AUTONOMOUS MOVING HIGHWAY

• US 20130327244A1
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Transit-21, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Transit-21, Inc.
• Inventors: Robbert, Jeffrey C., Bullivant, Matthew, Rush, Esther M., Patel, Vipul C.
• Application Number:
  US13/493,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20130327244A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 104/281
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 13/04 Magnetic suspension or levitation for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 13/08 Sliding or levitation systems vehicles with air cushions between rails and vehicles B60V3/04
• CPC Class Codes: E01B 25/22 Tracks for railways with the vehicle suspended from rigid supporting rails
• CPC Class Codes: E01B 25/24 Supporting rails; Auxiliary balancing rails; Supports or connections for rails
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

An autonomous moving highway system including an elevated guideway having a support pier with a pier cap having a first end, a second end, an upper portion and a lower portion, where the lower portion of the pier cap is attached to the top end of the support pier, a first girder located at the first end of the pier cap and a second girder located at the second end of the pier cap, a first magnetically levitated (maglev) transportation track mounted to a bottom of the first girder and a second maglev transportation track mounted to a bottom of the second girder, a plurality of individual transportation pods, each transportation pod is configured to enclose a vehicle and at least one passenger of the vehicle, a computer control system configured to control power, propulsion, direction and motion of the plurality of transportation pods.

Claims

1. An autonomous moving highway system, the system comprising:

an elevated guideway including;

a support pier having a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end;

a pier cap having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, an upper portion and a lower portion opposite the upper portion, the lower portion of the pier cap attached to the top end of the support pier;

a first girder located at the first end of the pier cap and a second girder located at the second end of the pier cap; and

,

a first magnetically levitated (maglev) transportation track mounted to a bottom of the first girder and a second magnetically levitated (maglev) transportation track mounted to a bottom of the second girder,

a plurality of individual transportation pods;

wherein each transportation pod is configured to enclose a vehicle and at least one passenger of the vehicle;

a computer control system, the computer control system configured to;

control power, propulsion, direction and motion of the plurality of transportation pods; and

,

automatically guide one of the plurality of transportation pods to a destination selected by a user; and

a system station having a docking bay, the docking bay including a docking platform having a first end configured to receive the one of the plurality of transportation pod and a second end configured to receive the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer control system comprises a plurality of command modules within each transportation pod configured to:

control power, propulsion, direction and motion of the plurality of transportation pods in a region of the guideway; and

,

automatically guide one of the plurality of transportation pods to a destination selected by a user.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a track continuity module configured to process track emergencies that are identified by a track continuity sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an empty pod module configured to control flow of incoming and outgoing pods in the station and between stations.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a command quality assurance module configured to compare a directed position of the pod with an actual position of the pod.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a station manager module configured to control flow of incoming vehicles and incoming pods in the station.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a station docking module configured to control docking equipment located at the station.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle module configured to direct vehicles to pods docked in the station.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle database module configured to keep a log of all trips for a vehicle and to create a list of the top five destination for each pod based on day and time of entry.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a switch on the maglev transportation tracks;

the switch having no moving parts.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a back-up trolley to maneuver the pod into the docking bay.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a dock magnet located at the first end of the docking platform.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mobile phone application module to edit destination preferences.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the transportation pod comprises:

a pod body configured to enclose a vehicle and at least one passenger of the vehicle;

a nose cone attached to a first end of the pod body and a pair of doors attached to a second end of the pod body that is opposite the first end of the pod body;

a maglev sled attached to a top of the pod body, the maglev sled configured to engage with a maglev transportation track of an autonomous moving highway system;

a front display and a side touchpad located in an interior of the pod body;

an air conditioner system and carbon monoxide detector; and

,

a fail safe speed detector-emitter attached to a front surface of the maglev sled.

15. An individual transportation pod for us in an autonomous moving highway system, the transportation pod comprising:

a pod body configured to enclose a vehicle and at least one passenger of the vehicle;

a nose cone attached to a first end of the pod body and a pair of doors attached to a second end of the pod body that is opposite the first end of the pod body;

a maglev sled attached to a top of the pod body, the maglev sled configured to engage with a maglev transportation track of an autonomous moving highway system; and

,

a fail safe speed detector-emitter attached to a front surface of the maglev sled.

16. The transportation pod of claim 15, further comprising:

an air conditioner system and carbon monoxide detector.

17. The transportation pod of claim 15, further comprising:

a front display and a side touchpad.

18. The transportation pod of claim 15, further comprising:

a headlight flash detector configured to detect hi-beam headlight flashes and a vehicle engine detector.

19. The transportation pod of claim 15, further comprising:

a front display panel configured to display information to a user of the transportation pod.

20. The transportation pod of claim 15, further comprising:

a dock stabilization magnet and a back-up trolley magnet.