KR20040003807A - Method and system for providing bus information by using RF communication network - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A bus information method and system by using RF communication network are provided to increase the accuracy of the information and to reduce the communication charge in the wireless communication by additionally utilizing RF communication at a conventional communication structure. CONSTITUTION: A bus information method by using RF communication network includes the steps of: receiving(S603) a bus information from a terminal on the bus and a plurality distance information between the bus and the bus station through the RF communication network; determining the changes of the plurality of distance information; supplying(S607) the information of arrival of the bus at the bus station through the display device of the bus arrival guide device when the plurality of distance information is a descending order; and supplying(S607) bus departure information at the bus station through the display device of the bus arrival guide device when the plurality of distance information is an ascending order.

Description

Method and system for bus arrival guidance using RF network {Method and system for providing bus information by using RF communication network}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bus information system (BIS). In particular, an RF communication function is added to a terminal device installed on a bus and a bus arrival guidance period located at a bus stop in a bus arrival guidance system using GPS and a wireless communication network. The present invention relates to a bus arrival guidance system, which enables a bus arrival guide located at a bus stop to provide accurate bus arrival and departure information (BIS information) to passengers waiting at the stop in a more economical manner.

1 is a view showing the configuration of a conventional bus information system (BIS).

Referring to FIG. 1, a bus information system (BIS) includes a terminal device 103 in a bus 101, a bus arrival guide 111 at a bus stop, a control center 109, and a traffic information center 107. It is divided into four parts.

The terminal device 103 in the bus 101 collects and guides broadcasts of bus information and controls and guides bus stops using the collected bus information. Bus operation information collection is largely divided into GPS positioning system and beacon positioning system. The collected information is transmitted to the traffic information center 107 through a wired or wireless communication network, and the traffic information center 107 processes the collected information and transmits the information to the control center 107 and the bus arrival guide 111 through wired or wireless communication. send.

In the conventional bus arrival guidance system using GPS and a wireless communication network, the bus information is managed by the location information of the corresponding buses from the terminal device 103 of each bus 101 operating the corresponding route through the wireless communication network 105. When the information is transmitted to the information center 107 (hereinafter referred to as a center), the center 107 calculates bus arrival estimated time information of each stop of the corresponding line based on the location information of each bus collected, and uses the information to locate the bus located at the stop. It is configured to provide the BIS information to the passengers waiting at the stop by displaying the arrival guide 111 through a wired or wireless network.

In order to minimize the error of the information provided in the above-mentioned bus arrival guidance system, the frequency information transmission cycle of the bus terminal apparatus 103 is shortened to increase the number of times of communication to the center 107 and is also updated at the center 107. Stop arrival information should be transmitted to the bus arrival guide 111 from time to time. In addition, the BIS information should be provided in consideration of the waiting time of the bus 101 by the passengers getting on and off the bus 101. In particular, in the BIS information provided to the passengers waiting at the bus stop, information indicating that the bus 101 is just before the arrival of the stop and information indicating that the bus has just departed are very important. The designated point just before arrival of the stop and the point passing point must be specified to transmit location information from the bus terminal 103 to the center 107 at each point, and the center 107 immediately updates the updated BIS information. Transfer to the bus arrival guide 111 of the stop.

However, in order to provide the above BIS information, the cost burden due to the increase in the number of communication between the bus terminal apparatus 103 and the center 107, the center 107 and the bus arrival guide 111 is increased, and in particular, the center 107. In the case of using a wireless communication network between the bus arrival guide 111) and the cost will be even greater.

In addition, when a time delay occurs in the process of processing the information transmitted from the bus terminal device 103 to the center 107 immediately before the stop and transferring the information to the stop bus arrival guide 111, this results in incorrect information. It may be delivered to waiting passengers. Accordingly, in order to provide information indicating that the bus 101 is about to arrive at the stop and information indicating that the bus has just departed from the BIS information provided to the passengers waiting at the bus stop, the bus terminal device 103 to the center 107. It is more efficient and economical to transmit information directly from the bus terminal device 103 to the bus arrival guide 111 than to transfer the information in the order of the bus arrival guide 111.

Wireless communication is performed by PCS, cellular phone, pager, wireless LAN and RF, and wired communication is private line, internet, telephone line and the like.

In case of wireless communication, the burden of communication cost is high (except RF), and in case of wired communication, initial installation cost is high. In the case of the BIS using wireless communication, if the existing wireless communication network 105 is used in the process of transferring information from the bus terminal device 103 to the bus arrival guide 111, a separate communication cost burden is generated. In addition, since the communication cost and the accuracy of the information are proportional, there is a problem in the conventional wireless communication to increase the frequency of communication in order to increase the accuracy of the information.

