Passive position-sensing and communications for vehicles on a pathway
First Claim
1. A system for determining position along a pathway, the system comprisinga magnetic flux source disposed along the pathway, at least a first sensing winding comprising a plurality of inductive loops of alternating sense disposed along the pathway in stationary proximity to the magnetic flux source, where loops of alternating sense alternate in sense with respect to one another, and a moveable coupling element configured to couple energy from the flux source to the first sensing winding to induce therein a position signal that varies with a position of the coupling element along the pathway.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pathway-based method, apparatus and system for tracking, sensing and communicating with an object, such as a carriage or vehicle moving on a pathway. The system includes a transmitter winding along the pathway that is energized by a transmitter and one or more sensing windings in which a signal is induced. The vehicle contains a transducer that creates a position-indicating coupling of the transmitted signal into the sensing windings. The transducer may be a passive ferromagnetic or conductive body that locally alters coupling between the windings, or a tuned coil carried on the vehicle that couples energy received from the transmitter into a sensing winding. Absolute position may be established at regular intervals using a discrete position sensor, such as a Hall Effect magnetic field sensor, and, the signal derived from the sensing windings can be monitored, by counting cycles or determining phase, to determine a precise vehicle position. With one sensing winding it is possible to determine distance to about ⅛ of a wavelength and by using two or more phased sensing windings a wayside controller determines the position within a wavelength to a smaller fraction of a wavelength. The position sensing can be accomplished without any source of power on the vehicle, and may extract power from the transducer or position sensing system to drive an electronic communication unit on the vehicle. Modulation of the position sense signal can be used to provide two-way communication between the vehicle and the wayside controller. A typical application is to transmit a vehicle identification number to a controller, or for the controller to activate a mechanism on the vehicle.
159 Citations
51 Claims
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1. A system for determining position along a pathway, the system comprising
a magnetic flux source disposed along the pathway, at least a first sensing winding comprising a plurality of inductive loops of alternating sense disposed along the pathway in stationary proximity to the magnetic flux source, where loops of alternating sense alternate in sense with respect to one another, and a moveable coupling element configured to couple energy from the flux source to the first sensing winding to induce therein a position signal that varies with a position of the coupling element along the pathway.
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14. A pathway system for a carriage, the system comprising
a magnetic flux source disposed along the pathway, the flux source comprising one or more current loops that generate magnetic flux, at least a first sensing winding, the first sensing winding comprising a plurality of inductive loops of alternating sense disposed along the pathway in stationary proximity to the magnetic flux source, where loops of alternating sense alternate in sense with respect to one another, and a transducer assembly coupled to the carriage, the transducer assembly comprising a resonant current loop positioned to couple energy from the flux source to the first sensing winding to induce therein a position signal that varies with a position of the coupling element along the pathway.
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18. A system for determining a position of a carriage along a pathway, the system comprising
a magnetic flux source disposed along the pathway, the flux source comprising one or more current loops that generate magnetic flux, at least a first sensing winding, the first sensing winding comprising a plurality of inductive loops of alternating sense disposed along the pathway in stationary proximity to the magnetic flux source, and a coupling element arranged for movement with the carriage, the coupling element configured to couple energy from the flux source to the first sensing winding to induce therein a position signal that varies with a position of the coupling element along the pathway.
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25. A system for determining position along a pathway, the system comprising
a transmitter winding disposed along the pathway and defining a magnetic field along the pathway, a first sensing winding arranged along the pathway in stationary proximity to the transmitter winding, the sensing wining, the sensing winding having a plurality of inductive loops of alternating sense, the first sensing winding being positioned such that movement of a coupling element along the pathway couples energy from the transmitter winding to the first sensing winding to induce therein a position signal that varies with a position of the coupling element along the pathway.
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30. A system for determining position of a carriage along a pathway, the system comprising
a transmitter winding comprising a plurality of current loops of alternating sense disposed along the pathway, each current loop generating magnetic flux, a first sensing winding arranged along the pathway in stationary proximity to the transmitter winding, the first sensing winding having a plurality of inductive loops of alternating sense, a second sensing winding, the second sensing winding comprising a plurality of inductive loops of alternating sense disposed along the pathway, a coupling element that is arranged for movement with the carriage, the first and second sensing windings being positioned in relation to the flux source and the pathway such that movement of the coupling element along the pathway couples energy between the flux source and the first and second sensing windings to induce therein position signals that vary with a position of the carriage along the pathway.
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35. A method for determining position along a pathway, wherein the method comprises the steps of
providing a magnetic flux source disposed along the pathway, providing a sensing winding disposed along the pathway in stationary proximity to the magnetic flux source, and arranged in a plurality of inductive loops of alternating sense, wherein the step of providing the sensing winding includes positioning the winding such that movement of a coupling element along the pathway couples energy between the flux source and the sensing winding to produce a position signal in the sensing winding.
