US 11,842,636 B2
Systems and methods for pacing a mass transit vehicle
Brad Cross, McLeansboro, IL (US); and Nick Freed, Thompsonville, IL (US)
Assigned to STC, Inc., McLeansboro, IL (US)
Filed by STC, Inc., McLeansboro, IL (US)
Filed on Oct. 25, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/509,708.
Application 17/509,708 is a continuation of application No. 16/833,397, filed on Mar. 27, 2020, granted, now 11,170,642.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/825,502, filed on Mar. 28, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0051561 A1, Feb. 17, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G08G 1/087 (2006.01); H04W 4/42 (2018.01); G08G 1/123 (2006.01); G08G 1/082 (2006.01)
CPC G08G 1/087 (2013.01) [G08G 1/082 (2013.01); G08G 1/123 (2013.01); H04W 4/42 (2018.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for assisting in maintaining a vehicle on a fixed schedule, the method comprising:
providing a vehicle having a schedule and a route;
determining a scheduled arrival time for said vehicle to arrive at a specified stop on said route from General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) information; and
comparing an actual time said vehicle arrives at said specified stop to said scheduled arrival time at said specified stop, said comparison determining if a Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) is active and requests priority for said vehicle from a next priority detector unit on said route, or is inactive and does not request priority for said vehicle from said next priority detector unit on said route;
wherein, if said comparison determines said actual time is before said scheduled arrival time by at least a schedule deviation threshold, said VCU is made active.