JP7475651B2 - Railroad vehicle monitoring system, railroad vehicle, monitoring device, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a railway vehicle monitoring system, a railway vehicle, a monitoring device, and a program.

Traditionally, there are known railway cars equipped with automatic broadcasting devices that automatically broadcast announcements such as departures from stations, arrivals, doors opening sides, transfers, etc. (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Also known is a train that includes a storage unit that stores automatic broadcast data, a data acquisition unit that acquires, via wireless communication, change data for changing the automatic broadcast data stored in the storage unit, and a control unit that changes the automatic broadcast data stored in the storage unit based on the change data acquired by the data acquisition unit, the storage unit having a rewritable area that stores data that needs to be rewritten among the automatic broadcast data, and a non-rewriteable area that stores data that does not need to be rewritten, and the data acquisition unit that acquires the change data including data already stored in the rewritable area (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2007-216709 A JP 2018-137598 A

Conventionally, each piece of equipment that makes up the broadcasting facilities inside trains has a lifespan, and trains have had to be stopped periodically at inspection stations to carry out maintenance work such as inspection and replacement. In addition, in the event of a malfunction, the train containing the malfunctioning equipment, or the train set including that train, would return to the base to confirm the symptoms and diagnose and identify the location of the malfunction. For this reason, parts were ordered, units were replaced, or repairs were started only after the location of the malfunction had been identified. Depending on the stock situation of parts and units, it could take physical time to obtain them.

The present invention aims to provide a railway vehicle monitoring system, railway vehicle, monitoring device, and program that can identify faulty parts of equipment installed on the railway vehicle while the railway vehicle is in operation.

One aspect of the present invention is a monitoring system for a railway vehicle, the monitoring system including a railway vehicle and a monitoring device that wirelessly communicates with the railway vehicle, the railway vehicle including a transmitter that transmits first information to the monitoring device while the railway vehicle is in operation, the first information including information indicating the state of a device in which a fault has been detected and installation location-related information regarding the installation location of the device in the railway vehicle, and the monitoring device including a receiver for the first information and an alarm unit that alarms the first information.

In the monitoring system, the installation location related information may include information indicating the vehicle in which the equipment in which the fault was detected is located among two or more vehicles that make up the railroad car. The installation location related information may also include information indicating the position of the equipment in the vehicle in which the fault was detected.

In the monitoring system, the monitoring device may further include a transmitting device that, after receiving the first information, transmits to the railway vehicle a request to send information indicating the status of the equipment in which the fault was detected, the receiving device receives second information transmitted from the railway vehicle in response to the transmission request, the second information including information indicating the status of the equipment in which the fault was detected, and the notification unit may notify the second information.

Another aspect of the present invention is a railway vehicle that wirelessly communicates with a monitoring device, the railway vehicle including a monitoring unit that monitors the status of equipment provided on the railway vehicle, and a transmission unit that, when a failure of the equipment is detected, transmits first information to the monitoring device while the railway vehicle is in operation, the first information including information indicating the status of the equipment and installation location related information regarding the installation location of the equipment on the railway vehicle.

Another aspect of the present invention is a monitoring device that wirelessly communicates with a railway vehicle, the monitoring device including a receiving device that receives first information, the first information including information indicating the state of an equipment in the railway vehicle in which a fault has been detected and installation location-related information regarding the installation location of the equipment in the railway vehicle, transmitted while the railway vehicle is in operation, and a notification unit that notifies the first information.

Another aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer of a railway vehicle, which communicates wirelessly with a monitoring device, to execute a process of monitoring the status of equipment provided on the railway vehicle, and a process of transmitting, when a fault in the equipment is detected, first information including information indicating the status of the equipment and installation location related information regarding the installation location of the equipment on the railway vehicle to the monitoring device while the railway vehicle is in operation.