The problem of conventional RF communication is that there is no directionality of signals due to the characteristics of RF, and communication failure occurs due to interference. In particular, in areas where RF communication modules are concentrated, the influence of interference is very large.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to apply a method of directly transmitting information through an RF communication network between a bus terminal device and a stop guide device in a bus arrival guidance system using a conventional GPS and a wireless communication network, without adding additional communication costs. By way of example, a bus arrival guidance method and apparatus for providing more accurate BIS information, including information informing the waiting passengers at the stop of the bus just before arrival and information indicating that the bus has just departed, is provided.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bus arrival guidance method and apparatus for reducing communication costs and increasing information accuracy in wireless communication by using RF communication as a secondary communication structure based on conventional wireless communication (PCS, cellular phone, pager). To provide.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a bus arrival guidance method and apparatus for finding and providing a bus direction, i.e., approach and departure, to a bus stop and avoiding interference of the RF communication module.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conventional bus information system (BIS).

2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a bus terminal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a view showing the configuration of a bus arrival guide according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 illustrates a bus arrival and departure signal transmission zone in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a diagram illustrating a display device of a bus arrival guide device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a bus information processing process through an RF communication network according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

101: bus 103: bus terminal device

105: wireless communication network 107: traffic information center

109: control center 111: bus arrival guide

203: GPS205: CPU

207: modem 209: RF transmission module

211: Memory 303: LCD / LED

305: CPU307: modem

309: RF receiving module 311: memory

According to an aspect of the present invention to achieve the above objects, the bus arrival information provided by the bus arrival information and departure information using the RF communication function in the bus terminal device installed in the bus and the bus arrival guidance period located at the bus stop The method may further include receiving bus information, a plurality of distance information between the bus and the bus stop from the bus terminal device through an RF communication network, determining a change of the plurality of distance information, and determining the plurality of distance information. If the distance information is in descending order, the arrival information of the bus is provided to the bus stop through the display device of the bus arrival guide, and if the plurality of distance information is in the ascending order, the departure of the bus to the bus stop. RF providing information through the display of the bus arrival guide A bus arrival guidance method using a communication network and an apparatus and system corresponding to the method may be provided.

The bus terminal device may include an RF transmission module. The RF transmission module may transmit the bus information and the distance information at a specific specific time.

The bus arrival guide may include an RF receiving module.

The determining of the change of the plurality of distance information may include determining whether each of the plurality of distance information belongs to a predetermined area around the bus stop, and determining whether the received distance information is in descending or ascending order. Determining may include.

The bus terminal device may transmit distance information one more time when the bus stays at the stop for a long time.

The bus information may include route information of the bus.

The distance information may include a distance between the bus and the bus stop.

The bus terminal apparatus may transmit the bus information and the plurality of distance information after receiving a synchronization signal from a global location system (GPS).

Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a bus terminal device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the bus terminal apparatus 103 provided in the bus 101 includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver 203, a central processing unit (CPU) 205, a modem 207, RF transmission module 209, memory 211 and the like.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a system that informs the satellite of its current position on Earth, and receives the signal from the GPS signal receiver 203 and converts it into positional information on its route map at the central processing unit 205. . The memory 211 stores and stores information such as the route number of the bus 101. GPS signal reception and its application are as known in the prior art, and since the bus 101 changes its position as it moves, the bus 101 repeatedly receives signals from the GPS at regular intervals, thereby providing location information of the bus 101 at that time. Yields.

An RF transmission module 209 is mounted on the bus terminal 103 for RF communication between the bus terminal 103 and the bus arrival guide 111 located at the bus stop. Here, the RF transmission module 209 may use an internal or external type, and is configured to be used in both directions as necessary.

3 is a view showing the configuration of a bus arrival guide according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the bus arrival guide 111 includes an LCD / LED (hereinafter referred to as a display device) 303, a central processing unit 305, a modem 307, a memory 311, and an RF receiving module 309. And the like.

The RF arrival module 309 is mounted on the bus arrival guide 111 for RF communication between the bus terminal device 103 and the bus arrival guide 111 located at the bus stop. Here, the RF receiving module 309 may use an internal type or an external type, and is configured to be used in both directions as necessary.

The RF receiving module 309 receives the bus information and the distance information transmitted from the RF transmitting module 209 of the bus terminal apparatus 103, and the central processing unit 305 uses the received bus information and the distance information. Departure information and arrival information (hereinafter, referred to as BIS information) are obtained, and an estimated arrival time of the bus is calculated. The display device displays the BIS information, the expected arrival time, and the like to the waiting passenger.

