JP2015007935A - Stop information providing device and fare display device including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stop information providing device that enables information on a next stop to be surely output even between adjacent stops, and to provide a fare display device including the stop information providing device.SOLUTION: In the fare display device, it is determined whether or not a route bus departs from a peripheral area K of a previous stop β on the basis of current location information on the route bus and location information on the previous stop β; when it is determined that the route bus departs from the peripheral area K; and, in a case where it is determined that information on a next stop γ will be output at a spot (a black dot) after the route bus arrives at or passes the next stop γ when the information on the next stop γ is output at a prescribed distance X as with an output spot ○ away from a previous stop α by the prescribed distance X, a prescribed spot distance (d'/2) needed for the route bus to arrive at a prescribed spot (a double circle) closer to the route bus than the next stop γ is calculated on the basis of a required distance d' needed for the route bus to arrive at the next stop γ from a current location. When the route bus arrives at the output spot (the double circle) of the prescribed spot distance (d'/2), the information on the next stop γ is output to an in-vehicle facility instrument such as a fare box 33 and the like.

Description

  The present invention provides stop information that is mounted on a route bus, and that outputs information on the next stop that the route bus is scheduled to stop next to an in-vehicle equipment at an output point that is a predetermined distance away from the previous stop that left or passed immediately before. The present invention relates to a device and a fare display device provided with the device.

  As a technology related to a stop information providing device that outputs information on the next stop that the route bus is scheduled to stop next to the in-vehicle equipment at an output point that is a predetermined distance away from the previous stop that has just started or passed, for example, the following patent document There is a technique disclosed in No. 1. According to this prior art, the bus navigation device specifies the current position of the bus by receiving the GPS modulation signal transmitted from the GPS satellite, and the stop coordinates to which the current position belongs based on the map data stored in the map database. Judging the area.

  As a result, for example, (1) In the case of a configuration in which the information on the next stop is output by manual operation of the operation button, when the crew member forgets to press the operation button, the information on the next stop is not output, or (2) In the case of a configuration in which the information on the next stop is output after a lapse of a predetermined time (or traveling a predetermined distance) triggered by the opening / closing operation of the door for the door, the door does not open / close when passing through a stop without passengers. If the information is not automatically output, or (2) the distance to the next stop is very close, the route bus will reach the next stop before such a predetermined time or distance, and the next stop information It is possible to solve various problems such as problems that are not output automatically.

JP 2006-209574 A

  However, according to the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a positioning error in the positioning result by the GPS (Global Positioning System). As a result, entry / exit may be repeated near the boundary of the stop coordinate area to which the current position belongs, and in such a case, the determination result of the stop coordinate area may become unstable and a malfunction may occur due to fluctuation of the determination result. There is.

  Such fluctuation of the determination result can be solved by, for example, determining the determination result on the condition that the state does not change during movement for a certain time or a certain distance in the determination of entry / exit. Since confirmation takes time, depending on the traveling state of the route bus, the same problem as in the case of (2) ′ described above may be caused. That is, when the distance to the next stop is very close, there is a possibility that the route bus reaches the next stop before the determination result is finalized, and as a result, information on the next stop may not be output.

  By the way, the information on the next stop output from the stop information providing device is controlled by information processing based on the information by the in-vehicle equipment mounted on the route bus. For example, in the fare display device, a reference number determined in advance according to the boarding section that is the basis of the fare calculation and the fare from the boarding section corresponding to this reference number to the next stop are displayed, and the fare information is displayed to the passenger. Is provided. Therefore, if the correct next stop information cannot be acquired, there is a risk of providing wrong fare information to the passenger.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a stop information providing apparatus that can reliably output information on the next stop even between adjacent stops. Another object of the present invention is to provide a fare display device that can provide an accurate fare display to passengers even between adjacent stops.