Another aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer of a monitoring device that wirelessly communicates with a railway vehicle to receive first information, the first information including information indicating the state of an appliance in the railway vehicle in which a fault has been detected and installation location-related information regarding the installation location of the appliance in the railway vehicle, transmitted while the railway vehicle is in operation, and a process of reporting the first information. Other aspects of the present invention may include inventions of methods having similar characteristics to the monitoring system, railway vehicle, and monitoring device.

According to the present invention, it is possible to identify the location of a fault in equipment installed on a railway vehicle while the railway vehicle is in operation.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a monitoring system for a railway vehicle. FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the server and the terminal. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in a railway vehicle. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in the server. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in the terminal.

Below, a railway vehicle monitoring system, railway vehicle, monitoring device, and program according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The configuration of the embodiment is an example, and the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of a railway vehicle monitoring system. In FIG. 1, the monitoring system includes a railway vehicle 10 to be monitored, a server 2 capable of wireless communication with the railway vehicle 10, and a terminal 3 connected to the server 2. The server 2 and the terminal 3 constitute a "monitoring device."

The railway vehicle 10 is a four-car train (N+1=4) consisting of cars 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d. However, the number of cars that make up the train is not important. The railway vehicle 10 is equipped with various pieces of equipment, such as an in-car public address system that broadcasts audio within the vehicle, an emergency notification system that allows passengers to notify the driver of an emergency, and a security camera system that records the situation inside the vehicle with a camera.

In the example shown in Fig. 1, an in-vehicle public address system is illustrated as an example of equipment. The in-vehicle public address system includes an automatic public address device 100, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 102, a storage device 102A, a control amplifier (C.AMP) 103, an output amplifier (power amplifier: P.AMP) 104, and an in-vehicle speaker 105, which are installed in the vehicle 10a. The output amplifier 104 and the in-vehicle speaker 105 are also provided in each of the vehicles 10b, 10c, and 10d.

The storage device 102A includes a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk, and an SSD (Solid State Drive).
), flash memory, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only
The internal memory stores programs and data executed by the CPU 102.

The CPU 102 controls the operation of the automatic broadcasting device 100 according to a program stored in the storage device 102A. The CPU 102 acquires information about train operation from a train information management system (INTEROS (INTegrated Train ommunication networks for Evolvable Railway Operation System), TIMS (Train Information Management System), MON, etc.) and starts execution of the automatic broadcasting program at a predetermined timing based on the information.

By executing the automatic broadcast program, for example, the CPU 102 reads out pre-stored audio data for automatic broadcasting from the storage device 102A, converts it to an analog audio signal, and connects it to the control amplifier 103 of the vehicle 10a. The control amplifier 103 amplifies the audio signal and connects it to the output amplifier 104. The output amplifier 104 amplifies the audio signal, and a broadcast audio based on the amplified audio signal is emitted from the in-vehicle speaker 105. In addition, the audio data is transmitted to vehicles 10b, 10c, and 10d other than the vehicle 10a via the in-vehicle network 107, converted into an analog signal, and connected to the output amplifiers 104 of the vehicles 10b, 10c, and 10d. Then, the same audio as the audio broadcast in the vehicle 10a is emitted from the in-vehicle speakers 105 of the vehicles 10b, 10c, and 10d. In this way, the same content can be broadcast in all of the vehicles 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d.

The audio data may be pre-stored in the storage device 102A, or may be audio data generated in real time by the automatic broadcasting device 100 generating and editing text data and then performing voice synthesis on the edited text data.

The CPU 102 also operates as a monitoring unit that monitors the status of multiple devices in the railway vehicle 10. The CPU 102 periodically collects information (referred to as status information) indicating the status (operation) of the multiple devices via the in-vehicle network 107 (wired LAN, wireless LAN, etc.).

In this embodiment, a plurality of output amplifiers 104 (#1, ..., #N, #N+1) are illustrated as an example of a plurality of devices. However, the devices may be other than the output amplifiers 104. The plurality of devices may be the same type of devices or different types of devices. Also, it is not a requirement that the devices be installed in each vehicle. This includes cases where two or more devices are installed in one vehicle, and cases where a device is installed in some vehicles and not installed in other vehicles. The devices may also be called machines, equipment, etc.

