Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD
BACKGROUND
Technical Field.
[0001] The subject matter described herein relates to vehicle controls,
navigation
and associated methods.
Discussion Of Art.
[0002] Knowledge of the location of a vehicle relative to the
environment of the
vehicle can be crucial, particularly for autonomous vehicles and/or vehicles
operating in
areas without clear lines of sight. There are several systems which utilize
electromagnetic
energy to detect objects within an environment and to measure relative
distances between
objects. For example, conventional electromagnetic energy ("EM")-based
distance
measuring systems typically use received signal strength indicators for
proximity
detection, while an EM carrier signal can be modulated with transmitter
identification data.
Due to the EM frequency being very low (e.g., on the order of a few
kilohertz), transmission
of data on the carrier signal can take a long time. This, in turn, can reduce
how many
transmitters can be reliably identified within a given space or environment
and within a
limited amount of time. Additionally, the time needed for measuring distances
can be quite
long and may not be suitable for vehicles moving at higher speeds.
[0003] Another issue associated with existing EM-based distance
monitoring
systems is the need to negotiate, in real-time, transmission slots for the EM
transmitters
within the given environment or reception area to avoid on-air collisions. In
environments
where the number of transmitters is fluid (e.g., where a growing number of
transmitters
randomly move in an out of the environment or reception area, such as on
roadways), and
given the relatively long duration of EM broadcasts, this problem can quickly
become
unmanageable. This problem can limit how many transmitters can be used at the
same time
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
to just a small few and can increase distance update periods to seconds rather
than
milliseconds.
[0004] Other known systems utilize global positioning system (GPS)
tracking to
determine the position of vehicles within an area, for use in collision
avoidance and
reporting, for example. While generally suitable for above ground
applications, GPS
tracking is not available underground, rending such systems particularly
unsuitable for
underground applications and the like.
[0005] In view of the above, there may be a need for a position and
proximity
detection system and method which differ from those systems and methods that
are
currently available.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0006] In one embodiment, a method includes forecasting an upcoming
intersection area of projected paths of a first vehicle system and a second
vehicle system
based on current movements of the first vehicle system and the second vehicle
system,
calculating a reach distance of the first vehicle system, the reach distance
determined as a
distance from a leading edge of the first vehicle system to the intersection
area, comparing
a difference between the reach distance of the first vehicle system and a
designated gap
distance with the designated gap distance, and one or more of (a)
automatically reducing a
speed of the first vehicle system responsive to the difference being no
smaller than the
designated gap distance and/or (b) automatically stopping the first vehicle
system
responsive to the difference being smaller than the designated gap distance.
[0007] In another example, a method includes measuring an angular
velocity of a
first vehicle system that is moving, calculating an upcoming curved path of
the first vehicle
system using the angular velocity that is measured, monitoring movement of a
second
vehicle system, determining whether the second vehicle system will be within a
critical
distance along the upcoming curved path, a warning distance along the upcoming
curved
path, or an alert distance along the upcoming curved path within one or more
designated
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
periods of time, and one or more of automatically stopping the first vehicle
system
responsive to determining that the second vehicle system will be within the
critical distance
within the one or more designated periods of time, automatically slowing the
first vehicle
system responsive to determining that the second vehicle system will be within
the warning
distance within the one or more designated periods of time, and/or generating
an alert to
an operator of the first vehicle system responsive to determining that the
second vehicle
system will be within the alert distance within the one or more designated
periods of time.
[0008] In another example, a system includes a vehicle controller
configured to be
disposed onboard a first vehicle system and to control movement of the first
vehicle system.
The vehicle controller is configured to forecast an upcoming intersection area
of projected
paths of the first vehicle system and a second vehicle system based on current
movements
of the first vehicle system and the second vehicle system. The vehicle
controller is
configured to calculate a reach distance of the first vehicle system as a
distance from a
leading edge of the first vehicle system to the intersection area. The vehicle
controller is
configured to compare a difference between the reach distance of the first
vehicle system
and a designated gap distance with the designated gap distance. The vehicle
controller is
configured to one or more of (a) automatically reduce a speed of the first
vehicle system
responsive to the difference being no smaller than the designated gap distance
and/or (b)
automatically stop the first vehicle system responsive to the difference being
smaller than
the designated gap distance.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The inventive subject matter may be understood from reading the
following
description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the attached
drawings
(wherever possible, the same reference characters used throughout the drawings
refer to
the same or like parts), wherein below:
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[0010] FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic illustration of a reception
area showing a
plurality of vehicles and personnel with which a position and proximity
detection system
may be utilized, according to one embodiment;
[0011] FIG. 2 is detail view of area A of FIG. 1, showing a vehicle
equipped with
a proximity detection system according to one embodiment;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating one embodiment of synchronous
transmissions carried out by the proximity detection system;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a detail view of area B of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a vehicle collision
avoidance system;
[0015] FIG. 6 illustrates one example of operation of the collision
avoidance
system;
[0016] FIG. 7 illustrates another example of operation of the collision
avoidance
system;
[0017] FIG. 8 illustrates another example of operation of the collision
avoidance
system;
[0018] FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a flowchart of one embodiment of a
method for
avoiding collisions between vehicles;
[0019] FIG. 10 illustrates another embodiment of operation of the
vehicle collision
avoidance system described above;
[0020] FIG. 11 illustrates another example where the projected paths of
the vehicle
systems are obliquely angled to each other (e.g., an angle of approach of the
second vehicle
system is acute);
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[0021] FIG. 12 illustrates an example where the projected paths of the
vehicle
systems are acutely angled to each other (e.g., the angle of approach of the
second vehicle
system is oblique);
[0022] FIG. 13 illustrates another embodiment of operation of the
vehicle collision
avoidance system;
[0023] FIG. 14 illustrates another embodiment of operation of the
vehicle collision
avoidance system;
[0024] FIG. 15 illustrates a flowchart of one example of a method for
avoiding
collisions between a vehicle system and at least one other object;
[0025] FIG. 16 illustrates a flowchart of another example of a method
for avoiding
collisions between a vehicle system and at least one other object; and
[0026] FIG. 17 illustrates a flowchart of another example of a method
for avoiding
collisions between a vehicle system and at least one other object.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] Embodiments of the inventive subject matter relate to a vehicle
control
system, a navigation system therefor, and detecting a proximity of objects
within a
reception area adjacent to the vehicle. Certain embodiments relate to systems
and methods
for detecting the proximity of objects or vehicles in relation to a subject
vehicle within a
reception area or environment. In one embodiment, a system for proximity
detection
includes a first vehicle having an emitter that can transmit/emit a high RF
signal
synchronously with at least one EM pulse, and a receiver unit located remote
from the first
vehicle, the receiver unit including a magnetic field receiver, an RF
transceiver, and a
processing module coupled to the RF transceiver and the magnetic field
receiver. The
receiver unit can receive the high RF signal and the EM pulse from the first
vehicle and to
determine a proximity of the first vehicle to the receiver unit. In one
embodiment, the
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
proximity of the first vehicle to the receiver unit is calculated in
dependence upon received
magnetic field strength. While the description herein focuses on vehicles or
vehicles
operating in subsurface or underground environments, not all embodiments of
the inventive
subject matter are limited to vehicles. One or more embodiments may be used
for proximity
detection and/or collision avoidance for other types of vehicles, such as
automobiles
(manually driven and/or autonomous or driverless cars), rail vehicles, mining
vehicles,
trucks, buses, marine vessels, aircraft, or the like. Optionally, one or more
embodiments
may be used with vehicles that extract resources from above-ground or above-
surface
locations, such as an open pit containing resources.
[0028] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a reception area or environment
10 within
which a position and proximity detection system 100 may enter or exit,
according to one
embodiment. The system optionally can be referred to as a vehicle collision
avoidance
system or a mobile equipment collision avoidance system. As an example, the
reception
area may be an underground mine, a parking lot, a drayage lot, a road system,
flight paths,
waterways or a rail yard, and the like, having a route 12 along which a
plurality of vehicles
and personnel are configured/designated to travel and to operate. In an
embodiment, the
route may be a haul route for the vehicles. In other embodiments, the
reception area may
be a loosely defined area into and out of which vehicles or objects travel,
such as a body
of water (within which marine vessels travel), a roadway (on which
automobiles, e.g.,
driver or driverless automobiles travel), a railway (on which locomotives
travel), or other
environment. As used herein, "reception area" means an area surrounding and
adjacent to
a vehicle or object equipped with a proximity detection unit described herein
into or out of
which the vehicle may travel.
[0029] The position and proximity detection system may include one or
more
proximity detection units disposed onboard one or more vehicles (e.g.,
vehicles 110, 112, 114, 116). As illustrated in FIG. 2, each proximity
detection unit may
include a transceiver 120 and a control unit 122 (e.g., microprocessor-based
circuit)
electrically connected or otherwise communicatively coupled to the
transceiver. In certain
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
embodiments, the transceiver may be separate transmitter/emitter and receiver
devices.
The proximity detection unit, including the transceiver, may be mounted
anywhere within
the first vehicle 112 such as, for example, in the trunk of the vehicle or in
an engine
compaitment of the vehicle. The transceiver may include at least first and
second output
channels. In an embodiment, the first output channel is a high frequency RF
channel and
the second output channel is low frequency EM channel. The transceiver can
generate both
high radio frequency ("RF") signals, e.g., RF signal 124 (e.g., an RF
broadcast), and EM
pulse transmissions, e.g., EM pulse 126, utilizing the first and second
channels,
respectively.
[0030] Suitable proximity detection units can detect vehicles or other
objects
within the reception area. In an embodiment, the transceiver, under control of
the control
unit, can generate an unmodulated, short EM pulse (e.g., a few oscillation
cycles)
synchronously with a modulated, RF signal via the first and second channels,
respectively.
The EM pulse and the RF signal are of fixed duration. In an embodiment, EM
pulse does
not carry any data and is only used for signal strength (distance)
measurements, while the
high RF signal carries the identifying information of the transceiver (i.e.,
it is modulated
with a transceiver/emitter ID or vehicle ID). In an embodiment, the ID (e.g.,
identity or
identification) may be protected by a checksum.
[0031] With further reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the system may include
one or
more receiver units 136 carried by, or associated with, objects or personnel
within the
reception area such as, for example, persons or operators 130, 132, 134. The
receiver
units each may include an alternating or constant magnetic field receiver 138,
an RF
transceiver 140, and a processing module 142 (e.g., processor circuit)
electrically
connected to the magnetic field receiver and RF transceiver. In an embodiment,
the
processing module may be provided with information of the strength of the
magnetic field
emitted by the proximity detection units of the system (e.g., stored in non-
transitory
memory), as well as a lookup table or algorithm through which the processing
module may
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
calculate the distance from the vehicle that generated the EM pulses, as
discussed in detail
hereinafter.
[0032] In operation, as the plurality of vehicles travel throughout the
reception
area, the proximity detection units onboard each vehicle synchronously
transmit the RF
signal (carrying the transceiver/emitter and/or vehicle ID) and EM pulses via
the emitter
(e.g., transceiver). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the proximity
detection
unit onboard the first vehicle generates the RF and EM transmissions,
respectively, which
then propagate through space until the transmissions reach another vehicle or
object within
the reception area (such as a person carrying a receiver unit). The magnetic
field receiver of
the receiver unit receives the EM pulses, while the RF transceiver receives
the RF signal.
The start time of the received RF signal and the start and stop time of the
detected EM
pulse are recorded by the processing module and are used to verify the EM
pulse duration
and synchronicity of the EM pulse with the RF signal to link the RF signal and
EM
pulses to one another. With reference to FIG. 3, a synchronous start 144 of
the RF
signal and EM pulse is verified on the receiving end (e.g., at the receiving
unit). Likewise,
the EM pulse duration, d, is measured on the receiving end (e.g., at the
receiving unit). This
ensures that no two EM transmissions from two different transmitters can be
mistaken for
each other on the receiving end. The transmissions are either received clearly
and accepted
or rejected if the RF signal checksum fails or the EM signal duration is
measured
incorrectly due to a rare RF collision or EM noise.
