WO2016188699A1

WO2016188699A1 - Method and system for determining a piece of information concerning the comfort level of a rail vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2016188699A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/059368
Authority: WO
Inventors: Olivier CARDIN; Paola TOVOLI; Renée BOUBOUR; Guiseppe ATTOMA PEPE; Yuliya SAMUL; Stéphanie LUNAZZI
Original assignee: Metrolab
Priority date: 2015-05-26
Filing date: 2016-04-27
Publication date: 2016-12-01
Also published as: FR3036824A1; FR3036824B1

Abstract

Said method consists of: counting a number of passengers boarding and a number of passengers alighting from each subway car (M_j) stopped at a previous station (S_i) by means of acquisition means (30); determining a current load of each car (V_jk) when it exits the previous station (S_i); calculating an estimated load at the time when the rail vehicle exits the next station (S_i+1); generating a comfort level of each car from the estimated load; and displaying, by display means (40) equipping the next station (S_i+1), a graph corresponding to the comfort level of each car.

Description

Method and system for determining comfort level information of a railway vehicle

The subject of the invention is that of methods and systems for determining comfort level information of a railway vehicle.

The document US 2013 0268148 A1 discloses a system comprising acquisition means, embarked on board each car of a train, clean, in the moments following the departure of a station, to count the number of travelers present in each train car.

By means of adapted radiocommunication means, the number of passengers present in each car of the train is transmitted to a central processing, on the ground. He then determines, by car, information, called congestion, by subtracting from the number of travelers present in this car, an estimate of the number of travelers to get off the car at the next station.

This congestion information is displayed on screens at the next station.

A traveler waiting for the train at the next station then positions himself along the platform according to the car on which he wishes to ride given the congestion information. The traveler is thus encouraged to board a car whose congestion information is low.

This congestion information is however not representative of the comfort that the user will find once mounted on the train. For example, if the congestion information of a car is low so that it encourages a large number of travelers to board this car, it will eventually be crowded when leaving the station. The travel conditions will not be comfortable.

In addition, congestion information may be incompatible with efficient operation of the line. Indeed, if a car has low congestion information, more travelers will be massing at a particular place of the dock in order to get into the car. When the train stops at the station, the transfer time, corresponding to the time required for the passengers to get off the train, then to other travelers to board the train, may be longer for this car. As a result, the station stopping time is extended. This is not acceptable for the operator of the line, which seeks to have stationary downtime controlled, constant and preferably the shortest possible, to increase the regularity of operation of the line. In addition, the fact that travelers are massing at a place on the wharf to access a car leads to an imbalance in the distribution of passengers along the wharf, which can present problems for the flow of passengers on the wharf, even security issues.

Consequently, noting that the congestion information does not allow him to optimize his transport conditions, the traveler will not use it. The goal of setting up such a system will not be achieved.

The invention therefore aims to overcome these problems, including a method and a system for delivering, in real time, comfort level information representing, reliably, the comfort that a traveler is likely to find in each car of the next train, while satisfying optimal operating conditions.

The subject of the invention is a method for determining comfort level information of a rail vehicle traveling along a line, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: counting a number of passengers traveling up and a number of passengers descending from each car of the railway vehicle stopped at a previous station by means of acquisition equipment equipping the station; determining a current load information of each car of the vehicle at the time when said railway vehicle leaves the preceding station, based on the number of passengers traveling and the number of descending passengers counted; calculating estimated load information at the time the rail vehicle leaves the next station, based on the current load information corrected by an average number of passengers to be lowered from the car to the next station and an average number of passengers to climb to the next station. edge of the car considered at the next station; developing a comfort level information of each car from the estimated load information; and displaying, by display means equipping the next station, a graph corresponding to the comfort level information of each car.

According to particular embodiments, the method comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken separately or in any technically possible combination:

- the average number of passengers traveling from the car to the next station and the average number of passengers to board the car at the next station are derived from a history of the number of passengers traveling and the number of passengers descending from each car of railway vehicles having stopped at the following station, counted by means of acquisition (30) equipping the following station;

the comfort level information is converted by thresholding into a range of colors reflecting the various levels of comfort;

the estimated load information being an estimated number of passengers, the comfort level information of each car corresponds to the selection, from the estimated number of passengers, of a mapping of occupation of the said car among a number of passengers; a plurality of occupancy maps, an occupancy map corresponding to a representation of a occupancy density as a function of a position within said car;

- The comfort level information is corrected according to the average flow of passengers on the platform of the next station.

The invention also relates to a system for determining comfort level information of a rail vehicle traveling along a line, characterized in that it is suitable for implementing a method according to the preceding method .