  In order to achieve the above object, the stop information providing device described in claim 1 of the claims is mounted on a route bus, and the route bus immediately departs information on the next stop scheduled to stop next. A stop information providing device that outputs to in-vehicle equipment at an output point that is a predetermined distance away from a previous stop that has passed, a current position acquisition unit that acquires current position information of a current position of the route bus, and the route bus stops Based on the current location information acquired by the current location acquisition unit and the location information of the previous stop stored in the stop location storage unit. A front stop separation determination unit that determines whether or not the route bus has departed from the surrounding area of the previous stop, and the route bus is separated from the surrounding area by the front stop separation determination unit If the information of the next stop is output at the output point, the route bus is determined to output the information of the next stop after the route bus arrives or passes through the next stop. A predetermined point distance calculating unit that calculates a predetermined point distance until the route bus reaches a predetermined point before the next stop based on a required distance required to reach the next stop from the current position; A next stop information output control unit that outputs information on the next stop to the in-vehicle equipment when the route bus reaches the predetermined point distance calculated by the predetermined point distance calculation unit from the current position; Is a technical feature.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, the stop information providing device is configured so that the previous stop distance based on the current position information acquired by the current position acquisition unit and the position information of the previous stop stored in the stop position storage unit. If it is determined whether the route bus has left the surrounding area, and if it is determined that the route bus has left the surrounding area, the information on the next stop is output by the predetermined point distance calculation unit at the output point that is a predetermined distance from the previous stop. If it is output, if it is determined that the information of the next stop will be output after the route bus arrives or passes through the next stop, the route is determined based on the distance required for the route bus to reach the next stop from the current position. A predetermined point distance until the bus reaches a predetermined point before the next stop is calculated. When the next bus information reaches the predetermined point distance calculated by the predetermined point distance calculation unit from the current position, the next stop information output control unit outputs information on the next stop to the in-vehicle equipment. As a result, if it is determined that the next stop information will be output after the route bus has arrived or passed through the next stop, if the next stop information is output at a predetermined distance from the previous stop, the previous stop Since the information on the next stop is output at a predetermined point before the next stop of the route bus, not at the output point that is a predetermined distance away from the station, it is possible to prevent the situation that the information on the next stop is not output as a result. become. In addition, the current position information of the current location of the route bus acquired by the current location acquisition unit is used by the previous stop separation determination unit to determine whether the route bus has left the surrounding area of the previous stop, It is not used for determination by the predetermined point distance calculation unit or calculation of the predetermined point distance. Therefore, even if an error is included in the current location information of the route bus, it is only affected by whether or not the route bus has left the area around the previous stop, and this determination requires high accuracy. Since the determination is difficult, it is possible to make the information processing of the entire stop information providing apparatus less susceptible to errors.

  In order to achieve the above object, the stop information providing device described in claim 2 of the claims is mounted on a route bus, and the route bus information on the next stop scheduled to be stopped next is sent immediately before. It is a stop information providing device that outputs to the in-vehicle equipment at an output time when a predetermined time has elapsed from the time of departure or passage from the previous stop, a current position acquisition unit that acquires current position information of the current position of the route bus, and A stop position storage unit that stores position information of each stop where the route bus is scheduled to stop, the current position information acquired by the current position acquisition unit, and the position information of the previous stop stored in the stop position storage unit Based on the front bus stop distance determining unit for determining whether or not the route bus has left the peripheral area of the front bus stop, and If it is determined that the next stop information is output after the route bus has arrived or passed through the next stop if the next stop information is output at the time of output, Predetermined point time calculation for calculating a predetermined point time until the route bus reaches a predetermined point before the next stop based on a time required for the route bus to reach the next stop from the current position And the next stop information output that outputs the information of the next stop to the in-vehicle equipment when the predetermined point time calculated by the predetermined point time calculation unit elapses from the time when the route bus passes the current position And a control unit.

  In the invention of claim 2, the stop information providing device is provided with the previous stop based on the current position information acquired by the current position acquisition unit and the position information of the previous stop stored in the stop position storage unit by the previous stop distance determination unit. It is determined whether the route bus has left the surrounding area, and if it is determined that the route bus has left the surrounding area, the information on the next stop is obtained by the predetermined point time calculation unit from the time of departure or passage from the previous stop. If it is output at the time of output after a predetermined time has passed, if it is determined that the information on the next stop will be output after the route bus has arrived or passed through the next stop, the route bus will reach the next stop from the current location. Based on the required time, a predetermined point time until the route bus reaches a predetermined point before the next stop is calculated. Then, when the predetermined point time calculated by the predetermined point time calculation unit has elapsed from the time when the route bus passes the current position, the next stop information output control unit outputs information on the next stop to the in-vehicle equipment. As a result, if the next stop information is output at a time when a predetermined time has elapsed from the time when the previous stop departed or passed, the next stop information is output after the route bus arrives or passes the next stop. When it is determined, the information on the next stop is output at a predetermined point before the next stop, not at the time when the predetermined time has passed, and as a result, the information on the next stop is not output. It becomes possible to do. In addition, the current position information of the current location of the route bus acquired by the current location acquisition unit is used by the previous stop separation determination unit to determine whether the route bus has left the surrounding area of the previous stop, It is not used for determination by the predetermined point time calculation unit or calculation of the predetermined point time. Therefore, even if an error is included in the current location information of the route bus, it is only affected by whether or not the route bus has left the area around the previous stop, and this determination requires high accuracy. Since the determination is difficult, it is possible to make the information processing of the entire stop information providing apparatus less susceptible to errors.

  The stop information providing apparatus described in claim 3 of the claims is the stop information providing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the current position acquisition unit uses the global position as current position information of the route bus. It is a technical feature that absolute position information of the route bus using a positioning system is acquired. The “global positioning system” is also referred to as GPS (Global Positioning System).

  In the invention of claim 3, the current position acquisition unit acquires the absolute position information of the route bus using the global positioning system as the current position information of the route bus. Thereby, when a GPS signal can be received from a GPS satellite, it is possible to acquire the current position information of the route bus as coordinate information based on latitude and longitude. In addition, by acquiring position information of two different points by latitude and longitude, it is possible to calculate a straight line distance between these two points.

  The stop information providing device described in claim 4 of the claims is the stop information providing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the current position acquisition unit uses the route as the current position information of the route bus. It is a technical feature that the relative position information of the route bus is acquired based on the travel distance of the bus.

  In the invention of claim 4, the current position acquisition unit acquires the relative position information of the route bus based on the travel distance of the route bus as the current position information of the route bus. Thereby, for example, it is possible to acquire the actual distance of the route on which the route bus actually travels by integrating the travel distance from the starting station of the route bus. Further, it is possible to calculate the actual travel distance (actual travel distance) of a route bus that has traveled two different points from the difference in distance.

  The stop information providing device described in claim 5 of the claims is the stop information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the distance from the current position of the route bus to the next stop Based on the above, it is a technical feature that the boundary of the peripheral area is set so that the range of the peripheral area of the previous stop is expanded as the distance is longer.

  In the invention of claim 5, the boundary of the peripheral area is set so that the range of the peripheral area of the previous stop is expanded as the distance is longer based on the distance from the current position of the route bus to the next stop. As a result, if the distance from the current location of the route bus to the next stop is longer, the range of the area around the previous stop will expand, and if the distance from the current location of the route bus to the next stop is shorter, the range of the area around the previous stop will be increased. It narrows. Therefore, when the distance from the current location to the next stop is long, harmful effects caused by excessively narrowing the surrounding area of the previous stop, for example, whether or not the route bus has been separated from the surrounding area by the previous stop distance determination unit If the distance from the current position to the next stop is short, the adverse effects of excessively expanding the area around the previous stop, such as the next next It is possible to prevent the separation distance to the stop from being eroded more than necessary due to the expansion of the surrounding area.

  In order to achieve the above object, the fare display device described in claim 6 of the claims is mounted on a route bus and has a reference number determined in advance according to a boarding section which is a basis for fare calculation. A fare display device for displaying a fare from the boarding section corresponding to the reference number to the next stop, comprising the stop information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the stop information It is a technical feature that the fare is displayed based on the information of the next stop output from the providing device. The number is sometimes referred to as a numbered ticket number.

  In invention of Claim 6, a fare is displayed based on the information of the next stop output from the stop information provision apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-5. Thereby, since the information on the next stop is surely output from the stop information providing device even between adjacent stops, there is no possibility of providing wrong fare information to the passengers.

  With the stop information providing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to reliably output information on the next stop even between adjacent stops. In the fare display device of the present invention, an accurate fare display can be provided to passengers even between adjacent stops.

It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of a structure outline | summary of the route bus carrying the fare display apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the fare display apparatus of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the stop information provision process performed by the fare display apparatus of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the threshold value setting process shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the stop information provision process shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the stop information provision process by a comparative example.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a stop information providing device of the present invention is applied to a fare display device will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the route bus 100 on which the fare display device 20 is mounted will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a route bus 100. In the route bus 100 shown in FIG. 1, it should be noted that some of the roof, the front door, the middle door, and the like are omitted for convenience in drawing.

  As shown in FIG. 1, this route bus 100 is a “post-payment type” shared vehicle in which passengers pay a fare when they get off. The route bus 100 has a boarding port 100a and a getting-off port 100b, and a numbered ticket issuing machine 37 and an IC card reader / writer 39 are provided in the vicinity of the boarding port 100a. Further, a fare box 33 and a fare display device 20 are provided in the vicinity of the exit gate 100b. The passenger takes a numbered ticket from the numbered ticket issuing machine 37 at the boarding port 100a or rides the IC card over the IC card reader / writer 39. And when getting off, look at the fare table of the fare display device 20 displayed in the front of the bus 100, find the fare amount to be paid from the numbered ticket number and confirm it, and correspond to the fare box 33 After paying the fare, get off at the exit 100b.

  A stop guidance switch 31 and a broadcasting device 35 are provided in the vicinity of the driver's seat 100c. This stop guidance switch 31 has a push button. When this is pressed, information on the next stop called “stop sending signal” or “progress signal” is output from the stop guide switch 31. The next stop is a stop where the route bus 100 is scheduled to stop next (the same applies hereinafter). The information on the next stop is a trigger signal input to the equipment in the vehicle. By sequentially inputting this signal, the interior of the fare box 33, the broadcasting device 35, the numbered ticket issuing machine 37, the IC card reader / writer 39, etc. The equipment advances a predetermined process for each stop where the route bus 100 is scheduled to stop. Hereinafter, the fare box 33, the broadcasting device 35, the numbered ticket issuing machine 37, and the IC card reader / writer 39 may be referred to as “in-vehicle equipment such as the fare box 33”.

  For example, when a crew member of the route bus 100 presses the stop guide switch 31 at a predetermined timing, an in-vehicle broadcast for notifying the next stop flows from the in-vehicle speaker via the broadcasting device 35. Further, in the fare box 33, the numbered ticket issuing machine 37 and the IC card reader / writer 39, based on the input information of the next stop, for example, in the case of the fare box 33, the amount of money input by the passenger In the case of a checkout process in which the difference between the appropriate fare amount is displayed by comparing the number with the numbered ticket (numbered number) or the change is returned, or in the case of the numbered ticket issuing machine 37 or the IC card reader / writer 39 Performs a numbered ticket number setting process to be issued or written.