[0033] Moreover, the control unit may employ a listen-before-talk
mechanism with
a random back-off delay on the high RF channel to arbitrate concurrent
communications
from competing transceivers, such as transceivers deployed on other vehicles
within the
reception area. The control unit may sense or "listen" to the radio
environment within the
reception area prior to generating the transmissions to prevent concurrent
transmission
from competing transceivers. The control unit can ensure that the reception
area is clear of
competing transmission prior to RF and EM transmission.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[0034] The processing module of the receiver unit receives the RF
transmission and EM pulses, and may link the transmissions to one another to
verify or
validate the source. The processing module determines the distance between the
receiver
unit (carried by a person ) and the emitter on-board the first vehicle based
on the strength
of the received magnetic field. A certain level of a received signal indicates
a certain
distance. For example, in certain embodiments, the distance measurement may be
based
on the generated magnetic field intensity. The generated field power can be
calibrated and
known. The relationship between field intensity and distance also can be known
and
sampled. The transceiver/receiver that receives the transmissions measures the
field
intensity and matches the field intensity with a prerecorded distance in a
lookup table stored
in memory of the processing module. In other embodiments, a model based on the
known
physical formulas for EM field propagation can be utilized.
[0035] As indicated above, the processing module of the receiver unit
may be
preconfigured with the emitted field strength (which may be a fixed value for
the entire
system). In other embodiments, the strength of the field emitted by the
proximity detection
unit may be transmitted from the proximity detection unit to the receiver unit
via the RF
channel in addition to the transceiver/vehicle ID information. The emitted
field strength
and the received field strength values may then be utilized by the processing
module to
calculate or determine the distance from the first vehicle from which the
transmissions
were made, such as via a lookup table or algorithm stored in memory. Once the
field
strength has been converted to a distance measurement by the processing module
of the
receiver unit, this measurement is communicated back to the proximity
detection unit of
the first vehicle via the RF channel (e.g., RF transceiver to originating
transceiver). This
distance measurement may then be used by control unit onboard the first
vehicle to
determine a vehicle action to be taken (e.g., continue on route, change route,
slow, stop,
notify an operator, etc.). Alternatively, the control unit of the proximity
detection unit can
receive RF signals and/or EM pulses emitted by other proximity detection units
and can
measure the distances to the other proximity detection units as described
herein in
connection with the receiving unit.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[0036] In addition to communicating the distance measurement back to
the
originating transceiver of the first vehicle, the receiver unit and/or control
unit may also be
that can generate an alarm or alert if a preset 'safety' distance threshold
has been breached.
In an embodiment, the alert may be an audible alarm, a visual alert, or other
sensory alert.
For example, the receiver unit and/or control unit may include one or more
LEDs,
vibrators, speakers or the like for attracting a user's attention to the fact
that the preset safety
threshold has been breached. This alert may prompt an operator to increase the
distance
between himself/herself and the vehicle, or to seek a safe location until the
vehicle passes
by.
[0037] The proximity detection system can determine the proximity of
vehicles
operating within the reception area to an object or person outfitted with a
receiver unit, and
to generate alerts or notifications (either at the receiver unit or the
vehicles themselves, or
both). In this way, operational safety within the reception area may be
increased, and
bottlenecking or backups may be minimized or eliminated.
[0038] In certain embodiments, the transceiver onboard the vehicles may
include
an EM or constant magnetic field receiver, so that distances between vehicles
may be
determined. A suitable alternative or additional capability of the proximity
detection
system may include one or more of a time-of-flight (TOF) detector, LIDAR, and
a video
or camera system.
[0039] A suitable RF transmission frequency of the high RF signal may
include
determined frequencies within the megahertz (MHz) to gigahertz (GHz) range. In
one
embodiment, the high RF signal is at least 1 MHz. In various embodiments, the
RF signal
frequency is on the lower end of the MHz to GHz range. The higher the
frequency, the
quicker the signal, which allows more vehicles to be present within the
reception area as
compared to existing systems. Accordingly, a higher frequency may be utilized
where a
high volume of vehicle traffic is anticipated. In certain embodiments, the
frequency for the
RF signal may be selected in dependence upon a number of factors including the
number
of vehicles that are anticipated or estimated to be present in a particular
reception area at a
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
given time and the particular application for which the system is used (e.g.,
on a roadway,
within an underground mine, etc.). For example, in underground applications,
it may be
desirable to use a lower frequency for the RF signal, where a direct line-of-
sight between
vehicles operating within the space is not always present. This is because the
lower the
frequency, the less dependent the system is on the availability of a direct
line-of-sight
(which is often not possible within the many twists and turns of a mine), due
to the RF
wave diffraction (e.g., bending around corners) and the ability to penetrate
walls within the
mine.
[0040] In an embodiment, the EM frequency may be as low as zero (i.e.,
a constant
magnetic field, but not electrical). In such a case, the detector of the
transceiver will sense
a momentary change in the magnetic field of the earth and derive the induced
vector from
the change in the magnetic field, based on a pre-measured baseline. In an
embodiment, the
EM frequency is selected to be as low as possible, as there are less induced
currents in
metallic objects placed in between the transmitter and receiver, and there is
less of the
associated field intensity loss due to such induced currents. In addition,
selecting a low
frequency for the EM pulses achieves a much higher immunity to various EM
noises
coming from possible electrical and electronic devices located within the
reception area.
Utilizing a constant magnetic field allows alternating EM noise to be filtered
out. In
connection with the above, utilizing a constant magnetic field is possible
because the EM
field is not used as a data carrier. This has heretofore not been possible
with existing
systems, because the EM field had typically been used as a data carrier.
[0041] Because of the much shorter transmission time as compared to
existing
electromagnetic energy-based distance measuring systems, the time taken to
measure the
distance between the transmitter and receiver (e.g., the distance between
vehicles), and to
uniquely identify the transmitter, may be reduced. The systems and methods
described
herein can allow transmission times to be reduced from about 100 times to
about 500 times
compared to some known systems and methods. Moreover, the multiple transceiver
time
slot arbitration issue present in some existing systems can be resolved by
using a listen-
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
before-talk mechanism employed by one or more embodiments of the control unit
described herein. This, in turn, allows for more vehicles or objects to
operate within the
reception area, and for shorter periods of time between the distance
measurements.
[0042] While the system 100 described above may be utilized to
determine the
proximity of vehicles to operators or personnel and other objects carrying or
outfitted with
a receiver unit to prevent vehicle incursions into areas where personnel are
operating, there
may remain a need to determine the absolute position of one or more vehicles
within a
reception area 10, irrespective of other personnel or objects within the
reception area. To
address this issue, the vehicles operating within the reception area may also
be outfitted
with an on-board navigation system that can determine or calculate the
position of the
vehicle within the reception area (e.g., an underground mine, a parking lot, a
rail yard), and
the reception area may have a plurality of fixed-position beacons 210, 212,
214, 216 that
can communicate with the vehicles, as further shown in FIG. 1.
[0043] The beacons may include a respective transceiver unit that
enables
communication with the vehicles when the vehicles are in range, such as, for
example, by
way of radio communications. In an embodiment, the beacons can transmit the
positions/locations of the beacons within the reception area 10 to the
vehicles that pass
within range of the respective beacon. In other embodiments, the beacons are
that can
transmit identifying information to the vehicles within range, which may then
be cross-
referenced with a database on-board the vehicle that indicates the specific
location of the
communicating beacon within the reception area 10 based on the received beacon
ID.
[0044] With reference to FIG. 4, a navigation system 218 onboard each
vehicle
(e.g., a second vehicle) includes an inertial platform type navigation device
that may
employ, for example, motion sensors (accelerometers) and rotation sensors
(gyroscopes)
to continuously calculate via dead reckoning the position, orientation, and
velocity (e.g.,
direction and speed of movement) of the second vehicle without the need for
external
references. The second vehicle can communicate with the beacons, as well as
with other
vehicles, when the vehicle is in range. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the
first
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
vehicle can communicate via the transceiver of the second vehicle, and
optionally with the
beacon, as the vehicle first passes by the beacon or moves relative to the
second vehicle.
In an embodiment, the transceiver and control unit may be the same transceiver
and control
unit used for proximity detection, as discussed above. In other embodiments,
the
transceiver and control unit may be standalone devices.
[0045] In operation, each vehicle (e.g., second vehicle) can maintain a
history or
log of the exact movements of the vehicle throughout a given area, such as
along the route,
using the navigation device onboard the first vehicle. Each second vehicle can
calculate
the position of the vehicle within the reception area, using the onboard
navigation
device and via dead reckoning. The recorded position of the second vehicle may
then be
transmitted or broadcast (such as through a radio link) to other vehicles
within range to
ensure that collisions are avoided. During vehicle travel, however, the
estimated position
of each vehicle (as determined by the on-board navigation device) may vary
from the actual
position of each such vehicle. The system can zero out such accumulated error
or drift (e.g.,
the actual position of the vehicle in relation to the estimated position as
determined by the
navigation device) through use of the beacons.
[0046] As the vehicles pass within range of the beacons (the exact
position of
which are known and logged, as discussed above), the estimated position of any
such
vehicle is updated with a precise, known position received from the beacon. As
a result,
while drift or error in the estimated position of a vehicle can accumulate as
the vehicles are
traveling between beacons, passing by any beacon within the reception area
essentially
resets or recalibrates the control unit and navigation device, preventing
accumulated error
or drift from propagating throughout an entire path of travel of the vehicle.
[0047] In an embodiment, the position determination system may be
utilized to
create a data breadcrumb trail for subsequent use by mine operators for
incident playback
and the like. The path of travel (including time and location) of each vehicle
may be logged
by the on-board control unit and transmitted back to the surface when the
vehicle is in
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
range (for example) of a Wi-Fl access point or a leaky feeder system within
the mine. This
data can be used for efficiency, tire wear, uptime, tracking in use time vs.
idle time, etc.
[0048] While FIG. 1 shows the proximity detection system (e.g.,
vehicles equipped
with an RF and EM pulse emitter/transmitter and objects and personnel
outfitted with
receiver units to calculate vehicle proximity) and the position determination
system (e.g.,
vehicles equipped with an on-board navigation system and which are that can
communicate
with static beacons within the reception area) as being a single, integrated
system, the
system may be separate systems that can be deployed independently or in
conjunction with
one another. The proximity detection capabilities may be deployed irrespective
of position
determination functionality, and vice versa. For example, in an embodiment,
the
system may include the vehicles outfitted with navigation systems that are
that can estimate
the position of the respective vehicle within the reception area, and the
beacons arranged
at various locations within the reception area that provide the vehicles
passing thereby with
known (or absolute) reference points so that any accumulated navigational
error can be
zeroed out. In other embodiments, the system may include vehicles outfitted
with
proximity detection units that are that can emit RF signals and EM pulses, and
objects or
personnel carrying receiver units that are that can receive the RF signals and
EM pulses
and calculate the proximity of the emitting vehicles. That is, proximity
detection and
position determination functionality may be integrated into a single,
comprehensive
system, or may deployed separately and independently from one another.
[0049] In one embodiment, the transceivers of the proximity detection
units onboard vehicles can receive signals, such as the EM pulses and RF
signals, sent from
the transceivers of other proximity detection units to detect the proximity of
vehicles to
each other and/or to other objects. For example, a first proximity detection
unit onboard a
first vehicle can send EM pulses and RF signals that are received by a second
proximity
detection unit of a second vehicle. The control unit of the second proximity
detection
unit can determine how far the first vehicle is from the second vehicle in the
manner
described above in connection with the receiver unit.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[0050] Optionally, the system may be used to detect the proximity
(e.g., distance
between) equipment and a target location. For example, vehicles may include
elongated
drill tips or other equipment used to mine for resources. The system can be
used to measure
or otherwise determine how far the equipment is from other equipment or
vehicles. This
can help prevent collisions between equipment that may project far from a
vehicle and
other vehicles, or collisions between projecting equipment on different
vehicles. For
example, the transceiver can be disposed on or near outer ends of equipment
that projects
from a vehicle (e.g., at or near the end of a drill tip). The transceivers or
beacons can be
disposed on other vehicles, other equipment, and/or persons to ensure that the
equipment
does not collide with the other vehicles, equipment, or persons. Additionally,
a target
location can be provided with the transceiver or beacon, and equipment can be
provided
with the transceiver or beacon. The system can then be used to track how far
the equipment
(e.g., the drill tip) is from a target location (an identified location of
resources to be mined).
[0051] In some of the embodiments, the high RF signal may be a high RF
broadcast, referring to a signal that is transmitted generally throughout an
area and without
a particular or designated recipient.