The CPU 102 operates as a recording unit, and stores information indicating the respective states of the multiple devices collected from the cars 10a to 10d as a chronological log in the storage device 102A. The CPU 102 stores the state information in association with information relating to the installation location of the devices. The installation location information is, for example, the train number of the railcar 10, information identifying the car in which the output amplifier 104 is installed (e.g., the car number), information indicating the installation position or location of the device within the car, the type of device, and unique information (identifier) of the device. The installation location information may be any information as long as it contributes to identifying the installation location.

The vehicle 10a is also provided with an in-vehicle server 106. The in-vehicle server 106 is provided to provide services to passengers. For example, the in-vehicle server 106 is used to provide a service in which broadcast data in multiple languages is distributed via the in-vehicle network 107 to the terminals (such as smartphones and tablet terminals) of passengers in each of the vehicles 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d, and the passengers can listen to or view the broadcast content using the broadcast data in their desired language selected from multiple languages.

The CPU 102 can also communicate with the server 2 using a communication interface (communication IF) 101 provided in the railway vehicle 10. The communication IF 101 conforms to or complies with a specific wireless communication standard (LTE, 5G, wireless LAN (WiFi), BLE, etc.) and exchanges (transmits and receives) data with the server 2.

The CPU 102 collects and records the above-mentioned status information while the railcar 10 is in commercial operation (during driving), and determines whether or not there is a malfunction (fault) in the equipment based on the status information. During driving, the state includes when the railcar 10 is traveling between stations, when it is temporarily stopped at a station or between stations, and when it is traveling between a station and a depot or garage.

When the CPU 102 determines that a device is malfunctioning (when it detects a device malfunction), it performs a process of transmitting status information of the device in which the malfunction was detected and installation location related information related to this status information to the server 2 using the communication IF 101. In addition, when the CPU 102 receives a request to transmit status information from the server 2, it performs a process of reading a log of the status information according to the request from the storage device 102A and transmitting it to the server 2.

Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of the server 2 and the terminal 3. In Figure 2, the server 2 is configured using a dedicated or general-purpose information processing device (computer), such as a server machine, a personal computer (PC), or a workstation (WS). The server 2 includes a processor 21 as a processing unit or control unit (controller), a storage device 22, a communication interface (communication IF) 23, an input device 24, and a display 25, which are interconnected via a bus 26. The server 2 may be configured from a single information processing device (computer), or may be a collection (cloud) of two or more information processing devices.

The memory device 22 can be the same as the memory device 102A, and is used as a storage area for programs and data, a program expansion area, a program working area, and a buffer area for communication data, etc.

The communication IF 23 is a circuit that performs communication processing, and is responsible for communication with the communication IF 101 of the railway vehicle 10 and the terminal 3. The communication IF 23 operates as a "transmitter" and a "receiver". The communication IF 23 is a communication circuit that conforms to or complies with the specified wireless communication standard described for the communication IF 101. The server 2 may communicate with the terminal 3 using a wired communication line.

The input device 24 includes at least one of, for example, a key, a button, a pointing device, a touch panel, etc., and is used to input information. The display 25 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, etc., and displays information and data. The processor 21 is, for example, a CPU. The processor 21 executes various programs stored in the storage device 22, thereby performing various processes for the server to operate as a monitoring device.

For example, the processor 21 transmits a request for transmitting status information to the railway vehicle 10 (communication IF 101) in accordance with an instruction (setting) from the terminal 3.
When a fault report is received from terminal 1, a process is performed to generate a report in a prescribed format and transmit it to terminal 3. The fault report includes status information of the equipment in railcar 10 in which the fault was detected and information related to the installation location of the equipment. The fault report is an example of "first information".

The terminal 3 is a terminal for operating the server 2. The terminal 3 is, for example, a smart device (such as a smartphone or tablet terminal), a laptop-type personal computer (PC), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wearable computer, or other portable terminal (portable communication terminal). However, the terminal 3 may be a fixed terminal. The terminal 3 may be a general-purpose terminal or a dedicated terminal.