  Next, a configuration example of the fare display device 20 will be described. Here, in addition to FIG. 1, a block diagram of the fare display device 20 shown in FIG. 2 is also referred to. The fare display device 20 is a device that displays the fare amount corresponding to the numbered ticket number, and the appearance is configured such that the two-screen display 27 covers almost the entire surface of the thin box-shaped housing. The numbered ticket number is a number assigned in advance according to the boarding section that is the basis for calculating the fare, and the fare from the boarding section to the next stop is displayed on the fare display device 20 in accordance with this number.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the fare display device 20 mainly includes an MPU 21, a memory 22, a system bus 23, an input / output interface 25, a two-screen display 27, a GPS unit 28, a communication interface 29, and the like.

  The MPU 21 is an arithmetic processing unit that controls the fare display device 20, and is connected to the memory 22 and the input / output interface 25 via the system bus 23 and the like. The MPU 21, together with the memory 22, can correspond to a “previous stop distance determination unit”, “predetermined point distance calculation unit”, and “next stop information output control unit” described in the claims.

  The memory 22 is a semiconductor storage device that constitutes a main storage space used by the MPU 21, and includes, for example, a ROM serving as a program area and a DRAM allocated to a work area and a data area. The ROM refers to a system program (so-called OS) for controlling the fare display device 20, a fare display program for executing a fare display process, a stop information providing program for executing a stop information providing process described later, and these programs. Stop data (name information of each stop, management number, position information, etc.) is stored.

  The ROM of the memory 22 includes an electrically erasable EEPROM and a flash memory. The memory 22 can correspond to the “previous stop distance determination unit”, “predetermined point distance calculation unit”, and “next stop information output control unit” described in the claims together with the MPU 21. Further, since the memory 22 stores position information of each stop where the route bus 100 is scheduled to stop, the memory 22 may correspond to a “stop position storage unit” described in the claims.

  The input / output interface 25 is an interface device that mediates exchange of data by serial or parallel communication between the MPU 21 and the two-screen display 27, the GPS unit 28, the communication interface 29, and the like.

  The two-screen display 27 is a liquid crystal display device that enables left and right two-screen display. The two-screen display 27 is connected to the MPU 21 via the input / output interface 25 described above. In the present embodiment, for example, the amount information for the numbered ticket numbers 1 to 24 is displayed by the fare display processing by the fare display program. The left and right screens 27a and 27b are displayed, such a fare table is displayed on the left screen 27a, and the next stop guidance information is displayed on the right screen 27b. Since these display processes are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-65622, refer to this for details.

  The GPS unit 28 is a GPS receiver that receives a GPS signal from a GPS satellite via an antenna (not shown) and outputs positioning data, and is also referred to as a GPS module. The positioning data is absolute position information composed of latitude and longitude, and is output, for example, every second in this embodiment. The GPS unit 28 may correspond to a “current position acquisition unit” or “acquires absolute position information of a route bus using a global positioning system” described in the claims.

  The communication interface 29 is a serial communication interface that enables information communication with an external device, and conforms to a communication standard such as RS-232C or RS-422. In the present embodiment, for example, via the communication interface 29, in addition to the in-vehicle equipment such as the fare box 33, it is also connected to the stop guidance switch 31 and the control computer of the route bus 100, and the travel distance information from this control computer. Has been provided. Note that the travel distance information is relative position information of the route bus 100, and therefore can correspond to “current position information” described in the claims. The communication interface 29 may correspond to a “current position acquisition unit” recited in the claims.

  In the present embodiment, the MPU 21, the memory 22, and the like are each configured by an individual semiconductor device, but may be configured by a one-chip IC, a hybrid IC, or the like, such as an application specific IC (ASIC). Further, a part or all of the ROM constituting the memory 22 may be replaced with a magnetic disk storage device (HDD).

  As described above, the in-vehicle equipment such as the fare box 33 performs a predetermined operation based on the information of the next stop called “stop sending signal” or “progress signal” output from the stop guide switch 31. However, if the crew member forgets to operate the stop guidance switch 31, the contents of guidance by the in-vehicle equipment such as the fare box 33 will be different from the original ones. Therefore, in the fare display device 20 according to the present embodiment, the route bus 100 outputs the information of the next stop to the in-vehicle equipment at an output point that is a predetermined distance away from the previous stop where the route bus left or passed immediately before by the stop information providing process. . Hereinafter, a stop where the route bus 100 departed or passed immediately before is referred to as a “previous stop”.

  The stop information providing process by the fare display device 20 is realized by the MPU 21 executing the stop information providing program stored in the memory 22 described above. Therefore, the fare display device 20 can correspond to a “stop information providing device” described in the claims. Here, before describing the stop information providing process according to the present embodiment, an example of the stop information providing process according to the comparative example will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of stop information providing processing according to a comparative example.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the stop information providing process according to the comparative example, in-vehicle equipment at an output point ○ (white circle shown in FIG. 6) that is a predetermined distance X away from the previous stop α where the route bus departed or passed immediately before. The algorithm is configured to output information on the next stop β. In this configuration, if the distance Y from the output point ○ to the next stop β is sufficiently large, the next time the route bus travels such a distance Y, for example, “Next is β” Car broadcasts can be broadcast. That is, in-vehicle equipment can perform predetermined information processing before the route bus reaches the next stop β.

  However, when the distance between the previous stop and the next stop is very short (for example, several tens to 100 m), that is, when both the stops are close to each other, for example, the predetermined distance X described above is the distance between the two stops. When it is set to 100 m longer than d, the following problem may occur.

  For example, in the stop information providing process according to the comparative example, even when the distance d from the previous stop β to the next stop γ is 80 m, information on the next stop γ is output at the output point ○ of the predetermined distance X (100 m) from the previous stop β. Output. Therefore, before the route bus reaches the next stop γ, the information on the next stop γ is not output, and the information on the next stop γ is output at the point where the route bus has passed the next stop γ for 20 m. . As a result, before the route bus reaches the next stop γ, not only the in-vehicle equipment can perform the predetermined information processing, but also after leaving or passing through the next stop γ, Since the information is output, for example, in the fare display device, there is a problem that wrong fare information is provided to the passenger.

  In the stop information providing process according to the present embodiment, in addition to the problems described in the “Background Art” and “Problems to be Solved by the Invention” section, FIG. 3 and FIG. The algorithm shown in is taken. Here, with reference to FIGS. 3-6, the stop information provision process by the fare display apparatus 20 is demonstrated. 3 shows a flowchart showing the flow of the stop information providing process executed by the fare display device 20, and FIG. 4 shows a flowchart showing the flow of the threshold setting process shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the stop information providing process shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the stop information providing process by the fare display device 20, the initialization process is first performed in step S101. In this process, for example, the previous stop is set as the first station, the next stop after the first station is set as the next stop, and the previous state described later is set as unset. Further, a threshold value described later is set to a predetermined value (standard threshold value) set in advance. In addition, as a general initialization process, for example, the work area of the memory 22 is cleared with a predetermined value, or an initial value is set in a device driver such as the GPS unit 28 connected to the input / output interface 25.

  In step S103, current position information acquisition processing is performed. This process is a process of acquiring information related to the current position of the route bus 100, that is, current position information. For example, positioning data (absolute position information consisting of latitude and longitude) is acquired from the GPS unit 28, and travel distance information is acquired from the control computer of the route bus 100 via the communication interface 29. This travel distance information is, for example, the travel distance of the route bus 100 accumulated from the first station. In this embodiment, in order to improve the accuracy of the current position, the current position information is acquired from both the GPS unit 28 and the control computer of the route bus 100, but either one may be used.

  In subsequent step S105, processing for determining the current position is performed. This process is performed based on the current position information acquired in step S103 and the stop data (name information, management number, position information, etc. of each stop) stored in the memory 22. Specifically, based on the current position information of the route bus 100 and the position information of the previous stop, it is determined whether the route bus has left the peripheral area of the previous stop. For example, if the location information of each stop, such as the location information of the previous stop, is stored in the memory 22 as coordinate information based on latitude and longitude, as well as the current location information of the route bus 100, the coordinates of both are compared. To do. In this case, a linear distance connecting both points is obtained. Further, when the position information of each stop is stored in the memory 22 as an integrated value of the travel distance starting from the starting station, it is based on the travel distance information from the control computer that provides the travel distance from the starting station. Compare. In this case, the travel distance on the route connecting the two points can be obtained.

  The “peripheral area of the previous stop” is, for example, a range from the point of the previous stop to a point separated by about 20 m (for example, 15 to 25 m) in the direction in which the route bus 100 leaves or passes through the front stop. It is set in advance. The range of about 20 m is generally a range in which the route bus 100 travels after the route bus 100 departs from the previous stop until the crew member presses the stop guide switch 31 and performs an operation of outputting information on the next stop. It corresponds to.

  For example, if the route bus 100 is just after the departure from the first station (the previous stop) and the route bus 100 is located in the vicinity of the previous stop, that is, in the surrounding area (S105; in the surrounding area), step S107. The current state is set in the surrounding area. On the other hand, when the route bus 100 is 30 m or more away from the starting station (the previous stop) (S105; outside the surrounding area), the current state is set outside the surrounding area in step S108. In either case, the previous state and the current state are compared in the next step S109.

  That is, in this step S109, it is determined whether the route bus 100 remains in the surrounding area (or outside the surrounding area) or whether the route bus 100 has moved from inside the surrounding area to outside the surrounding area (or from outside the surrounding area to inside the surrounding area). . If the previous state and the current state are not the same (S109; No), the process proceeds to step S111. If the previous state and the current state are the same (S109; Yes), the process proceeds to step S121.

  In the previous example, since the previous state is not set by the initialization process in step S101, this corresponds to the case where the previous state and the current state are not the same (S109; No), and the process proceeds to step S111. Step S111 is a process of resetting the travel distance in order to measure the travel distance when the route bus 100 moves from within the surrounding area to outside the surrounding area (or from outside the surrounding area to inside the surrounding area). In this example, the movement distance is set to 0 (zero) as the reset process.

  In subsequent step S113, a threshold setting process is performed. This process sets a threshold value for determining whether or not to output the next stop information, and details thereof are shown in FIG. Therefore, it demonstrates from this, referring FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the threshold setting process, the current state is confirmed in step S201. That is, since this threshold value needs to be set when the route bus 100 leaves the peripheral area described so far, it is determined whether or not the current state is outside the peripheral area. If the current state is not outside the peripheral area (S201; No), the threshold setting process is immediately terminated and the process returns to the main routine. On the other hand, if the current state is outside the surrounding area by this determination (S201; Yes), the distance from the current position of the route bus 100 to the next stop is calculated in step S203.

  In the distance calculation processing at step S203, for example, when the position information of each stop is stored in the memory 22 as an integrated value of the travel distance starting from the starting station, from the starting station to the next stop. By subtracting the travel distance from the starting station of the route bus 100 from the distance, the distance (actual travel distance) on the route to the next stop is calculated. Further, when the position of the next stop is stored in the memory 22 as coordinate information based on latitude and longitude, the distance to the next stop as a linear distance connecting the two points can be obtained by comparing with the coordinate information of the current position. Calculated.

  When the distance calculated in step S203 is compared with a predetermined value (standard threshold value) set in advance, and the calculated distance to the next stop is smaller than this predetermined value (S205) Yes), 50% of the distance to the next stop calculated in step S207 is set as a new threshold (threshold = calculated value / 2). The calculated distance to the next stop is smaller than the standard threshold when the two stops are close to each other like the previous stop β and the next stop γ described with reference to FIG. Applicable. The distance X shown in FIG. 6 is a standard threshold value here.

  Note that what is set as a new threshold is not limited to 50% as long as it is less than the calculated distance to the next stop, and 50% (1/2) is merely an example. Therefore, other ratios (for example, between 30% and 70%) may be used. This ratio is based on a separation distance between adjacent stops, a speed limit of a road connecting these stops, or a route bus 100 traveling on the road. Since it depends on various parameters such as the recommended speed, it is set based on individual specific route bus 100 operation data, experiments, and computer simulation.

  Further, when the distance calculated in step S203 is compared with a predetermined value (standard threshold) set in advance, the calculated distance to the next stop is not smaller than this predetermined value ( S205; No), in other words, when the calculated distance to the next stop is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, a standard threshold is set as a new threshold in step S209 (threshold = predetermined value). That is, in this case, even if the information of the next stop is output at the standard threshold distance X as in the case of the previous stop α and the next stop β shown in FIG. It corresponds to the case of arriving at.

  When such a threshold setting process ends, the process returns to the main routine. From here, it demonstrates, referring FIG. 3 again. As shown in FIG. 3, when the threshold value setting process in step S113 is completed, the current state is set as the previous state in step S115, and then the process proceeds to step S103 again. Thereby, when it is determined by the determination process in step S109 that the route bus 100 remains in the surrounding area (or outside the surrounding area) (S109; Yes), the process proceeds to step S121 and the moving distance update process is performed. .

  The travel distance update process in step S121 is calculated by integrating the travel distance when the route bus 100 stays in the surrounding area (or outside the surrounding area), and the calculation result is compared with the threshold value in the next step S123. . This threshold value is set by the threshold value setting process described above. That is, if the distance from the current position to the next stop is smaller (closer) than a predetermined value (standard threshold) set in advance, 50% of the distance from the current position to the next stop is set as this threshold. If the distance from the current position to the next stop is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (standard threshold) set in advance, the standard threshold is set as this threshold.

  When the moving distance of the route bus 100 exceeds such a threshold value in step S123 (S123; Yes), it is confirmed in the subsequent step S125 that the current state is outside the peripheral area. That is, when the threshold value is exceeded, the next stop information output in step S127 is based on the premise that the route bus 100 exists outside the peripheral area of the previous stop.

  If the travel distance of the route bus 100 does not exceed such a threshold value in step S123 (S123; No), or if the current state is not out of the surrounding area (S125; No), both steps are performed in step S103. The processing is returned to and the current position information is acquired again. If both of the determination conditions in steps S123 and S125 are satisfied, that is, if the route bus 100 is outside the area around the previous stop and the moving distance exceeds the threshold, it is necessary to output information on the next stop. The process proceeds to step S127.

  In step S127, a stop sending signal transmission process is performed as a process for outputting information on the next stop. Here, similarly to the stop guidance switch 31 described above, a stop feed signal is transmitted to in-vehicle equipment such as a fare box 33 via the communication interface 29. This “stop sending signal” includes, for example, a stop number and a stop name as information on the next stop. As a result, in the in-vehicle equipment such as the fare box 33 that has received the stop sending signal, based on the stop number included therein, the display processing of the fare table paid when getting off at the next stop, the guidance processing of the next stop, etc. I do.

  In the subsequent step S128, a previous stop / next stop setting process is performed. In this process, the next stop is set as the previous stop, and the next stop after the next stop, that is, the next stop is set as the next stop. Thereby, the preparation for the next stop of the next stop is completed. For example, if the next stop is a terminal station and there are no stops one after another, the stop information providing process is terminated by the determination process in the next step S129 (S129; Yes). If there are stops one after another (S129; No), the process returns to step S103, and the current position information is acquired again. Thereby, processing at the next stop (previous stop) and the next stop (next stop) is continued.

