Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B61—RAILWAYS
  • B61L—GUIDING RAILWAY TRAFFIC; ENSURING THE SAFETY OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC
  • B61L23/00—Control, warning or like safety means along the route or between vehicles or trains
  • B61L23/002—Control or safety means for heart-points and crossings of aerial railways, funicular rack-railway
  • B61L23/005—Automatic control or safety means for points for operator-less railway, e.g. transportation systems
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B61—RAILWAYS
  • B61B—RAILWAY SYSTEMS; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B61B1/00—General arrangement of stations, platforms, or sidings; Railway networks; Rail vehicle marshalling systems
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B61—RAILWAYS
  • B61B—RAILWAY SYSTEMS; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B61B13/00—Other railway systems
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B61—RAILWAYS
  • B61L—GUIDING RAILWAY TRAFFIC; ENSURING THE SAFETY OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC
  • B61L27/00—Central railway traffic control systems; Trackside control; Communication systems specially adapted therefor
  • B61L27/04—Automatic systems, e.g. controlled by train; Change-over to manual control
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B61—RAILWAYS
  • B61L—GUIDING RAILWAY TRAFFIC; ENSURING THE SAFETY OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC
  • B61L2205/00—Communication or navigation systems for railway traffic
  • B61L2205/02—Global system for mobile communication - railways [GSM-R]

