Multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles transporter system

• US 8,195,382 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clean Transport
• Original Assignee: Clean Transport
• Inventors: Oliver, Reid G., Ware, David, Bowen, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/258,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20100104392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701117-119, 701/213
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/08 Multilevel-deck construction carrying vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 3/18 for vehicles vehicles adapted to carry other vehicles, in general, B60P3/06
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 47/005 Loading or unloading devices combined with road vehicles carrying wagons, e.g. ramps, turntables, lifting means wagons for carrying road vehicles in general: B61D3/18
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

The multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles transporter system (Autobus) provides a way to efficiently, economically and safely increase the highway vehicle flow rate of cars per lane per hour. Autobus employs a vehicle transporter, terminal, sensors and systems that provide a way to quickly load and unload driver occupied passenger vehicles on and off of the vehicle transporter. Autobus provides a way to safely transport multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles, including cars, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and light trucks.

Claims

1. A multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles transporter system (Autobus), the system comprising:

multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles;

a roadway segment;

an Autobus enhanced geo-positioning system (AEGPS) handset;

a vehicle transporter comprising vehicle compartments, wherein the multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles include a roadway segment traveling driver occupied passenger vehicle traveling on the roadway segment and a vehicle compartment loaded driver occupied passenger vehicle traveling on the roadway on the vehicle transporter in one of the vehicle compartments;

vehicle transporter terminals each comprising;

terminal sensors;

terminal lane directional aides; and

a terminal dock;

a memory comprising;

location and status information for the multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles and vehicle transporter;

vehicle compartment status information;

terminal sensor information;

Autobus logic operable to;

analyze the terminal sensor information and the vehicle compartment status information;

actuate the terminal lane directional aides and the vehicle compartments based on the location and status information for the multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles, wherein the terminal lane directional aides identify whether the terminal dock is available to enter by the roadway segment traveling driver occupied passenger vehicle and assists the roadway segment traveling driver occupied passenger vehicle to navigate to a location in one of the vehicle transporter terminals including the terminal dock; and

communicate the vehicle compartment status and the location and the status information for the multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles to a transporter driver; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor executes the Autobus logic.

2. The system of claim 1, the vehicle compartments further comprising lower level vehicle compartments and upper level vehicle compartments.

3. The system of claim 2, the terminal dock comprising:

a vehicle transporter level dock where the vehicle transporter is positioned to load and unload passenger vehicles.

4. The system of claim 3, the terminal dock further comprising a load side comprising:

a lower vehicle compartment level dock for loading driver occupied passenger vehicles in the lower level vehicle compartments; and

an upper vehicle compartment level dock for loading driver occupied passenger vehicles in the upper level vehicle compartments.

5. The system of claim 3, the terminal dock further comprising an unload side comprising:

a lower vehicle compartment level dock for unloading driver occupied passenger vehicles in the lower level vehicle compartments; and

an upper vehicle compartment level dock for unloading driver occupied passenger vehicles in the upper level vehicle compartments.

6. The system of claim 2, the vehicles compartments further comprising:

an amenities module;

a deck designated the floor of the vehicle compartment;

a roof designated the ceiling of the vehicle compartment, wherein the roof comprises a left side and a right side of the roof;

a load ramp barrier assembly designated the rear of the vehicle compartment;

an unload ramp barrier assembly designated the front of the vehicle compartment; and

a driver side panel and a passenger side panel, wherein the driver side panel and the passenger side panel each have a forward edge connected to the unload ramp barrier assembly and a rear edge connect to the load ramp barrier assembly.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the amenities module is connected to the driver side panel, the amenities module comprising:

a display;

a multimedia communication device; and

an environmental controls device.

8. The system of claim 7, the vehicle compartments further comprising:

a vehicle compartment frame comprising vertical frame ribs, wherein the deck, the roof, the driver side panel, the passenger side panel, the load ramp barrier assembly, and the unload ramp barrier assembly are connected to the vehicle compartment frame, and wherein the vertical frame ribs include;

a front left side vertical frame rib that is connected to the unload ramp barrier assembly and the driver side panel;

a front right side vertical frame rib that is connected to the unload ramp barrier assembly and the passenger side panel;

a rear right side vertical frame rib that is connected to the load ramp barrier assembly and the passenger side panel; and

a rear left side vertical frame rib that is connected to the load ramp barrier assembly and the driver side panel.

9. The system of claim 8, the vehicle transporter further comprising:

a transporter main frame beam assembly connected to a first vehicle compartment lift, separation and rotation assembly, wherein the transporter main frame beam assembly comprises vehicle compartment locking foot wells for the lower level vehicle compartments, and wherein the roof of each of the lower level vehicle compartments comprise vehicle compartment locking foot wells on each of the left side and right side of the roof.

