Method of preventing collisions by reacting to control system failures
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a plurality of driverless vehicles in a fixed guideway system, comprising:
- identifying a controlled braking rate for each of the plurality of vehicles, the controlled braking rate including best and worst case jerk and acceleration rates for emergency braking;
periodically determining whether there are any safety violations in the system, the determination taking into account the controlled braking rates of the vehicles; and
withholding transmission of a safety signal to certain of the vehicles if there is a violation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates generally to ground transportation systems, and more particularly to a fixed guideway transportation system that achieves a superior ratio of benefits per cost, is lower in net present cost and thus more easily justified for lower density corridors, and can provide passenger carrying capacities appropriate for higher density corridors serviced by mass rapid transit systems today. According to certain aspects, the present invention provides a methodology for limiting the rise in headway as the vehicle speed increases. This innovation further allows systems to achieve shorter time separations between vehicles traveling at high speeds, thus significantly improving the utility of fixed guideway infrastructure.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a plurality of driverless vehicles in a fixed guideway system, comprising:
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identifying a controlled braking rate for each of the plurality of vehicles, the controlled braking rate including best and worst case jerk and acceleration rates for emergency braking; periodically determining whether there are any safety violations in the system, the determination taking into account the controlled braking rates of the vehicles; and withholding transmission of a safety signal to certain of the vehicles if there is a violation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for controlling a plurality of driverless vehicles in a fixed guideway system, comprising:
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an interface in each of the vehicles; and a station controller that communicates with the interface in each of the vehicles to control the application of emergency braking in each of the vehicles, the station controller controlling the application of emergency braking in each of the vehicles by; identifying a controlled braking rate for each of the plurality of vehicles, the controlled braking rate including best and worst case jerk and acceleration rates for emergency braking; periodically determining whether there are any safety violations in the system, the determination taking into account the controlled braking rates of the vehicles, and withholding transmission of a safety signal to certain of the vehicles if there is a violation. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification