle'"'"'s position is outside an expected position envelope; and generating a control signal when a status signal indicates that the distance between any two vehicles is less than a minimum separation distance. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification