The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 04, 1979
Filed:
Jun. 21, 1977
John H Auer, Jr, Fairport, NY (US);
Frank A Svet, Jr, Churchville, NY (US);
General Signal Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A control system including apparatus for the transmission of information for the control of vehicles travelling in one direction on a guideway. The guideway is broken down into a plurality of groups of uniquely identified sequential blocks. Each block has at least one vehicle detector for detecting the presence of a vehicle and having an operated condition responsive to vehicle detection. Each block further includes a transmitter for providing, to a vehicle within the block, information concerning the block it is in as well as information regarding the identity of the next downstream occupied or unavailable block. To this end, each block has associated with it a word generator for producing a signal identifying the block; the word generator is coupled to the block transmitter, which transmitter is only enabled when the vehicle detector is in its operated condition. A communication channel extends in a direction opposite to the direction of travel on the guideway, and each block includes a coupler for coupling the portion of the communication channel co-extensive with the block to the adjacent upstream block. The coupler is responsive to the condition of the vehicle detector for maintaining a connection between the communication channel in the block with the communication channel of the next upstream block, when the vehicle detector is not operated. When the vehicle detector is operated, the coupler connects the output of the word generator to the next upstream block. The transmitter of each block receives another input from the communication channel. In this fashion, a vehicle in any block receives a signal identifying the next downstream occupied block as well as a signal identifying the block it is in.