4 is a diagram illustrating a bus arrival and departure signal transmission zone according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the bus 401 approaches the bus stop 403, the bus terminal device 103 (see FIG. 1) in the bus 401 may use the bus arrival guide 111 provided at the bus stop 403. Bus information and distance information) are transmitted to the receiver.

The bus information is composed of the bus information and the bus ID of the bus 401, and may be composed of only the bus routes to reduce the size of data. In addition, the distance information is composed of the distance between the bus 401 and the stop 403, the stop ID (ID), the bus speed, and the direction of travel, and may be composed of only the distance to reduce the size of the data.

The time point at which the RF transmission module 209 (see FIG. 2) of the bus terminal apparatus 103 transmits travel information is when the bus 401 arrives at an area set around the bus stop 403.

The setting area around the stop 403 is divided into one or more zones by an area such as a circle, an ellipse or a polygon around the stop 403.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, there are three setting zones around the bus stop 403. Zones A, B, and C are areas 405, Ra to Rb 407, and Rb to Rc 409, which are distances Ra from bus stop 403, respectively. The RF transmission module 209 of the bus terminal apparatus 103 determines the bus information and the distance information Dc at the point (zone C) 409 where the bus 401 is the distance Rc-Rb from the stop 403, and Rb-Ra. At point (area B) 407, bus information and distance information Db are transmitted, and at point (area A) 405 at Ra-0, bus information and distance information Da are transmitted.

When the bus 401 approaches the stop 403, the RF reception module 309 (see FIG. 3) of the bus arrival guide 111 receives distance information in the order of Dc, Db, and Da. On the contrary, when the bus 401 leaves the stop 403, the bus 401 receives the distance information in the order of Da, Db, and Dc. Therefore, the bus arrival information is provided to the RF reception module 309 of the bus arrival guide 111 when the distance information is received in descending order, and the bus departure information is provided when the distance information is received in the ascending order.

Although the RF communication is not properly performed, even if the distance information is not transmitted in some areas, the method of providing arrival and departure information of the bus 401 using the remaining distance information is as follows.

When the distance information of Dc and Da is received in order, the arrival information of the bus 401 is provided, and when the Da and Dc information are received in order, the departure information of the bus 401 is provided. If the bus 401 stays at the stop 403 for a long time, the bus terminal apparatus 103 is configured to send the distance information Da one more time, so that the bus arrival guide 111 can more accurately determine the departure of the bus 401. Provide information.

The bus arrival guide 111 detects the corresponding route by using the received RF information, updates the BIS information on the corresponding route in the guide 111, and attaches the CRT, LCD, or LED light attached to the bus arrival guide 111. The station 403 is provided to the waiting passengers through the display device 303 (see FIG. 3).

Since the RF transmission module 209 mounted on each bus uses the same frequency, when several buses 401 send signals simultaneously, mutual interference occurs and transmission and reception of signals are impossible. The method to solve this problem was devised as follows.

In order to avoid simultaneous RF transmission, each RF transmission module 209 is transmitted at a specific time. That is, by dividing one second into two or more times, each RF transmission module 209 transmits each time at a corresponding time to avoid overlap with each other. To this end, time synchronization is required, which uses a synchronization signal generated every second from a GPS receiver connected to the bus terminal device 103.

When one second is divided into n times as an embodiment of the present invention, each time zone is referred to as t1, t2, ... tn. In this case, bus A of route A does not interfere with each other if it transmits in ta (an integer of 1 ≤ a ≤ n) and bus of line B in another time zone tb (an integer of 1 ≤ b ≤ n, a ≠ b). Will not.

In the case of the opposite stop, in order to avoid interference with the same route bus, the bus of route A can avoid the interference by transmitting in the time zone of tx (an integer of 0 ≦ x ≦ n, x ≠ a) at the opposite stop.

5 is a diagram illustrating a display device of a bus arrival guide device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the bus arrival guide 111 (see FIG. 1) may use the screen 501 of the display device 303 (see FIG. 3) to display a bus route number, a vehicle number, a departure stop, a number of remaining stops, and an arrival. A list 503, such as a scheduled time, may be provided to the waiting passenger.

The RF reception module 309 of the bus arrival guide 111 is the bus information such as the route information and the bus ID from the RF transmission module 209 of the bus terminal device 103 and the distance between the bus 401 and the stop 403. Receive distance information such as stop ID, bus speed and direction of travel.

The CPU 305 of the bus arrival guide 111 calculates information such as a bus route number, a vehicle number, a departure stop, the number of remaining stops, an estimated arrival time, and the like using the received bus information and distance information, and displays the display device 303. Is displayed on the screen 501.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a bus information processing process through an RF communication network according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the RF transmission module 209 (see FIG. 2) of the bus terminal apparatus 103 (refer to FIG. 1) may determine bus information and distance information from the bus stop 403 (see FIG. 4) for a predetermined time. Transmission is sequentially performed at intervals of S601. Then, the RF receiving module 309 (see FIG. 3) of the bus arrival guide 111 sequentially receives the bus information and the plurality of distance information (S603).

