Patent ID: 6799100
Filing Date: 2004-09-28
Classification: G05D,G08G

Abstract:
In a system wherein traffic-control apparatus guides a plurality of autonomous vehicles to move along travel trajectories according to predetermined guidance-control parameters, a method for preventing collisions among the vehicles comprising the steps of:(a) for each travel trajectory and for each vehicle, establishing said guidance-control parameters corresponding to said travel trajectory according to which the vehicle is constrained in its travel over the travel trajectory; (b) establishing a territorial grid of permission zones encompassing segments of said travel trajectories; (c) establishing control protocols associated with each of said permission zones according to which the vehicle is authorized to travel through each of said permission zones; (d) assigning to the vehicle an active permission zone or a sequence of active permission zones corresponding to a segment of travel trajectory that includes the vehicle's current position; (e) guiding the vehicle through said active permission zone or sequence of active permission zones according to the control protocols associated thereto and the guidance-control parameters corresponding to said travel trajectory; and (f) sequentially assigning adjacent active permission zones to the vehicle and guiding the vehicle through said active adjacent permission zones according to the control protocols associated thereto and the guidance-control parameters corresponding to the travel trajectory; wherein no active permission zone is assigned contemporaneously to more than one vehicle.