Video information delivery and display system and video information delivery and display method

• US 9,227,640 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2009
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Chihira, Masahito, Oki, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga X
• Application Number:
  US13/508,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20120224103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,245 Days
• Field of Search: 701 19- 20, 348/563, 348/E5.099
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0036 Conductor-based, e.g. using CAN-Bus, train-line or optical fibres
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a video information delivery and display system including display devices respectively mounted on cars of a train and including display units configured to display a guidance screen, a part-content storing unit configured to store a part content, which is a content at a part level, used for formation of the guidance screen, and a guidance-screen creating unit configured to select, according to a guidance content displayed on the guidance screen, based on train information, the part content used for the formation of the guidance screen from the part-content storing unit, arrange the selected part content on the guidance screen according to part arrangement definition data, and cause the part content to act according to part action definition data to thereby cause the display units to display the guidance content.

Claims

1. A video information delivery and display system comprising:

train information devices respectively mounted on cars, which form a train, and configured to manage train information in association with one another;

display devices respectively mounted on the cars and including display units configured to display a guidance screen;

a part-content storing unit configured to store a plurality of part contents, each of the part contents is a content at a part level, used for formation of the guidance screen;

a part-arrangement-definition-data storing unit configured to store part arrangement definition data for defining arrangement of the part content on the guidance screen relative to other contents on the guidance screen;

a part-action-definition-data storing unit configured to store part action definition data for individually defining an action of the part content itself on the guidance screen; and

a screen creating unit configured to select;

according to a guidance content displayed on the guidance screen, based on a train state which has been determine based on the train information obtained from the train information devices, one of the part contents used for the formation of the guidance screen from the part-content storing unit, arrange the selected part content on the guidance screen according to the part arrangement definition data, sequentially create, for each of a plurality of continuous frames in time series obtained by changing little by little the arranged part content on the guidance screen according to the part action definition data, image files serving as sources of creating the frames, display the frames based on the image files on the display units in time series, and erase the image files from a memory after the display.

2. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 1, wherein a number of frames created by the screen creating unit in one second is set to a number for making the display in time series of the guidance content on the display units smooth.

4. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 1, wherein the action of the part content includes at least one of a moving action, a rotating action, an expanding or reducing action, an appearing or disappearing action, and a change in a color.

5. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 1, wherein the screen creating unit creates, based on initial arrangement information on the guidance screen of the part content obtained from the part arrangement definition data and initial information of the action of the part content obtained from the part action definition data, a first frame using the part content and creates frames after the first frame formed by causing the part content to act little by little on the guidance screen according to the part action definition data.

6. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 5, wherein the guidance-screen creating unit includes:

a screen-creation-instruction-file generating unit configured to generate a plurality of screen creation instruction files in which creation instruction contents of the frames included in the guidance content are respectively described; and

an image-file generating unit configured to generate the frames based on the screen creation instruction files.

7. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of screen creation instruction files include an initial file in which a creation instruction content necessary for creation of the first frame, which is an initial screen of the guidance content, is described and difference files respectively generated for the remaining frames excluding the first frame, creation instruction contents of the difference files being difference display contents between the frames and frames immediately prior to the frames.

8. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 7, wherein the screen-creation-instruction-file generating unit determines, according to the guidance content, based on the train information, the part content used for the formation of the guidance screen from the part-content storing unit, generates the initial file for creating the first frame by acquiring initial arrangement information on the guidance screen of the part content referring to the part arrangement definition data and acquiring initial information of the action of the part content referring to the part action definition data, and creates the difference file referring to the part action definition data.

9. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 7, wherein the image-file creating unit determines whether display of the guidance content is display of the first frame, when the display of the guidance content is the display of the first frame as a result of the determination, after selecting, based on the initial file, the part content used for the formation of the guidance screen from the part-content storing unit and generating an image file, outputs an image based on the generated image file to the display units as the first frame, and, when the display of the guidance content is display of a frame after the first frame as a result of the determination, after generating an image file corresponding to the display target frame using data obtained by reflecting a content of the difference file for creating the display target frame on data used for creation of a frame immediately prior to the display target frame, outputs an image based on the generated image file to the display units as the display target frame.

10. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 6, wherein, after storing an image generated from the image file in frame buffers of the display devices, the image-file generating unit erases the image file.

11. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 10, wherein

the frame buffers have a capacity for storing a plurality of the guidance contents, and

in the frame buffers, the image group concerning at least the guidance content scheduled to be displayed next is stored in addition to the image group concerning the guidance content currently displayed.

12. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 6, wherein image file generation processing by the image-file generating unit concerning the guidance content currently displayed and image creation instruction file generation processing by the screen-creation-instruction-file generating unit concerning the guidance content scheduled to be displayed next are performed in parallel.

13. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 6, wherein the screen-creation-instruction-file generating unit generates the screen creation instruction file for each of a plurality of display areas obtained by dividing the guidance screen.

14. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 6, wherein the screen-creation-instruction-file generating unit determines a train state based on the train information and determines, according to the train state, the guidance content displayed by the display units.

15. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 14, wherein the train state is classified into states including a state during a stop at a station, a state during traveling, and a state during approach to a next station.

16. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 15, wherein, when the guidance content is displayed in any one of the train states of the train, image file generation processing by the image-file generating unit concerning the guidance content scheduled to be displayed next to the guidance content currently displayed and image file generation processing by the image-file generating unit concerning the guidance content scheduled to be displayed in the train state scheduled next to the train state are performed in parallel.

17. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 1, wherein, when temporary information is provided from an outside of the train, the guidance-screen creating unit creates a part content obtained by processing a content of the provided temporary information into a character drawing and causes the display unit to display the created part content together with the guidance content according to the part arrangement definition data and the part action definition data.

18. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 1, wherein, when temporary information is input via a predetermined input unit on the train, the guidance-screen creating unit creates a part content obtained by processing a content of the input temporary information into a character drawing and causes the display units to display the created part content together with the guidance content according to the part arrangement definition data and the part action definition data.

19. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 1, wherein the action defined by the part action definition data includes any one of a translating action, a rotating action, an expanding or reducing action, an appearing or disappearing action, and a change in a color or an arbitrary combination of these actions.

20. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 19, wherein, in an action of continuous display switching from an action start state in which only a first part content selected from the part-content storing unit is displayed to an action end state in which only a second part content selected from the part-content storing unit is displayed in a rectangular area on the guidance screen,

an action of the first part content is an action for reducing, while fixing one end in a display section of the first part content, which is one end of the display section in a first direction on the guidance screen, in the first direction, the display section in the first direction at first reducing speed to reduce width in the first direction to zero and reducing the display area in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction such that reducing speed of the display section in the second direction increases at a fixed rate from zero to second reducing speed from other end of the display section toward one end of the display section,

an action of the second part content is an action for reducing, in time reversal of the action from an action end time to an action start time, while fixing one end in the first direction of a display section of the second part content in the first direction, the display section in the first direction at the first reducing speed to reduce width in the first direction to zero and reducing the display area in the second direction such that reducing speed of the display section in the second direction increases at the fixed rate from zero to the second reducing speed from other end of the display section toward one end of the display section, and

the other end in the display section of the first part content and the other end in the display section of the second part content face each other.

21. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 1, wherein the part content stored in the part-content storing unit is delivered from a video information delivery device mounted on the train and connected to the train information devices.

22. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 1, wherein the guidance-screen creating unit, the part-content storing unit, the part-arrangement-definition-data storing unit, and the part-action-definition-data storing unit are provided in the display devices.

23. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 1, wherein

the video information delivery device is connected to diverting devices respectively mounted on the cars,

the diverting devices are connected to the display devices of the cars on which the diverting devices are mounted, and

the guidance-screen creating unit, the part-content storing unit, the part-arrangement-definition-data storing unit, and the part-action-definition-data storing unit are provided in the diverting devices.

24. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 1, wherein, in the part-content storing unit, the part content is stored as vector data.

26. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 1, wherein

the screen creating unit arranges, according to the part arrangement definition data and the part action definition data, while reducing and displaying, in the guidance screen, the entire guidance content with respect to the guidance content currently displayed on the guidance screen, a part content different from the part content forming the guidance content in a margin section formed in the guidance screen by the reduction of the entire guidance content and incorporates the part content arranged in the margin section into the margin section to display the part component.

27. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 26, wherein

the part content is a still image, and

the screen creating unit creates the continuous frames in time series by causing the part content arranged on the guidance screen to act on the guidance screen according to the part action definition data.

29. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 26, wherein the screen creating unit creates a part content obtained by processing a content of temporary information input from an outside of the train or on the train into a character drawing, arranges the created part content in the margin section, and moves the part content.

3. A video information delivery and display system comprising:

train information devices respectively mounted on cars, which form a train, and configured to manage train information in association with one another;

display devices respectively mounted on the cars and including display units configured to display a guidance screen;

a part-content storing unit configured to store a plurality of part contents, each of the part contents is a content at a part level, used for formation of the guidance screen

a part-arrangement-definition-data storing unit configured to store part arrangement definition data for defining arrangement of the part content on the guidance screen relative to other contents on the guidance screen;

a part-action-definition-data storing unit configured to store part action definition data for individually defining an action of the part content itself on the guidance screen; and

a screen creating unit configured to;

select, according to a guidance content displayed on the guidance screen, based on a train state which has been determined based on the train information obtained from the train information devices, one of the part contents used for the formation of the guidance screen from the part-content storing unit, arrange the selected part content on the guidance screen according to the part arrangement definition data, sequentially create, for each of a plurality of frames continuous in time series obtained by changing little by little the arranged part content on the guidance screen according to the part action definition data, image files serving as sources of creating the frames, and display the frames based on the image files on the display units in time series, and erase the image files from a memory after the display.

28. The video information delivery and display system according to claim 3, wherein

the screen creating unit arranges, according to the part arrangement definition data and the part action definition data, while reducing and displaying, in the guidance screen, the entire guidance content with respect to the guidance content currently displayed on the guidance screen, a part content different from the part content forming the guidance content in a margin section formed in the guidance screen by the reduction of the entire guidance content and incorporates the part content arranged in the margin section into the margin section to display the part component and erases the image files after the display.

25. A video information delivery and display method for, in a train including:

train information devices respectively mounted on cars, which form a train, and configured to manage train information in association with one another;

display devices respectively mounted on the cars and including display units configured to display a guidance screen;

a part-content storing unit configured to store a plurality of part contents, each of the part contents is a content at a part level, used for formation of the guidance screen;

a part-arrangement-definition-data storing unit configured to store part arrangement definition data for defining arrangement of the part content on the guidance screen relative to other contents on the guidance screen; and

a part-action-definition-data storing unit configured to store part action definition data for individually defining an action of the part content itself on the guidance screen, delivering video information and causing the display devices to display the video information, the video information delivery and display method comprising;

acquiring the train information from the train information devices;

selecting, according to a guidance content displayed on the guidance screen, based on a train state which has been determined based on the train information, one of the part contents used for the formation of the guidance screen from the part-content storing unit; and

arranging the selected part content on the guidance screen according to the part arrangement definition data, sequentially creating, for each of a plurality of continuous frames in time series obtained by changing little by little the arranged part content on the guidance screen according to the part action definition data, image files serving as sources of creating the frames, displaying the frames based on the image files on the display units in time series, and erasing the image files from a memory after the display.