Abstract: A rail vehicle positioning system having a plurality of inputs used to generate a position report including a GPS receiver, a wheel tachometer, O.S. circuits, transponders, and manual inputs from locomotive engineers.

Abstract: A transportation system for moving passengers comprising a plurality of terminals interconnected by a track network, upon which are supported a plurality of independent and individual self-guided vehicles. Each terminal has a plurality of Automated Ticketing machines (ATMs) for automated bank account or credit line debiting and for producing passenger tickets with coded destination information. Each vehicle has a body for carrying up to two passengers, wheels for supporting and moving the vehicle, driving and braking means, a wireless data link, and a Vehicle Control and Data Processing Computer (VCDPC). Each VCDPC reads the coded destination information on a passengr's ticket, computes a travel route, controls the driving and braking means, and stores operating data. Each vehicle also has mounted thereto an Identification and scanning Device (ISD), carrying vehicle identity information and operating under the control of the VCDPC.

Abstract: Each train is equipped with an on-board device for detecting the position of the train with respect to the track and with a transmitter-receive communicating with a central station. The central station has an instantaneous storage of the relative positions of all of the trains in the network, storage of the itineraries of each train, the characteristics of the network related to the speed range, and of the performance of the rolling stock in service. The central station constitutes the organizing unit of the system and comprises a transmission at regular time intervals of messages containing the identification numbers of the trains in circulation which are authorized to follow their route, taking account of position information received from these trains by the central station and of speed range parameters contained in the storage.

Abstract: A switch machine operates a track switch under radio control via a switch controller. The switch controller may be given an identifying address unique to it which distinguishes the switch machine from other switch machines in the railway territory. In addressing or programming the switch machine, a portable terminal is used. The controller is enabled by a manually actuable switch to accept identifying addresses which is stored in electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). Whenever a message is received over the radio link, the identifying address is read out of memory. In order that the identifying address is vital (fail-safe) and to guard against any errors which change the identifying address and which can cause the controller to effectuate operation of the track switch in front of an oncoming train or when the train is over the switch, the address is stored in the EEPROM by encoding the identfying address into unique multi-bit check words.

Abstract: A central control system includes a method for monitoring a plurality of trains throughout a transit system having computer for maintaining a train location table tracking the location of the trains throughout the system and for detecting and recording false train occupancy indications. The system is designed to handle a large number of false occupancy designations and to associate each train with a physical track circuit location.

Abstract: A control system for an unattended transport car including a plurality of ground radio transmitters dispersed in a range within which the unattended transport car is movable, the transmitters transmitting positional information or the like by radio. The unattended transport car is provided with detecting means for detecting in a non-contact manner positional information concerning each of the ground radio transmitters memory means for storing a traveling course from a specific start point to a specific end point in the form of a series of pieces of positional information concerning the ground radio transmitters, and control means for effecting traveling course control and start-stop control every time the car passes one of the ground radio transmitters by constantly or intermittently comparing the positional information concerning each ground radio transmitter detected by the detecting means with the contents stored in the memory means.

Abstract: A train control and monitoring system detects operating errors in controlled devices in each car and disables a car propulsion system if an error is detected. Operator reset is employed to reactivate a car, but operator reset control is disabled if a limit error count is reached and in that event only a supervisor reset can reactivate the car. When a car performs with good behavior through a power/brake cycle, the error count is decremented by one count.

Abstract: A transport control system with linear motor drive applicable for cash transport in a bank. The system uses a main controller, a rail-path, a carrier adapted to be driven along the rail-path by linear motor drive, and a plurality of stator portions coupled to the rail-path to produce a driving force in association with the carrier. Each of the stator portions includes a stator controller for controlling the driving of the carrier. The stator controller controls the driving of the carrier passing the stator portion to which the stator controller belongs to cause the carrier to reach a destination stator portion.

Abstract: A railway signaling and traffic control system which minimizes the wayside equipment and eliminates the pole lines which carry power and signals along the right-of-way using instead the radio channel between the trains and the central office. Each train communicates with devices, such as passive beacons, which provide zone boundary messages. These devices provide secure messages to a control unit containing a microprocessor which responds to zone boundary messages and provides location information to the central office via radio when the train enters and leaves each zone. The central office has an input and communication processor and a vital processor. The vital processor converts route requests and the zone occupancy messages which are received by the input and communications processor into messages representing the signal aspects (the maximum speed at which the train can proceed), not only for the zone currently occupied, but also for the zone next ahead.

