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1.
A transport system which comprises:
a network of intersecting travel routes (12) having associated therewith
a corresponding network of road-based communications units (10)
therealong;
a plurality of vehicles (16) for travel along said network of
intersecting routes; and
a control and communications system for controlling travel of said
vehicles along said network,
wherein the network is characterized by subdivision into a plurality of
contiguous segments, and
wherein the control and communications system is characterized by being a
decentralized, hierarchical modular system providing real-time
individualized control of each said vehicle within said network and
guidance thereof to a selected travel destination while taking into
account the operational status and guidance of others of said vehicles
traveling within said network, and said control and communications
system comprises:
at least first, second and third hierarchical intercommunicating levels
of control and communications, wherein
said first level comprises vehicle mounted on-board control and
data exchange means (34);
said second level comprises a plurality of said road-based units arranged
in series along each said segment such that each said road-based unit
located along a selected travel route is operative, in turn, to establish
two-way communications with said on-board control and data exchange means
(34) of each vehicle traveling therepast,
said on-board control and data exchange means (34) being further
operative to utilize said two-way communications for providing lateral
and longitudinal positioning of said vehicle relative to a travel route;
and
said third level comprises a plurality of intercommunicating network
segment control units (30) for data processing and two-way communications
with each of said road-based units in a corresponding plurality of
predetermined network segments,
wherein each said on-board control and data exchange means (34) is
operative to selectably sense and control operational functions of each
said vehicle so as to permit automated guidance thereof to a selected
travel destination, and said two-way communications between each said
on-board control and data exchange means (34) and said road-based units
in proximity therewith comprises at least transmission therebetween of
mutual identification data and transmission of vehicle operating data
from said on-board means (34) to said road-based units, and
wherein said on-board control and data exchange means (34) of each said
vehicle is operative to maintain two-way communications with at least one
of said road-based units (10) at all times during vehicle operation,
and each said segment control unit comprises:
interface means (70) for exchanging with each of said plurality of said
road-based units located in each said network segment at least
identification and operation data of each said vehicle traveling in a
selected network segment in proximity to said plurality of road-based
units therein; and
means (68) for evaluating optimal travel parameters for each said
vehicle,
wherein said interface means is operative to transmit to said road-based
units vehicle operation commands for each said vehicle proximate thereto,
in accordance with said optimal travel parameters,
wherein said road-based units are operative to transmit said vehicle
operation commands to said vehicle traveling in proximity thereto,
and wherein, in response
to reception of vehicle operation data, said means for evaluating
optimal travel parameters is operative to re-evaluate said travel
parameters and to update said vehicle operation commands in accordance
therewith.
2.
A transport system according to claim 1, and further comprising at least
a fourth hierarchical level of control and communications which comprises
at least one super control unit (26) for data processing and
two-way communications with a plurality of segment control units which
together control operation of vehicles in an area containing a
predetermined contiguous plurality of said network segments,
wherein each said segment control means further comprises additional
interface means (72) for exchange, via parallel bus means (32), between
each said segment control unit (30) and said super control unit (26),
of additional vehicle-related data which, in accordance with
predetermined criteria, may influence the evaluation of said travel
parameters of other vehicles traveling in any part of the area containing
said predetermined contiguous plurality of said network segments,
and each said super control unit (26) comprises:
interface means (76) for exchanging with said plurality of segment
control units vehicle said additional vehicle-related data; and
means (74) for processing said additional vehicle-related data so as to
provide further travel data,
wherein said interface means (76) of said super control unit is operative
to transmit to said interface means (72) of each said segment control
unit said further travel data relevant to the evaluation of said optimal
travel parameters of vehicles traveling in said network segment
associated therewith.
3.
A system according to claim 2, wherein said system comprises yet a
further plurality of hierarchical control levels, each having a plurality
of said super control units for controlling vehicles in a predetermined
region containing a plurality of contiguous areas, each said level being
operative to control a control level immediately therebeneath in
the hierarchy, each said hierarchical control level comprising:
at least one communication means for selectably communicating with a
control level immediately therebeneath in response to reception of input
signals therefrom; and at least one data processing means, connected to
each said communication means of said hierarchical control level, for
processing input data corresponding to said input signals, and for
providing output data for transmission by said communication means to the
control level immediately therebeneath in the form of output signals.