[0052] In an embodiment, a vehicle system is provided. The vehicle
system
includes a first vehicle having an emitter that can emit a high RF signal
synchronously with
at least one EM pulse, and a receiver unit located remote from the first
vehicle, the receiver
unit including a magnetic field receiver, an RF transceiver, and a processing
module
coupled to the RF transceiver and the magnetic field receiver. The receiver
unit can receive
the high RF signal and the at least one EM pulse from the first vehicle and to
determine a
proximity of the first vehicle to the receiver unit. In an embodiment, the
high RF signal is
modulated with an emitter/transceiver ID and/or vehicle ID. In an embodiment,
the emitter
or vehicle ID is protected by a checksum. In an embodiment, the at least one
EM pulse
does not carry any data. In an embodiment, the proximity of the first vehicle
to the receiver
unit is calculated in dependence upon received magnetic field strength. In an
embodiment,
the processing module of the receiver unit can generate an alert if the
determined proximity
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
of the first vehicle is within a preset range. The alert may be at least one
of an audible alert,
a visual alert, and/or a vibratory alert. In an embodiment, the receiver unit
can communicate
the determined proximity back to the first vehicle. In an embodiment, the
first vehicle is a
vehicle operating in an underground mine. In an embodiment, the receiver unit
can verify
that the RF signal and the at least one EM pulse occurred synchronously.
[0053] In another embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes
the
steps of, at a first vehicle, synchronously generating a high RF signal and at
least one EM
pulse; at a receiver unit, receiving the high RF signal and the at least one
EM pulse; and at
the receiver unit, determining a distance between the first vehicle and the
receiver unit in
dependence upon a strength of the at least one EM pulse received by the
receiver unit. In
an embodiment, the method may also include the step of, prior to generating
the high RF
signal and the at least one EM pulse, checking for a competing transmission
from a second
vehicle. In an embodiment, the method may also include the step of, at the
receiver unit,
verifying that the transmission of the high RF signal and the at least one EM
pulse occurred
synchronously. In an embodiment, the method may also include the step of, at
the receiver
unit, measuring a duration of the at least one EM pulse. In embodiment, the
method may
also include the step of modulating the high RF signal with a transceiver ID
and/or vehicle
ID. In an embodiment, the transceiver or other ID is protected by a checksum.
In an
embodiment, the at least one EM pulse does not carry any data. In an
embodiment, the first
vehicle is an autonomous vehicle. In an embodiment, the method may also
include, at the
receiver unit, generating an alert if the distance is below a predetermined
threshold or
within a preset range. In an embodiment, the method may further include the
step of
communicating the determined distance back to the first vehicle.
[0054] A suitable system may include a receiver unit having a magnetic
field
receiver, an RF transceiver, and a processing module coupled to the RF
transceiver and the
magnetic field receiver. The RF transceiver can receive a high RF signal from
a vehicle
that is remote from the receiver unit. The magnetic field receiver can receive
at least one
EM pulse from the vehicle. The processing module can verify that emission of
the high RF
16
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
signal and the at least one EM pulse from the vehicle occurred synchronously.
The
processing module is further configured, responsive to verification that the
emission
occurred synchronously, to determine a proximity of the vehicle to the
receiver unit based
on at least one of the high RF signal or the at least one EM pulse. The
processing module
is further configured, responsive to verification that the emission did not
occur
synchronously, to reject the high RF signal and the at least one EM pulse for
use in
determining the proximity.
[0055] In another embodiment, a system includes a first vehicle having
an on-board
navigation system that can determine a position of the first vehicle within a
reception area
without external references, and at least one beacon positioned at a location
within the
reception area along a route over which the first vehicle travels. The at
least one beacon
stores location data of the at least one beacon within the reception area. The
first vehicle
can wirelessly receive the location data from the at least one beacon when the
first vehicle
passes within range of the at least one beacon. For example, the first vehicle
and the at least
one beacon may be that can communicate over a radio link.
[0056] In an embodiment, a system includes a first vehicle having an on-
board
navigation system that can determine a position of the first vehicle within a
reception area
without external references, and at least one beacon positioned at a location
within the
reception area along a route over which the first vehicle travels. The at
least one beacon
stores location data of the at least one beacon within the reception area. The
first vehicle
can receive the location data from the at least one beacon when the first
vehicle passes
within range of the at least one beacon. The first vehicle includes a receiver
and a control
unit electrically coupled to the receiver and the navigation system. The
control unit can
utilize the location data from the at least one beacon to eliminate errors in
the position of
the first vehicle as determined by the navigation system. In an embodiment,
the navigation
system can determine the position of the first vehicle via dead reckoning.
[0057] The control unit of the collision avoidance system optionally
can be
included in a vehicle control system that also includes and/or operates with
the collision
17
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
avoidance system. The control unit can be communicatively coupled with a
propulsion
system and/or braking system of a vehicle. For example, the control unit can
communicate
with and control one or more engines, motors, transmissions, brakes, or the
like, of the
vehicle to control and change movement of the vehicle. The control unit can
control or
change movement of the vehicle based on the distance of one or more objects
(e.g.,
equipment, a target location, a person, and/or another vehicle) to the vehicle
being too
small (e.g., less than a safety threshold distance). For example, a receiver
unit can receive
the EM pulse and the RF signal and determine a distance between the vehicle
and the
receiver unit based on the EM pulse and the RF signal that are received. The
receiver unit
can then communicate a signal to one or more transceiver devices of the
control system
based on the distance. The control unit can examine this distance and change
the movement
of the vehicle (e.g., to avoid collision with the other object). For example,
if the distance
between the vehicle and other object is too short and/or is decreasing, the
control unit can
change the throttle setting and/or apply the brakes of the vehicle to slow or
stop movement
of the vehicle. As another example, the control unit can change a direction in
which the
vehicle is moving to avoid collision with the other object.
[0058] The
vehicle collision avoidance system optionally can use a point-quadrant-
based vehicle-to-vehicle alarm logic to provide a solution for vehicle-to-
vehicle collision
avoidance in an environment. This logic can be applied by the control units
and/or
processing modules described herein. The location and/or heading of vehicles
can be
determined in one or more of a variety of different ways, such as using the EM
pulses and
RF transmissions described above, using data obtained by GPS receivers,
calculating
distances based on times-of-flight of electromagnetic signals (that reflect
off other objects,
such as radar), structured light arrays, or the like. In the case of another
moving vehicles,
the processing module can determine a heading of the other vehicle and/or a
location of
the other vehicle. In the case of another stationary vehicle, the processing
module can
determine a location of the other vehicle (as the stationary vehicle would not
have a
heading).
18
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[0059] The locations and/or headings determined by the processing
module can be
communicated to the control unit of a vehicle to determine whether to advise
the operator
of the vehicle to slow or stop movement of the vehicle, and whether to
automatically slow
or stop movement of the vehicle (if the operator does not respond or change
movement of
the vehicle according to the advice provided). Optionally, the control unit
may advise the
operator to change a heading of the vehicle and/or automatically change the
heading of the
vehicle if the operator does not change the heading. The advice and/or
automatic control
provided by the control unit can prevent collisions between the vehicle and
other objects
(e.g., other vehicles, persons, equipment, etc.).
[0060] FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a vehicle collision
avoidance
system 500. In one embodiment, the system 100 can be for use in an underground
area,
while the system 500 is used in an open pit or surface area. Alternatively,
the
system 500 can be used in the underground area and can represent the
system 100 described above. The system 500 can include a proximity sensing
unit 518 that
is one of the proximity detection units described above onboard a vehicle 510.
Optionally,
the sensing unit 518 shown in FIG. 5 can represent a receiver unit described
above. The
sensing unit 518 operates to determine whether other objects are near the
vehicle 510 such
that movement of the vehicle 510 needs to be altered to avoid collision with
the object(s).
For example, the sensing unit 518 can emit EM pulses and RF signals that are
detected by
a receiver unit to determine the proximity of other objects to the sensing
unit 518 and,
therefore, the vehicle 510, as described above. Alternatively, the sensing
unit 518 can
receive the EM pulses and/or RF signals to determine the proximity of other
objects to the
sensing unit 518 and, therefore, the vehicle 510, as described above.
Alternatively, the
sensing unit 518 can use another technique, such as GPS, radar, or the like,
to determine
the proximity of other objects to the sensing unit 518 and, therefore, the
vehicle 510, as
described above. With respect to GPS, the sensing unit 518 can communicate
with sensing
units 518 onboard or carried by other objects to share headings and/or
positions of the
sensing units 518 to determine the proximity of other objects to the sensing
unit 518 and,
therefore, the vehicle 510.
19
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[0061] The control unit or processing module of the sensing unit 518
controls
operation of the sensing unit 518. This control unit or processing module of
the sensing
unit 518 can be referred to as a controller of the sensing unit 518. The
controller can
represent the control unit or the processing module. The controller can
generate output to
warn an operator to slow movement, stop movement, or change a direction of
movement
of the vehicle 510 based on the detected proximity of other objects.
Optionally, the control
unit can automatically slow movement, stop movement, or change the direction
of
movement of the vehicle 510 based on the detected proximity of other objects.
[0062] The controller of the sensing unit defines protection points
around the
exterior body of the vehicle 510. These protection points are labeled in FIG.
5 as a front
left (FL) point, a front right (RF) point, a rear left (RL) point, and a rear
right (RR) point.
The protection points can be defined based on known outer dimensions of the
body of the
vehicle 510. For example, the controller can define the protection points by
measuring
designated distances from a center location 506 of the vehicle 510 along
orthogonal (e.g.,
x and y) axes 502, 504. This center location can be located midway between the
opposite
ends of the vehicle along the axis and midway between the opposite sides of
the
vehicle along the axis. For example, the front protection points FL, FR can be
located the
same distance from the axis as the rear protection points RL, RR, and the
right protection
points FR, RR can be located the same distance from the axis 504 as the left
protection
points FL, RL. Optionally, the controller can define the protection points
based on
designated distances and angles from the center location. For example, the
front right
protection point FR can be a designated distance at a first angle in a counter-
clockwise
direction from the axis 502, the front left protection point FL can be the
same or another
designated distance at the same first angle in a clockwise direction from the
axis (or at a
second angle that is ninety degrees greater than the first angle in a counter-
clockwise
direction from the axis), the rear left protection point RL can be a
designated distance at a
third angle in a counter-clockwise direction from the axis, and the rear right
protection
point RR can be the same or another designated distance at the same first
angle in a
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
clockwise direction from the axis (or at a fourth angle that is ninety degrees
greater than
the third angle in a clockwise direction from the axis).
[0063] These designated distances can be increased axis for longer
vehicles and/or
for wider vehicles. Optionally, the designated angles may change for longer
and/or wider
vehicles. The protection points can be defined to be outside of the outer
surfaces of the
vehicle. As shown in FIG. 5, the front protection points FL, FR can be located
in a two-
dimensional plane that is in front of or intersects the outermost surface of
the leading end
of the vehicle. The rear protection points RL, RR can be located in a two-
dimensional plane
that is in front of or intersects the outermost surface of the opposite
trailing end of the
vehicle in one embodiment. The protection points can define an outer boundary
of the
vehicle. Entry of other objects into this outer boundary can result in
collision with the
vehicle.
[0064] The controller can define protection zones around the vehicle
based on the
locations of the protection points and/or the speed at which the vehicle is
moving. In the
illustrated example, three different types of protection zones are defined
around the vehicle.
These protection zones include a compulsory action zone 512, conditional
action
zones 514, and no-action change zones 516. Alternatively, fewer protection
zones may be
defined, more protection zones may be defined, fewer different types of
protection zones
may be defined, and/or more different types of protection zones may be
defined. As
described above, the different types of zones are associated with different
responsive
actions to be taken (or that are not taken) if another object is detected
within different types
of protection zones.
[0065] The controller can define the compulsory action zone as a
surface area or a
three-dimensional volume of space extending ahead of the leading end of the
vehicle between the front protection points FR, FL, as shown in FIG. 5. This
surface area
can be disposed on the surface of the route being traveled by the vehicle or
can be parallel
to the route surface but elevated above the route surface by a designated
distance (e.g., one
half meter or another distance). The volume of space can extend from the route
surface (or
21
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
a plane that is parallel to the route surface) to a designated height above
the route surface,
such as the height of the vehicle above the route surface (or another height).
The controller
can define the compulsory action zone to extend ahead of the vehicle to outer
ends of stop
protection lines 524, which are described below.
[0066] The controller can define the no-action zones 516 as surface
areas or three-
dimensional volumes of space extending laterally outward from opposite sides
of the
vehicle (relative to a direction of travel 522 of the vehicle), as shown in
FIG. 5. These
surface areas can be disposed on the surface of the route being traveled by
the vehicle or
can be parallel to the route surface but elevated above the route surface by a
designated
distance. The volumes of space can extend from the route surface (or a plane
that is parallel
to the route surface) to the designated height above the route surface. The
controller can
define the no-action zones to outward from the sides of the vehicle to a
designated distance,
such as the length of the stop protection lines, described below.