Abstract: An interface system providing vital inputs to and vital outputs from a vital processor of railway signals for railway signalling and control purposes, utilizes non-vital components such as diodes and transistors. The input interface translates a railway signal, for example, from a relay contact closure of a track relay, into a multi-bit serial digital signal representing a restrictive state of the input railway signal in the event of any failure in the input interface. The output interface utilizes an absence of current detector having a saturable transformer coupled to an output line which provides operating current to railway signal and control devices, such as relays, switch machines and signal lamps.

Abstract: The control system is of the kind in which vehicle passage is controlled by a token, and is particularly suitable for single track railways.According to the invention, such a system is electronic, and a central control and each vehicle in use in the system is provided with electronic transmitting and receiving equipment, by which an exclusive electronic token, or the like, is transmitted between the control and a designated vehicle, the arrangement being such that, only if the electronic token is issued to a vehicle, by simultaneous operation by the controller and vehicle operator, will that vehicle be authorized to proceed, said electronic token being withdrawn by the central control once the restricted section to which it relates has been traversed by said vehicle.

Abstract: A railway signalling receiver in which a signal carried by the railway lines is sensed and the sensed signal is sampled, digitized and subjected to a discrete Fourier transform operation which transform the time domain samples into the frequency domain. The frequency content of the signal may then be examined in order to identify the original signal or to decode the information carried. The signal may be a frequency shift keyed carrier signal. A technique of maintaining the safety of the system by discriminating against potentially confusingly similar ASK signals, which can arise spontaneously in electric traction territories, is described. A technique of digitally heterodyning down a carrier signal so that the transform operates on the lower sidebands frequencies in order to maximize efficiency of the transform calculations is also described. The receiver is useful as a jointless track circuit receiver and also in a part of the train borne equipment of an automatic train protection system.

Abstract: The movement route of a vehicle operative with a roadway track having a plurality of stations and control signal gates is selected from a storage table of predetermined available routes in accordance with the known track plan and in relation to each station. When the vehicle arrives at each of the stations, the desired available route is established to the next station in relation to occupied track signal blocks, the known direction of train movement and switch gates cleared to permit vehicle travel to that next station. The available route to the next station is cleared in time so the vehicle will not have to slow down or stop in front of a switch gate. In addition the spacing of vehicle trains is regulated in relation to the plurality of stations.

Abstract: A toy track system having an electro-optical sensing device in the roadway senses the passage and identity of a plurality of individual cars on that roadway and provides the sensed information to a microprocessor based operator control panel. The operator control panel provides visual information to the operator by individual LED's and an alpha-numeric display and provides audio information by a speaker. The operator control panel receives information from the operator through a 4.times.4 matrix keyboard. The microprocessor of the control panel is programmed to permit the operator to test his skill in manipulating the train cars in a dictated sequence and within a certain time frame. The operator can also direct the control panel microprocessor to activate a plurality of accessory devices in the system in a desired sequence and time span.

Abstract: A feeding system for a linear motor transportation system in which a number of discrete drive coil units or linear motor units are arranged along a track to generate a moving magnetic field for driving trains is disclosed. In the present feeding system, a number of feeding sections extend contiguously along the track and each of the feeding sections includes at least one power supply station. Each feeding section is divided into at least two linear motor blocks each having a feeder block. The linear motor units in each of the linear motor blocks are connected through associated ones of a first group of switches to the associated feeder means which are connected to the power converter of the associated feeding section through associated ones of a second group of switches. Preferably, those adjacent two feeder blocks which belong to adjacent different feeding sections respectively are coupled together through an associated one of a third group of switches.

Abstract: There is disclosed a vehicle train control apparatus and method for controlling the operation of a vehicle train by a second control equipment provided in a different control vehicle of the train in the event of the failure of the train control equipment of a first control vehicle initially selected to control the train.

Abstract: A switching circuit for monitoring the switching state of switching elements wherein the switching state of the switching element is detected and a corresponding signal is generated and this signal is compared to the input signal initially provided for switching the switching element from one switching state to another whereby a fault signal is produced when the switching state monitor signal indicates that the switching element is in one switching state and the input signal indicates that the switching element is or should be in another switching state.

