Guideway-guided vehicle detection based on RFID system

1. An apparatus for detecting the information about a guideway-guided vehicle having a masking component, the guideway-guided vehicle configured to follow a path of a guideway, comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) system comprising:

a first RFID transponder for transmitting, across the path, first RFID transponder specific information;

an RFID reader having a first antenna for receiving the first RFID transponder specific information; and

wherein the first RFID transponder and the first antenna are fixed relative to the path and on opposite sides of the path;

wherein the RFID reader is configured to continuously monitor the first transponder specific information; and

wherein the presence of the masking component of the guideway-guided vehicle between the first RFID transponder and the first antenna masks the continuous monitoring of the first RFID transponder specific information;

a second RFID transponder for transmitting, across the path, second RFID transponder specific information; and

a second antenna for receiving the second RFID transponder specific information; and

wherein the second RFID transponder and the second antenna are fixed relative to the path and on opposite sides of the path;

wherein the RFID reader is configured to continuously monitor the second transponder specific information from the second RFID transponder; and

wherein the presence of the masking component of the guideway-guided vehicle between the second RFID transponder and the second antenna masks the continuous monitoring of the second RFID transponder specific information;

wherein the first RFID transponder is separated from the second RFID transponder by a distance, along or parallel to the path, such that the presence of the masking component of the guideway-guided vehicle between the first RFID transponder and the first antenna sufficient to mask the continuous monitoring of the first RFID transponder specific information does not occur at the same time of masking the continuous monitoring of the second RFID transponder specific information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first RFID transponder is separated from the second RFID transponder by a distance, along or parallel to the path, of at least 1 meter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the RFID system further comprises a RF switch configured to alternate monitoring between the first transponder specific information via the first antenna and the second transponder specific information via the second antenna.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the RFID system is configured to determine the direction of travel of the guideway-guided vehicle based on the order in which (a) the continuous monitoring of the first RFID transponder specific information is masked and (b) the continuous monitoring of the second RFID transponder specific information is masked.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the RFID system is configured to determine the system status based on (a) the continuous monitoring of the first RFID transponder specific information and (b) the continuous monitoring of the second RFID transponder specific information.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the RFID system is configured to determine the time when a guideway-guided vehicle traverses between the first RFID transponder and the first antenna.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the RFID system is configured to determine the number of guideway-guided vehicles traversing between the first RFID transponder and the first antenna.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the RFID system is configured to determine the time when two or more guideway-guided vehicles traverse between the first RFID transponder and the first antenna.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the RFID system is configured to receive mounted RFID transponder specific information from a guideway-guided vehicle having a mounted RFID transponder for transmitting the mounted RFID transponder specific information.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the RFID system is configured to communicate information with a processor.

11. A method of detecting information about a guideway-guided vehicle having a masking component, the guideway-guided vehicle configured to follow a path of a guideway, the method comprising:

continuously monitoring, with a first antenna connected to or in communication with a first RFID reader, first transponder specific information transmitted from a first RFID transponder;

wherein the presence of the masking component of the guideway-guided vehicle between the first RFID transponder and the first antenna masks the continuous monitoring of the first RFID transponder specific information; and

wherein the first RFID transponder and the first antenna are fixed relative to the path and on opposite sides of the path;

continuously monitoring, with a second antenna connected to or in communication with an RFID reader, second transponder specific information transmitted from a second RFID transponder;

wherein the presence of the masking component of the guideway-guided vehicle between the second RFID transponder and the second antenna masks the continuous monitoring of the second RFID transponder specific information; and

wherein the second RFID transponder and the second antenna are fixed relative to the path and on opposite sides of the path

wherein the first RFID transponder is separated from the second RFID transponder by a distance, along or parallel to the path, such that the presence of the masking component of the guideway-guided vehicle between the first RFID transponder and the first antenna sufficient to mask the continuous monitoring of the first RFID transponder specific information does not occur at the same time of masking the continuous monitoring of the second RFID transponder specific information.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein continuous and alternating monitoring of the first RFID transponder specific information alternates with the continuous monitoring the second RFID transponder specific information allowing for the detection of failures of the system.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining the direction of travel of the guideway-guided vehicle based on the order in time in which (a) the continuous monitoring of the first RFID transponder specific information is masked and (b) the continuous monitoring of the second RFID transponder specific information is masked.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining the system status based on the time in which (a) the continuous monitoring of the first RFID transponder specific information is masked and the time in which (b) the continuous monitoring of the second RFID transponder specific information is masked.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising monitoring, with the antenna connected to or in communication with the first RFID reader, mounted RFID transponder specific information from a guideway-guided vehicle having a mounted RFID transponder.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising communicating the information to a processor.

17. A method of making an apparatus for detecting the information about a guideway-guided vehicle having a masking component, the guideway-guided vehicle configured to follow a path of a guideway, comprising:

fixing a first RFID transponder and a first antenna relative to the path and on opposite sides of the path;

wherein the first RFID transponder is for transmitting, across the path, first RFID transponder specific information;

wherein the first antenna is for receiving the first RFID transponder specific information;

wherein the first antenna is connect to a first RFID reader which is configured to continuously monitor the first transponder specific information; and

wherein the presence of the masking component of the guideway-guided vehicle between the first RFID transponder and the first antenna masks the continuous monitoring of the first RFID transponder specific information;

fixing a second RFID transponder and a second antenna relative to the path and on opposite sides of the path;

wherein the second RFID transponder is for transmitting, across the path, second RFID transponder specific information;

wherein the second antenna is for receiving the second RFID transponder specific information;

wherein the second antenna is connect to a second RFID reader which is configured to continuously monitor the second transponder specific information; and

wherein the presence of the masking component of the guideway-guided vehicle between the second RFID transponder and the second antenna masks the continuous monitoring of the second RFID transponder specific information;

wherein the first RFID transponder is separated from the second RFID transponder by a distance, along or parallel to the path, such that the presence of the masking component of the guideway-guided vehicle between the first RFID transponder and the first antenna sufficient to mask the continuous monitoring of the first RFID transponder specific information does not occur at the same time of masking the continuous monitoring of the second RFID transponder specific information.