[0067] The controller can define the conditional action zones as
surface areas or
three-dimensional volumes of space extending along the axis from the plane
that includes
the front protection points FL, FR (and the front end of the plane of the no-
action zones)
to distances of the stop protection lines. The controller also can define one
of the
conditional action zones as the surface area or three-dimensional volume of
space
extending along the axis from the plane that includes left protection points
FL, RL to
distances of the stop protection lines. The controller can define the other
conditional action
zone as the surface area or three-dimensional volume of space extending along
the
axis from the plane that includes right protection points FR, RR to distances
of the stop
protection lines. The conditional action zone that is disposed to the right
side of the
axis in FIG. 5 can be referred to as the first quadrant or quadrant one of the
vehicle, while
the other conditional action zone that is disposed to the left side of the
axis in FIG. 5 can
be referred to as the second quadrant or quadrant two of the vehicle.
22
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[0068] As shown in FIG. 5, the protection zones do not overlap with
each other.
Alternatively, two or more of the protection zones may at least partially
overlap with each
other.
[0069] While the previous description focuses on the designated
distances that are
used to define the sizes of the protection zones being the lengths of the stop
protection
lines, alternatively, these designated distances can be the lengths of slow
protection
lines 520, which are described below.
[0070] The controller can define stop and slow protection lines 524,
520 as lines
that linearly project from the leading edge of the vehicle in directions
parallel to the
axis and/or as lines that linearly project from the lateral sides of the
vehicle in directions
parallel to the axis. The leading edge of the vehicle can be the two-
dimensional plane that
includes the front protection points FL, FR while the vehicle is moving
forward in the
direction or can be the two-dimensional plane that includes the rear
protection points RL,
RR while the vehicle is moving rearward in a direction that is opposite of the
direction.
The lateral sides of the vehicle can be the two-dimensional planes on either
side of the
vehicle, with one plane including the left protection points FL, RL and the
other plane
including the right protection points FR, RR.
[0071] For example, the stop protection lines can project in directions
parallel to
the moving direction of the vehicle from the front protection points FR, FL to
distances of
the stop protection lines (described below), while the vehicle is moving
forward. The stop
protection lines can project in opposite directions from the rear protection
points RR, RL
to distances of the stop protection lines (described below), while the vehicle
is moving
backward. Additional stop protection lines optionally can project on one side
of the
vehicle in directions that are perpendicular to the moving direction from the
right
protection points FR, RR to distances of the stop protection lines. Additional
stop
protection lines optionally can project on the other side of the vehicle in
directions that are
perpendicular to the moving direction from the left protection points FL, RL
to distances
of the stop protection lines.
23
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[0072] The slow protection lines can project in directions parallel to
the moving
direction of the vehicle from the front protection points FR, FL to distances
of the slow
protection lines (described below), while the vehicle is moving forward. The
slow
protection lines can project in opposite directions from the rear protection
points RR, RL
to distances of the slow protection lines (described below), while the vehicle
is moving
backward. Additional slow protection lines optionally can project on one side
of the
vehicle in directions that are perpendicular to the moving direction from the
right
protection points FR, RR to distances of the slow protection lines. Additional
slow
protection lines optionally can project on the other side of the vehicle in
directions that are
perpendicular to the moving direction from the left protection points FL, RL
to distances
of the slow protection lines.
[0073] The controller can define the lengths or distances of the
protection lines
based at least in part on the moving speed of the vehicle. The protection
lines can be longer
for faster moving speeds of the vehicle, and shorter for slower moving speeds
of the
vehicle. In one embodiment, the lengths of the protection lines are based at
least in part on
the stopping distance of the vehicle. For example, the stopping distance (sd)
of the
vehicle can be determined by the controller based on:
122
sd = vt + 2g(coeff of friction+ gradient)(brake ratio)
where v represents the moving speed of the vehicle, t represents time to stop
the vehicle, g
represents gravitational acceleration, and (coeff of friction--gradient )
represents the
combined value of the coefficient of friction and the gradient on which the
vehicle is
traveling, and brake ratio is the braking ratio of the vehicle (e.g., the
ratio of the braking
force to the weight of the vehicle). Alternatively, the braking distance can
have a defined,
designated value that is not calculated, but that is obtained from several
different distances
associated with different moving speeds of the vehicle (e.g., default stopping
distances for
different vehicle speeds).
24
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[0074] The length or distance of the stop protection lines can be equal
to the length
of the stopping distance in one embodiment. Alternatively, the length or
distance of the
stop protection lines can be a percentage of the stopping distance, such as
125%, 110%,
90%, or the like, of the stopping distance. The length of the slow protection
lines can be
equal to twice the length of the stopping distance in one embodiment.
Alternatively, the
length or distance of the slow protection lines can be another percentage of
the stopping
distance, such as 225%, 210%, 190%, or the like, of the stopping distance. As
shown
in FIG. 5, the slow protection lines extend farther from the vehicle than the
stop protection
lines.
[0075] Controllers of the detection units onboard other vehicles can
similarly
identify or define protection lines, 524 and/or protection zones 512, 514,
516. Because the
vehicles may be different sizes and/or move at different speeds, the
protection
lines, 524 and/or zones 512, 514, 516 for different vehicles may have
different sizes and/or
shapes. The sizes and/or shapes of the protection lines, 524 and/or zones 512,
514, 516 for
a vehicle may dynamically change (by the controller of the vehicle) due to
changing speeds
of the vehicle.
[0076] The protection lines and/or zones that are defined by the
controllers can be
monitored lines or zones, and not tangible objects. For example, a protection
line and/or
zone can define spatial locations that are monitored for other objects by a
controller to
avoid collision with a vehicle.
[0077] The controllers of the different detection units can communicate
the
protection lines and/or zones with each other. For example, the controllers
onboard
different vehicles can transmit the protection lines and/or zones for the
respective vehicle
to the controller of one or more other vehicles. Optionally, the controllers
onboard different
vehicles can broadcast the protection lines and/or zones for the respective
vehicle to the
controllers of other vehicles. In another example, the controllers onboard
different
vehicles can communicate the protection lines and/or zones for the respective
vehicle to a
central memory or database that is accessible by the controllers of other
vehicles.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[0078] The controller of a first vehicle can monitor locations of other
vehicles relative to the first vehicle using the protection lines and/or
zones. The first
vehicle can be referred to as a vehicle under test while the other vehicles
can be referred to
as monitored vehicles. For example, responsive to detecting that a protection
line and/or a
protection zone of a monitored vehicle intersects, enters into, and/or
overlaps with the
protection line and/or a protection zone of the test vehicle, the controller
of the test
vehicle can instruct the operator of the test vehicle to change movement of
the test
vehicle or can automatically change movement of the test vehicle to avoid
collision with
the monitored vehicle. This change in movement can be slowing or stopping the
test
vehicle, changing the direction in which the test vehicle is moving, and/or
instructing the
monitored vehicle to change movement.
[0079] FIG. 6 illustrates one example of operation of the collision
avoidance
system. In FIG. 6, first, second and third vehicles 600, 602, 604 are shown,
with each
vehicle representing one of the vehicles shown in FIG. 5. The first vehicle
600 may be a
test vehicle, while the other vehicles are monitored vehicles. The first
vehicle may move
in a first direction of travel 606 and the second vehicle 602 may move in a
different, second
direction of travel 608. The slow and stop protection lines of the vehicles
are shown in FIG.
6.
[0080] The controller of the first vehicle monitors the protection
zones 512, 514 to
determine if any other vehicles or protection line or zone of another vehicle
enters the
zones. The controller determines whether any protection zone or protection
line of the other
vehicles intersects, crosses over, enters, or at least partially overlaps the
first or second
quadrant of the first vehicle. The first quadrant is the front right
conditional protection
zone and the second quadrant is the front left conditional protection zone, as
described
above.
[0081] The controller of the first vehicle can instruct the operator of
the first
vehicle to stop movement of the first vehicle or can automatically stop
movement of the
first vehicle responsive to any stop protection line of the first vehicle
intersecting or
26
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
crossing over any stop protection line of another vehicle. But, the controller
of the first
vehicle can instruct the operator of the first vehicle to slow down movement
of the first
vehicle or can automatically slow down movement of the first vehicle
responsive to any
slow protection line of the first vehicle intersecting or crossing over any
stop protection
line or any slow protection line of another vehicle. If the controller
determines that any
stop protection line intersects or crosses over a slow protection line of
another vehicle then
the controller of the first vehicle may not instruct the operator to slow or
stop movement
of the first vehicle, and the controller of the first vehicle may not
automatically slow or
stop movement of the first vehicle.
[0082] In the illustrated example, the stop protection line of the
first vehicle on the
right side of the first vehicle intersects the slow protection line on the
right side of the third
vehicle. In response to detecting this intersection, the controller of the
first vehicle can
instruct the operator to stop movement of the first vehicle or can
automatically stop
movement of the first vehicle. Or, the controller of the first vehicle can
instruct the operator
to stop movement of the first vehicle and can automatically stop movement of
the first
vehicle responsive to the operator not stopping the first vehicle within a
designated time
limit or distance limit.
[0083] Additionally, the controller of the first vehicle may determine
that the slow
protection line 520 on the left side of the first vehicle intersects the slow
protection
line 520 on the left side of the vehicle 602. In response to detecting this
intersection, the
controller can instruct the operator to slow movement of the first vehicle or
can
automatically slow movement of the first vehicle. Or, the controller of the
first vehicle can
instruct the operator to slow movement of the first vehicle and can
automatically slow
movement of the first vehicle responsive to the operator not slowing the first
vehicle to at
least a designated speed within a designated time limit or distance limit.
[0084] FIG. 7 illustrates another example of operation of the collision
avoidance
system. The controller of the first vehicle can determine whether any
protection point FR,
FL, RR, RL of one of the second or third vehicles enters or intersects either
of the
27
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
protection zones of the first vehicle. Responsive to determining that a
protection
line 520, 524 or protection zone 512, 514 of another vehicle enters a
protection zone of the
first vehicle, the controller can calculate a closing distance x between the
vehicles.
[0085] This closing distance x can be the shortest linear distance
between either of
the front protection points FR, FL of the second and third vehicle and the two-
dimensional
vertical plane that includes the front protection points FR, FL of the first
vehicle.
Optionally, this closing distance x can be the shortest linear distance
between either of the
rear protection points RR, RL of the other vehicle and the two-dimensional
vertical plane
that includes the front protection points FR, FL of the first vehicle if the
first vehicle is
approaching the back end of the second or third vehicle and/or that vehicle is
backing up.
In another example, this closing distance x can be the shortest linear
distance between
either of the front protection points RR, RL of the vehicle 602, 604 and the
two-
dimensional vertical plane that includes the rear protection points RR, RL of
the first
vehicle if the first vehicle is backing up and/or is approaching the back end
of the first
vehicle.
[0086] The controller can instruct the operator to stop movement of the
first
vehicle (and automatically stop movement if the operator is not responsive
within the time
or distance limit) responsive to the closing distance x being less than a
designated stop limit
Lstop, where:
Lstop = sdt + cos(re/ heading) * sdin
where sdt represents the stopping distance of the test first vehicle, sdn,
represents the
stopping distance of the other vehicle, and rel heading is the relative
heading of the other
vehicle to the first vehicle. The relative heading can be the angle between
the headings of
the first vehicle and the other vehicle being monitored. The stopping
distances sdt and
sd11 of the vehicles can be the lengths of the respective stop protection
lines.
28
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[0087] The controller can instruct the operator to slow movement of the
first
vehicle (and automatically slow movement if the operator is not responsive
within the time
or distance limit) responsive to the closing distance x being less than a
designated slowing
limit Llow, where:
Lstow = sldt + cos(re/ heading) * sldin
where s/dtrepresents the slowing distance of the test first vehicle, skl11
represents the
slowing distance of the monitored other vehicle, and rd l heading is the
relative heading of
the other vehicle to the first vehicle. The slowing distances sldt and sldn,
of the vehicles can
be the lengths of the respective slow protection lines.
[0088] If the closing distance x is less than the slowing limit Llow,
then the
controller directs and/or automatically slows movement of the first vehicle.