  In this way, in the stop information providing process by the fare display device 20, as shown in FIGS. Based on the location information of the stop β, it is determined whether or not the route bus 100 has left the peripheral area K of the previous stop β (S105), and when it is determined that the route bus 100 has left the peripheral area K (S105; out of the peripheral area) ) If the information of the next stop γ is output at the predetermined distance X in the same manner as the output point ○ (white circle shown in FIG. 5) that is a predetermined distance X away from the previous stop α, the route bus 100 arrives at the next stop γ or When it is determined that the information of the next stop γ is output at the point ● (black circle shown in FIG. 5) after passing (S205; Yes), the route bus 100 from the current position to the next stop The predetermined distance (d ′ / 2) until the route bus 100 reaches the predetermined point ◎ (double circle shown in FIG. 5) before the next stop γ based on the required distance d ′ required to reach Is calculated. When the route bus 100 reaches the output point ◎ of the calculated predetermined point distance (d ′ / 2) from the current position, the information on the next stop γ is output to the in-vehicle equipment such as the fare box 33.

  As a result, since the information of the next stop is output at a predetermined point ◎ before the next stop instead of the output point ● that is a predetermined distance X away from the previous stop β, as a result of the next stop γ It is possible to prevent a situation in which information is not output. The current position information of the current position of the route bus 100 acquired by the GPS unit 28 and the communication interface 29 is used to determine whether the route bus 100 has left the peripheral area K of the previous stop β. , It is not used in the determination process of “calculated distance <predetermined value” or the calculation process of the predetermined point distance (d ′ / 2) in step S205. Therefore, even if an error is included in the current position information of the route bus 100, the influence is limited only to the determination as to whether or not the route bus 100 has left the peripheral area K of the previous stop β. Since it is difficult to require high accuracy, it is possible to make it less susceptible to errors in the information processing of the entire fare display device 20 (stop information providing device). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the fare display device 20 can reliably output the information of the next stop γ even if the stops β and γ are close to each other. In addition, an accurate fare display can be provided to the passenger.

  In the above-described embodiment, the information processing focusing on the moving distance of the route bus 100 after the route bus 100 has left the peripheral area of the previous stop is illustrated. However, for example, the route bus 100 is set to the peripheral area of the previous stop. It may be information processing paying attention to the travel time of the route bus 100 after the departure.

  That is, in the stop information providing process focusing on the travel time of the route bus 100, the MPU 21 and the memory 22 perform information processing as shown in FIGS. In this example, in the explanatory diagram shown in FIG. 5, after the route bus 100 has left the peripheral area K of the front stop β, there are cases where the horizontal axis is replaced with the time axis, and there is a case where it is described. I want.

  The fare display device 20 is based on the current location information of the route bus 100 acquired by the GPS unit 28 and the communication interface 29 and the location information of the previous stop β stored in the memory 22, and the route bus from the peripheral area K of the previous stop β. It is determined whether or not 100 has left (S105), and if it is determined that the route bus 100 has left the surrounding area K (S105; outside the surrounding area), the information of the next stop γ and the time of departure or passage from the previous stop α If the information is output with the information of the next stop γ after the lapse of a predetermined time in the same manner as the output time point ○ (white circle shown in FIG. 5) from the time point ●, the time point after the route bus 100 arrives or passes the next stop γ ( When it is determined that the information of the next stop γ is output at (black circle shown in FIG. 5) (S205; Yes), it is necessary for the route bus 100 to reach the next stop γ from the current position. Based on the required time d ', a predetermined point time (d' / 2) until the route bus 100 reaches a predetermined point ◎ (double circle shown in FIG. 5) before the next stop γ is calculated. Then, when the output point ◎ of the calculated predetermined point time (d ′ / 2) has elapsed from the time when the route bus 100 passed the current position, the information of the next stop γ is output to the in-vehicle equipment such as the fare box 33. .

  As a result, since the information of the next stop is output at a predetermined point ◎ before the next stop instead of the output time ● that is a predetermined distance X away from the previous stop β, as a result of the next stop γ It is possible to prevent a situation in which information is not output. The current position information of the current position of the route bus 100 acquired by the GPS unit 28 and the communication interface 29 is used to determine whether the route bus 100 has left the peripheral area K of the previous stop β. , It is not used in the determination process of “calculated distance <predetermined value” or the calculation process of the predetermined point distance (d ′ / 2) in step S205. Therefore, even if an error is included in the current position information of the route bus 100, the influence is limited only to the determination as to whether or not the route bus 100 has left the peripheral area K of the previous stop β. Since it is difficult to require high accuracy, it is possible to make it less susceptible to errors in the information processing of the entire fare display device 20 (stop information providing device). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the fare display device 20 can reliably output the information of the next stop γ even if the stops β and γ are close to each other. In addition, an accurate fare display can be provided to the passenger.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the peripheral area K of the previous stop is set to a predetermined range, but is not limited to a fixed range, for example, from the current position of the route bus 100 to the next stop Based on this distance, the boundary of the peripheral area K may be set so that the range of the peripheral area K of the previous stop increases as the distance increases. Further, such a range of the peripheral area K may be set in a plurality of stages, and the peripheral area K may be increased or decreased in steps (wide or narrow).