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36. A method for determining position of a carriage or the like moving along a pathway in a system having a current winding fixedly extending along the pathway that constitutes a linear motor for operatively driving the carriage along the pathway, such method comprising the steps of
providing at least one sensing winding arranged stationary and proximate to the pathway and the current winding, the sensing winding including multiple loops with each loop having a spatial period and being disposed along the pathway with alternating sense operating the current winding as a transmitter to transmit electromagnetic energy, and mounting a transducer on the carriage to passively receive the energy in a resonant current loop, the transducer being positioned to induce a signal in the sensing winding as the transducer moves along the pathway such that the induced signal in the winding indicates transducer position.
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37. A method for signaling position of a carriage or the like moving along a pathway in a system having a current winding extending along the pathway that constitutes a linear motor for operatively driving the carriage along the pathway, such method comprising the steps of
providing a plurality of sensing windings in stationary proximity to the pathway, each sensing winding having a period and being offset along the pathway operating the current winding to generate magnetic flux, and passively receiving flux on the carriage in a resonant current loop, the loop being positioned to induce position-indicating signals in the sensing windings as the carriage carries the transducer along the pathway.
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38. A pathway system for determining position of a carriage, vehicle or the like (collectively, “
- carriage”
) moving along a pathway, the system comprisinga coil assembly configured for extending along and being securable against movement with respect to pathway, wherein the coil assembly includes a transmitter winding, a first sensing winding and a second sensing winding, the first and second sensing windings being spatially periodic and out of phase with respect to each other and in stationary proximity with the transmitter winding, the transmitter winding being deposed for electromagnectic coupling of flux generated thereby to the first and to the second sensing windings, such that motion of a coupling element carried by a carriage on the pathway varies inductive coupling between the transmitter winding and the first and second sensing windings so as to passively generate therein signals that vary with a position of the carriage along the pathway. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
- carriage”
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42. A pathway system for determining position of a carriage traveling along a pathway, the system comprising
a coil assembly including first and second sensing windings proximate to each other, each sensing winding having an identical spatial period and being repetitively disposed along the pathway, a transmitter winding extending along the pathway for generating a magnetic field along the pathway, and a transducer assembly coupled to the carriage, the transducer assembly comprising a resonant current loop positioned to induce position-indicating signals in the first and second sensing windings that vary with a position of the carriage along the pathway.
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47. A system for determining position of a carriage, vehicle or the like moving along a pathway, wherein the system comprises
a coil assembly extending along and being securable against movement with respect to the pathway, wherein the coil assembly includes a current winding that constitutes a linear motor for operatively driving a carriage along the pathway a first and a second sensing winding being periodic and out of phase with respect to each other, the sensing windings disposed in stationary proximity to the current winding for electromagnetic signal coupling from the current winding to the sensing windings such that passage of a coupling element over the coil assembly varies the electromagnetic signal coupling so as to generate signals in the first and second windings that vary with position of the coupling element to indicate position along the pathway.
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49. A system for determining position of a carriage or the like moving along a pathway, wherein the system comprises
a coil assembly extending along and being securable against movement with respect to the pathway, wherein the coil assembly includes a current winding that constitutes a linear motor for operatively driving a carriage along the pathway first and second sensing windings proximate to each other, each sensing winding having an identical spatial period and being repetitively disposed along the pathway, a transducer assembly configured for mounting on the carriage to passively receive magnetic energy from the current winding in a resonant current loop, the loop being positioned to induce position-indicating signals in the first and second sensing windings as the carriage carries the transducer along the pathway, thereby passively providing an electrical signal indicative of position.
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50. A method for determining position of a carriage, vehicle or the like moving along a pathway, such method comprising the steps of
providing a coil assembly configured for extending along and being securable against movement with respect to the pathway wherein the step of providing the coil assembly includes providing a transmitter winding, a first sensing winding and a second sensing winding, the transmitter winding being disposed in stationary proximity to the transmitter winding for electromagnetic coupling of a signal therein to the first and to the second sensing windings, the first and second sensing windings being periodic and out of phase with respect to each other mounting a coupling assembly to a carriage positioned such that as the carriage moves along the pathway, the coupling assembly varies coupling from the transmitter winding to the first and second sensing windings so as to passively generate signals it the first and second windings that indicate position of the carriage along the pathway without requiring an active power source on the carriage.
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51. A method for determining position of a carriage or the like moving along a pathway in a system having a current winding fixedly extending along the pathway that constitutes a linear motor for operatively driving the carriage along the pathway, such method comprising the steps of
providing a first and a second sensing winding proximate to each other, each sensing winding having an identical spatial period and being repetitively disposed along the pathway operating the current winding to generate magnetic flux, and mounting a transducer on the carriage to passively receive the flux in a resonant current loop, the loop being positioned to induce phased position-indicating signals in the first and second sensing windings as the carriage carries the transducer along the pathway thereby passively providing an electrical signal indicative of carriage position.
Specification