If the closing
distance x is less than the stopping limit Lstop, then the controller directs
and/or
automatically stops movement of the first vehicle.
[0089] FIG. 8 illustrates another example of operation of the collision
avoidance
system. The controller of the first vehicle can determine whether a protection
line of the
first vehicle intersects the body of another vehicle. The controller can make
this
determination by deciding whether the slow or stop protection lines of the
first
vehicle cross a two-dimensional plane 800 that includes both protection points
of the
vehicle 602 on one side of the second vehicle. For example, the controller can
identify one
side of the second vehicle as a vertical plane that includes the left
protection points FL, RL
of the second vehicle (as shown in FIG. 8) and/or the other side of the second
vehicle as
another vertical plane that includes the right protection points FR, RR of the
second
vehicle.
[0090] The controller of the first vehicle can determine if the slow or
stop
protection lines of the first vehicle crosses over this plane between the
protection points on
one side of the second vehicle. If the slow protection line of the first
vehicle intersects this
29
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
plane of the second vehicle, then the controller of the first vehicle can
instruct the operator
to slow movement of the first vehicle (and automatically slow movement if the
operator is
not responsive within the time or distance limit). If the stop protection line
of the first
vehicle intersects this plane of the second vehicle, then the controller of
the first vehicle can
instruct the operator to stop movement of the first vehicle (and automatically
stop
movement if the operator is not responsive within the time or distance limit).
In the
illustrated example, the controller determines that the slow protection line
intersects the
side plane 800 of the second vehicle. Accordingly, the controller directs the
operator to
slow movement of the first vehicle (and automatically slows movement if the
operator is
not responsive within the time or distance limit).
[0091] FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a flowchart of one embodiment of a
method 900 for avoiding collisions between vehicles. The method 900 can
represent the
operations performed by the detection units described herein. While the method
900 is
described as used to avoid collision between vehicles, the method 900 also can
be used to
avoid collision between other types of vehicles, between a vehicle and a non-
vehicular
object, or the like. Additionally, the method 900 is described as a sequence
of decisions to
determine whether to implement responsive actions to avoid collisions. But the
decisions
may be performed in a sequence other than the sequence shown in the flowchart.
The
decisions may be performed concurrently and/or simultaneously instead of
sequentially in
another embodiment.
[0092] At 902, protection lines and zones of a test vehicle are
determined. The
controller can identify the slow and stop protection lines of a test vehicle,
as well as the
compulsory, conditional, and/or no-action zones of the test vehicle. At 904,
the protection
lines and/or points of one or more other vehicles are determined. For example,
the
protection points and lines of monitored vehicles are identified, as described
above. At 906,
the proximity of one or more of the monitored vehicles is tracked. The
detection unit can
monitor how close the protection points and/or lines are from the protection
lines and/or
zones of the test vehicle.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[0093] At 908, a determination is made as to whether a stop protection
line of the
test vehicle intersects a stop protection line of a monitored vehicle. If this
intersection of
stop protection lines is detected, then the vehicles may be in threat of an
imminent collision.
As a result, flow of the method 900 can proceed toward 910. Otherwise, the
vehicles may
not be in threat of an imminent collision, and flow of the method 900 can
proceed
toward 912.
[0094] At 910, the test vehicle is manually or automatically stopped.
The controller
can instruct the operator of the test vehicle via an output device (e.g., a
speaker, light,
display, or the like) to stop movement of the test vehicle. Alternatively, the
controller can
automatically stop movement of the test vehicle without operator intervention.
In another
embodiment, the controller can change movement of the test vehicle, such as by
changing
a heading of the test vehicle to avoid collision with the monitored vehicle.
Flow of the
method 900 can then return toward 906 to continue tracking the proximity of
other
vehicles, or the method 900 can terminate.
[0095] Returning to the decision made at 908, if no stop protection
line of the test
vehicle intersects a stop protection line of a monitored vehicle, then, at
912, a determination
is made as to whether a slow protection line of the test vehicle intersects a
stop or slow
protection line of a monitored vehicle. If either slow protection line of the
test vehicle
intersects a stop or slow protection line of a monitored vehicle, then the
test and monitored
vehicles may be moving toward an eventual collision. As a result, flow of the
method 900 can proceed toward 914. Otherwise, the vehicles may not be
traveling toward
a collision, and flow of the method 900 can proceed toward 916.
[0096] At 914, the test vehicle is manually or automatically slowed.
The controller
can instruct the operator of the test vehicle via an output device to slow
movement of the
test vehicle. Alternatively, the controller can automatically slow movement of
the test
vehicle without operator intervention. In another embodiment, the controller
can change
movement of the test vehicle, such as by changing a heading of the test
vehicle to avoid
31
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
collision with the monitored vehicle. Flow of the method 900 can then return
toward 906 to
continue tracking the proximity of other vehicles, or the method 900 can
terminate.
[0097] Returning to the decision made at 912, if no slow protection
line of the test
vehicle intersects a protection line of a monitored vehicle, then, at 916, a
determination is
made as to whether a stop protection line of the test vehicle intersects a
slow protection
line of a monitored vehicle. If a stop protection line of the test vehicle
intersects a slow
protection line of a monitored vehicle, then the test and monitored vehicles
may still not
be near enough to pose a collision risk. As a result, flow of the method 900
can proceed
toward 918. Otherwise, flow of the method 900 can proceed toward 920 (FIG.
9B).
[0098] At 918, no responsive action is implemented to change movement
of the
test vehicle. For example, the test and monitored vehicles may not be at risk
for collision,
so movement of the test vehicle can continue without slowing the test vehicle,
stopping the
test vehicle, or changing a heading of the test vehicle. Flow of the method
900 can then
return toward 906 to continue tracking the proximity of other vehicles, or the
method 900 can terminate.
[0099] At 920, a determination is made as to whether any protection
point of the
monitored vehicle is within a protection zone of the test vehicle. For
example, the controller
of the test vehicle can determine whether any of the protection points FR, FL,
RR, RL of
the monitored vehicle is within any conditional or compulsory protection zone
512, 514 of
the test vehicle. If a protection point is within one of these protection
zones, then the
vehicles may be at risk of an imminent collision. As a result, flow of the
method 900 can
proceed toward 922. If a protection point is not within one of these
protection zones, then
the vehicles may not be at risk of an imminent collision. As a result, flow of
the
method 900 can proceed toward 928.
[00100] At 922, a closing distance between the test and monitored
vehicle is
determined, along with a relative heading of the vehicles, as described above.
At 924, a
determination is made as to whether this closing distance is less than a
stopping limit of
32
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
the test vehicle. If the closing distance is less than the stopping limit,
then the vehicles may
be at risk of an imminent collision. As a result, flow of the method 900 can
proceed
toward 910 to stop movement of the test vehicle, as described above.
Otherwise, the
vehicles may not be in threat of an imminent collision, and flow of the method
900 can
proceed toward 926.
[00101] At 926, a determination is made as to whether this closing
distance is less
than a slowing limit of the test vehicle. If the closing distance is less than
the slowing limit,
then the vehicles may be moving toward an eventual collision. As a result,
flow of the
method 900 can proceed toward 914 to slow movement of the test vehicle, as
described
above. Otherwise, the vehicles may not be moving toward a collision, and flow
of the
method 900 can proceed toward 918, described above.
[00102] Returning to the description of the decision made at 920, if no
protection
point of a monitored vehicle is within a protection zone of the test vehicle,
then flow of the
method 900 can proceed toward 928. At 928, a determination is made as to
whether a stop
protection line of the test vehicle crosses the body of a monitored vehicle.
For example,
the controller can determine if a stop protection line of the test vehicle
crosses or intersects
a plane extending from and including the front and rear protection points on
the same side
of the monitored vehicle. If a stop protection line crosses or intersects this
plane, then the
vehicles may be at risk of an imminent collision. As a result, flow of the
method 900 can
proceed toward 910 to stop movement of the test vehicle, as described above.
If no stop
protection line of the test vehicle crosses or intersects this plane, then the
vehicles may not
be at risk of an imminent collision but may be moving toward a collision. As a
result, flow
of the method 900 can flow toward 930.
[00103] At 930, a determination is made as to whether a slow protection
line of the
test vehicle crosses the body of a monitored vehicle. For example, the
controller can
determine if a stop protection line of the test vehicle crosses or intersects
the plane
extending from and including the front and rear protection points on the same
side of the
monitored vehicle. If a slow protection line crosses or intersects this plane,
then the
33
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
vehicles may be moving toward a collision. As a result, flow of the method 900
can
proceed toward 914 to slow movement of the test vehicle, as described above.
If no slow
protection line of the test vehicle crosses or intersects this plane, then the
vehicles may not
be moving toward a collision. As a result, flow of the method 900 can flow
toward 918.
[00104] Embodiments of the collision avoidance systems and methods
described
herein can reduce or eliminate the number of false alarms relative to some
known collision
avoidance systems. The collision avoidance systems described herein can reduce
false
alarms by defining protection lines in the direction of movement of the test
vehicle and by
defining conditional and compulsory slow and stop protection zones around
protection
points of the vehicle. The controller can stop the vehicle as last resort but
can use early
detection of a collision hazard to slow the vehicle before stopping movement
of the vehicle.
The controller can define go-slow or stop zones around the vehicle so that
unnecessary
alarms can be reduced based on the position and heading of the other vehicle.
[00105] In one embodiment, a collision avoidance system further
includes, or
communicates with, a map of static elements. This may supplement the
functionality
designed to prevent a vehicle from colliding with another mobile object. For
example, if a
vehicle operates in an area having a man-made structure or a natural terrain
feature the
route can be planned taking into account the known location of the object. Man-
made
features may include a wall, curb, building, post, bridge, powerline towers,
and other
permanent or semi-permanent objects that constitute infrastructure. Natural
terrain features
may include rivers, hills, cliffs, sandbars, and the like. Related, the route
may be
constrained by the transportation medium in that an automobile may require a
road as the
route, and a locomotive may require rails. Calculations that determine
stopping and
slowing distances may include information such as: loaded or unloaded state of
the vehicle,
condition of the wheels, condition of the route, grade of the route, and the
like.
[00106] In one embodiment, a vehicle control system includes a control
unit that can
be disposed onboard a vehicle to control movement of the vehicle and one or
more
transceiver devices that can emit an electromagnetic (EM) pulse and a radio
frequency (RF)
34
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
signal from the vehicle. The one or more transceiver devices are that can emit
the RF signal
with an identity of the vehicle included in the RF signal. Responsive to a
receiver unit
disposed off-board the vehicle in a mine receiving the EM pulse and the RF
signal, the
control unit can determine a distance between the vehicle and the receiver
unit based on
the EM pulse and the RF signal that are received, and to communicate a signal
to the one
or more transceiver devices based on the distance. The control unit also can
change the
movement of the vehicle based on the distance.
[00107] Optionally, the control unit can one or more of slow the
movement of the
vehicle, stop the movement of the vehicle, or change a direction of the
movement of the
vehicle based on the signal received from the receiver unit. The one or more
transceiver
devices can receive the signal from the receiver unit disposed onboard another
vehicle. The
one or more transceiver devices can receive the signal from the receiver unit
carried by a
person located in the mine.
[00108] In one embodiment, a vehicle control system includes a detection
unit that
can determine a proximity of a monitored vehicle to a first vehicle and a
controller that can
determine first protection lines that linearly project from the first vehicle
and second
protection lines that linearly project from the monitored vehicle. The first
protection lines
are determined based on a moving speed of the first vehicle. The second
protection lines
are determined based on a moving speed of the monitored vehicle. The
controller can direct
the first vehicle to change movement of the first vehicle responsive to
intersection of one
or more of the first protection lines with one or more of the second
protection lines.
[00109] Optionally, the first protection lines that are determined can
include longer
first slow protection lines and shorter first stop protection lines. The
second protection lines
that are determined can include longer second slow protection lines and
shorter second stop
protection lines. The controller can direct the first vehicle to stop the
movement of the first
vehicle responsive to detection of intersection of at least one of the first
stop protection
lines with at least one of the second stop protection lines. The controller
can direct the first
vehicle to slow the movement of the first vehicle responsive to detection of
intersection of
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
at least one of the first slow protection lines with any of the second slow
protection lines
or the second stop protection lines.
