Transit system

• US 7,047,888 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2003
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bryan Richards
• Original Assignee: Bryan Richards
• Inventors: Richards, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jules, Frantz F.
• Application Number:
  US10/645,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20040035315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 104/27, 104/28, 104/30, 104/88.02, 104/124, 104/125, 104/167, 104/53, 104/139, 104/138.1, 105/238.1, 105/396
• US Class Current: 104/28
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 15/00 Combinations of railway systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/28 non-mechanical , e.g. following a line or other known markers
• CPC Class Codes: E01B 2/003 Arrangement of tracks on bridges or in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: E01B 25/28 Rail tracks for guiding vehicles when running on road or similar surface wheel tracks on roads E01C9/02
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 1/002 Design or lay-out of roads, e.g. street systems, cross-sections E01C1/005, E01C1/007 take precedence; of footpaths, sidewalks, berms, hard shoulders or cycle tracks E01C15/00; Design for noise abatement, e.g. sunken road reducing transmission of structure-born noise E01C3/06; arrangements for absorbing or reflecting air transmitted road traffic noise, e.g. barriers E01F8/00

Abstract

A point-to-point transit system for riders includes an elongate guideway, a plurality of autonomous vehicles disposed in the guideway, a plurality of selectively actuable rider access portals in the side of the guideway, and a control system, configured to automatically guide the vehicles within the guideway. The rider access portals are configured to allow ingress and egress of riders to the autonomous vehicles in the guideway. The control system is configured to allow each vehicle to travel between origin and destination locations that are independently selected by a rider.

Claims

1. A transit system, comprising:

a) an elongate guideway, including;

i. a riding surface, having functionally interchangeable transit and transition lanes;

ii. a plurality of rider access portals, disposed in a side of the guideway, located at a plurality of destination locations; and

iii. vehicle access portals, configured to allow vehicles to enter or leave the guideway;

b) a plurality of autonomous vehicles, disposed within the guideway, configured for transporting riders, the autonomous vehicles having rider entry doors configured to selectively align with any of the rider access portals and allow the riders to enter the vehicle when the autonomous vehicle stops in the guideway adjacent to one of the rider access portals, the transit lane being configured to accommodate the autonomous vehicles traveling at a transit speed, and the transition lane being oriented substantially parallel to the transit lane and located adjacent to the rider access portals, at least some of the autonomous vehicles being configured for independent operation and control by a driver outside of the guideway; and

c) a control system, configured to

i. automatically direct one of the plurality of autonomous vehicles along the guideway and to enter the transition lane to stop adjacent to a selected one of the rider access portals in response to a request from one of the riders; and

ii. automatically guide the one autonomous vehicle along the guideway to a destination location selected by the rider.

2. A transit system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to (i) combine at least some of the autonomous vehicles into controllably linked “

trains”

of proximate vehicles for travel in the transit lane, and (ii) independently guide the autonomous vehicles to join and detach from the controllably linked “

trains”

to allow the autonomous vehicles to travel to independent destination locations.

3. A transit system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the autonomous vehicles draw motive power from the guideway.

4. A transit system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a toll collection system, associated with the control system, whereby a rider can pay a toll for use of the system when requesting one of the plurality of vehicles and designating a destination.

5. A transit system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least some of the destination locations further comprise a rider waiting platform, disposed adjacent to at least one of the rider access portals, and a door at the rider access portal, configured to separate the rider from an interior of the guideway except when one of the autonomous vehicles is stopped at the rider access portal.

6. A transit system in accordance with claim 5, wherein the rider waiting platform is level with the riding surface of the guideway, and the autonomous vehicles include stairs to allow riders to climb into the vehicles.

7. A transit system in accordance with claim 5, wherein the rider waiting platform is elevated above the riding surface of the guideway so as to be substantially level with a floor elevation of the autonomous vehicles.

8. A transit system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least some of the destination locations comprise a rider station, including a rider waiting platform adjacent to at least one of the rider access portals, and a rider information system, configured to convey information to riders regarding the transit system.

9. A transit system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the rider information system comprises components selected from the group consisting of visual displays, audible broadcasts, and personal messaging systems.

10. A transit system in accordance with claim 8, further comprising a rider counting system, associated with the rider station, for gauging rider demand.

11. A transit system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the guideway is substantially enclosed.

12. A transit system, comprising;

a) an elongate guideway, having a transit lane and a substantially parallel transition lane, the transit and transition lanes being functionally interchangeable, and including vehicle access portals, configured to allow vehicles to enter or leave the guideway;

b) a plurality of autonomous vehicles, disposed in the guideway and configured to travel therein, at least some of the autonomous vehicles being configured for independent operation and control by a driver outside of the guideway;

c) a plurality of selectively actuable rider access portals, disposed along the guideway adjacent to a lane of the guideway to be locally and at least temporarily designated as the transition lane, configured to allow ingress and egress of riders to the autonomous vehicles in the guideway; and

d) a control system, configured to automatically guide the autonomous vehicles within the guideway, to allow the autonomous vehicles to transition between the transit lane and the transition lane, and allow each vehicle to travel between origin and destination locations independently selected by a rider, at least some of the origin and destination locations comprising a rider access station, disposed adjacent to at least one of the selectively actuable rider access portals.

13. A transit system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the guideway comprises a plurality of pre-fabricated modules disposed end-to-end.

14. A transit system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the control system is configured to (i) combine at least some of the plurality of autonomous vehicles into controllably linked “

trains”

of proximate vehicles for travel in the transit lane, and (ii) independently guide the autonomous vehicles to join and detach from the controllably linked “

trains”

as needed to accommodate selected ones of the autonomous vehicles beginning at independent origin locations, and destined for independent destination locations.

15. A transit system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the transition lane is configured to (i) allow the autonomous vehicles to stop at selected rider access portals, and (ii) allow the vehicles to accelerate to or decelerate from a transit speed in a transit direction and wherein the transit lane is configured to accommodate the autonomous vehicles traveling at the transit speed in the transit direction.

16. A transit system in accordance with claim 12, further comprising a toll collection system, associated with the control system, configured to allow a rider to pay a toll for use of the system.

17. A transit system, comprising:

a) an elongate guideway, including;

i. a riding surface, having functionally interchangeable transit and transition lanes;

ii. a plurality of rider access portals, disposed in a side of the guideway; and

iii. vehicle access portals, configured to allow vehicles to enter or leave the guideway;

b) a plurality of rider stations, each rider station being located adjacent to at least one of the rider access portals;

c) a plurality of autonomous vehicles;

disposed within the guideway, configured for transporting riders between the rider access portals, the autonomous vehicles having rider entry doors configured to align with the rider access portals and to allow the riders to enter one of the autonomous vehicles when the one autonomous vehicle stops in the guideway adjacent to one of the rider access portals, at least some of the autonomous vehicles being configured for independent operation and control by a driver outside of the guideway;

d) the transit lane being configured to accommodate the autonomous vehicle traveling at a transit speed, and the transition lane being located adjacent to the rider access portals; and

e) a control system, configured to

(i) automatically direct the one of the plurality of the autonomous vehicles along the guideway to a selected rider access portal in response to a request from a rider, and allow the rider to enter therein; and

(ii) automatically guide the one autonomous vehicle along the guideway to a destination location selected by the rider, the control system being enable to combine the one autonomous vehicle into a controllably linked “

train”

with at least one other autonomous vehicle for travel in the transit lane, and to cause the one autonomous vehicle to detach from the controllably linked “

trains”

of autonomous vehicles, and move to the transition lane to stop at the selected destination.