Transit information display system

• US 6,636,160 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trapeze Its USA LLC
• Original Assignee: Siemens Transportation Systems, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Brei, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US09/884,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20020071414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 360/994, 701/200, 345/123, 345/568, 345/589, 345/649, 345/660, 345/744, 345/647, 345/619, 345/581, 345/684
• US Class Current: 340/994
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09 Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions railroad crossing signals B61L; reflectors E01F, G08B; indicating arrangements for variable information by selection or combination of individual elements G09F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/302 characterised by the form or geometrical disposition of the individual elements

Abstract

A time division multiple access (TDMA) based transit information display communications system having an information display is disclosed. The information display includes an electronic display area, a microcontroller supported by the information display and coupled to the display, a radio frequency receiver coupled to the microcontroller, a memory coupled to the microcontroller, and a program running on the microcontroller, the program being stored in the memory, the program being configured to display data on the display according to configuration data including an information display identification (ID) and the number of lines in the display.

Claims

1. A time division multiple access (TDMA) based transit information display communications system having an information display, the information display comprising:

an electronic display area;

a microcontroller supported by the information display and coupled to the display;

a radio frequency receiver coupled to the microcontroller;

a memory coupled to the microcontroller; and

a program running on the microcontroller, the program being stored in the memory, the program being configured to display data on the display according to configuration data including an information display identification (ID) and the number of lines in the display.

2. The information display of claim 1, wherein the data is displayed according to a color control parameter.

3. The information display of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the memory is a flash memory.

4. The information display of claim 3, wherein the configuration data is stored in the flash memory.

5. The information display of claim 1, wherein the configuration data includes slot time data.

6. The information display of claim 1, wherein the configuration data includes sign type data.

7. The information display of claim 1, wherein the configuration data includes radio frequency receiver frequency data.

8. The information display of claim 1, further comprising:

an input output port coupled to the microcontroller, the input output port configured to be used to enable the modification of the configuration data.

9. The information display of claim 8, wherein the input output port is an infrared port.

10. A transit information system, comprising:

a central controller;

a radio frequency transmitter in communication with the central controller;

a transit information display including,

a radio frequency receiver,

a microcontroller,

a memory coupled to the microcontroller, and

a program stored in the memory and accessing configuration data, the configuration data including an information display identification (ID) and the number of lines in the display.

11. The transit information system of claim 10, wherein the transit information display is a bus system information display.

12. The transit information system of claim 10, wherein the transit information display is a train system information display.

13. The transit information system of claim 10, wherein the data is displayed according to a color control parameter.

14. The transit information system of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the memory is a flash memory.

15. The transit information system of claim 14, wherein the configuration data is stored in the flash memory.

16. The transit information system of claim 10, wherein the configuration data includes slot time data.

17. The transit information system of claim 10, wherein the configuration data includes sign type data.

18. The transit information system of claim 10, wherein the configuration data includes radio frequency receiver frequency data.

19. The transit information system of claim 10, further comprising:

an input output port coupled to the microcontroller, the input output port configured to be used to enable the modification of the configuration data.

20. The transit information system of claim 19, wherein the input output port is an infrared port.

21. A transit information system, comprising:

a central controller;

a radio frequency transmitter in communication with the central controller;

a transit information display including,

a radio frequency receiver,

a microcontroller,

a memory coupled to the microcontroller, and

a program stored in the memory and accessing configuration data, the configuration data including an information display identification (ID) and the number of lines in the display, the configuration data being modifiable without requiring recompiling of the program.

22. The transit information system of claim 21, wherein the transit information display is a bus system information display.

23. The transit information system of claim 21, wherein the transit information display is a train system information display.

24. The transit information system of claim 21, wherein the data is displayed according to a color control parameter.

25. The transit information system of claim 21, wherein at least a portion of the memory is a flash memory.

26. The transit information system of claim 25, wherein the configuration data is stored in the flash memory.

27. The transit information system of claim 21, wherein the configuration data includes slot time data.

28. The transit information system of claim 21, wherein the configuration data includes sign type data.

29. The transit information system of claim 21, wherein the configuration data includes radio frequency receiver frequency data.

30. The transit information system of claim 21, further comprising:

an input output port coupled to the microcontroller, the input output port configured to be used to enable the modification of the configuration data.

31. The transit information system of claim 30, wherein the input output port is an infrared port.