Transportation system, system components and process

• US 8,483,895 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solar Transportation Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Solar Transportation Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Beregi, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHALEN, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US12/712,099
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 701/19, 701/20, 701/24, 104 8801- 8804, 104/25, 104 881- 884, 104287-289, 104/293, 104/295, 246/2.R, 246/182.R, 246/182.C, 246/187.R, 246/167.R
• US Class Current: 701/20
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 1/00 General arrangement of stations, platforms, or sidings; Railway networks; Rail vehicle marshalling systems shunting humps and shunting devices B61J; construction of platforms E01F1/00; time-tables G09D
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 13/00 Other railway systems
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/04 Automatic systems, e.g. controlled by train; Change-over to manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/24 employing different frequencies or coded pulse groups , e.g. in combination with track circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

New and useful system, components and methods are provided for a transportation system in which one or more vehicles are moved between at least a pair of stations along a guideway that extends between the pair of stations. The vehicle is propelled along the guideway while one or more signals are transmitted that can be used for controlling the speed of the vehicle and the spacing between the vehicle and other vehicles on the guideway. A digital signal that decodes into a sync signal component and a spacing signal component is transmitted along the guideway, where the difference between the period of the sync and spacing signal components determines the predetermined speed of the vehicles moving along the guideway. Each vehicle has a virtual scan window, based on the actual speed of the vehicle, that is configured to follow the spacing signal component in a manner such that the relation of a predetermined point on the virtual scan window to the spacing signal component determines whether the vehicle is maintaining the predetermined speed or whether the speed of the vehicle needs to be adjusted to maintain the predetermined speed and spacing.

Claims

1. An automated system for moving passengers and freight across and/or between geographic areas, comprising:

(a) a U-shaped guideway disposed between two locations comprising;

(i) a roadway,

(ii) a vertical inside wall having a longitudinal recess disposed therein,

(iii) a plurality of rails configured to carry electrical power disposed in the recess, and

(iv) a plurality of entrance/exit stations, each of which has a server that is configured to communicate with one or more of a plurality of other stations and with a plurality of electric vehicles on the guideway for maintaining speed and spacing between the electric vehicles moving along the guideway wherein the server is configured to transmit control signals to vehicles on the guideway;

(b) a dual-mode electric vehicle configured to operate on the guideway, each electric vehicle having;

(i) a plurality of wheel assemblies, one proximal to each corner of the electric vehicle each having a wheel based electrical motor, steering motor and a suspension/levitation system,

(ii) a battery operatively connected to each electrical motor, steering motor, and suspension/levitation system,

(iii) a plurality of automated extending/retracting power and steering probes, one disposed on each side proximal to a front of the electric vehicle, operatively connected to the battery, wherein the power and steering probes are adapted to operatively contact the rails of the guideway, and

(iv) a server operatively connected to the automated retracting power and steering probe having [a.] a receiver process that decodes a control signal into a sync signal component and a spacing signal component, where the difference between the period of the sync and spacing signal components determines the predetermined speed of the vehicles moving along the guideway; and

[b.] a signal processor that has a virtual scan window, based on the actual speed of the vehicle, that follows the spacing signal component in a manner such that the relation of a predetermined point in the virtual scan window to the spacing signal component determines whether the vehicle is maintaining the predetermined spacing or whether the speed of the vehicle needs to be adjusted to maintain the predetermined speed and spacing; and

(c) wherein the phase of the sync signal component and spacing signal component must remain synced.

2. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rails of the guideway are configured to carry electrical power and the control signals along the guideway.

3. The automated system of claim 1, wherein the control signals include digital signals that are transmitted along a guiderail, and placed in circuit communication with a server on a vehicle moving along the guideway, via a sensor on the vehicle that can be placed in circuit communication with the guiderail.

4. The automated system of claim 3, wherein the server on the vehicle is configured to decode the digital signal into the sync signal component and the spacing signal component, and to produce the virtual scan window, based on the actual speed of the vehicle, which is configured to follow the spacing signal component.

5. An automated system for moving passengers and freight across and/or between geographic areas, consisting of:

(a) a U-shaped guideway disposed between two locations consisting of;

(i) a roadway,

(ii) a vertical inside wall having a longitudinal recess disposed therein,

(iii) a plurality of rails configured to carry electrical power disposed in the recess, and

(iv) a plurality of entrance/exit stations, each of which has a server that is configured to communicate with one or more of a plurality of other stations and with a plurality of electric vehicles on the guideway for maintaining speed and spacing between the electric vehicles moving along the guideway wherein the server is configured to transmit control signals to vehicles on the guideway;

(b) a dual-mode electric vehicle configured to operate on the guideway, each electric vehicle having;

(i) a plurality of wheel assemblies, one proximal to each corner of the electric vehicle each having a wheel based electrical motor, steering motor and a suspension/levitation system,

(ii) a battery operatively connected to each electrical motor, steering motor, and suspension/levitation system,

(iii) a plurality of automated extending/retracting power and steering probes, one disposed on each side proximal to a front of the electric vehicle, operatively connected to the battery, wherein the power and steering probes are adapted to operatively contact the rails of the guideway, and

(iv) a server operatively connected to the automated retracting power and steering probe having a receiver process that decodes a control signal into a sync signal component and a spacing signal component, where the difference between the period of the sync and spacing signal components determines the predetermined speed of the vehicles moving along the guideway; and

a signal processor that has a virtual scan window, based on the actual speed of the vehicle, that follows the spacing signal component in a manner such that the relation of a predetermined point in the virtual scan window to the spacing signal component determines whether the vehicle is maintaining the predetermined spacing or whether the speed of the vehicle needs to be adjusted to maintain the predetermined speed and spacing; and

(c) wherein the phase of the sync signal component and spacing signal component must remain synced.