4.
A system according to claim 1, wherein said means for evaluating optimal
travel parameters (68) is operative to provide vehicle operating data for
a plurality of vehicles to a plurality of said road units (10) located
along respective travel paths of said plurality of vehicles, and each
said road unit (10) is operative to store said data, and is further
operative, in response to receiving the identity of each said vehicle
from said on-board means (34) thereof, to provide thereto the operating
data for said vehicle associated therewith.
5.
A system according to claim 1, wherein each said road-based unit is
connected, via parallel communications means (64) and parallel bus means
(15), to a predetermined one of said segment control units (30) and
wherein each said road-based unit comprises:
transceiver means (60);
antenna means (58) for facilitating communications between said on-board
means (34) and said transceiver means (60); and
data processing means (62), associated with said transceiver means (60),
for receiving data from and for sending data to said on-board means (34),
for exchanging data with an associated segment control unit (30) via said
parallel communications means (64) and said parallel bus means (15), and
for processing the data received from said on-board means (34) and from
said associated segment control unit (30).
6.
A system according to claim 5, wherein each said road-based unit is
further connected, via a serial bus (14), to at least one adjacent
road-based unit, wherein each said road-based unit also comprises
additional transceiver means (66) for exchanging data between said
adjacent road-based units.
7.
A system according to claim 6, and including a cable construction (13)
which contains at least a plurality of said road-based units (10), said
serial buses (14) therebetween, and said parallel bus means (15,32).
8.
A system according to claim 6, and also comprising serial bus means (14’)
connecting between preselected road-based units of adjacent segments,
wherein a first road-based unit of a first segment is operative to
exchange with a second road-based unit of a second segment, via said
serial bus means (14’), data relating to vehicles traveling from said
first segment to said second segment, thereby to facilitate continuous
control of said vehicles by said system.
9.
A system according to claim 1, wherein said on-board control and data
exchange means (34) and each said road-based unit are selectably operable
in either a first, fully automatic mode or in a second, non-fully
automatic man-in-the loop mode.
10.
A transport system according to claim 1, wherein each said on-board
control and data exchange means (34) comprises:
transceiver means (36) for communicating with each of said plurality of
road-based units (10) in series while traveling therepast;
data
processing means (38) connected to said transceiver means (36); and
control
means (40), connected to said data processing means for selectably
controlling and sensing any of a predetermined plurality of vehicle
operating functions in response to signals received by said transceiver
means (36) from said road-based units, wherein said road-based
units are arranged along a predetermined path along said travel route and
are operative, in conjunction with said on-board means (34), to enable a
predetermined positioning of said vehicle relative to said predetermined
path.
11.
A system according to claim 9, wherein said interface means (70) of said
segment control unit (30) is operative to transmit to said data
processing means (62) of each said road-based unit (10) located along the
travel paths of a plurality of vehicles, travel data relating to each
said vehicle, such that each said road-based unit is operative to
anticipate the arrival of vehicles of known identities.
12.
A system according to claim 10, wherein said on-board control and data
exchange means (34) also includes first antenna means (44) mounted in a
predetermined position on said vehicle and associated with said data
processing means (38), and said antenna means (58) of each said
road-based unit is second antenna means,
wherein a predetermined one of said first and second antenna means
comprises a pair of antennae arranged in a predetermined
orientation and having receiver means (50) and comparator means (48)
associated therewith, for providing an output indication of the position
of said vehicle relative to said predetermined path.
13.
A system according to claim 12, wherein said pair of antennae (44), said
receiver means (50) and said comparator means (48) form part of said
on-board control and data exchange means (34) on said vehicle, and are
connected to said data processing means (38) thereof.
14.
A system according to claim 13, wherein the longitudinal spacing between
adjacent road-based units is of smaller magnitude than the longitudinal
reception range of said on-board control and data exchange means (34),
such that said on-board means (34) is always in communications range of
at least one road-based unit along its travel route.
15.
