Position control system
First Claim
1. A method for controlling a vehicle having wheels located on a fixed path, the method comprising:
- using a vehicle processor and a vehicle sensor device to determine an actual velocity of the vehicle while the vehicle is moving along the path, wherein the vehicle processor and the vehicle sensor device are located on the vehicle;
using a position control correction module to compare the actual velocity of the vehicle to a velocity command generated by the vehicle processor and utilizing a comparison result to determine if wheel slip is occurring; and
decreasing a magnitude of a subsequent vehicle velocity command from the vehicle processor relative to a magnitude of the velocity command where the comparison result indicates that wheel slip is occurring.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for determining slippage of at least one wheel of at least one vehicle having a motor and a processor that communicates velocity commands to the motor for varying a velocity of the vehicle is presented. The method includes determining an actual velocity of the vehicle over regular intervals; comparing, over regular intervals, the actual velocity of the vehicle to the expected velocity from the magnitude of the velocity commands to determine whether there is slip of the wheel of the vehicle; and reducing the magnitude of the velocity commands to equal approximately the actual velocity of the vehicle where there is slip of the wheel. A system and circuit carrying out the method are also presented.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for controlling a vehicle having wheels located on a fixed path, the method comprising:
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using a vehicle processor and a vehicle sensor device to determine an actual velocity of the vehicle while the vehicle is moving along the path, wherein the vehicle processor and the vehicle sensor device are located on the vehicle; using a position control correction module to compare the actual velocity of the vehicle to a velocity command generated by the vehicle processor and utilizing a comparison result to determine if wheel slip is occurring; and decreasing a magnitude of a subsequent vehicle velocity command from the vehicle processor relative to a magnitude of the velocity command where the comparison result indicates that wheel slip is occurring. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A ride control system for controlling a plurality of vehicles on a path, the ride control system comprising:
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a path processor configured to communicate an ideal spacing between each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles on the path; a plurality of vehicle processors, wherein each of the plurality of vehicles includes a one of the plurality of vehicle processors, and wherein each of the plurality of vehicle processors is configured to receive the ideal spacing; wherein each of the plurality of vehicle processors is in circuit with a corresponding vehicle sensor device configured to identify an actual velocity of a corresponding one of the plurality of vehicles; a timer configured to provide time duration of travel data for one or more of the plurality of vehicles along the path a plurality of position control correction modules, wherein each of the plurality of vehicles includes a one of the plurality of position control correction modules, and wherein each of the plurality of position control correction modules is configured to determine a variation in an expected position of the corresponding vehicle by comparing the actual velocity of the corresponding vehicle with a velocity command of the corresponding vehicle, in view of time duration of travel data for the corresponding vehicle from the timer, and to determine a corrected velocity that will correct the variation in the expected position of the corresponding vehicle such that the ideal spacing will be corrected without requiring knowledge of a position of adjacent vehicles; and a plurality of vehicle driving and stopping systems, wherein each of the plurality of vehicles includes a one of the plurality of vehicle driving and stopping systems in circuit with a corresponding one of the plurality of vehicle processors, and wherein each of the plurality of vehicle driving and stopping systems is configured to apply the corrected velocity to the corresponding vehicle to correct for the variation in spacing between the adjacent vehicles. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for determining slippage of at least one wheel of at least one vehicle having a motor and a processor that communicates velocity commands to the motor for varying a velocity of the vehicle, the method comprising:
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determining an actual velocity of the vehicle with a velocity sensor; comparing, with a processor, the actual velocity of the vehicle to an expected velocity based on a magnitude of the velocity commands; determining, with the processor, whether there is slip of the at least one wheel of the at least one vehicle based upon the comparison of the actual velocity and the expected velocity; and reducing the magnitude of the velocity commands to equal approximately the actual velocity of the vehicle where a determination is made that there is slip of the at least one wheel. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification