Information delivery service system, in-train information delivery method, and in-train information display apparatus

• US 8,621,384 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2009
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Nagai, Norie
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US13/055,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20110131522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/733, 715/764, 715/765, 715/781, 701/1, 701/19
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 41/00 Indicators for reserved seats; Warning or like signs; Devices or arrangements in connection with tickets, e.g. ticket holders; Holders for cargo tickets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0045 Destination indicators, identification panels or distinguishing signs on the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/009 On-board display devices
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates

Abstract

To obtain an information delivery service system, an in-train information delivery method, and an in-train information display apparatus that can deliver many pieces of information simultaneously. In an information delivery service system applied to a passenger train to display an image for delivering information to passengers, an in-train information display apparatus that groups a plurality of windows of the passenger train and uses the grouped windows as one display area, and a display information processor that outputs image information to the in-train information display apparatus are provided, thereby displaying an image on a horizontally long and large screen.

Claims

1. An information delivery service system that is applied to a passenger train and displays an image for delivering information to passengers, the system comprising:

an in-train information display apparatus that groups a plurality of windows of the passenger train and uses the grouped windows as one display area; and

a display information processor that outputs image information to the in-train information display apparatus,

wherein the display information processor outputs information of a next-station-yard guidance image, which is guidance image information of a station yard where the train arrives, as the image information, and

the display information processor includes;

a vehicle-information monitoring device that detects a current traveling position of a train and outputs train'"'"'s current-position information; and

an image-information storing/reproducing unit that specifies an arrival platform for the train in the next station, a side of a vehicle that faces the platform, and stop positions of respective vehicles forming the train on the platform based on a lead-vehicle identifying signal output from an operation control panel and arrival platform information of the next station,

stores content image information including a plurality of content image files, which are in level of parts, the parts being respectively corresponding to facility information of a station platform, guidance information of a station yard, and stop position information of vehicles, and

next-station-yard guidance information including content display-position information of the content image file in stations present in a train operation route, and information of a next-station-yard guidance-display starting point corresponding to the content display-position information,

compares the train'"'"'s current-position information with the information of the next-station-yard guidance-display starting point, and

when the train'"'"'s current-position information matches the information of the next-station-yard guidance-display starting point, extracts a necessary content image file from the content image information based on the content display-position information, to generate and reproduce next-station-yard guidance image information.

2. The information delivery service system according to claim 1, wherein

the content display-position information includes a plurality of pieces of vehicle content display-position information being different for each vehicle of a train, and

the image-information storing/reproducing unit generates the next-station-yard guidance image information for each vehicle based on the vehicle content display-position information.

3. The information delivery service system according to claim 2, wherein

the content image information includes a plurality of common content-image files common to all vehicles of a train and a plurality of vehicle content-image files being different for each vehicle, and

the image-information storing/reproducing unit generates the next-station-yard guidance image information for each vehicle by superposing an image formed of the vehicle content-image file on an image formed of the common content-image file.

4. An in-train information display apparatus applied to the information delivery service system according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of windows of the passenger train are grouped and used as one display area.

5. An in-train information display apparatus applied to the information delivery service system according to claim 3, wherein a horizontally long wall surface of a vehicle body above windows of the passenger train is used as a part of the one display area.

6. An in-train information display apparatus applied to the information delivery service system according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of windows of the passenger train are grouped and used as one display area.

7. An in-train information display apparatus applied to the information delivery service system according to claim 2, wherein a horizontally long wall surface of a vehicle body above windows of the passenger train is used as a part of the one display area.

8. An in-train information display apparatus applied to the information delivery service system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of windows of the passenger train are grouped and used as one display area.

9. An in-train information display apparatus applied to the information delivery service system according to claim 1, wherein a horizontally long wall surface of a vehicle body above windows of the passenger train is used as a part of the one display area.

10. An in-train information delivery method using a display apparatus that groups a plurality of windows of a passenger train and uses the grouped windows as one display area or using a display apparatus that uses a horizontally long wall surface of a vehicle body above windows as one display area, and comprising a display information outputting step of outputting information of station platform where a train arrives to the display apparatus, wherein

the display information outputting step includes:

a vehicle-information monitoring step of detecting a current traveling position of a train and outputting train'"'"'s current-position information;

a specifying step of specifying an arrival platform for the train in the next station, a side of a vehicle that faces the platform, and stop positions of respective vehicles forming the train on the platform, based on a lead-vehicle identifying signal output from an operation control panel and arrival platform information of the next station;

an image information storing step of storing

content image information including a plurality of content image files, which are in level of parts, the parts being respectively corresponding to facility information of a station platform, guidance information of a station yard, and stop position information of a vehicle, and

next-station-yard guidance information including content display-position information of the content image file in stations present in a train operation route, and information of a next-station-yard guidance-display starting point corresponding to the content display-position information; and

an image information reproducing step of comparing the train'"'"'s current-position information with the information of the next-station-yard guidance-display starting point, and when the train'"'"'s current-position information matches the information of the next-station-yard guidance-display starting point, extracting a necessary content image file from the content image information based on the content display-position information, and generating and reproducing next-station-yard guidance image information.