[00110] The controller can determine the second protection lines as
linearly
extending away from protection points associated with a body of the monitored
vehicle,
and the controller can define protection zones outside of the first vehicle
and extending
between the first protection lines. The controller can determine whether one
or more of the
protection points of the monitored vehicle enter one or more of the protection
zones of the
first vehicle. The controller can determine a closing distance of the
monitored vehicle and
a relative heading between the first vehicle and the monitored vehicle
responsive to
determining that the one or more protection points of the monitored vehicle
entered the one
or more protection zones of the first vehicle. The controller can direct the
first vehicle to
slow or stop the movement of the first vehicle based on the closing distance,
the relative
heading, and one or more of a stopping or slowing limit of the test vehicle.
[00111] In one embodiment, a method for avoiding collision between
vehicles is
provided. The method includes determining a proximity of a monitored vehicle
to a first
vehicle and determining first protection lines that linearly project from the
first vehicle.
The first protection lines are determined based on a moving speed of the first
vehicle. The
method also includes determining second protection lines that linearly project
from the
monitored vehicle. The second protection lines are determined based on a
moving speed of
the monitored vehicle. The method also includes changing movement of the first
vehicle
responsive to intersection of one or more of the first protection lines with
one or more of
the second protection lines.
[00112] Optionally, determining the first protection lines can include
determining
longer first slow protection lines and shorter first stop protection lines.
Determining the
second protection lines can include determining longer second slow protection
lines and
shorter second stop protection lines. Changing the movement of the first
vehicle can
include stopping the movement of the first vehicle responsive to detection of
intersection
36
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
of at least one of the first stop protection lines with at least one of the
second stop protection
lines.
[00113] Changing the movement of the first vehicle can include slowing
the
movement of the first vehicle responsive to detection of intersection of at
least one of the
first slow protection lines with any of the second slow protection lines or
the second stop
protection lines. Determining the second protection lines can include
determining linear
projections of the second protection lines that extend away from protection
points
associated with a body of the monitored vehicle. The method optionally can
include
determining protection zones outside of the first vehicle and extending
between the first
protection lines. The method also can include determining whether one or more
of the
protection points of the monitored vehicle enter one or more of the protection
zones of the
first vehicle.
[00114] Optionally, the method includes determining a closing distance
of the
monitored vehicle and a relative heading between the first vehicle and the
monitored
vehicle responsive to determining that the one or more protection points of
the monitored
vehicle entered the one or more protection zones of the first vehicle.
Changing the
movement of the first vehicle can include slowing or stopping the movement of
the first
vehicle based on the closing distance, the relative heading, and one or more
of a stopping
or slowing limit of the first vehicle.
[00115] In one embodiment, a vehicle control system includes a detection
unit that
can determine a proximity of a monitored vehicle to a first vehicle and a
controller that can
determine first protection lines that linearly project from the first vehicle
and second
protection lines that linearly project from the monitored vehicle. The first
protection lines
are determined based on a moving speed of the first vehicle. The second
protection lines
are determined based on a moving speed of the monitored vehicle. The
controller can direct
the first vehicle to change movement of the first vehicle responsive to
intersection of one
or more of the first protection lines with one or more of the second
protection lines.
37
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[00116] In one embodiment, a method for avoiding collision between
vehicles is
provided. The method includes determining a proximity of a monitored vehicle
to a first
vehicle and determining a first protection lines that linearly project from
the first vehicle.
The first protection lines are determined based on a moving speed of the first
vehicle. The
method includes determining second protection lines that linearly project from
the
monitored vehicle. The second protection lines are determined based on a
moving speed of
the monitored vehicle. The method includes changing movement of the first
vehicle
responsive to intersection of one or more of the first protection lines with
one or more of
the second protection lines.
[00117] In an embodiment, a system includes a vehicle having an emitter
that can
emit a high RF signal synchronously with at least one EM pulse. The system
includes a
receiver unit located remote from the vehicle. The receiver unit includes a
magnetic field
receiver, an RF transceiver, and a processing module coupled to the RF
transceiver and the
magnetic field receiver. The receiver unit can receive the high RF signal and
at least one
EM pulse from the vehicle and to determine a proximity of the vehicle to the
receiver unit
based on at least one of the high RF signal or the at least one EM pulse.
[00118] In an embodiment, a method includes, with an emitter on board a
first
vehicle, emitting a high RF signal synchronously with at least one EM pulse.
The method
further includes, with a receiver unit located remote from the first vehicle
(the receiver unit
includes a magnetic field receiver, an RF transceiver, and a processing module
coupled to
the RF transceiver and the magnetic field receiver), receiving the high RF
signal and the at
least one EM pulse from the first vehicle. The method further includes, with
the receiver
unit, determining a proximity between the first vehicle and the receiver unit
based on at
least one of the high RF signal or the EM pulse.
[00119] In an embodiment, a system includes a receiver unit having a
magnetic field
receiver, an RF transceiver, and a processing module coupled to the RF
transceiver and the
magnetic field receiver. The RF transceiver can receive a high RF signal from
a vehicle
that is remote from the receiver unit. The magnetic field receiver can receive
at least one
38
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
EM pulse from the vehicle. The processing module can verify that emission of
the high RF
signal and the at least one EM pulse from the vehicle occurred synchronously.
The
processing module is further configured, responsive to verification that the
emission
occurred synchronously, to determine a proximity of the vehicle to the
receiver unit based
on at least one of the high RF signal or the at least one EM pulse. The
processing module
can, responsive to verification that the emission did not occur synchronously,
reject the
high RF signal and the at least one EM pulse for use in determining the
proximity.
[00120] In an embodiment, a system includes a vehicle having an on-board
navigation system that can determine a position of the vehicle within a
reception area
without external references. The system also includes at least one beacon
positioned at a
location within the reception area along a route over which the vehicle
travels. The at least
one beacon stores location data of the at least one beacon within the
reception area. The
vehicle can wirelessly receive the location data from the at least one beacon
when the
vehicle passes within range of the at least one beacon.
[00121] FIG. 10 illustrates another embodiment of operation of the
vehicle collision
avoidance system described above. The controller may be disposed onboard a
first vehicle
system 600 (also referred to as a local object or LO) and can forecast or
calculate an
upcoming intersection area 1000 of projected paths of the first vehicle system
and a second
vehicle system 602 (also referred to as a remote object or RO). The upcoming
intersection
area can be based on current movements and locations of the first vehicle
system and the
second vehicle system. The intersection area can represent the area on a
surface being
traveled by the first and second vehicle systems that both the vehicle systems
will travel
over if the vehicle systems keep moving on current headings or paths. The size
of the
intersection area can be a product of the widths of the vehicle systems.
[00122] The controller can forecast where the intersection area is
located by
calculating a reach distance 1002 of the first vehicle system ("LO Reach
Distance" in FIG.
10). The reach distance is calculated as a distance from a leading edge 1004
of the first
vehicle system to the intersection area. In one embodiment, the reach distance
is calculated
39
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
as the distance (e.g., the shortest distance) between a protection point of
the first vehicle
system and the intersection area. The protection point can be the front
protection point
(front right FR or front left FL protection points, as described above) that
is closer to the
second vehicle system than the other front protection point. In the example
shown in FIG.
10, the protection point used by the controller of the first vehicle system to
calculate the
LO reach distance is the FR protection point as the second vehicle system is
on the right
side of the first vehicle system.
[00123] The controller of the first vehicle system optionally can
calculate a reach
distance 1006 of the second vehicle system ("RO Reach Distance" in FIG. 10).
The RO
reach distance can be calculated or estimated as the distance (e.g., shortest
distance)
between a protection point of the second vehicle system and the intersection
area. Similar
to the LO reach distance, the RO reach distance can be calculated as the
shortest distance
from the FR or FL protection point of the second vehicle system (e.g., the
closest protection
point to the first vehicle system and the intersection area).
[00124] The controller of the first vehicle system can calculate a
relative reach
distance 1008 for the first vehicle system ("LO Relative Reach Distance" in
FIG. 10). The
relative reach distance for the first vehicle system can represent the
distance that the first
vehicle system will travel before the second vehicle system reaches the
intersection area.
In one embodiment, the relative reach distance can be calculated as a product
of the velocity
of the first vehicle system and a time before the second vehicle system will
reach the
intersection area. The time before the second vehicle system reaches the
intersection area
can be estimated or calculated by the controller as the RO reach distance
divided by the
velocity of the second vehicle system.
[00125] The controller can calculate a clearing distance 1010 of the
second vehicle
system ("LO Clearing Distance" in FIG. 10). The LO clearing distance can
represent the
minimum or threshold distance that the first vehicle system needs to travel
within the time
before the second vehicle system reaches the intersection area to avoid
activating an alarm,
as described herein. The LO clearing distance can be calculated or estimated
as the distance
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
from the leading edge of the first vehicle system (or either of the front
protection points
FR, FL) to a far edge 1012 of the intersection area (e.g., the farthest edge
from the first
vehicle system). Alternatively, the LO clearing distance can be calculated or
estimated as
the distance from the opposite (e.g., trailing) edge of the first vehicle
system to the far edge
1012 of the intersection area.
[00126] The controller can implement or initiate one or more responsive
actions
based on one or more of the distances described above. As one example, if the
first and
second vehicle systems are both headed toward the intersection area such that
the vehicle
systems will both at least partially occupy the intersection area at the same
time, then the
controller can instruct an operator to reduce speed of the first vehicle
system or can
automatically reduce the speed of the first vehicle system. The speed can be
reduced by
reducing throttle and/or engaging brakes of the first vehicle system to
decelerate by an
amount that is based on the current velocity of the first vehicle system, the
LO reach
distance, and a designated gap distance 1014.
[00127] The designated gap distance can be a default value (e.g., a
fraction of the
size or length of the first vehicle system, such as 20% of the length of the
first vehicle
system) or can have a value that changes based on the moving speed of the
first vehicle
system (e.g., the gap distance is 20% of the length of the first vehicle
system while the first
vehicle system is moving slower than a lower threshold speed, 50% of the
length of the
first vehicle system while the first vehicle system is moving faster than the
lower threshold
speed but slower than an intermediate threshold speed, 75% of the length of
the first vehicle
system while the first vehicle system is moving faster than the intermediate
threshold speed
but slower than an upper threshold speed, 100% of the length of the first
vehicle system
while the first vehicle system is moving faster than the upper threshold
speed, and so on).
[00128] The controller can decelerate the first vehicle system at a rate
that is
proportional to a square of the velocity of the first vehicle system and/or
inversely
proportional to a difference between the LO reach distance and the designated
gap. For
example, the rate at which the controller decelerates can be calculated as:
41
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
V2
D =
2(LO reach distance ¨ gap)
where D represents the rate of speed reduction of the first vehicle system
(e.g., the
deceleration of the first vehicle system), v represents the moving speed of
the first vehicle
system toward the intersection area, and gap represents the designated gap.
While the
calculated value of D may be a positive value, the controller may decrease the
speed of the
first vehicle system by rate that is the negative value of D.
[00129] If a difference between the LO reach distance and the designated
gap is
shorter than the designated gap, then the first vehicle system may be too
close to the
intersection area to avoid colliding with the second vehicle system unless an
emergency
action is taken. For example, the controller can automatically stop movement
of the first
vehicle system to prevent a collision with the second vehicle system. But, if
the controller
determines that the LO relative reach distance of the first vehicle system is
longer than the
LO clearing distance, then no action may need to be taken. For example, the
controller can
determine that the first vehicle system will be through and clear of the
intersection area
before the second vehicle system reaches the intersection area such that no
alarm, stoppage,
or other responsive action is needed. Alternatively, the controller may
automatically
activate an alarm when the first and second vehicle systems are headed toward
the
intersection area and, responsive to determining that the LO relative reach
distance of the
first vehicle system is longer than the LO clearing distance, the controller
can deactivate
the alarm and/or prevent automatic slowing or stoppage of the first vehicle
system.
[00130] The projected paths of the vehicle systems in FIG. 10 are
orthogonal (e.g.,
perpendicular) to each other. Alternatively, the projected paths of the
vehicle systems may
not be orthogonal to each other. FIG. 11 illustrates another example where the
projected
paths of the vehicle systems are obliquely angled to each other (e.g., an
angle of approach
of the second vehicle system is acute) and FIG. 12 illustrates an example
where the
projected paths of the vehicle systems are acutely angled to each other (e.g.,
the angle of
approach of the second vehicle system is oblique).
42
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[00131] In the scenario of FIG. 11, the controller may calculate an
allowance
distance x that is used to compensate some of the other distances calculated
by the
controller to determine whether to slow or stop the first vehicle system or
end an alarm.
