JP2001077774A - Data distribution system and intra-train information providing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data distribution system that can perform efficient data distribution, and the intra-train information providing system which can provide real time information in a train. SOLUTION: Distribution data are normally multi-address distributed to each vehicle data repeater 28 from a train data server 24. In the vehicle data repeater 28, the distribution data specified by a data distribution demand from a portable information terminal 30 are extracted out of the normally distributed data and returned to the portable information terminal 30. Also, the train data server 24 obtains the real time sound data for last ten minute at each station, and the semi-real time sound data which are obtained by connecting the data are transmitted to the vehicle data repeater 28. Then, disk jockey sound is FM broadcast in a train 20 on the basis of the data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a data distribution system and a train information providing system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, information display in trains has not been performed much, and the name of the next stop station is displayed above the door, and text information such as news is provided on a liquid crystal display. Or just to stay. In the latter case, some information is optically transmitted from the station to the train at the terminal station, and the information is displayed on a liquid crystal display mounted near the doors for getting on and off. In this way, even in a train, certain information can be provided to passengers, and the passengers can effectively use the boarding time.

[0003]

However, in the prior art, there is a problem that information is provided only in a limited place in the train, and information cannot be provided to many people in the train. Further, in the related art, there is a problem that only predetermined information is provided uniformly, and it is not possible to provide information according to a request of each passenger.

[0004] In this regard, if a passenger carries an information terminal and information is individually provided from the train to each portable terminal, such a problem can be solved. However, in such a case, an efficient data distribution system that can reliably provide information to many passengers who want to provide information even during rush hour or other congestion is required.

In the prior art, although non-real-time information obtained at a terminal station or the like can be presented to passengers, it is not possible to provide real-time information such as voice and moving images generated outside the train inside the train. could not.
For this reason, it is not possible to provide fresh information to passengers, and to improve the attractiveness of this kind of on-train information provision system, new information provision that enables real-time information such as voice to be performed in the train A system was desired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a first object of the present invention is to provide a data distribution system suitable for a train information providing system and capable of performing efficient data distribution. It is in. A second object is to provide an in-train information providing system capable of providing real-time information in a train.

[0007]

(1) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a data distribution system according to the present invention includes a data server and a plurality of data relay devices, and transmits data to an information terminal. A data distribution system for performing distribution, wherein the data server stores distribution data storage means for storing a distribution data group, and broadcasts constant distribution data included in the distribution data group to the plurality of data relay devices. A plurality of data relay devices, wherein the plurality of data relay devices each receive a data distribution request from the information terminal, and a distribution data designated by the data distribution request. Distribution data acquisition means for acquiring from the constant distribution data distributed by the distribution means, and distribution data acquired by the distribution data acquisition means. Characterized in that it comprises a and a delivery data transmission unit to be transmitted to the serial data terminal.

[0008] According to the present invention, the data server constantly broadcasts distribution data to a plurality of data relay devices.
Then, the data relay device acquires the distribution data requested to be distributed by the information terminal from the constantly distributed data broadcast from the data server, and returns the data to the information terminal. That is, the data server constantly distributes the distribution data to the plurality of data relay devices, and the data relay device performs on-demand transmission of the distribution data to the information terminal using the constant distribution data. In this way, all the requests from the information terminal can be delivered to the information terminal without requesting the data relay device to the data server, so that the necessary data can be quickly transmitted to the information terminal while efficiently using the communication resources. This makes it possible to obtain an efficient data distribution system that can be acquired and is also suitable for an in-train information provision system.

In one aspect of the present invention, each of the plurality of data relay devices includes distribution data specified by the data distribution request in the constant distribution data distributed by the broadcast distribution means. If it is determined that the data distribution request further includes a data special distribution request transmission unit that transmits a data special distribution request corresponding to the data distribution request to the data server, and the data server receives the data special distribution request, The distribution data specified by the data special distribution request is obtained from the on-demand distribution data included in the distribution data group stored by the distribution data storage unit, and the distribution data is transmitted at least by the data special distribution request. An on-demand distribution unit for transmitting to the data relay device is further included.

In this aspect, when it is determined that the distribution data for which the data distribution request is made from the information terminal is not always included in the distribution data, the data relay device issues a data special distribution request to the data server. The data server acquires the distribution data specified by the data special distribution request from the on-demand distribution data, and returns it to the data relay device. As described above, the distribution data group includes the constant distribution data and the on-demand distribution data, and the on-demand distribution data is distributed after waiting for the data special distribution request from the data relay device. Communication traffic with the data relay device can be reduced.

[0011] In this case, the distribution data acquisition means included in each of the plurality of data relay devices may be configured to, for example, transmit the distribution data specified by the data distribution request to the constant distribution data or the constant distribution data distributed by the constant distribution means. What is necessary is just to acquire from the distribution data transmitted by the said on-demand distribution means. This allows the information terminal to reliably acquire distribution data corresponding to the data distribution request.

(2) A data distribution system according to the present invention is a data distribution system including a data server and a plurality of data receiving devices communicatively connected to the data server via a network. Includes data distribution means for transmitting distribution data for which a data distribution request has been made from the data receiving device to the network, and the plurality of data receiving devices each receive a current data distribution request to the data server. Requested distribution data list obtaining means for obtaining a requested distribution data list for specifying distribution data to be transmitted, and obtaining, from the network, distribution data currently required by the data receiving apparatus based on the requested distribution data list. And distribution data acquisition means.

