Patent ID: 8067933
Filing Date: 2011-11-29
Classification: B61L

Abstract:
1. A system for locating a vehicle tied to a guideway, comprising: a plurality of reference markers disposed on the guideway at a given spacing distance along the guideway; a scanning device mounted to the vehicle and generating an output signal when said scanning device passes a reference marker as the vehicle travels along the guideway; said scanning device having a plurality of individual sensors and extending in a direction of travel with an average scanning length, the average scanning length being equal to or greater than the given spacing distance between mutually adjacent said reference markers; said individual sensors disposed next to one another being configured to generate output signals with mutually different signs as said individual sensors travel over a reference marker; said individual sensors being disposed in two rows of sensors next to one another and extend in the direction of travel; said two rows of sensors being disposed with an offset relative to one another in the direction of travel; said offset being equal to half a dimension of said reference markers in the direction of travel; and said scanning device being configured to continuously read said plurality of reference markers located along the guideway.