The allowance distance x can be calculated or estimated as a product between
the RO reach
distance and sin(0), where 0 is an angle of approach of the second vehicle
system. The
angle of approach can be the angle between the heading (e.g., direction of
movement) of
the second vehicle system and the leading edge of the first vehicle system (or
a line that is
parallel to the leading edge of the first vehicle system), as shown in FIG.
11. The controller
can add the allowance distance x to the LO clearing distance that is
calculated as described
above when the angle of approach of the second vehicle system is less than
ninety degrees
(e.g., is an acute angle). As described above, if the LO relative reach
distance is longer than
the LO clearing distance (increased by the allowance distance x), then any
alarm may be
deactivated or turned off, and the controller can allow the first vehicle
system to continue
moving without stopping or slowing down. If the difference between the LO
reach distance
and the designated gap is shorter than the designated gap, then the controller
may
automatically stop movement of the first vehicle system. Otherwise, the
controller can
reduce the speed of the first vehicle system by the deceleration rate D, as
described above.
[00132] In the scenario of FIG. 12, the controller may use the same
distances
described in connection with FIG. 10 to determine whether to slow or stop the
first vehicle
system or end an alarm. For example, if the difference between the LO reach
distance and
the designated gap is shorter than the designated gap, then the first vehicle
system may be
too close to the intersection area to avoid colliding with the second vehicle
system unless
an emergency action is taken. For example, the controller can automatically
stop movement
of the first vehicle system to prevent a collision with the second vehicle
system. But, if the
controller determines that the LO relative reach distance of the first vehicle
system is longer
than the LO clearing distance, then no action may need to be taken. For
example, the
controller can determine that the first vehicle system will be through and
clear of the
intersection area before the second vehicle system reaches the intersection
area such that
no alarm, stoppage, or other responsive action is needed. Alternatively, the
controller may
43
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
automatically activate an alarm when the first and second vehicle systems are
headed
toward the intersection area and, responsive to determining that the LO
relative reach
distance of the first vehicle system is longer than the LO clearing distance,
the controller
can deactivate the alarm and/or prevent automatic slowing or stoppage of the
first vehicle
system.
[00133] FIG. 13 illustrates another embodiment of operation of the
vehicle collision
avoidance system described above. The system can calculate a bubble area 1300
ahead of
a direction of travel of the vehicle system 600 and predict whether the other
vehicle system
602 will be in the bubble area at the same time as the vehicle system 600. For
example, the
controller onboard the local vehicle system 600 can identify the bubble area
as an area that
is ahead of the local vehicle system. If the movement of the remote vehicle
system 602
indicates that the local and remote vehicle systems will both at least
partially occupy the
bubble area at the same time (e.g., concurrently), then the controller can
implement one or
more responsive actions described herein to avoid a collision between the
local and remote
vehicle systems. In the illustrated example, the bubble area is a circular
area but
alternatively may have another shape.
[00134] The controller can determine an intersection point i as the
location where a
direction of travel (or heading) 1302 of the local vehicle system intersects a
direction of
travel (or heading) 1304 of the remote vehicle system. The intersection point
can be
determined by assuming that both the local and remote vehicle systems will
continue
traveling along linear paths to the intersection point. The controller can
identify the location
of the bubble area as being centered at the intersection point, as shown in
FIG. 13. The
controller can determine a size of the bubble area using a designated safe
radius r of the
area. This radius can be a fixed, unchanging value, or can change based on one
or more
characteristics of the vehicle system(s) and/or operational parameters of the
vehicle
system(s).
[00135] With respect to the characteristics of the vehicle systems, the
radius of the
bubble area may increase for larger local and/or remote vehicle systems (e.g.,
wider and/or
44
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
longer vehicle systems) and decrease for smaller local and/or remote vehicle
systems (e.g.,
narrower and/or shorter vehicle systems). The radius of the bubble area may
increase for
heavier local and/or remote vehicle systems and decrease for lighter local
and/or remote
vehicle systems. The radius of the bubble area may increase for local and/or
remote vehicle
systems carrying hazardous cargo (e.g., flammable and/or explosive cargo) and
decrease
for local and/or remote vehicle systems carrying non-hazardous cargo (e.g.,
ore, no cargo,
etc.). Increasing the radius for bigger and/or heavier vehicle systems, and/or
for vehicle
systems carrying hazardous cargo, can reduce the likelihood of collisions
between the
vehicle systems, as collisions between these vehicle systems may be more
likely and/or
dangerous, while avoiding having too large of a bubble area for vehicle
systems that are
less likely to collide and/or present a reduced danger if collision occurs.
[00136] With respect to the operational parameters of the vehicle
systems, the radius
of the bubble area may increase for faster moving speeds of the local and/or
remote vehicle
systems. Increasing the radius for faster moving vehicle systems can reduce
the likelihood
of collisions between the vehicle systems, as collisions between these vehicle
systems may
be more likely and/or dangerous, while avoiding having too large of a bubble
area for
vehicle systems that are moving slower and therefore less likely to collide
and/or present a
reduced danger if collision occurs.
[00137] The controller can calculate the location and size of the bubble
area, and
then examine a current location C and moving speed of the remote vehicle
system. From
this information, the controller can determine a predicted location P of the
remote vehicle
system at a time when the local vehicle system enters or is within the bubble
area. This
time can be referred to as an entry or occupancy time. The controller can
calculate a
predicted location P of the remote vehicle system at this occupancy time. If
this predicted
location is within the bubble area at the occupancy time, then the controller
can initiate one
or more responsive actions described herein.
[00138] For example, the controller can determine how far the remote
vehicle
system is from the edge of the bubble area by subtracting the radius of the
bubble area from
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
the distance from the current location of the remote vehicle system and the
intersection of
the moving paths (or the center of the bubble area). The controller can divide
this distance
by the moving speed of the remote vehicle system to determine when the remote
vehicle
system will reach the edge of the bubble area. The controller can make a
similar calculation
but for the local vehicle system. If the controller determines that both the
local and remote
vehicle systems will be in or enter into the bubble area at the same time,
then the controller
can implement one or more responsive actions (e.g., activate an alarm,
automatically slow
or stop movement of the local vehicle system, etc.). Otherwise, the controller
can allow the
local vehicle system to continue moving without implementing the responsive
action(s).
[00139] FIG. 14 illustrates another embodiment of operation of the
vehicle collision
avoidance system described above. The system is described in connection with
FIGS. 10
through 13 as predicting whether a collision is imminent or likely to occur
when the vehicle
systems are moving along linear paths (or are assumed to be moving along
linear paths).
Additionally or alternatively, the collision avoidance system can determine
whether a
collision is likely to occur or will occur when one or both of the vehicle
systems are moving
along a curved path 1400.
[00140] The controller of the local vehicle system 600 can calculate or
estimate an
angular velocity of the local vehicle system along the curved path. As one
example, the
controller can obtain sampled locations of the local vehicle system from a GPS
receiver.
The controller can calculate headings of the local vehicle system from these
sampled
locations. The angular velocity of the local vehicle system can be calculated
as a rate of
change in these headings (e.g., in terms of degrees per second that the
headings are
changing). The angular velocity that is calculated can then be used by the
controller to
calculate a circumference of a circle along which the curved path extends. For
example,
the circumference of the circle along which the curved path extends can be
calculated by
multiplying the moving speed of the local vehicle system by three hundred
sixty degrees
by the angular velocity of the local vehicle system.
46
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[00141] The controller can then use this circumference of the circle
along which the
curved path extends to determine different zones 1402, 1404, 1406 ahead of the
local
vehicle system. The closest zone 1402 can be referred to as a critical zone, a
farther zone
1404 can be referred to as a warning zone, and a farther zone 1406 can be
referred to as an
alert zone. Each of these zones can extend the same or a different length
along the circle
calculated by the controller. The length of each zone along the circle can be
based on the
speed at which the local vehicle system is moving. For example, the critical
zone may
extend a length along the circle to an end 1408, where the length is a sum of
a designated
stopping distance, the designated gap distance (described above), and a
product of a
designated operator reaction time and the moving speed of the local vehicle
system. The
operator reaction time may be a set or variable time period required for an
operator to
actuate the brakes of the local vehicle system after seeing an object (e.g.,
the remote vehicle
system) ahead of the local vehicle system). The designated stopping distance
may be a set
distance or may be calculated as a distance that the local vehicle system will
continue
moving after the brakes of the local vehicle system have been applied.
Optionally, the
stopping distance can be calculated as the moving speed of the local vehicle
system divided
by a deceleration of the local vehicle system (e.g., the deceleration rate
described above).
[00142] The warning zone can extend from the end of the critical zone
(the end of
the critical zone that is farthest from the local vehicle system) by a length
along the circle
to another end 1410. The length of the warning zone extends from the end 1408
to the end
1410 along the circle, where the length is a product of a designated operator
warning time
and the moving speed of the local vehicle system. The operator warning time
may be a set
or variable time period that is longer than the reaction time. The alert zone
can extend from
the end of the warning zone (the end of the warning zone that is farthest from
the local
vehicle system) by a length along the circle to another end 1412. The length
of the alert
zone from the end 1410 to the end 1412 along the circle, where the length is a
product of a
designated operator alert time and the moving speed of the local vehicle
system. The
operator alert time may be a set or variable time period that is longer than
the warning time.
47
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[00143] Optionally, the controller can determine the zones as different
distances
along the curved path. The distance of the critical zone can extend from the
leading edge
of the local vehicle system and be the sum of the stopping distance, the
designated gap,
and the product of the critical reaction time and the speed of the local
vehicle system. The
distance of the warning distance can extend from the leading edge of the local
vehicle
system and be a sum of the critical zone distance and the product of the
warning reaction
time and the speed of the local vehicle system. The distance of the alert
distance can extend
from the leading edge of the local vehicle system and be a sum of the warning
zone distance
and the product of the alert reaction time and the speed of the local vehicle
system.
[00144] The controller can determine whether the remote vehicle system
is within
one or more of these zones (or will be within one or more of these zones) and
implement
one or more responsive actions. As described above, responsive to determining
that the
remote vehicle system is within (or will be within) the critical zone, the
controller can
automatically stop movement of the local vehicle system. Responsive to
determining that
the remote vehicle system is within (or will be within) the warning zone, the
controller can
activate an alarm and optionally automatically slow movement of the local
vehicle system
(e.g., by the deceleration rate described above). Responsive to determining
that the remote
vehicle system is within (or will be within) the alert zone, the controller
can activate an
alarm to warn the operator (but not automatically slow or stop the local
vehicle system).
[00145] FIG. 15 illustrates a flowchart of one example of a method 1500
for
avoiding collisions between a vehicle system and at least one other object
(such as another
vehicle system). The method can represent operations performed by the
collision avoidance
systems described herein. At 1502, an upcoming intersection area of projected
paths of
vehicle systems is forecasted. For example, an area over which both vehicle
systems will
travel over if the vehicle systems continue moving along current headings of
the vehicle
systems can be determined. At 1504, a reach distance, relative reach distance,
and/or
clearing distance of at least one of the vehicle systems are determined. These
distances can
be calculated for the local vehicle system as described above. At 1506, a gap
distance is
48
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
compared with a difference between the gap distance and the reach distance.
This gap
distance can be a designated distance, such as a stopping distance, of the
local vehicle
system.
[00146] At 1508, if this difference is smaller than the gap distance,
then an
emergency action may need to be taken to avoid a collision between the vehicle
systems.
For example, if the difference is smaller than the gap distance, then this can
indicate that
the local vehicle system is closer to the intersection area than the gap
distance. This can be
too close to avoid collision with the remote vehicle system unless an
emergency action is
taken. As a result, flow of the method can proceed toward 1510. Otherwise, the
local
vehicle system may be farther from the intersection area than the designated
gap distance
and flow of the method can proceed toward 1512.
[00147] At 1510, the local vehicle system may be automatically stopped.
For
example, the controller may engage the brakes of the vehicle system as soon as
possible or
practical to prevent a collision between the local vehicle system and a remote
object (e.g.,
the remote vehicle system). Flow of the method can terminate or return to one
or more
other operations (e.g., 1502).
[00148] At 1512, a decision is made as to whether the relative reach
distance is
longer than the clearing distance. If the relative reach distance is longer
than the clearing
distance, then the local vehicle system will be clear of the intersection area
before the
remote vehicle system reaches the intersection area. As a result, the local
vehicle system
may continue moving without having to implement one or more responsive
actions. Flow
of the method optionally can proceed toward 1516 or may terminate. At 1516,
any alarm
that is currently active can be silenced or otherwise turned off. But, if the
relative reach
distance is not longer than the clearing distance, then the local vehicle
system may not be
through the intersection area before the remote vehicle system reaches the
intersection area.