A system according to claim 10, wherein said pair of antennae and said
comparator means are operative to provide signals to said data processing
means indicating the degree of alignment of said vehicle along said
predetermined path.
16.
A transport system according to claim 15, wherein said on-board
control and data exchange means (34) also comprises a main communications
antenna (56) connected to said transceiver means (36), for receiving and
transmitting data messages between said data processing means (38) and
said road-based units.
17.
A transport system according to claim 16, wherein said road-based units
(10) are operable in different operative modes, and said data processing
means (68) of said segment control unit (30) is also operative, via said
interface means (70), to selectably control said road-based units (10) so
as to switch them between one operative mode and another.
18.
A system according to claim 10, wherein said data processing means (38)
is operative, via said transceiver means (36), to provide signal outputs
to said road-based units, said signal outputs comprising messages of a
type selected from the group which consists of
vehicle identification data;
messages indicative of vehicle operation parameters;
messages indicative of driver-vehicle inputs; and
driver-initiated data inquiry messages.
19.
A system according to claim 18, wherein said road-based units are
operative to receive signal outputs from said transceiver means (36) of
said on-board means (34), and are further operative to process data
contained in the received signal outputs, and to selectably transmit at
least a portion of the data to an associated segment control unit (30),
and said data processing means (68) of said segment control unit is
operative to selectably communicate with each of said plurality of
road-based units, via said interface means (70), in response to reception
of input signals therefrom; and said means (68) for evaluating travel
parameters is further operative to provide said vehicle operation
commands to said road-based units in the form of output signals.
20.
A system according to claim 19, wherein each of said road-based units is
operative, in response to detection of passage of said vehicle, to
transmit an output signal to at least an immediately adjacent downstream
road-based unit, indicating travel of said vehicle toward said downstream
unit.
21.
A system according to claim 19, wherein said network of travel routes
also includes forks which diverge from nodal road-based units (10’), each
said nodal road-based unit being arranged in generally equidistant
relationship from a pair of immediately adjacent road-based units (10)
located downstream along divergent paths, and wherein each said nodal
road-based unit (10’) is operative, in response to detection of passage
of said vehicle, to transmit an output signal to at least said pair of
immediately adjacent downstream road-based units, indicating travel of
said vehicle towards one of said pair.
22.
A system according to claim 19, wherein said network of travel routes
also includes junctions, and wherein each said vehicle is guided through
the junction by said control and communications system.
23.
A system according to claim 22, wherein said junctions include
multi-directional junctions having at least three entry lanes and three
exit lanes.
24.
A system according to claim 19, wherein each of said road-based units is
operative, in response to at least one of vehicle operation parameter
values and driver-vehicle input values outside of a predetermined range,
to automatically transmit an emergency indication directly to at least
one adjacent road-based unit, and wherein each said at least one adjacent
road-based unit is operative, in response to receipt of said emergency
indication, to provide a control signal to said transceiver means (36) of
said on-board control and data exchange means (34) in accordance with
said emergency indication.
25.
A system according to claim 24, wherein said road-based units to which
the emergency indication is transmitted are operative also to provide
control signals to said transceiver means (36) of said on-board control
and data exchange means (34) of a plurality of said vehicles whose travel
data are affected by the vehicle whose parameter values or input values
are determined to be outside the predetermined range.
26.
A system according to claim 24, wherein said at least one adjacent
road-based unit is operative, in response to reception of the emergency
indication, to transmit a velocity control signal to said vehicle
on-board means (34).
27.
A system according to claim 25, wherein a plurality of upstream
road-based units and a plurality of downstream road-based units, relative
to said automatically transmitting road-based unit, are operative to
activate road-based units immediately adjacent thereto so as to transmit
velocity control signals to a plurality of on-board means (34) located on
said plurality of vehicles whose travel data are affected by the vehicle
whose parameter values or input values are determined to be outside the
predetermined range.
28.
A system according to claim 10, wherein said transceiver means (36) of
said on-board control and data exchange means (34) is operative to
provide intermittent probing signals as said vehicle travels along a
travel route, and wherein said road-based units comprise means for
detecting said probing signals and for triggering said road-based units
in response thereto.
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