According to the present invention, the requested data list is acquired by the data receiving device. This requested distribution data list may be generated by the data server based on a data distribution request received from each data receiving device, and may be obtained by each data receiving device. The network may be monitored and generated autonomously. And in each data receiving device,
Obtain required distribution data based on the requested distribution data list. As a result, distribution data sent to the network in response to a request from a certain data receiving device is
Other data receiving devices can receive the data as needed, and can quickly receive the distribution data. Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a data distribution system suitable for a train information provision system and capable of performing efficient data distribution.

[0014] In one aspect of the present invention, if the distribution data acquisition means is present in the distribution data specified by the requested distribution data list, A data distribution request to the data server is suppressed, and the distribution data is obtained from the distribution data transmitted to the network. As described above, if the data distribution request to the data server is suppressed, the communication traffic of the network can be reduced, and the request processing in the data server can be reduced.

(3) A data distribution system according to the present invention is a data distribution system including a data server for transmitting distribution data to a network to which a plurality of data receiving devices are connected, The data server includes: a distribution data storage unit that stores a plurality of distribution data; a priority list storage unit that stores a priority list that describes the priority of each distribution data; And data distribution means for transmitting the data to the network according to the following.

According to the present invention, the distribution mode can be changed for each distribution data, and efficient data distribution can be performed. For example, the priority information may indicate a channel for transmitting each distribution data to the network, and the data distribution unit may transmit each distribution data to the network on a channel indicated by the priority information. With this configuration, data distribution can be performed using a channel corresponding to distribution data, and efficient network use becomes possible.

In one aspect of the present invention, the distribution data storage means provided in the data server further stores attribute information in association with each of the plurality of distribution data, and the data server stores the attribute information. The apparatus further includes a priority list updating unit that updates the priority list based on the information. In this way, the priority list can be made suitable for various situations in consideration of the attribute of each distribution data. Then, by using such a priority list, new data can be distributed to the data receiving device in a manner according to the situation.

In this aspect, for example, the attribute information includes geographical attribute information indicating a geographical attribute of each distribution data, and the data server obtains current position information for obtaining the current position information of the data server. The information processing apparatus may further include means for updating the priority list based on the current position information and the geographical attribute information. By doing so, the priority list can be made suitable according to the current position of the data server, and data can be distributed in a manner corresponding to the current position of the data server.

[0019] When the data server and the plurality of data receiving devices are mounted on a train, the geographical attribute information indicates an attribute relating to a station, and the current position information includes:
At least a passing station immediately before the train is indicated, and the priority list updating means, based on the current position information and the geographical attribute information, determines that the distribution data determined to be related to the already passed station has a priority. The priority list may be updated to lower the priority list. In this way, distribution data relating to a station that has already passed can be handled and distributed at a lower level than other distribution data, and efficient data distribution can be achieved.

Further, the attribute information includes temporal attribute information indicating an attribute relating to at least one of a time, a date, a day of the week, and a time of each distribution data, and the data server stores the time, date, the day of the week, or the time of the time. And a current time information obtaining unit that obtains current time information representing at least one of the temporal attribute information, wherein the priority list updating unit is configured to perform a process based on the current time information and the temporal attribute information. Alternatively, the priority list may be updated. By doing so, the priority list can be made suitable according to the current time, date, day of the week, or time (including the season), and data can be distributed according to the time and the like. become.

For example, when the data server and the plurality of data receiving devices are mounted on a train, the temporal attribute information indicates whether or not each piece of distribution data is suitable for rush hour distribution. The current time information represents at least the current time, and when the current time belongs to the rush hour, the priority list updating means sets the priority to lower the priority for distribution data that is not suitable for rush hour distribution. The list may be updated. In this way, at the time belonging to the rush hour, distribution of distribution data that is not suitable for distribution in rush hour can be suppressed as compared with other distribution data.

Further, the attribute information includes access amount information indicating the amount of access to each distribution data, and the priority list updating means updates the priority list based on the access amount information. You may. In this way, distribution data that is frequently accessed can be handled with a higher priority than other distribution data, and then data distribution can be performed. As a result, efficient network use becomes possible.

In this case, for example, an access amount information updating unit is further provided, and the access amount information stored in the distribution data storage unit is updated based on access reports respectively transmitted from the plurality of data receiving devices. It may be. In this way, the access amount information can be updated based on the actual number of accesses to each distribution data.

(4) The in-train information providing system according to the present invention includes a train data server mounted on a train, and a plurality of railroad data servers provided along a track on which the train runs. In the train information providing system configured to provide near real-time information in the train,
The railroad data servers have entered a predetermined communication area, respectively, a real-time data obtaining means for obtaining common real-time data, a transmission data generating means for generating transmission data based on the real-time data at predetermined time intervals. For the train data server mounted on the train, including a data transmission means for transmitting the transmission data, and wherein the train data server, data reception means for sequentially receiving the transmission data from each railway data server, Quasi-real-time information generating means for generating the quasi-real-time information corresponding to the real-time data based on the transmission data sequentially received by the data receiving means, and information provision for providing the quasi-real-time information in the train Means.

According to the present invention, the train data server receives transmission data from the railroad data server. Since this transmission data is generated based on real-time data for each predetermined time, if the train can receive the transmission data from the next railroad data server at intervals shorter than that time,
The train data server can link real-time data every predetermined time and generate quasi-real-time data corresponding to the real-time data. By providing the near real-time information in the train, information such as voices and moving images represented by the real-time data can be provided in the train with a certain time delay from the generation of the real-time data.

In one aspect of the present invention, each of the trackside data servers stores data specifying information for specifying character data or image data, and association information indicating an association between the data specifying information and the real-time data. The train data server includes information transmission means for transmitting to a train data server, wherein the train data server distributes, within the train, character data or image data specified by the data specifying information in association with the near real-time information based on the association information. Related data distribution means.

This makes it possible to provide information based on character data or image data in association with the near real-time information. Here, the character data and the image data may be supplied from the wayside data server to the train data server while being attached to the transmission data, or may be supplied to the train data server separately from the transmission data in advance. You may make it.

[0028]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an in-train information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The in-train information providing system 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a system to which the data distribution system and the in-train information providing system according to the present invention are applied.
2 (optical LAN) is laid. A center device 14 and a wayside data server 16 are connected to the wayside LAN 12.

The center device 14 is desirably connected to a line, and can generate all information provided by the train 20. The center device 14 can store data obtained by digitizing characters, images, music, and the like. In particular, a disc jockey voice broadcast on the train 20 is generated as real-time voice data. The real-time audio data includes data specifying information for specifying character data (or image data) corresponding to the disc jockey audio, and association information indicating the association between the character data and the real-time audio data, if necessary. , Is attached. Data such as characters and real-time voice data generated by the center device 14 are transmitted along
2 to the line-side data server 16.

The railroad data server 16 includes, for example, a train 20
Is provided at each station of the route on which the vehicle travels, and an information transmission device 18 is connected thereto. When the train 20 enters the communication area of the information transmission device 18, data such as characters and real-time voice data held by the wayside data server 16 are transmitted from the information transmission device 18 to the train 20.
Is transmitted by a predetermined procedure. Train 20
For example, data such as characters and real-time voice data can be supplemented at each passing station.

The train 20 includes an information transmission device 22, a train data server 24, a train LAN 26, and a vehicle data relay device 28.

The information transmission device 22 receives data such as characters and real-time voice data from the information transmission device 18 installed along the railway. The data such as characters and the real-time voice data received here are sent to the train data server 24.

The train data server 24 is connected to the train LAN 2
6 makes it possible to mutually communicate with a plurality of vehicle data relay devices 28, and autonomously sends data such as characters received from along the railroad to the train LAN 26 as distribution data, and In addition to broadcasting the distribution data (constant distribution data) to the device 28, some of the data (on-demand distribution data) are transmitted in accordance with the data special distribution request from the vehicle data relay device 28 and the train LAN 2
Send to 6. Further, the train data server 24 constantly distributes the real-time voice data received from the wayside via the information transmission device 22 to the vehicle data relay device 28 with a certain time delay from the time when the data was generated by the center device 14. .

The vehicle data relay device 28 includes, for example, the train 2
0 is provided in each of the vehicles No. 0. When a data distribution request is received from the portable information terminal 30, the distribution data corresponding to the request is picked up from the constant distribution data transmitted on the train LAN 26. And wirelessly distributes it into the vehicle. Also, the distribution data corresponding to the data distribution request received from the portable information terminal 30 is the in-train L
If it is determined that the distribution data is not included in the constant distribution data transmitted through the AN 26, the data special distribution request is made to the train data server 24 so that the distribution data is specially transmitted to the in-train LAN 26. In response to the data special distribution request, the train data server 24 selects the requested distribution data from the on-demand distribution data, and
When transmitted to the AN 26, the vehicle data relay device 28 wirelessly distributes the distribution data into the vehicle. In addition, the vehicle data relay device 28 synthesizes a disc jockey voice based on the real-time voice data transmitted from the train data server 24 to the in-train LAN 26, and broadcasts it on the FM modulated wave on the vehicle.

The portable information terminal 30 is, for example, arbitrarily carried by a passenger, selects distribution data listed in an information list described later, and relays a data distribution request requesting the selected distribution data to a vehicle data relay. It can be transmitted wirelessly to the device 28. In addition, distribution data wirelessly distributed in response to this request can be selectively received and displayed on a display.

The FM receiver 32 is a well-known receiving device for FM radio broadcasting, receives a broadcast sound from the vehicle data relay device 28, and provides a disc jockey sound to the passengers via headphones or the like.

Next, a description will be given of a specific configuration of each device constituting the train information providing system 10.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the railroad data server 16. As shown in the figure, the wayside data server 16 is configured to include communication controllers 34 and 42, a block data generator 36, a transmission data generator 38, and a distribution data storage 40.

The communication control unit 34 is connected to the railway LAN 12 and receives data such as characters and real-time voice data from the center device 14. Data such as characters are associated with the real-time audio data as necessary. Data such as characters received by the communication control unit 34 that are not associated with the real-time audio data are sent from the communication control unit 34 to the distribution data storage unit 40 and stored as a distribution data group. At this time, each distribution data is provided with an information ID. With respect to the distribution data already stored in the distribution data storage unit 40, the latest distribution data having the same information ID is newly added by the communication control unit 34. When received, the old distribution data is overwritten and erased by the new distribution data.

The real-time audio data received by the communication control unit 34 is sent to the block data generation unit 36, where it is divided at predetermined time intervals (for example, one minute), and data compression is performed. The block data generated at predetermined time intervals is supplied to the transmission data generation unit 38 after a time stamp (in units of seconds) is added. The real-time audio data received by the communication control unit 34 is associated with data such as characters as needed. That is, the real-time audio data includes data specifying information for specifying data such as related characters, and association information indicating an association between the data and the real-time audio data (representing at what timing related data should be delivered, etc.). , Is attached. Then, the data identification information and the association information are sent to the block data generation unit 36,
Attached to block data having related contents. The transmission data generation unit 38 generates transmission data by bundling a predetermined number (for example, 15) of block data supplied from the block data generation unit 36. In the transmission data generation unit 38,
When new block data is received from the block data generator 36, the oldest block data included in the previously generated transmission data is discarded, and the newly received block data is added to the transmission data instead. Thus, the transmission data includes a predetermined number of block data in order from the newest one.

The communication control section 42 is connected to the information transmission apparatus 18 and transmits the transmission data generated by the transmission data generation section 38 and the distribution data group stored in the distribution data storage section 40 to the information transmission apparatus 18. Is transmitted wirelessly to the train 20 using the Thus, necessary data is supplied to the train 20 that has entered the communication area of the information transmission device 18. At this time, it is also possible to receive from the train 20 how much data has already been received at the other station and transmit only the difference from the latest data to the train 20 by radio.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the train data server 24. As shown in the figure, the train data server 24 includes communication control units 44 and 52, a real-time data processing unit 46, a distribution data storage unit 48, a data distribution unit 50, a channel table storage unit 54, a channel table Update unit 56 and timer / calendar unit 58
, Train position acquisition unit 60 and access report acquisition unit 6
2 is included.

The communication control unit 44 is connected to the information transmission device 22 mounted on the train 20, and transmits the transmission data generated by the transmission data generation unit 38 of the railroad data server 16 via the information transmission device 22. And distribution data storage unit 4
The distribution data group stored in 0 is received.

The transmission data generated by the transmission data generator 38 among the received data is transmitted to the real-time data processor 4.
Sent to 6. The real-time data processing unit 46 decompresses a predetermined number of block data included in the transmission data, and the distribution data storage unit 48 decompresses subsequent block data after the already received real-time audio data. Store additional data. That is, each block data is given a time stamp, and the data obtained by decompressing the block data with the new time stamp is compared with the time stamp attached to the block data obtained at the previous station. It is additionally stored in the distribution data storage unit 48. If data identification information and association information are attached to the block data,
The information is separately stored in a predetermined storage area provided in the distribution data storage unit 48. In this way, the distribution data storage unit 48 stores the real-time audio data generated by the center device 14 with a predetermined time delay. Here, this data is called near real-time audio data, and information represented by this near real-time audio data is called near real-time audio. If the reception of transmission data fails, block data for a certain time will be lost. In this case, it is desirable to insert narration, music, and the like prepared in the train data server 24 in advance into the block data portion so as to prevent the FM broadcast in the train 20 from becoming silent.

On the other hand, among the received data, the distribution data group stored in the distribution data storage unit 40 of the wayside data server 16 is sent to the distribution data storage unit 48 and stored therein. The distribution data storage unit 48 stores the information list shown in FIG. In this information list, an information ID, information content, and attribute information (not shown) are described for each distribution data. The attribute information includes geographical attribute information representing attributes relating to the station, temporal attribute information representing attributes relating to time, date, day of the week, and time, and access information indicating the number of accesses to the distribution data. . The access frequency information is updated as needed by the access report acquisition unit 62. That is, the communication control unit 52 receives the access report transmitted from each vehicle data relay device 28, and when receiving the access report, sends the access report to the access report acquisition unit 62. The access report is a list of data distribution requests received by each vehicle data relay device 28 from the portable information terminal 30, and it is possible to know how many times data distribution requests have been made for which distribution data.
The access report acquisition unit 62 totals the access reports and updates the access frequency information stored in the distribution data storage unit 48. The access frequency information is, for example, the number of data distribution requests received by all vehicle data relay devices 28 within 30 minutes. Then, the attribute information is used in the channel table updating process in the channel table updating unit 56. The information list shown in the figure is broadcasted to the vehicle data relay device 28 as one of the distribution data.

The data distribution unit 50 transmits the distribution data and the near real-time audio data stored in the distribution data storage unit 48 via the communication control unit 52 based on the channel table stored in the channel table storage unit 54. To deliver. When delivering the real-time audio data, the data specifying information and the association information stored in the predetermined storage area of the delivery data storage unit 48 are read. Then, data such as characters specified by the data specifying information is further read from the distribution data storage unit 48. The read data such as characters is transmitted to the train LAN 2 at a timing according to the association information by a predetermined channel.
6 is sent. The data such as characters transmitted in this manner is displayed on a display device (not shown) provided in the train 20. In addition, by transmitting data such as characters to the portable information terminal 30 via the vehicle data relay device 28, each passenger listens to the disc jockey sound with the FM receiver 32 and responds with the portable information terminal 30. Data such as characters may be viewed. Thus, the train information providing system 10 can provide information based on character data and image data in association with the disc jockey voice. The data such as characters is stored in advance in the distribution data storage unit 48 from the railroad data server 16 or the like. In this case, data such as these characters may be attached to the transmission data generated based on the real-time audio data by the transmission data generation unit 38 of the wayside data server 16.

The communication control unit 52 is connected to the in-train LAN 26 and performs data communication with the vehicle data relay device 28. At this time, the communication channel between the communication control unit 52 and the vehicle data relay device 28 is as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. Channel LX0
1 and LX02 are express channels, and when data is distributed through this channel, the same data is transmitted through the train LAN 26 every second. This channel is
For example, it is used to deliver urgent information such as timetables and transfer information. Channels EX01 to EX10 are express channels, and when data is distributed through these channels, the same data is transmitted to the train LAN 26 every four seconds. This channel is used, for example, for distribution of station equipment, guide information, newspaper articles, and the like. Channels RP01 to RP10 are high-speed channels, and when data is distributed on these channels, the same data is transmitted on the train LAN 26 every 8 seconds. This channel is used for distribution of, for example, magazine articles. On the other hand, the channels ST01 to ST10 are ordinary channels, and when data is to be distributed on this channel, the LA in the train is received after a data special distribution request from the vehicle data relay device 28.
The distribution data is sent to N26. This channel is
For example, it is used for distribution of books and music data. The channel FM01 is a broadcast channel for delivering near real-time audio data to the vehicle data relay device 28. Further, channels TP01-
TP22 is a temporary channel. When data distribution is performed using the temporary channels TP01 to TP22, data distribution is performed using another available channel.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the channel table stored in the channel table storage unit 54.
As shown in the figure, the channel table describes the information ID of the distribution data and the channel used for distributing the distribution data in association with each other. An asterisk (*) in front of a channel is an active mark. This active mark is L in the train
Attached to the distribution data being sent to the AN 26. The channel table is sent to the vehicle data relay device 28 using the control channel. The active mark is used for processing in the vehicle data relay device 28.

