Brief
Description Of The Drawings
The present invention will be more fully
understood and appreciated from the following detailed description,
taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a block
diagram illustration of a transport system, constructed and
operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
Fig. 2 is a
diagrammatic representation of a geographical area in which the
system of the invention has been installed, illustrating the
hierarchical nature of the system;
Fig. 3 is a
schematic illustration of a plurality of different types of
intersecting roadways in which a communication network has been
installed;
Fig. 4A is a
block diagram illustration of an on-board vehicle control and data
exchange unit constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment
of the present invention;
Fig. 4B is a
schematic plan view of a vehicle arranged so as to be
longitudinally centered over the longitudinal axis of a roadway
lane, in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 5 is a block
diagram illustration of a road unit constructed in accordance with
a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 6A is a
schematic block diagram illustration of a segment controller shown
in Fig. 1, in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 6B is a
diagrammatic representation of routine communications between a
segment controller and the road units associated therewith;
Fig. 7 is a
schematic block diagram illustration of an area controller shown in
Fig. 1, in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 8 is a
schematic block diagram illustration of a system controller shown
in Fig. 1, in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 9 is a
diagrammatic illustration of a a multi-lane highway in which is
employed the transport system of the present invention;
Fig. 10 is a
schematic view of a four-way junction showing the layout of system
components thereat;
Fig. 11 is a
series of graphs depicting communications timing between a vehicle
traveling at a velocity of 200 km/h and a series of road units of
the system of the invention; and
Fig. 12 is a
flow chart diagram of an emergency braking procedure, in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention. |
