| 摘要 |
A material unit, such as a vehicle for supporting luggage and articles of similar configuration, is guided around a track layout from a check-in station to a remote distribution station by a central computer in communication with an array of local station computers. Mounted on the material unit is a light reflective vehicle identification bar code that is optically read as the unit moves around the track layout. A unit destination code is input to the central computer that also receives the vehicle identification code from the optical reader and compiles a routing sequence that is communicated to selected ones of the local station computers. As the material unit approaches a local station, an optical reader responds to the bar code and an identification signal is transmitted to the local station computer for comparison with the routing sequence. The material unit is either diverted to a selected remote distribution station or allowed to pass to the next local station in accordance with the comparison sequence. Throughout the movement of the material unit around the track layout, the central computer, in conjunction with the local station computers, monitors the material unit for guidance to the selected destination. The central computer also maintains each material unit in an en route routine to insure that the location of each material unit is known at all times and to provide a warning indication when a unit fails to reach its destination and is lost.
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