VEHICLE POSITION DETERMINING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME
First Claim
1. A position determining system for a vehicle on a guideway, the position determining system comprising:
- an on-board controller configured to determine a position of the vehicle on the guideway;
a transmitter/detector array configured to emit an interrogation signal and to receive reflection signals based on the emitted interrogation signal, wherein the transmitter/detector array is configured to communicate with the on-board controller, the transmitter/detector array comprising;
a first antenna, anda second antenna, the second antenna spaced from the first antenna in a direction of travel of the vehicle; and
a transponder identification database configured to store transponder information, the transponder identification database is configured to communicate with at least one of the on-board controller or the transmitter/detector array,wherein the on-board controller is configured to determine the position of the vehicle along the guideway based on a modulated reflection signal received by the transmitter/detector array and a first non-modulated reflection signal received by the transmitter/detector array.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A position determining system for a vehicle on a guideway which includes an on-board controller configured to determine a position of the vehicle on the guideway. The position determining system further includes a transmitter/detector array configured to emit an interrogation signal and to receive reflection signals based on the emitted interrogation signal. The transmitter/detector array includes a first antenna and a second antenna, the second antenna spaced from the first antenna in a direction of travel of the vehicle. The position determining system further includes a transponder identification database configured to store transponder information. The on-board controller is configured to determine the position of the vehicle along the guideway based on a modulated reflection signal received by the transmitter/detector array and a first non-modulated reflection signal received by the transmitter/detector array.
29 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A position determining system for a vehicle on a guideway, the position determining system comprising:
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an on-board controller configured to determine a position of the vehicle on the guideway; a transmitter/detector array configured to emit an interrogation signal and to receive reflection signals based on the emitted interrogation signal, wherein the transmitter/detector array is configured to communicate with the on-board controller, the transmitter/detector array comprising; a first antenna, and a second antenna, the second antenna spaced from the first antenna in a direction of travel of the vehicle; and a transponder identification database configured to store transponder information, the transponder identification database is configured to communicate with at least one of the on-board controller or the transmitter/detector array, wherein the on-board controller is configured to determine the position of the vehicle along the guideway based on a modulated reflection signal received by the transmitter/detector array and a first non-modulated reflection signal received by the transmitter/detector array. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
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2. The position determining system of clam 1, wherein the transmitter/detector array further comprises:
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a summing circuit configured to generate a sum signal based on the reflection signals received by first antenna and the second antenna; and a phase comparator configured to determine a phase difference between the reflection signals. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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8. A position determining arrangement for determining a position of a vehicle on a guideway, the position determining arrangement comprising:
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a position determining system on-board the vehicle, the position determining system configured to emit an interrogation signal, receive a modulated reflection signal having a unique identification code, receive a first non-modulated reflection signal and determine the position of the vehicle based on the modulated reflection signal and the first non-modulated reflection signal; a transponder configured to receive the interrogation signal and emit the modulated reflection signal having the unique identification code; and a first reflective positioning element configured to receive the interrogation signal and to reflect the interrogation signal to form the first non-modulated reflection signal, the first reflective positioning element located a first known distance along the guideway from the transponder. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of determining a position of a vehicle on a guideway, the method comprising:
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detecting a position of the vehicle relative to a first reflective positioning element along the guideway; detecting a unique identification code of a transponder along the guideway, wherein the transponder is located a first known distance along the guideway from the first reflective positioning element; determining the position of the vehicle, using a position determining system, based on a modulated reflection signal received from the transponder, a first non-modulated reflection signal received from the first reflective positioning element, and the first known distance. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification