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:
Apr. 03, 2007
Filed:
Apr. 18, 2005
Joseph W. Schaad, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Joseph W. Schaad, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Union Switch & Signal, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A system determines the position of a vehicle moving responsive to an inverter having a 360 degree electrical cycle. The system includes a guideway comprising a linear synchronous motor excited by the inverter, a MAGLEV adapted to move with respect to the guideway and the linear synchronous motor, and a reflective pattern disposed along the guideway. A laser light source is coupled to the MAGLEV and directs light toward the pattern. A light sensor is coupled to the MAGLEV and senses the light from the light source which is reflected from the pattern. The light sensor outputs a plurality of pulses corresponding to movement of the MAGLEV with respect to the pattern. A modulator, radio transmitter, radio receiver, demodulator and wayside processor cooperate with the light sensor. The processor determines the position of the MAGLEV by accumulating the pulses. The position corresponds to the 360 degree electrical cycle.