As a result, flow of the method can proceed toward 1514 from 1512.
49
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
[00149] At 1514, the local vehicle system slows down. The controller can
automatically reduce the speed of the vehicle system at a deceleration rate
described above,
or by another amount. The local vehicle system may be slowed so that the
remote vehicle
system has more time to pass through and clear the intersection area or to
otherwise avoid
a collision between the vehicle systems. Alternatively, the controller can
change the
heading or direction in which the local vehicle system is moving to avoid the
collision.
Flow of the method can terminate or can return to another operation (e.g.,
1502 or 1504).
[00150] FIG. 16 illustrates a flowchart of another example of a method
1600 for
avoiding collisions between a vehicle system and at least one other object
(such as another
vehicle system). The method can represent operations performed by the
collision avoidance
systems described herein. At 1602, a location and size of a bubble area ahead
of a local
vehicle system is determined. The location can be determined by identifying an
intersection
between headings of the local and remote vehicle systems. The size can be a
default size
or can vary based on vehicle characteristics and/or operational parameters, as
described
above.
[00151] At 1604, the location and moving speed of the remote vehicle
system can
be determined. At 1606, a predicted upcoming location of the remote vehicle
system can
be determined. For example, the controller of the local vehicle system can
determine how
far the local vehicle system is from the bubble area and how long it will be
before the local
vehicle system reaches the bubble area based on the moving speed of the local
vehicle
system. The controller can determine how much farther the remote vehicle
system will
move based on this amount of time and how fast the remote vehicle system is
moving. This
determined location of the remote vehicle system can be the predicted upcoming
location.
[00152] At 1608, a decision is made as to whether the predicted upcoming
location
of the remote vehicle system is within the bubble area. If the predicted
upcoming location
is within the bubble area, then this can indicate that a collision between the
vehicle systems
may or will occur unless some responsive action is implemented before the
collision
occurs. As a result, flow of the method can proceed toward 1610. But, if the
predicted
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
upcoming location is not within the bubble area, then this can indicate that a
collision
between the vehicle systems is unlikely to occur or will not occur so long as
the vehicle
systems continue moving in the same directions and at the same speeds. As a
result, flow
of the method can proceed toward 1612.
[00153] At 1610, one or more responsive actions are implemented to
prevent or
avoid the collision. For example, the local vehicle system may automatically
slow or stop,
or may change direction. Flow of the method can then terminate or return to
one or more
other operations (e.g., 1602 or 1604). At 1612, the local vehicle system can
continue
moving toward the bubble area without slowing or stopping. Flow of the method
can then
terminate or return to one or more other operations (e.g., 1602 or 1604).
[00154] FIG. 17 illustrates a flowchart of another example of a method
1700 for
avoiding collisions between a vehicle system and at least one other object
(such as another
vehicle system). The method can represent operations performed by the
collision avoidance
systems described herein. At 1702, an angular velocity of a moving vehicle
system is
determined. The angular velocity can be determined by obtaining samples of
headings of
the vehicle system and calculating the rate of change in the headings. At
1704, a circular
or other curved path is determined based on the angular velocity. The circular
or other
curved path can be determined by calculating a circumference from the angular
velocity,
as described above. At 1706, zones ahead of the vehicle system along the
circular or other
curved path are determined. These zones can include a critical zone closest to
the vehicle
system, an alert zone farthest from the vehicle system, and a warning zone
between the
critical zone and the alert zone. The locations and/or sizes of the zones
(e.g., lengths of the
zones along the circular or curved path) may be determined based on the
stopping distance
of the vehicle system, a designated gap, a reaction time, and a moving speed
of the vehicle
system, as described above.
[00155] At 1708, a decision is made as to whether any other vehicle
system is
located within any of the zones. If another, remote vehicle system is within
one or more of
the zones, then a responsive action may need to be implemented to avoid or
reduce the
51
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
likelihood of a collision between the vehicle systems. As a result, flow of
the method 1700
can proceed toward 1710. Otherwise, flow of the method 1700 can proceed toward
1712.
[00156] At 1710, one or more responsive actions are implemented. For
example,
responsive to determining that the remote vehicle system is within (or will be
within) the
critical zone, movement of the local vehicle system can be automatically
stopped.
Responsive to determining that the remote vehicle system is within (or will be
within) the
warning zone, an alarm can be activated, and movement of the local vehicle
system
optionally can be slowed. Responsive to determining that the remote vehicle
system is
within (or will be within) the alert zone, an alarm can be activated without
automatically
slowing or stopping the local vehicle system). Flow of the method 1700 can
then terminate
or return to another operation (such as 1702, 1704, 1706, or 1708).
[00157] At 1712, movement of the local vehicle system may continue along
the
circular or other curved path. For example, because no other vehicle system is
within any
of the zones, the local vehicle system may continue moving. Flow of the method
1700 can
then terminate or return to another operation (such as 1702, 1704, 1706, or
1708).
[00158] Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to avoiding
collisions between
moving vehicle systems (e.g., local and remote vehicle systems).
Alternatively, the remote
vehicle system may be stationary and/or can represent another object other
than a vehicle.
For example, the remote vehicle system can represent a person or other object
(e.g.,
structure, ice or low adhesion surface, etc.) that the local vehicle system
wants to avoid
colliding with or traveling through.
[00159] In one embodiment, a method includes forecasting an upcoming
intersection area of projected paths of a first vehicle system and a second
vehicle system
based on current movements of the first vehicle system and the second vehicle
system,
calculating a reach distance of the first vehicle system, the reach distance
determined as a
distance from a leading edge of the first vehicle system to the intersection
area, comparing
a difference between the reach distance of the first vehicle system and a
designated gap
52
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
distance with the designated gap distance, and one or more of (a)
automatically reducing a
speed of the first vehicle system responsive to the difference being no
smaller than the
designated gap distance and/or (b) automatically stopping the first vehicle
system
responsive to the difference being smaller than the designated gap distance.
[00160] Optionally, the method also can include calculating a relative
reach distance
of the first vehicle system as a first distance traveled by the first vehicle
system before the
second vehicle system reaches the upcoming intersection area, calculating a
clearing
distance of the first vehicle system as a second distance from the leading
edge of the first
vehicle system to a far edge of the intersection area, comparing the relative
reach distance
of the first vehicle system with the clearing distance of the first vehicle
system, and one or
more of silencing an alarm of the first vehicle system, preventing automatic
slowing of the
first vehicle system, and/or preventing automatic stoppage of the first
vehicle system
responsive to the relative reach distance of the first vehicle system being
longer than the
clearing distance of the first vehicle system.
[00161] The projected paths of the first vehicle system and the second
vehicle
system can be orthogonal to each other. Or projected paths of the first
vehicle system and
the second vehicle system can be obliquely angled or acutely angled to each
other. The
projected paths of the first vehicle system and the second vehicle system can
be linear paths
and/or curved paths.
[00162] The upcoming intersection area can be forecasted by identifying
a circular
area centered at an intersection of the projected paths of the first vehicle
system and the
second vehicle system.
[00163] In another example, a method includes measuring an angular
velocity of a
first vehicle system that is moving, calculating an upcoming curved path of
the first vehicle
system using the angular velocity that is measured, monitoring movement of a
second
vehicle system, determining whether the second vehicle system will be within a
critical
distance along the upcoming curved path, a warning distance along the upcoming
curved
53
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
path, or an alert distance along the upcoming curved path within one or more
designated
periods of time, and one or more of automatically stopping the first vehicle
system
responsive to determining that the second vehicle system will be within the
critical distance
within the one or more designated periods of time, automatically slowing the
first vehicle
system responsive to determining that the second vehicle system will be within
the warning
distance within the one or more designated periods of time, and/or generating
an alert to
an operator of the first vehicle system responsive to determining that the
second vehicle
system will be within the alert distance within the one or more designated
periods of time.
[00164] The movement of the second vehicle system can be ahead of the
first vehicle
system and in a direction oriented away from the first vehicle system. The
method also can
include calculating the critical distance based on a first sum of a stopping
distance of the
first vehicle system, a designated gap distance, and a first product of a
moving speed of the
first vehicle system and a designated reaction time.
[00165] The method also can include calculating the warning distance
based on a
second sum of the critical distance and a second product of the moving speed
of the first
vehicle system and a designated warning time. The method can include
calculating the alert
distance based on a third sum of the warning distance and a third product of
the moving
speed of the first vehicle system and a designated alert time.
[00166] The movement of the second vehicle system can be ahead of the
first vehicle
system and in a direction oriented toward the first vehicle system. The method
optionally
can include calculating the critical distance based on a first sum of a
stopping distance of
the first vehicle system, a designated gap distance, a first product of a
moving speed of the
first vehicle system and a designated reaction time, and a closing distance of
the second
vehicle system.
[00167] The method may include calculating the stopping distance of the
first
vehicle system based on a moving speed of the first vehicle system divided by
a
deceleration of the first vehicle system. The method can include calculating
the closing
54
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
distance of the second vehicle system as a second product of a moving speed of
the second
vehicle system and a stopping time of the first vehicle system.
[00168] The method may include calculating the warning distance based on
a second
sum of the critical distance and a second product of the moving speed of the
first vehicle
system and a designated warning time. The method can include calculating the
alert
distance based on a third sum of the warning distance and a third product of
the moving
speed of the first vehicle system and a designated alert time.
[00169] In another example, a system includes a vehicle controller
configured to be
disposed onboard a first vehicle system and to control movement of the first
vehicle system.
The vehicle controller is configured to forecast an upcoming intersection area
of projected
paths of the first vehicle system and a second vehicle system based on current
movements
of the first vehicle system and the second vehicle system. The vehicle
controller is
configured to calculate a reach distance of the first vehicle system as a
distance from a
leading edge of the first vehicle system to the intersection area. The vehicle
controller is
configured to compare a difference between the reach distance of the first
vehicle system
and a designated gap distance with the designated gap distance. The vehicle
controller is
configured to one or more of (a) automatically reduce a speed of the first
vehicle system
responsive to the difference being no smaller than the designated gap distance
and/or (b)
automatically stop the first vehicle system responsive to the difference being
smaller than
the designated gap distance.
[00170] Optionally, the vehicle controller can be configured to
calculate a relative
reach distance of the first vehicle system as a first distance traveled by the
first vehicle
system before the second vehicle system reaches the upcoming intersection
area. The
vehicle controller can be configured to calculate a clearing distance of the
first vehicle
system as a second distance from the leading edge of the first vehicle system
to a far edge
of the intersection area. The vehicle controller can be configured to compare
the relative
reach distance of the first vehicle system with the clearing distance of the
first vehicle
system and one or more of silence an alarm of the first vehicle system,
prevent automatic
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
slowing of the first vehicle system, and/or prevent automatic stoppage of the
first vehicle
system responsive to the relative reach distance of the first vehicle system
being longer
than the clearing distance of the first vehicle system.
[00171] While embodiments of the invention are suitable for use with
both mobile
and stationary implementations, for ease of explanation a mobile
implementation is
described in detail herein. More specifically, a vehicle has been selected for
clarity of
illustration for the disclosure of mobile embodiments. Other suitable vehicles
include, for
example, automobiles and other on-road vehicles, locomotives, construction
vehicles/equipment, and other off-road vehicles, marine vessels, and
autonomous vehicles
(e.g., driverless automobiles). As used herein, "electrical communication" or
"electrically
coupled" means that certain components are that can communicate with one
another
through direct or indirect signaling by way of direct or indirect electrical
connections. As
used herein, "mechanically coupled" refers to any coupling method capable of
supporting
the necessary forces for transmitting torque between components. As used
herein,
"operatively coupled" refers to a connection, which may be direct or indirect.
The
connection is not necessarily a mechanical attachment.
[00172] As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and
proceeded
with the word "a" or "an" should be understood as not excluding plural of said
elements or
steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to
"one
embodiment" of the present invention are not intended to be interpreted as
excluding the
existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited
features. Moreover,
unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments "comprising,"
"including," or
"having" an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property
may include
additional such elements not having that property.
[00173] This written description uses examples to disclose several
embodiments of
the invention, including the best mode, and to enable one of ordinary skill in
the art to
practice the embodiments of invention, including making and using any devices
or systems
and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention
is defined
56
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to one of ordinary
skill in the art.
Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they
have structural
elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if
they include
equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal
languages of
the claims.
57
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-08-08