As described above, if the communication channel between the communication control unit 52 and the vehicle data relay device 28 is different, the frequency of data distribution is different, so the channel used for distribution is the distribution data. Is nothing but priority information. That is, the channel table stored in the channel table storage unit 54 is an example of the priority list according to the present invention.

The data distribution unit 50 distributes the distribution data stored in the distribution data storage unit to the vehicle data relay device 28 via the communication control unit 52 based on the channel table as shown in FIG. At this time, limited express channels LX01 and LX02 and express channels EX01 to E
X10, the distribution data to which the rapid channels RP01 to RP10 are assigned are transmitted at regular intervals to the train LAN 26.
And is always distributed data. on the other hand,
The distribution data to which the normal channels ST01 to ST10 are allocated is distributed in response to a data special distribution request from the vehicle data relay device 28, and is on-demand distribution data.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining data distribution on each communication channel. As shown in the figure, the basic unit of a communication channel is a slot of about 1 second,
In the limited express channels LX01 and LX02, one or more pieces of distribution data are stored in one slot, and the data is repeatedly transmitted to the train LAN 26 (about every one second). The express channels EX01 to EX10 are channels that use four slots as a set, and a large number of distribution data are stored in the four slots, which are repeatedly (every about every four seconds) transmitted to the train LAN 26. In addition, Rapid Channel RP
01 to RP10 are channels used as a set of eight slots, and a large number of distribution data are stored in eight slots, which are repeatedly (every about every eight seconds) transmitted to the intra-train LAN 26. In the normal channels ST01 to ST10, the channels are occupied according to the data special distribution request. Also,
Broadcast channel FM01 is always occupied by near real-time audio data. If one slot does not contain sufficient distribution data as in the case of the express channel LX02 in the figure, the remaining portion of the slot is allocated to the temporary channels TP01 to TP22.

As described above, the channel is changed for each distribution data based on the channel table, and the data distribution cycle is changed in accordance with the content of the distribution. Although the data is occupied for a long time, the in-train LAN 26 is not occupied so much for the distribution data that is less necessary. For this reason, it is possible to efficiently use communication resources and obtain information required by the passenger at a speed corresponding to the type of the information.

The channel table is appropriately updated by the channel table updating unit 56. An information list stored in the distribution data storage unit 48 is supplied to the channel table update unit 56,
In addition, current time information indicating the current time, date, and day of the week is supplied from the timer / calendar section 58, and current position information (which station or between stations) of the train 20 is supplied from the train position acquisition section 60. ing. The train position acquisition unit 60 grasps the position of the train 20 based on data exchange conventionally performed with the station side when the train arrives at each station, for example.

The channel table updating unit 56 updates the channel table based on these information and the attribute information of each distribution data stored in the distribution data storage unit 48. Specifically, when station A is set as the geographical attribute information of certain distribution data, it is determined that the train 20 is far ahead of station A based on the current position information output from the train position acquisition unit 60. Then, the channel rank of the distribution data is reduced to, for example, a normal channel. Then, when approaching Station A, the rank of the channel of the distribution data is raised to, for example, an express channel. Thereafter, when the train 20 passes through the station A, the rank of the channel of the distribution data is lowered. For example, an express channel is dropped to a normal channel. Thus, A
Distribution data that is far less necessary than the station and still has little need, A
After passing through the station, the rank of the channel of the distribution data having little usefulness is lowered, and the distribution data having other necessity or high usefulness can be allocated to the channel having the higher rank. In addition, information indicating that "there is a high necessity at stations A to D" is set as the geographical attribute information of the distribution data, and in that section, the rank of the channel for the distribution data may be increased. it can.

If information indicating “not suitable for rush hour” is set as the temporal attribute information of certain distribution data, the current time information is output from the timer / calendar unit 58 to indicate that the current time is rush hour. , The rank of the channel of the distribution data is lowered. As a result, for example, it is possible to lower the rank of the channel for distribution data that is less necessary during rush hour such as route guidance, and to raise the rank of the channel of other distribution data that is considered to be more necessary during that time. become able to. In addition, information indicating that "the summer vacation (X / X X to X / X X) is not necessary" or "Saturday and Sunday is low necessity" is set as time attribute information of certain distribution data. During the period or the day of the week, the rank of the channel for the distribution data may be lowered.

Further, the channel table updating unit 56 can update the channel table based on the access information among the attribute information stored in the distribution data storage unit 48. For example, when there are many accesses to certain distribution data, it is determined that the demand for the distribution data is large, and the rank of the channel is raised. For example, what was distributed using a normal channel is raised to an express channel. In this way, a channel according to actual demand can be assigned to each piece of distribution data, and passengers can quickly acquire distribution data with a large demand. In addition, if the transition of the access amount is also recorded as the access amount information, the channel table may be updated with some prediction.

Next, FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram showing the vehicle data relay device 28. As shown in the figure, the vehicle data relay device 28 includes communication control units 68 and 76, an access report generation unit 70, a data special distribution request unit 72, a distribution data acquisition unit 74, and a channel table holding unit 78.
And an FM broadcast unit 80.

The communication control unit 68 is connected to the in-train LAN 26, receives near real-time voice data and distribution data from the train data server 24, and stores a channel table supplied from the train data server 24 using a control channel. Receive. Further, it transmits to the train data server 24 the data special distribution request generated by the data special distribution requesting unit 72 and the access report generated by the access report generating unit 70.

On the other hand, the communication control section 76 has a wireless communication means, and can communicate with the portable information terminal 30. The channel table holding unit 78 holds a channel table received by the communication control unit 68.
Receives the data distribution request from the portable information terminal 30, sends the data distribution request to the data special distribution requesting unit 72 or the distribution data acquiring unit 74 according to the channel table. That is, if the distribution data specified by the received data distribution request is transmitted on an express channel, an express channel, or a rapid channel, it is a request for distribution data at all times. Send it to the acquisition unit 74. On the other hand, if the distribution data specified by the received data distribution request is transmitted on a normal channel, the request is sent to the data special distribution request unit 72 because it requests on-demand distribution data. However, even in the case of on-demand distribution data, if an active mark (*) is added to the channel table and a data special distribution request has already been made by another vehicle data relay device 28, a further data special distribution request is made. The train data L is not transmitted to the other vehicle data relay device 28.
The distribution data acquisition unit 74 acquires the on-demand distribution data sent to the AN 26.

In the distribution data acquisition section 74, the communication control section 7
6, the distribution data specified by the received data distribution request,
The on-demand distribution data returned in response to the data special distribution request from the own or another vehicle data relay device 28 or the in-train LAN 26 is obtained from the constant distribution data being transmitted, and passed to the communication control unit 76. The communication control unit 76 wirelessly distributes the distribution data to the portable information terminal 30. In this case, five types of communication channels are provided between the vehicle data relay device 28 and the portable information terminal 30 as shown in FIG. Of these, channel 1
And 2 are guide channels, and distribution data such as an information list to be distributed without waiting for a data distribution request from the portable information terminal 30 is transmitted using this channel.
Channels 3 and 4 are demand channels, and these demand channels are used when distribution data is returned in response to a data distribution request. Channel 5 is a control channel, and is used when a data distribution request is received from the portable information terminal 30. The data distribution request sent from the portable information terminal 30 includes the channel number (3 or 4) used when returning the distribution data.
The distribution data is wirelessly distributed according to the channel number.

When a data distribution request is received from portable information terminal 30, the information is transmitted to access report generation section 70.
Sent to The access report generation unit 70 counts how many data distribution requests have been made for which distribution data, and generates an access report. This access report is attached to a data special distribution request by the data special distribution request unit 72 and sent to the train data server 24 in order to reduce traffic on the train LAN 26. If there is no data special distribution request for a certain time (for example, one minute),
The access report alone is transmitted to the train data server 24. This access report is used for updating the access amount information as described above.

Further, the vehicle data relay device 28 has an FM broadcast unit 80. The near real-time audio data is constantly distributed by the train data server 24 using the broadcast channel FM01, and the communication control unit 68 receives the near real-time audio data through the broadcast channel FM01. This near real-time audio data is sent to the FM broadcast unit 80, where a disc jockey audio is synthesized and broadcast on an FM modulated wave. In this way, the disc jockey voice provided from the center device 14 by the FM receiver 32 carried by the passenger reaches the passenger with a delay of about 10 minutes.

FIG. 10 shows an information providing system 10 in the present train.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the principle of FM broadcasting in FIG. In the figure, the horizontal axis represents the distance along the route, and the vertical axis represents the elapsed time. Further, black circles represent stops at each station, and vertical thick oblique lines represent real-time audio data generated by the center device 14. Further, the thick horizontal lines indicate how real-time voice data is transmitted from the information transmission device 18 at each station to the train 20.

When the train 20 is about to depart from Ueno Station, the real-time voice data for 10 minutes generated 10 minutes before the departure is sent to the alongside data server 16 and the information transmission device 18 provided at Ueno Station. Is supplied to the train 20. Approximately 4 minutes later, when train 20 arrives at Oku Station, 10 minutes after the time 6 minutes before the launch time at Ueno Station
Real-time voice data for one minute is supplied to the train 20 by the alongside data server 16 and the information transmission device 18 provided at Oku Station. Thereafter, when the vehicle arrives at the next station, the train 20 is supplemented with the real-time voice data for 10 minutes generated until the arrival time at the station. As described above, according to the in-train information providing system 10, the near-real-time audio data corresponding to the real-time audio data can be used with a delay of about 10 minutes by enabling the broadcast to the next station to be obtained at the near station. FM broadcasting can be performed.

Finally, the portable information terminal 30 will be described. FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing the portable information terminal 30. As shown in FIG.
Communication unit 82, control unit 86, operation unit 88, display unit 9
0. The communication unit 82 performs wireless data communication with the vehicle data relay device 28. Also,
The control unit 86 includes a CPU and a memory such as a RAM and a ROM, and controls each unit of the apparatus. Display unit 90
Is configured using, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays distribution data received from the vehicle data relay device 28 as an image. The operation unit 88 is for performing a data distribution request to the vehicle data relay device 28 by performing a button operation in accordance with the display content on the display unit 90.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of portable information terminal 30. As shown in the flow chart, after the portable information terminal 30 is activated, the guide channel 1 (or 2)
Is received (S101). And guide channel 1
To obtain the information list broadcasted in (S10
2). When the information list is received by the communication unit 82, the control unit 86 supplies the information list to the display unit 90, where the information list is displayed. On the other hand, when the passenger selects one of the distribution data included in the information list using the operation unit 88 (S103), the control unit 86 generates a data distribution request signal (S104). The data distribution request signal includes an information ID of the requested distribution data, a demand channel (3 or 4) from which the distribution data is to be received, an ID assigned to the portable information terminal 30, and information such as a boarding station and a disembarking station of the passenger. Is included. The information of the boarding station and the getting off station is input by the operation unit 88 or is immediately stored in the internal memory.

The data distribution request signal thus generated is transmitted to vehicle data relay device 28 via communication unit 82 (S104). Thereafter, the control unit 86 promptly changes the reception channel of the communication unit 82 to the demand channel set in the transmitted data distribution request, and waits for the return of the distribution data (S105). Thereafter, when the distribution data is returned from the vehicle data relay device 28, the communication unit 82 receives the data (S106), and the control unit 86 causes the display unit 9 to return.
Information is displayed using 0 (S107).

The train information providing system 10 described above
According to this, data distribution can be uniformly performed by one train data server 24. In particular, the maximum number of passengers of the train 20 during rush hour and the like is about 2000. Even if 20% of the passengers use the portable information terminal 30,
In the train data server 24, 400 portable information terminals 3
0 must be provided information. In the in-train information providing system 10, since the in-train LAN 26 always distributes data in principle, the vehicle data relay device 28 can immediately extract main distribution data from the data stream of the in-train LAN 26. On the other hand, since on-demand distribution is performed from the vehicle data relay device 28 to the portable information terminal 30, traffic during that period can be suppressed. In this way, limited communication resources are used efficiently,
Information can be uniformly provided to many passengers.

In the train information providing system 10, when a data special distribution request is made from the vehicle data relay device 28, or when a data special distribution request is already made from another vehicle data relay device 28, the data special distribution request In response, the server acquires distribution data sent to the in-train LAN 26, and refrain from making a data special distribution request. For this reason,
It is possible to avoid an increase in traffic on the in-train LAN 26 due to the data special distribution request and an increase in the processing load on the train data server 24 for the data special distribution request.

In the case of data distribution, the train data server 24 uses a channel assigned to each distribution data. This channel is dynamically updated according to the attribute of each distribution data. Therefore, the train LAN 26 can always be used in an optimal state following the change of the situation.

Further, in the train information providing system 10, real-time audio data for a predetermined time is obtained from each station, and quasi-real-time audio data is generated based on the real-time audio data. Information can be provided.

The train information providing system 10 described above can be variously modified. For example, here, an example in which the data distribution system according to the present invention is applied to information provision in a train has been described, but the data distribution system according to the present invention is similarly applied to information provision in a building, for example. It is possible. In this case, for example, at least one data server similar to the train data server 24 may be installed in the building, and a data relay device similar to the vehicle data relay device 28 may be installed on each floor of the building. In this way, it is possible to suitably provide information to a terminal carried by many people in the building.

In the above description, information for specifying a channel for data distribution is used as priority information. However, the number of repetitions of data distribution, a transmission rate, and the like may be used as priority information.

In the above description, the alongside data server 1
Although 6 is arranged at each station, it may be arranged at another location as long as it is along the line on which the train 20 runs.

Further, instead of judging the necessity of a data special distribution request by referring to the active mark described in the channel table sent from the train data server 24, the vehicle data relay device 28 monitors the train LAN 26 by itself. It may be checked whether a data special distribution request is issued from another vehicle data relay device 28. In this case, the vehicle data relay device 28 may generate a requested distribution data list equivalent to the active mark, and determine whether a data special distribution request is necessary based on the list.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an in-train information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a wayside data server.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a train data server.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an information list.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating types of communication channels between a train data server and a vehicle data relay device.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a channel table.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a usage state of a communication channel from a train data server to a vehicle data relay device.

FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram illustrating a vehicle data relay device.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating types of communication channels between the vehicle data relay device and the portable information terminal.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the principle of FM broadcasting performed in a train.

FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing a portable information terminal.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the portable information terminal.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Information system in train, 12 LAN along railway, 1
4 center equipment, 16 railway data servers, 18, 22
Information transmission device, 20 trains, 24 train data server,
26 LAN within train, 28 Vehicle data relay device, 30
Portable information terminal, 32 FM receiver, 34, 42, 4
4, 52, 68, 76 communication control unit, 36 block data generation unit, 38 transmission data generation unit, 40, 48 distribution data storage unit, 46 real-time data processing unit, 5
0 data distribution unit, 54 channel table storage unit,
56 channel table update section, 58 timer / calendar section, 60 train position acquisition section, 62 access report acquisition section, 70 access report generation section, 72 data special distribution request section, 74 distribution data acquisition section, 78 channel table holding section, 80 FM Broadcasting section, 82 communication section, 86 control section, 88 operation section, 90 display section.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Michiharu Yukawa 1-13-8 Kamikizaki, Urawa-shi, Saitama Japan Signaling Co., Ltd. Yono Office (72) Inventor Yasuko Oto 1-13, Kamikizaki, Urawa-shi, Saitama No. 8 Nippon Signal Co., Ltd. F-term in Yono Plant (reference)

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A data distribution system configured to include a data server and a plurality of data relay devices and perform data distribution to an information terminal, wherein the data server stores a distribution data group. Means, and a constant distribution means for broadcasting the constant distribution data included in the distribution data group to the plurality of data relay devices, wherein the plurality of data relay devices each receive data from the information terminal. Data distribution request receiving means for receiving a distribution request; distribution data acquiring means for acquiring distribution data specified by the data distribution request from the constant distribution data distributed by the constant distribution means; Distribution data transmitting means for transmitting the distribution data obtained by the obtaining means to the information terminal; Delivery system. 2. The data distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of data relay devices are each configured such that the distribution data specified by the data distribution request is distributed by the broadcast distribution unit. When it is determined that the data special request is not included in the data, the data server further includes a data special request transmitting unit that transmits a data special request corresponding to the data distribution request to the data server, wherein the data server transmits the data special request. If received, the distribution data specified by the data special distribution request is acquired from the on-demand distribution data included in the distribution data group stored by the distribution data storage unit, and the distribution data is obtained at least by the data special distribution request. It further comprises an on-demand distribution means for transmitting to the data relay device which has transmitted the request. Data distribution system for the. 3. The data distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the distribution data acquisition unit included in each of the plurality of data relay devices transmits distribution data specified by the data distribution request by the constant distribution unit. A data distribution system, wherein the data is acquired from the distributed data to be distributed or the distribution data transmitted by the on-demand distribution means. 4. A data distribution system including a data server and a plurality of data receiving devices communicatively connected to the data server via a network, wherein the data server receives a data distribution request from the data receiving device. Data distribution means for transmitting the distributed data to the network, wherein the plurality of data receiving apparatuses each include a requested distribution data list that specifies distribution data for which data distribution is currently requested to the data server. Requested distribution data list obtaining means for obtaining, and distribution data obtaining means for obtaining, from the network, distribution data currently required by the data receiving device based on the requested distribution data list. Data distribution system. 5. The data distribution system according to claim 4, wherein the distribution data acquisition unit includes a distribution data currently required by the data receiving device, among distribution data specified by the requested distribution data list. , A data distribution request to the data server is suppressed, and the distribution data is obtained from distribution data transmitted to the network. 6. A data distribution system comprising a data server for transmitting distribution data to a network to which a plurality of data receiving devices are connected, wherein the data server stores a plurality of distribution data. Distribution data storage means, priority list storage means for storing a priority list describing priority information of each distribution data, and data distribution means for transmitting each distribution data to the network according to the priority information. A data distribution system comprising: 7. The data distribution system according to claim 6, wherein the priority information indicates a channel when each distribution data is transmitted to the network, and the data distribution unit assigns each distribution data a priority. A data distribution system for transmitting to the network by a channel represented by degree information. 8. The data distribution system according to claim 6, wherein the distribution data storage unit provided in the data server further stores attribute information in association with each of the plurality of distribution data, The data distribution system, further comprising a priority list updating unit that updates the priority list based on the attribute information. 9. The data distribution system according to claim 8, wherein the attribute information includes geographical attribute information indicating a geographical attribute of each distribution data, and the data server includes a current position information of the data server. A data distribution system, further comprising: a current position information obtaining unit for obtaining, wherein the priority list updating unit updates the priority list based on the current position information and the geographical attribute information. 10. The data distribution system according to claim 9, wherein the data server and the plurality of data receiving devices are mounted on a train, the geographical attribute information represents an attribute related to a station, and the current position information is Represents at least the passing station immediately before the train, the priority list updating means, based on the current position information and the geographical attribute information, for distribution data determined to be related to the station that has already passed, priority A data distribution system for updating the priority list so as to lower the degree information. 11. The data distribution system according to claim 6, wherein the attribute information is a time distribution representing at least one of time, date, day of the week, and time of each distribution data. The data server further includes: current time information acquisition means for acquiring current time information representing at least one of time, date, day of the week, or time corresponding to the temporal attribute information, A data distribution system, wherein the list updating means updates the priority list based on the current time information and the temporal attribute information. 12. The data distribution system according to claim 11, wherein the data server and the plurality of data receiving devices are mounted on a train, and the temporal attribute information is suitable for distribution of each distribution data in rush hour. The current time information represents at least the current time.If the current time belongs to rush hour, the priority list updating unit may determine whether the distribution data is not suitable for distribution in rush hour. A data distribution system for updating the priority list so as to lower the priority information. 13. The data distribution system according to claim 6, wherein the attribute information includes access amount information indicating the amount of access to each piece of distribution data, and the priority list updating unit includes: A data distribution system for updating the priority list based on the access content information. 14. The data distribution system according to claim 13, wherein the access amount information stored in the distribution data storage unit is updated based on access reports transmitted from the plurality of data receiving devices, respectively. A data distribution system, further comprising a quantity information updating unit. 15. A train for providing near real-time information in a train, comprising: a train data server mounted on the train; and a plurality of trackside data servers provided along a track on which the train runs. In the information providing system, each of the trackside data servers includes: a real-time data acquisition unit that acquires common real-time data; a transmission data generation unit that generates transmission data based on the real-time data at predetermined time intervals; Data transmission means for transmitting the transmission data to the train data server mounted on the train that has entered the train, wherein the train data server sequentially receives the transmission data from each wayside data server Data receiving means for receiving the transmission data sequentially received by the data receiving means. And an information providing means for providing the near real-time information corresponding to the real-time data in the train, and an information providing means for providing the near real-time information in the train. . 16. The train information providing system according to claim 15, wherein the railroad data server associates data specifying information specifying character data or image data with the data specifying information and the real-time data, respectively. And information transmission means for transmitting to the train data server, the train data server, based on the association information, the character data specified by the data identification information in association with the near real-time information or An in-train information providing system, comprising related data distribution means for distributing image data in the train.