The terminal 3 includes a processor 31, a storage device 32, a communication interface (communication IF) 33, an input device 34, a display 35, and a speaker 36, which are interconnected via a bus 36. The processor 31, the storage device 32, the communication IF 33, the input device 34, and the display 35 can each be similar to those described for the processor 21, the storage device 22, the communication IF 23, the input device 24, and the display 25. However, depending on differences in the application and purpose of use, etc., devices with different performance than those applied to the server 2 are applied.

The processor 31 executes various programs stored in the storage device 32 to perform various processes for operating as a "monitoring device." The processor 31 is an example of a "processing unit." The communication IF 33 is an example of a "receiving unit" and a "transmitting unit."

For example, the processor 31 accepts setting information for the transmission of status information, which is input by the operator of the terminal 3 using the input device 34. The setting information includes settings for receiving status information periodically or on an ad hoc basis. In a setting for receiving status information periodically, the server 2 periodically transmits a request to transmit status information. In a setting for receiving status information on an ad hoc basis, the server 2 transmits a request to transmit status information only once. The setting information is input by specifying, for example, the train number, car number, and device identifier.

Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the CPU 102 in the railway vehicle 10. The processing in Figure 3 is performed periodically. However, it may also be started upon receiving an instruction to execute it. Also, the processing shown in Figure 3 shows processing for one device, and the processing in Figure 3 is executed for each of multiple devices. In step S01, the CPU 102 acquires status information for each device to be monitored, associates the status information with installation location related information, and stores it in a log in the storage device 102A.

In step S02, the CPU 102 checks the state (operation) of the device from the state information, and in step S03, the CPU 102 determines whether or not there is a malfunction in the device. If the current state is not normally possible, or if a numerical value related to the state or operation is outside the normal range, the CPU 102 determines that there is a malfunction (fault).

If it is determined in step S03 that there is a malfunction (if a malfunction is detected), the process proceeds to step S05, and if it is determined that there is no malfunction (if the malfunction is normal), the process proceeds to S04. In step S04, the CPU 102 determines whether a request to send status information has been received from the server 2. If a request to send status information has been received, the process proceeds to step S05, and if not, the process returns to step S01.

In step S05, the CPU 102 performs a process of transmitting the status information to the server. When the CPU 102 performs the process of S05 in response to the determination that there is a malfunction, the CPU 102 reads the status information at that time and the installation location related information corresponding to the status information from the storage device 102A, and transmits this information as a malfunction notification to the communication IF 101. The communication IF 101 transmits the malfunction notification to the server 2.

When the CPU 102 performs the process of S05 in response to a transmission request, it reads from the storage device 102A the status information in the log corresponding to the time specified in the transmission request and the installation location related information corresponding to the status information, and sends them as a status notification to the communication IF 101. The communication IF 101 sends the status notification to the server 2. When step S05 ends, the process returns to step S01. The status notification is an example of "second information".

Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the processor 21 of the server 2. In step S101, the processor 21 determines whether or not a fault notification transmitted from the communication IF 101 of the railway vehicle 10 has been received. If it is determined that a fault notification has been received, the process proceeds to step S105, and if not, the process proceeds to step S102.

In step S102, the processor 21 determines whether there is a setting for acquiring status information (log) from the terminal 3 (whether such setting information is set). If it is determined that there is a setting, the process proceeds to S103, and if not, the process returns to step S101.

In step S103, the processor 21 performs processing to transmit a request to transmit status information to the railway vehicle 10. The request to transmit status information includes information for identifying the equipment for which the log is desired to be acquired, such as the train number, car number, and equipment identifier, and information for identifying the desired log (status information) (such as recording time). This information is used by the CPU 102 to acquire the corresponding log. The request to transmit status information is transmitted from the communication IF 23 and received by the communication IF 101 of the railway vehicle 10. Processing then proceeds to step S104.

In step S104, the processor 21 determines whether or not a status notification has been received from the railway vehicle 10. If it is determined that a status notification has been received, the process proceeds to step S105, and if it is determined that a status notification has not been received, the process of step S104 loops.

In step S105, the processor 21 stores the information contained in the fault notification or status notification in the storage device 22. In step S106, the processor 21 performs processing to generate a report in which the information contained in the fault notification or status notification is written (expanded) in a specified format, and transmit the report to the terminal 3. The terminal 3 can receive the report from the server 2 via the network 4. In this way, the processor 21 operates as a processing unit that performs processing to notify the fault notification or status notification.

Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the processor 31 of the terminal 3. In step S201, the processor 31 determines whether a report has been received from the server 2. If it is determined that a report has been received, the process proceeds to S202, and if not, the process of S201 loops.

In step S202, the processor 31 displays the report on the display 35. This allows the contents of the fault notification or status notification, i.e., installation location-related information such as the train number, car number, device location within the vehicle, and device identifier, and status information indicating the device's status (operation), to be notified to the user of the terminal 3 (such as the manager of the railway vehicle 10 who inspects the railway vehicle 10, etc.).

In step S203, the processor 31 determines whether or not settings related to the request to transmit status information are required. For example, information inquiring about whether settings are required is displayed on the display 35, and the processor 31 waits for the user to input a response using the input device 34. If the response input indicates that settings are required, it is determined that settings are required, and the process proceeds to step S204. If the response input indicates that settings are not required, it is determined that settings are not required, and the process returns to step S201.

In step S204, the processor 31 accepts setting information related to the request to transmit status information (train number, car number, equipment identifier, regular transmission, spot transmission, etc.) from the user of the terminal 3 (such as the manager of the railway vehicle 10). The setting information is transmitted from the communication IF 33 via the network 4 to the server 2, and the server 2 performs processing related to the request to transmit status information in accordance with the setting information (processing of transmitting a transmission request at a frequency and timing in accordance with the setting information). Note that in this embodiment, an example has been shown in which a malfunction notification is transmitted from the railway vehicle 10 even without an inquiry from the server 2. In contrast, a malfunction notification may be transmitted from the railway vehicle 10 in response to an inquiry from the server 2.

According to the railway vehicle 10 according to the embodiment, the CPU 102 of the railway vehicle 10 monitors the operation of the multiple output amplifiers 104. For example, when the output amplifier 104 (P.AMP#N) installed in the N=3rd car 10c breaks down during commercial operation of the railway vehicle 10, the CPU 102 performs a process of sending a fault notification to the server 2, the fault notification including the train number of the railway vehicle 10 (for example, train number "ABC"), specific information of the car having the faulty output amplifier 104 (car number N=3), installation location related information including the identifier of the faulty output amplifier 104, and status information of the faulty output amplifier 104. The server 2 then receives the fault notification and sends the information included in the fault notification to the terminal 3 as a process for notifying the fault notification, and the terminal 3 displays information indicating the contents of the fault notification on the display 35.

By reporting the status information and the installation location related information in this way, it is possible to remotely identify the train (formation) in which the fault occurred, the car with the faulty equipment, its location within the car, the faulty equipment, and the like, for a railway vehicle 10 in commercial operation (in operation). Furthermore, based on the status information, the user can determine whether commercial operation needs to be immediately halted, or whether commercial operation should be continued on that day and repairs should be performed after it is completed. Also, by setting the system to periodically send a request to send status information after a fault is notified, it is possible to receive status notifications periodically and determine the extent of the fault or faults in other locations based on changes in the status information over time. Furthermore, being able to identify the location of the fault allows for efficient preparation for repairs and arrangement of parts. This can reduce the time and efficiency of repair work.

