Patent ID: 7303169

Claim:
A rail guided vehicle system comprising: a plurality of rail guided vehicles, are each provided with means for recognizing a current position and means for communication with a system controller, and a running area for said plurality of rail guided vehicles, divided into a plurality of areas, wherein the system controller transmits a running instruction to each of the plurality of rail guided vehicles in accordance with the current positions and state of other rail guided vehicles, wherein the plurality of rail guided vehicles are each provided with means for intercepting communication between each of the other rail guided vehicles, and wherein when a jamming or deadlock is imminent, one rail guided vehicle from among the plurality of rail guided vehicles can control its own running on the basis of the position of other running vehicles, without waiting for said running instruction from said system controller, and wherein each of said plurality of areas is provided with an area controller which communicates with said plurality of rail guided vehicles and said system controller.