Patent ID: 6163755
Filing Date: 2000-12-19
Classification: B61L

Abstract:
A system for alerting a controller of a track-led vehicle of the presence of an obstacle in a track of said vehicle, the system comprising:at least one sensor mounted on the vehicle for sensing a field of view of the track in front of the vehicle so as to produce successive sensor signals each representative of a respective successive section of track ahead of the vehicle,an obstacle detection device coupled to the sensor means for processing said successive sensor signals so as to detect therefrom a discontinuity in the track and to produce an obstacle detect signal consequent thereto,an obstacle avoidance device mounted in the vehicle and coupled to the obstacle detection device and being responsive to the obstacle detect signal for producing an obstacle avoidance signal, anda memory containing pre-stored obstacle data indicative of recognizable obstacle characteristics;the obstacle detection device being coupled to the memory for comparing the at least one sensor signal with the pre-stored obstacle data so as to produce the obstacle detect signal consequent to a match.