Abstract: A fail-safe acknowledging circuit having a plurality of relay switching contacts having a predetermined order of more restrictive significance. A differentiating circuit selectively interconnected by certain ones of the plurality of relay switching contacts for establishing a selected one of a plurality of charging potential levels from a d.c. voltage source. A latching circuit is conditioned by a holding voltage and is set by momentarily closure of an acknowledging switch to produce a.c. signals which are fed to one input of a two-input AND gate. A checking circuit monitors the voltage level of the d.c. voltage source and verifies the integrity of the differentiating circuit to produce a d.c. potential which is conveyed to the other input of the two-input AND gate.

Abstract: A vital rate decoder for actuating one of a plurality of output relays in correspondence with the frequency of an input signal applied thereto, comprising a main rate decoding processor for evaluating the frequency and duty cycle of the input signal by establishing permissible rate windows defined by predetermined tolerances such that the output device corresponding to a frequency can be actuated only when the input signal has a rate code falling in a respective rate window with a predetermined duty cycle tolerance. The rate decoding processor produces plural checkwords having predetermined values based on failure-free rate decoding of the input signal. The checkwords are processed by a checking processor which produces a relay actuating signal only if valid checkwords are produced. The checking processor uses the checkwords to select and load predetermined bytes into a pair of vital counting registers which are then successively decremented.

Abstract: A computer based railway interlocking control system, having triple parallel redundant control computers (FIG. 2) provides greater system reliability as compared to a single computer system. The railway traffic control devices, e.g. points and signals, are arranged to be controlled by signals in one of two possible steady states, the interlocking control means (30, 31, 32, FIG. 2) is arranged to produce control signals in the steady state for de-energized or "safe" device settings and in an alternating state for energized or potentially "unsafe" settings. The alternating control signals (33, 34, 35 or 38) must be converted to the corresponding steady state to operate the devices thus, the converting or restoring circuit discriminates against dormant wrong side failures, i.e. "unsafe" signals to increase the inherent safety of the system.

Abstract: An electronic or computer-based railway control system including further safety checks in addition to normal safety interlocking. The present system carries out checks to see that operations, such as print switching and signal setting, are carried out in the correct sequence for a given route having regard to the position and movement of a train as indicated by track circuits. In a computer-based system appropriate checking routines may be written into the computer soft-ware.

Abstract: The specification discloses an electronic or computer-based railway control signal interlocking system. Signals representing the settings or conditions of railway control elements e.g. track circuits, signals and points, and their control signals are checked as usual by the interlock equipment to establish route safety. However failures in the system may only be discovered when a change to a control element setting is attempted. Since long periods can elapse between changes a failure may lie dormant for some time. In order to reduce dormant wrong side failure periods to a minimum the signals supplied to the interlocking equipment are periodically switched to a predetermined state chosen to prove that when the interlocking equipment receives the switched signal that a wrong side failure mode does not exist in the switched signal path.

Abstract: There is disclosed a passenger vehicle operation control apparatus and method including program microprocessor control apparatus for providing a dynamic output signal when the microprocessor completes a predetermined main computer control program subroutine and this dynamic output signal operates with a hardware logic circuit apparatus including a timing circuit such that a repetition rate in excess of that required to keep the timing circuit reset is required, otherwise the computer control program is reinitialized.

Abstract: A system is provided for arranging articles in a predetermined sequence. In mail handling applications, the documents destined for local distribution may be segregated as to the respective routes of the postmen and arranged in sequence within each route in accordance with the mail-stops or street addresses. In such a system, the documents are transported by individual mechanical carriers. Temporary high density storage of the documents is provided by a recirculation buffer subsystem. Based upon system priorities, selected carriers may be taken out of buffer storage, independently of the other carriers. The selected carriers are then circulated in a short transit-time loop from which they exit to one or more output racks, where they appear in sequential order.

Abstract: The specification discloses a system for protected data transmission between a control center and a plurality of track-bound vehicles. The data is not acknowledged as correct until it is contained in two successive data messages which are compared. The comparison indicates whether the difference between the two successive messages is within predetermined limits.

Abstract: A centralized traffic control system for complex railroad areas analyzes the intended path of travel of various trains to determine the existence of any conflicts. When one or more conflicts are detected, the system analyzes various options to resolve the conflict with a minimum disruption to the system based on predetermined constraints. The analysis proceeds on the basis of a heuristic search for conflict resolution. A successful resolution of the conflict is then implemented without requiring operator intervention.