  As a result, if the distance from the current location of the route bus 100 to the next stop is long, the range of the peripheral area K of the previous stop is expanded, and if the distance from the current location of the route bus 100 to the next stop is short, the neighborhood of the previous stop The range of K is narrowed. For this reason, when the distance from the current location to the next stop is long, the adverse effect of excessively narrowing the surrounding area of the previous stop, for example, whether or not the route bus 100 has left the surrounding area K in step S105. When the distance from the current position to the next stop is short, an adverse effect caused by excessive expansion of the peripheral area K of the previous stop, for example, the next next It is possible to prevent the separation distance to the stop from being eroded more than necessary due to the expansion of the peripheral area K.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the information on the next stop is output before the route bus 100 stops at the next stop or passes through the next stop. However, the route bus 100 is not limited to the next stop. The present invention can also be applied to information processing in a case where the route bus 100 can pass through a specific point such as an intersection connected to 100 travel routes or an alerting point.

20 ... Fare display device (stop information providing device)
21 ... MPU (previous stop separation determination unit, predetermined point distance calculation unit, next stop information output control unit, predetermined point time calculation unit)
22 ... Memory (stop location storage unit, previous stop distance determination unit, predetermined point distance calculation unit, next stop information output control unit, predetermined point time calculation unit)
27 ... 2 screen display 28 ... GPS unit (current position acquisition unit)
29 ... Communication interface (current position acquisition unit)
31 ... Stop guide switch 33 ... Fare box (in-vehicle equipment)
35 ... Broadcasting equipment (equipment in the car)
37 ... Numbered ticket issuing machine (equipment in the car)
39 ... IC card reader / driver (equipment in the car)
100 ... Route bus d ... Distance d '... Required distance, required time K ... Surrounding area X ... Predetermined distance Y ... Distance α ... Previous stop β ... Previous stop, next stop γ ... Next stop, next stop

Claims (6)

A stop information providing device that is mounted on a route bus and outputs information on the next stop that the next bus is scheduled to stop next to the in-vehicle equipment at an output point that is a predetermined distance away from the previous stop that left or passed immediately before. ,
A current position acquisition unit for acquiring current position information of the current position of the route bus;
A stop location storage unit that stores location information of each stop where the route bus is scheduled to stop;
Based on the current position information acquired by the current position acquisition unit and the position information of the previous stop stored in the stop position storage unit, it is determined whether or not the route bus has left the peripheral area of the previous stop. The previous stop separation judgment section,
If it is determined by the previous stop separation determination unit that the route bus has moved away from the surrounding area, if the next stop information is output at the output point, the route bus has arrived or passed through the next stop. When it is determined that the information of the next stop is to be output, the route bus is moved to a predetermined point before the next stop based on the distance required for the route bus to reach the next stop from the current position. A predetermined point distance calculating unit for calculating a predetermined point distance until reaching,
When the route bus reaches the predetermined point distance calculated by the predetermined point distance calculation unit from the current position, a next stop information output control unit that outputs information on the next stop to the in-vehicle equipment,
A stop information providing device comprising: This is a stop information providing device that is mounted on a route bus and outputs information on the next stop that this route bus is scheduled to stop next to the in-vehicle equipment at the time when a predetermined time has elapsed from the time when it departed or passed through the previous stop. There,
A current position acquisition unit for acquiring current position information of the current position of the route bus;
A stop location storage unit that stores location information of each stop where the route bus is scheduled to stop;
Based on the current position information acquired by the current position acquisition unit and the position information of the previous stop stored in the stop position storage unit, it is determined whether or not the route bus has left the peripheral area of the previous stop. The previous stop separation judgment section,
If it is determined by the previous stop separation determination unit that the route bus is away from the surrounding area, if the information on the next stop is output at the time of the output, after the route bus arrives or passes through the next stop When it is determined that the information of the next stop is output, the route bus is moved to a predetermined point before the next stop based on the time required for the route bus to reach the next stop from the current position. A predetermined point time calculation unit for calculating a predetermined point time until reaching,
A next stop information output control unit that outputs the information of the next stop to the in-vehicle equipment when the predetermined point time calculated by the predetermined point time calculation unit has elapsed from the time when the route bus passes the current position; ,
A stop information providing device comprising:   The stop information providing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the current position acquisition unit acquires absolute position information of the route bus using a global positioning system as current position information of the route bus. .   3. The stop information according to claim 1, wherein the current position acquisition unit acquires relative position information of the route bus based on a travel distance of the route bus as current position information of the route bus. Providing device.   The boundary of the peripheral area is set such that the range of the peripheral area of the previous stop increases as the distance increases based on the distance from the current position of the route bus to the next stop. The stop information provision apparatus as described in any one of 1-4. A fare display device that is mounted on a route bus and displays a reference number determined in advance according to the boarding section that is the basis for calculating the fare and the fare from the boarding section corresponding to this reference number to the next stop. Comprising the stop information providing device according to any one of Items 1 to 5;
A fare display device that displays the fare based on information on the next stop output from the stop information providing device.

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