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an arrangement as defined in the preamble of claim 1 in an automatic transport sys- tern.
• APM Automatic People Mover
• APM systems have been built primarily for transporting people and their baggage at airports and in their adjacent areas, including hotels these areas contain, as well as for transporting people at amusement parks or other such locales.
• the APM system is suitable as a transport system in industrial estates and hospital areas, or similar areas, as well as for new or re- planned areas in towns and cities where the urban area de- velopment plan can incorporate these types of transport systems before the construction stage.
• APM systems have also been used in some applications to handle mainline traffic, notably the VAL metro in Lille, France, and SkyTrain in Vancouver, Canada.
• a solution to this problem has been vehicles that travel around the same travelway at fixed intervals, in which case the customer travels in a vehicle to the nearest station to his/her destination and continues the journey from there by some other means.
• This kind of system needs a lot of vehicles to achieve adequate capacity because there are always intermittent empty vehicles containing no passengers and, correspondingly, intermittent full vehicles that cannot accommodate more passengers, so consequently the passenger must wait for the next available passenger must wait for the next available vehicle.
• vehicles travel around a single circular, or similar, travelway in one direction. The travelway arrangement is not versatile enough in this type of system.
• Another difficulty is collecting fares, if there are no personnel at stations either. Ticket vending machines must in that case be procured for the stations, and at unmanned sta- tions the machines can be a target for vandalism, etc.
• the object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks and to achieve a practical and efficient arrangement in an automatic transport system that can be utilized as comprehensively as possible.
• the object is to achieve an easily and reliably deliverable method of ordering and paying for a journey by means of a mobile phone or similar device, with which an order and/or payment order can be sent in a public or private network, such as a mobile phone network, or in a public data network such as the Internet.
• the solution of the invention is characterized by what is disclosed in the characterization part of claim 1.
• Other embodiments of the invention are characterized by what is disclosed in the other claims.
• the solution of the invention has the advantage that the arrangement of the invention enables specific ordering of a vehicle to the station at which the passenger is waiting.
• the destination station can be specified when placing the order, in which case the control system for the vehicle knows in advance the movement that the vehicle will need.
• the passenger can ride in the solution of the invention whenever he/she wants, with no timetable and privately.
• a further advantage is that no ticket office or vending ma- chines are needed at stations, so the system as a whole is inexpensive to maintain. Transport costs are also then low, so that people can move from one place to another inexpen- sively.
• the solution of the invention also improves the transport capacity of the system.
• a correctly specified number of vehicles on the travelway at any given time thus enables the vehicle ordered to drive without stopping to the destination station, hence the vehicles travel on the travelway in a similar fashion to taxis. Also, waiting times are eliminated in most cases.
• one or more stops can be ordered when placing the order, if other passengers must be collected along the way.
• another advan- tage is the safe method of operating the service.
• Each vehicle has a function in the operating system that guides the vehicle automatically to the nearest stop or parking area if the vehicle loses contact with the central computer while driving.
• a further advantage is that the passenger can fol- low the progress of the journey via the graphical display of his/her mobile phone.
• Fig. 1 presents a vehicle of the automatic transport system of the invention, viewed from the side of its travelway
• Fig. 2 presents a simplified top view of the travelway arrangement of the automatic transport system of the invention
• Fig. 3 presents diagrammatically the ordering of a vehicle by means of a mobile phone.
• the figures present one vehicle 1, suitable for using on the automatic transport system of the invention, which is on its travelway 2.
• the travelway 2 has one or more travel surfaces equipped with rails or similar, along which the vehicle moves on its wheels.
• the vehicle 1 is equipped with an electric motor and a control system 4, the computer of which is in contact with the central computer ⁇ for the entire trans- port system via a suitable network, such as a public and/or private mobile phone network or the Internet.
• the vehicle contains connection-making means 3 for communication contact.
• each vehicle 1 contains suitable means for receiving, processing and actuating operating instructions issued by the central computer 6 and arriving from a mobile phone network or similar, as well as means for notifying the central computer 6 of the position, status and speed of the vehicle via a mobile phone network or similar.
• the vehicle is suitable for 3-8 passengers, for example, in terms of size.
• Figure 2 presents a diagrammatic and simplified view of one embodiment for the travelway arrangement of the invention.
• one configuration has been divided into three travelway loops 2a, 2b and 2c, and in each of these travelway loops the vehicles only drive in one direction.
• the arrows in the figure indicate that in loop 2a the vehicles 1 drive counterclockwise, in loop 2b clockwise and in loop 2c, once again, counterclockwise.
• the vehicle 1 can switch from one loop to another without disturbing the traffic in the other loop.
• the vehicle can also continue directly along its original loop, if the destina- tion station of the journey is located along that loop.
• the control system 4 of the vehicles in conjunction with the central computer 6 for the transport system, supervises the transfer of a vehicle from one loop to another or the vehicle staying in its original loop.
• the control system also supervises the speed of the vehicles and controls the speed through a speed control system.
• the control system always knows where each vehicle is located and at what speed each vehicle is moving.
• a parking area 5 for the vehicles is presented in loops 2a and 2c, to which vehicles not in service drive themselves to wait.
• Mainte- nance and repair facilities are also located in the parking areas, or in other suitable places. In the parking areas, the vehicles move in one direction of circulation only, in the same way as they do in each travelway loop.
• FIG 3 presents a diagrammatic view of the most important functions associated with ordering a vehicle.
• the customer 9 uses his/her mobile phone 10 as a part of the control system of the transport arrangement.
• the central computer 6 of the system has a wireless connection to the outside world through a transceiver unit 7 and its antenna 8.
• the vehicle 1 has a wireless connection to the outside world through a transceiver unit, which operates as a connection- making means 3 and which is connected to the control system 4 of the vehicle.
• the customer 9 orders, from the central computer 6, a vehicle 1 that is in operation using his/her mobile phone 10.
• the order is transmitted to the central computer through a mobile phone network, whereupon the central computer 6 analyzes the order message and sends the customer the most appropriate vehicle 1.
• the central computer 6 contains means for receiving and processing a customer order arriving through a mobile phone network or similar, as well as means for giving operating instructions to the vehicles 1 through a mobile phone network or similar.
• the central computer 6 and the computer of the control system 4 for the vehicle 1 are in contact with each other through a mobile phone network or similar wireless network, such that the computer of the vehicle 1 re- ports its position, status and speed to the central computer 6 of the system substantially continuously.
• the control system 4 of the vehicle 1 receives position information through position sensors that have been placed in the travelway.
• An order for a journey is sent by mobile phone to the telephone number of the transport provider as a text message, which contains a number code or similar indicating the de- parture station, departure time and destination station. If the customer is already at the station, it is not necessary to specify the desired departure time. In that case, the system assumes that the vehicle is needed as soon as possible.
• the vehicle can also be ordered in advance.
• the order can be placed, for instance, such that the vehicle is ordered to wait at the desired location at the desired time.
• instructions can be given when placing the order for the vehicle to stop at a certain station to collect new passengers.
• the arrangement of the invention also includes the feature that upon receiving the order, the central computer 6 or similar calculates the fare to be collected and the fare is collected through the mobile phone operator in conjunction with placing the order.
• the control system 4 of the vehicles 1 also has safety means, which guide the vehicle to the nearest stop or parking area if a defect occurs in the vehicle or if the vehicle loses contact with the central computer 6.
• safety means which guide the vehicle to the nearest stop or parking area if a defect occurs in the vehicle or if the vehicle loses contact with the central computer 6.
• the vehicles when they are not in use, they go to parking areas 5 to wait, from where they can be put into service quickly.
• the invention is not limited to the embodiment example presented above, but that it may vary within the scope of the claims to be presented below.
• the construction and properties of the vehicles may deviate from those presented above.
• the layout of the travelway and its loops may be different.
• the vehicles can also move in reverse where necessary, for instance during servicing and repair operations.
• the contact does not necessarily have to be made with a mobile phone.
• the order can also be placed through the Internet with a computer or palmtop computer, using a text message, email, hyperlink or other appropriate means of communication.
• Stations can also have an appropriate means of communication, such as a smartcard or bankcard terminal, or similar, to handle the order.
• an order can be placed with pushbuttons or a touchpad, or similar, but payment for other than a season ticket or multiple journey ticket must then be made in a different manner.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Traffic Control Systems (AREA)
• Control Of Position, Course, Altitude, Or Attitude Of Moving Bodies (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=27838823

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Citations (2)

• 2003
  • 2003-08-07 FI FI20031137A patent/FI116518B/fi not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2004
  • 2004-08-06 WO PCT/FI2004/000466 patent/WO2005014362A1/en not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (2)

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