Abstract: A control system for a plurality of vehicles provides for efficient communication while minimizing necessary bandwidth and communication delays. Periodic reports are received from the vehicles by a controlling authority. All vehicles in motion continually receive a permissive GO signal. When the controlling authority determines a vehicle should be stopped, it immediately addresses a STOP command thereto. The addressed vehicle acknowledges the message. Failure of the controlling authority to receive the acknowledgement results in removal of the permissive GO, stopping all vehicles.

Abstract: A route oriented interlocking control system with only entrance, exit, and alternate route selectors on the control machine console. No track switch controllers or indications are provided at the control location. Operation of entrance and exit selectors in sequence establishes desired route storage within the control machine, after the absence of any conflicting route and the non-occupancy of involved track sections are checked. This route control is then transmitted to the field location to select the field route relay, position the track switches, and clear the proper wayside movement indicator to authorize train movement through the route when all switches are positioned and the track within the interlocking is unoccupied. Indications of the registry of the route control and operation of the movement indicator are returned to the office display console. Route release occurs by secondary circuit controllers when the train occupies the final track section.

Abstract: A control system is proposed which is capable of controlling driverless vehicles running on a fixed guideway according to schedule or demand. An input device is disposed at each station along the guideway to enable each passenger to enter his destination. A command and control center is in communication with the vehicles on the guideway and all the input devices. The center receives from each of the input devices simultaneously destination information and the identity of that one of the input devices providing the destination information to provide start information. A memory arrangement in the center contains control information for standard and diversion routes for all possible start-destination relationships. A computer arrangement in the center determines from all input information from the input devices whether the transport system should operate in a demand or scheduled mode at that moment in view of given operating criteria.

Abstract: The vehicles are moved in continuous manner in the same direction, on orders of a computer given only before their departure, fixing an itinerary optimized as a function of the congestion anticipated at each section of the network. The network comprises several one-way closed circuit routes, having common zones between convergent and divergent stretches, wherein each of said routes is traversed in one-way sense by guide-marking elements having between themselves, a controlled spacing called the pitch. In the zone common to any two of the routes, the marking elements have the same direction with an interconnected pitch P and speed V, and are shifted in the common zone, from one route to the other, and serve as pilots for the vehicles keyed on them by a servo system during their passage over one route. The vehicles possess a device permitting possible changing of the line of marking elements (hence of the route).

Abstract: The system includes equipments necessary for demand registration and control organized hierarchically. The uppermost hierarchy level includes an operations control center and station equipment connected to the operations control center. The operations control center indicates the operation necessary at the next hierarchy level in accordance with the demand registered in the station equipment. The next hierarchy level includes one or more command and control centers. Each command and control center checks the commands of the operations control center and/or of the associated station equipment, giving special consideration to safety criteria, and passes on the commands to the last hierarchy level for execution. The last hierarchy level includes operation facilities, such as vehicles, which perform the requested transport tasks, continuously exchanging information with their associated command and control center.

Abstract: A traffic control system for governing from a central office train control equipment such as track switches and track signals which are disposed along a stretch of railroad track. The control system is flexible in that it can operate with either the CTC (unit lever) type of control wherein the operator designates the particular condition or position of track switches and track signals, or in an NX mode wherein the operator merely designates a particular entrance and exit for a particular route. The control system offers still further flexibility in enabling the operator to simply initiate a passing move on a stretch of railroad track which includes a siding. Still further flexibility is built into the control system in that it allows the operator to designate conflicting control requests at the same time. After the particular operator selected control requests have been entered the control system checks the validity of the selected control requests in a predetermined sequence.

Abstract: Control apparatus for guiding one or more vehicles along a closed transport system having a plurality of routes and a plurality of junctions each allowing a choice of two directions. The system is illustrated as comprising a number of interconnected sub-systems or networks. Each junction has associated therewith a transmitter which sends out a coded signal comprising at least two words, one of which indicates the direction to be taken from the junction to reach the different networks and also indicates the networks which the paths from the junction lead to. The second word does likewise for the route segments of the network or networks to which the paths from the junction lead. A like destination code is stored in the vehicle, and the vehicle compares the stored code and the successive received codes and obeys the word instructions from each successive junction till it arrives at the destination network.