In addition, by monitoring the total operating hours of the railway vehicle 10 (which can be calculated from the power-on time) as status information and performing maintenance, inspection, and part replacement before a part failure occurs, it is possible to prevent failures from occurring. In addition, in this embodiment, information related to failures is sent to the server 2 as status information, but audio information broadcast inside the railway vehicle 10 and images of the inside and outside of the vehicle captured by a camera in a security camera system can also be sent to the server 2 and made audible and visible on the terminal 3. The configuration of the embodiment described above can be modified as appropriate without departing from the purpose of the present invention.

2: Server 3: Terminal 10: Railway vehicle 100: Automatic broadcasting device 102: CPU
104: Output amplifier 105: In-vehicle speaker 107: In-vehicle network

Claims (7)

a railway vehicle; and a monitoring device that wirelessly communicates with the railway vehicle;
the railway vehicle includes a transmission unit that transmits, to the monitoring device while the railway vehicle is in operation, first information including information indicating a state of a device in which a fault has been detected and installation location related information regarding an installation location of the device in the railway vehicle;
the monitoring device includes a receiving device for the first information, a processing device that performs processing to notify the first information, and a transmitting device that transmits, after receiving the first information, a transmission request for information indicating a state of the equipment in which the fault has been detected to the railway vehicle;
the receiving device receives second information including status information in a log corresponding to a time specified in the transmission request and installation location related information corresponding to the status information in the log;
The processing unit performs a process of notifying the second information.
Rail vehicle monitoring system. 2. The railway vehicle monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the installation location related information includes information indicating a vehicle in which the equipment in which the fault has been detected is located, among two or more vehicles that make up the railway vehicle. 3. The railway vehicle monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the installation location information includes information indicating a position of the device in the vehicle in which the failure was detected. A railway vehicle that wirelessly communicates with a monitoring device,
A monitoring unit that monitors a state of equipment provided in the railway vehicle;
a transmission unit that, when a failure of the device is detected, transmits first information, the first information including information indicating a state of the device and installation location related information regarding an installation location of the device on the railway vehicle, to the monitoring device while the railway vehicle is in operation ;
when a transmission request for information indicating a state of the equipment in which the failure has been detected is received from the monitoring device after the transmission of the first information, the transmission unit transmits second information including state information in a log corresponding to a time specified in the transmission request and installation location related information corresponding to the state information in the log.
Railway vehicle. A monitoring device that wirelessly communicates with a rail vehicle,
a receiving device that receives first information, the first information including information indicating a state of a device in the railway vehicle in which a fault has been detected and installation location related information regarding an installation location of the device in the railway vehicle, the first information being transmitted while the railway vehicle is in operation;
a processing unit that performs processing to notify the first information;
a transmitting device that transmits, after receiving the first information, a request for transmitting information indicating a state of the equipment in which the fault has been detected to the railway vehicle;
Including,
the receiving device receives second information including status information in a log corresponding to a time specified in the transmission request and installation location related information corresponding to the status information in the log;
The processing unit performs a process of notifying the second information.
Surveillance equipment. The train's computer communicates wirelessly with the monitoring device.
A process of monitoring a state of equipment installed in the railway vehicle;
a process of transmitting, when a failure of the device is detected, first information including information indicating a state of the device and installation location related information regarding an installation location of the device on the railway vehicle to the monitoring device while the railway vehicle is in operation;
a process of transmitting, when a request for transmission of information indicating the state of the equipment in which the failure has been detected is received from the monitoring device after the transmission of the first information, second information including status information in a log corresponding to a time specified in the transmission request and installation location related information corresponding to the status information in the log;
A program that executes the following. The computer of the monitoring device that wirelessly communicates with the railway vehicle
receiving first information transmitted during operation of the railcar, the first information including information indicating a state of a device in the railcar in which a fault has been detected and installation location related information regarding an installation location of the device in the railcar;
a process of notifying the first information ;
a process of transmitting, after receiving the first information, a request for transmitting information indicating a state of the equipment in which the fault was detected to the railway vehicle;
receiving second information including status information in a log corresponding to a time specified in the transmission request and installation location related information corresponding to the status information in the log;
a process of notifying the second information;
A program that executes the following.

Images