10. The system of claim 9, the terminal dock further comprising:

a terminal dock ceiling; and

an overhead lift beam assembly connected to a second vehicle compartment lift, separation and rotation assembly, and wherein the overhead lift beam assembly is connected to the terminal dock ceiling.

11. The system of claim 10, the memory further comprising:

global positioning system (GPS) information; and

traffic management information, the traffic management information including;

historical traffic management information;

forecasted traffic information;

weather forecasts;

special event information; and

real-time traffic information.

12. The system of claim 11, the Autobus logic comprising:

Autobus flow optimization computer system (AFOCS) logic;

Autobus enhanced geo-positioning system (AEGPS) logic;

load/unload ramp and bridge logic;

module lift logic;

module separation logic;

module rotation logic;

vehicle wheel lock logic; and

amenities module logic.

13. The system of claim 12, the amenities module logic comprising pneumatic control logic, wherein the driver occupied passenger vehicles each comprise a driver side window opening, and wherein the amenities module comprises a conformable edge that the amenities module logic adjusts to fit the amenities module in the driver side window opening.

14. The system of claim 12, the Autobus logic further comprising:

Automated Distance Keeping (ADKS) logic, including braking logic and safety system logic that monitors a first transporter and a second transporter traveling the roadway and a distance between maintains separation distance between the transporters; and

suspension systems logic that monitors the suspension of the vehicle transporter, determines suspension settings that minimize impulse stress loads on overpasses and bridges as the transporter travels on the overpasses and bridges.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the load/unload ramp and bridge logic actuates the load ramp barrier assembly and the unload ramp barrier assembly.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the module lift logic actuates the first vehicle compartment lift, separation and rotation assembly and the second vehicle compartment lift, separation and rotation assembly to lower and lift the upper vehicle compartments to and from the lower vehicle compartments and lower and lift the lower vehicle compartments to and from the transporter main frame beam assembly.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the module separation logic actuates the first vehicle compartment lift, separation and rotation assembly and the second vehicle compartment lift, separation and rotation assembly to actuate the vertical frame ribs to join and separate the vehicle compartments to and from each other, and actuate the first vehicle compartment lift, separation and rotation assembly to lock and unlock the lower vehicle compartments to and from the transporter main frame beam assembly.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the module rotation logic actuates the first vehicle compartment lift, separation and rotation assembly and the second vehicle compartment lift, separation and rotation assembly to rotate the vehicle compartments into position to load and unload the vehicle compartments, join and separate the vehicle compartments adjacent to each other, and lock and unlock the lower vehicle compartments to and from the transporter main frame beam assembly.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the roadway segment is a new constructions zone, wherein the vehicle transporter terminals comprise a first vehicle transporter terminal and a second vehicle transporter terminal located on the roadway segment, and wherein the first vehicle transporter terminal is located before the new constructions zone and the second vehicle transporter terminal is located after the new constructions zone.

20. A metropolitan traffic management system, the system comprising:

multiple roadway segments of a metropolitan area;

roadway monitors and controls that monitor and control traffic traveling the roadway segments;

a multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles transporter system (Autobus) comprising;

multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles;

an Autobus enhanced geo-positioning system (AEGPS) handset;

a vehicle transporter comprising vehicle modules, wherein the vehicle modules comprise vehicle compartments, wherein the multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles include a roadway segment traveling driver occupied passenger vehicle traveling on the roadway segment and a vehicle compartment loaded driver occupied passenger vehicle traveling on the roadway on the vehicle transporter in one of the vehicle compartments;

vehicle transporter terminals each comprising;

terminal sensors, terminal lane directional aides, and a terminal dock, wherein the vehicle transporter terminals are located on the roadway segments;

a memory comprising;

location and status information for the multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles and vehicle transporter;

vehicle compartment status information;

terminal sensor information;

Autobus logic operable to;

analyze the terminal sensor information and the vehicle compartment status information;

actuate the terminal lane directional aides and the vehicle compartments based on the location and status information for the multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles, wherein the terminal lane directional aides identify whether the terminal dock is available to enter by the roadway segment traveling driver occupied passenger vehicle and assists the roadway segment traveling driver occupied passenger vehicle to navigate to a location in one of the vehicle transporter terminals including the terminal dock; and

communicate the vehicle compartment status and the location and the status information of the multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles to a transporter driver;

roadway monitors and controls logic operable to monitor and control the autobus logic; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor executes the Autobus logic and the roadway monitors and controls logic.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the Autobus logic is further operable to:

assign the vehicle compartments to the multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles based on a frequency of use of the Autobus by the multiple driver occupied passenger vehicles.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the AEGPS handset is operable to communicate location and status information of the vehicle transporter to the roadway segment traveling driver occupied passenger vehicle to identify vehicle transporter availability.