When the CPU 305 of the bus arrival guide 111 determines the driving direction and the route of the bus using the bus information and the plurality of distance information (S605), the display device 303 may obtain BIS information about the corresponding route. Provided to waiting passengers (S607).

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and many variations are possible by those skilled in the art within the spirit of the present invention.

As described above, according to the present invention, in the bus arrival guidance system using the GPS and the wireless communication network, by applying a method of directly transferring information through the RF communication network between the bus terminal device and the station guide device, it is economical without additional communication cost. The method may also provide a bus arrival guidance method and apparatus for providing waiting passengers at the stop to more accurate BIS information, including information indicating that the bus is about to arrive at the stop and indicating that the bus has just departed. .

In addition, according to the present invention, by using the RF communication in the communication structure based on the existing wireless communication (PCS, cellular phone, pager) as a secondary bus arrival guidance method and apparatus for reducing the communication cost and increase the accuracy of information in wireless communication Can be provided.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a bus arrival guidance method and apparatus which detects and provides a bus direction to a bus stop, that is, approach and departure, and avoids interference of the RF communication module.

Claims (11)

In the bus arrival guidance system, the bus arrival information provided by the bus arrival information and departure information using the RF communication function in the bus terminal device installed on the bus and the bus arrival guidance period located at the bus stop, Sequentially receiving bus information, a plurality of distance information between the bus and the bus stop from the bus terminal apparatus through an RF communication network; Determining a change in the plurality of distance information; If the plurality of pieces of distance information are in descending order, providing the arrival information of the bus to the bus stop through a display device of the bus arrival guide; And If the plurality of distance information is in the ascending order, providing the departure information of the bus to the bus stop through the display device of the bus arrival guide. Bus arrival guidance method using an RF communication network comprising a. The method of claim 1, The bus terminal device With RF transmission module Bus arrival guidance method using an RF communication network characterized in that. The method of claim 2, The RF transmission module Transmitting the bus information and the distance information at a specified specific time Bus arrival guidance method using an RF communication network characterized in that. The method of claim 1, The bus arrival guide With RF receiving module Bus arrival guidance method using an RF communication network characterized in that. The method of claim 1, The determining of the change of the plurality of distance information is Determining where each of the plurality of distance information belongs to a plurality of predetermined zones around the bus stop; Determining whether the received distance information is in descending or ascending order as a result of the determination; Comprising Bus arrival guidance method using an RF communication network characterized in that. The method of claim 1, The bus terminal device Sending the distance information one more time if the bus stays at the stop for a long time Bus arrival guidance method using an RF communication network characterized in that. The method of claim 1, The bus information is Including route information of the bus Bus arrival guidance method using an RF communication network characterized in that. The method of claim 1, The distance information is Comprising a distance between the bus and the bus stop Bus arrival guidance method using an RF communication network characterized in that. The method of claim 1, The bus terminal device Transmitting the bus information and the plurality of distance information after receiving a synchronization signal from a global location system (GPS) Bus arrival guidance method using an RF communication network characterized in that. In a bus arrival information system, a bus terminal device installed on a bus and a bus arrival information device providing bus arrival information and departure information using an RF communication function during a bus arrival guidance period located at a bus stop, Means for sequentially receiving bus information, a plurality of distance information between the bus and the bus stop from the bus terminal apparatus via an RF communication network; Means for determining a change in the plurality of distance information; Means for providing arrival information of the bus to the bus stop via the display device of the bus arrival guide when the plurality of distance information is in descending order as a result of the determination; And Means for providing departure information of the bus to the bus stop via the display device of the bus arrival guide when the plurality of distance information is in the ascending order. Bus arrival guidance device using an RF communication network having a. In the system for providing bus arrival and departure information (hereinafter referred to as BIS information) using the RF communication function in the bus terminal device installed on the bus and the bus arrival guidance period located at the bus stop, A memory in which a program is stored; A processor coupled with the memory to execute the program Including, The processor by the program, Sequentially receiving bus information, a plurality of distance information between the bus and the bus stop from the bus terminal apparatus through an RF communication network; Determining a change in the plurality of distance information; If the plurality of pieces of distance information are in descending order, providing the arrival information of the bus to the bus stop through a display device of the bus arrival guide; And Providing the departure information of the bus to the bus stop through the display device of the bus arrival guide when the plurality of distance information is in the ascending order as a result of the determination. Bus arrival guidance system using the RF network to run the.