Control system for unattended transport car

Claim 1

A control system for controlling the movement of an unattended transport car comprising: a pathway having a plurality of bidirectional route segments disposed to define a plurality of different routes between a specific start point and a specific end point for guiding the movement of the unattended car over a selected route, each of said route segments adjoining other of said route segments at a respective route intersection at opposite ends of said each route segment; a first ground radio transmitter disposed intermediate the opposite ends of each of said plurality of route segments for transmitting information relating to the identity of said corresponding route intersection; a second ground radio transmitter disposed at a corresponding one of said route intersections for transmitting positional information relating to the identity of said corresponding route intersection; detecting means provided on the car for detecting the identity of each route segment and intersection transmitted by said first and second ground radio transmitters; memory means provided on the car for storing travelling course data corresponding to the identity of a plurality of route segments corresponding to a selected route from said specific start point to said specific end point; and control means provided on the car for selecting a route segment contiguous to the identified route segment from said stored travelling course data in response to the identity of the route segment and intersection detected from said first and second ground radio transmitters, and providing instructions to control the routing of the car in accordance with each successive selected route segment.

Claim 6

A method for controlling the movement of an unattended transport car comprising the steps of: providing a pathway having a plurality of bidirectional route segments disposed to define a plurality of different routes between a specific start point and a specific end point for guiding the movement of the unattended car over a selected route, each of said route segments adjoining other of said route segments at a respective route intersection at opposite ends of said each route segment; positioning a first ground radio transmitter disposed intermediate the opposite ends of each of said plurality of route segments for transmitting information relating to the identity of a corresponding one of said plurality of route segments and the identity of all adjacent route segments joining said corresponding route segment at opposite ends; positioning a second ground radio transmitter disposed at a corresponding one of said route intersections for transmitting information relating to the identity of said corresponding route intersection; detecting the identity of each route segment and intersection transmitted by said first and second ground radio transmitters; storing travelling course data corresponding to the identity of a plurality of route segments corresponding to a selected route from said specific start point to said specific end point; selecting a routed segment contiguous to the identified route segment from said stored travelling course data in response to the identity of the route segment and intersection detected from said first and second ground radio transmitters; and providing instructions for controlling the routing of the car in accordance with each successive selected route segment.

Claim 7

A method for controlling the movement of an unattended transport car comprising the steps of: providing a pathway having a plurality of bidirectional route segments disposed to define a plurality of different routes between a specific start point and a specific end point for guiding the movement of the unattended car over a selected route, each of said route segments adjoining other of said route segments at a respective route intersection at opposite ends of said each route segment; positioning a first ground radio transmitter disposed intermediate the opposite ends of each of said plurality of route segments for transmitting information relating to the identity of a corresponding one of said plurality of route segments and the identity of all adjacent route segments joining said corresponding route segment at opposite ends; positioning a second ground radio transmitter disposed at a corresponding one of said route intersections for transmitting information relating to the identity of said corresponding route intersection; detecting the identity of each route segment and intersection transmitted by said first and second ground radio transmitters; storing travelling course data corresponding to the identity of a plurality of route segments corresponding to a selected route from said specific start point to said specific end point; selecting a routed segment contiguous to the identified route segment from said stored travelling course data in response to the identity of the route segment and intersection detected from said first and second ground radio transmitters; and providing instructions for controlling the routing of the car in accordance with each successive selected route segment.