Method and system for merge control in an automated vehicle system
First Claim
1. A method of controlling merging of a plurality of streams of vehicles in an automated vehicle system, the automated vehicle system including a network of tracks along which the vehicles are adapted to travel, the network including at least one merge point at which at least two upstream tracks merge to form a downstream track, the method comprising:
- defining a merge control zone associated with the merge point, the merge control zone defining at least respective sections of the upstream tracks;
detecting a vehicle entering the merge control zone on a first one of the upstream tracks, the vehicle being a vehicle of a sequence of one or more vehicles approaching the merge point on said first upstream track;
allocating a passage time to the detected vehicle, the passage time being indicative of a time at which the vehicle is scheduled to pass the merge point;
wherein allocating the passage time is based on a merge priority assigned to the vehicle according to a predetermined set of merge priority rules;
controlling a speed of the vehicle responsive to the allocated passage time.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of controlling merging of a plurality of streams of vehicles in an automated vehicle system. The method comprises: Defining a merge control zone associated with a merge point, the merge control zone defining at least respective sections of the upstream tracks leading to the merge point; detecting a vehicle entering the merge control zone on a first one of the upstream tracks; allocating a passage time to the vehicle, the passage time being indicative of a time at which the vehicle is scheduled to pass the merge point; wherein allocating the passage time is based on a merge priority assigned to the vehicle according to a predetermined set of merge priority rules; controlling a speed of the vehicle responsive to the allocated passage time.
23 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of controlling merging of a plurality of streams of vehicles in an automated vehicle system, the automated vehicle system including a network of tracks along which the vehicles are adapted to travel, the network including at least one merge point at which at least two upstream tracks merge to form a downstream track, the method comprising:
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defining a merge control zone associated with the merge point, the merge control zone defining at least respective sections of the upstream tracks; detecting a vehicle entering the merge control zone on a first one of the upstream tracks, the vehicle being a vehicle of a sequence of one or more vehicles approaching the merge point on said first upstream track; allocating a passage time to the detected vehicle, the passage time being indicative of a time at which the vehicle is scheduled to pass the merge point;
wherein allocating the passage time is based on a merge priority assigned to the vehicle according to a predetermined set of merge priority rules;controlling a speed of the vehicle responsive to the allocated passage time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A control system for controlling merging of a plurality of streams of vehicles in an automated vehicle system, the automated vehicle system including a network of tracks along which the vehicles are adapted to travel, the network including at least one merge point at which at least two upstream tracks merge to form a downstream track, the system comprising:
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means for detecting a vehicle entering a merge control zone associated with the merge point on a first one of the upstream tracks, the merge control zone defining at least respective sections of the upstream tracks, the vehicle being a vehicle of a sequence of one or more vehicles approaching the merge point on said first upstream track; means for allocating a passage time to the vehicle, the passage time being indicative of a time at which the vehicle is scheduled to pass the merge point;
wherein allocating the passage time is based on a merge priority assigned to the vehicle according to a predetermined set of merge priority rules;means for controlling a speed of the vehicle responsive to the allocated passage time.
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Specification