Process and apparatus for measuring the distance travelled by a remote controlled vehicle

Abstract

Abstract THE DISCLOSURE RELATES TO A PROCESS AND AN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED BY A REMOTE CONTROLLED VEHICLE. THE APPARATUS INCLUDES A LOOP CONSISTING OF A CABLE PLACED ALONG THE PATH OF THE VEHICLE AND HAVING EQUIDISTANT CROSSINGS IN SUCH A WAY AS TO INVERT, AT THESE CROSSINGS, THE PHASE OF THE SIGNALS FED TO THE CABLE, AND MEANS FOR DETECTING AND COUNTING THESE PHASE INVERSIONS TO PROVIDE AN INDICATION OF THE DISTANCE TRAVELLED BY THE VEHICLE. IT IS FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT THE CABLE IS GIVEN, AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, A CONFIGURATION PRODUCING, IN THE TRANSMISSION TO THE VEHICLE, SIGNALS WHICH ARE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE PRODUCED BY THE CROSSINGS AND FORMING MARKING POINTS OF A DIFFERENT TYPE. THE SAID SIGNALS ARE DETECTED ABOARD THE VEHICLE BY A DETECTING APPARATUS WHICH IS NOT SENSIBLE TO THE REGULAR CROSSINGS OF THE CABLE. THESE CROSSINGS ARE, ON THE OTHER HAND, DETECTED BY DETECTING MEANS WHICH ARE NOT SENSIBLE TO THE MARKING POINTS. THE NUMBER OF MARKING POINTS DETECTED BETWEEN TWO SUCCESSIVE CROSSINGS OF THE CABLE IS VERIFIED TO FIND OUT IF IT LIES BETWEEN TWO PREDETERMINED LIMITS CORRESPONDING RESPECTIVELY TO THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM NUMBER OF MARKING POINTS WHICH MAY BE FOUND BETWEEN TWO SUCCESSIVE CROSSINGS DEPENDING ON TO THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SUCH CROSSINGS.

Inventors

• 👤 Pierre Mertens

Bibliographic Details