According to particular embodiments, the system comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken separately or in any technically possible combination:

each station of the line includes acquisition means capable of counting a number of ascending passengers and a number of travelers descending from each car of a railway vehicle stopped in said station;

each station of the line is equipped with display means comprising at least one strip extending along the platform and capable of displaying said graphic corresponding to the comfort level information of each of the cars of the next rail vehicle in front of stop in said station;

each station of the line is equipped with display means comprising at least one announcement screen, situated upstream of the accesses to the wharf, and suitable for displaying said graph corresponding to the comfort level information of each of the cars of the next railway vehicle to stop in said station;

each station of the line comprises secondary means of acquisition suitable for detecting the passengers present on the platform of said station.

The invention and its advantages will be better understood on reading the detailed description which follows of a particular embodiment given solely by way of nonlimiting example, this description being made with reference to the appended drawings, in which: - Figures 1 and 2 are schematic representations of the system according to the invention; and,

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the method implemented by the system of FIGS. 1 and 2.

A system 10 for determining the comfort level of each car of a railway vehicle will be presented with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 for the particular case of a subway line.

The system 10 is intended to equip a subway line 12. This comprises a track 14 and a plurality of stations, S ,, provided along the track 14 to allow passengers to go up and down metros, M, , traveling on track 14.

In FIG. 1, five stations S ₁ to S ₅ are represented, the stations S ₁ and S ₅ being terminal stations of the line. The subways move on line 12 in the direction to pass from the station Si to the station S ₅ .

Moreover, in FIG. 1, two metros Mi and M ₂ are represented. Metro Mi has just left the Si station and is heading to the next station, S ₂ . Metro M ₂ is stationary at the station S ₃ . It is this situation which is more particularly represented in FIG.

A metro M is composed of several cars V _jk . For example the subway Iv ^ is composed of three cars V _11; V ₁₂ , and V ₁₃ . To simplify the present description, the cars are identical to each other and they comprise only one door, referenced by the number 22 in FIG.

Each station Si is equipped with a barrier 24 between the platform 26 and the track 14.

A barrier 24 of a station S, is provided with a plurality of P _ik landing doors. Such a landing door is referenced by the numeral 28 in FIG.

When a subway M is stopped at the station S, the door of each car V _jk of the subway is opposite a landing door P _ik of the barrier 24.

The subway doors and landing doors are open simultaneously to allow passengers on the subway to get off the platform and travelers waiting on the platform to board the subway.

At the end of the passenger exchange, the metro doors and landing doors are closed simultaneously. The metro can then leave the station.

The system 10 comprises an acquisition means 30 per station S ,. When a subway is stopped in the station and the metro doors and the landing doors are open, the acquisition means 30 is able to count, by landing door P _ik , the number of passengers traveling down the Out _ik metro and the number of passengers boarding the ln _ik metro.

The station-based acquisition means 30 comprises, on the one hand, detection means 32 for the ascending and descending passengers and, on the other hand, means 34 for determining the number of ascending and descending passengers connected to the detection means 32.

In a first embodiment, shown in FIG. 2, the acquisition means 30 consists of infrared sensors 32 arranged in the vicinity of each landing door 28, and of a device 34 for collecting the signals delivered by the The equipment 34 is able to determine the numbers Out _ik and ln _ik for each landing door P _ik and consequently for each car V _jk of the metro M _j stopped at the station S ,.

In a second embodiment, the acquisition means is constituted by one or more cameras connected to a computer capable of applying a processing on the acquired images, so as to isolate the silhouettes of the travelers located in the field of observation of each camera then to follow these silhouettes so as to determine if the traveler goes up or down from the subway stopped in station and thus to determine the numbers ln _ik and Out _ik .

Advantageously, the acquisition means 30 of the incoming and outgoing flows may be associated with additional acquisition means making it possible to know the number of passengers present on the platform. This data is used in the processing of comfort level information in order to favor a better distribution of passengers on the platform and consequently to better control passenger exchange times.

In a variant, the acquisition means of the incoming and outgoing flows is constituted by on-board acquisition means, making it possible to determine the distribution of passengers within a car.

The system 10 includes, by station, a display means 40. This display means 40 may take different forms. As shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, the display means 40 consists of a banner covering the useful length of the platform and announcement screens located in the accesses leading to the platforms.

The headband is referenced by the numeral 42 in FIG. 2. The headband consists of pixel plates assembled in a continuous manner so as to be perceived as a single headband over the entire length of the platform above the barrier 24. At least one announcement screen, referenced 46 in Figure 2, is disposed at various relevant locations of the station, especially the corridors to arrive on the dock.

The banner 42 and the announcement screens 46 are connected to a device 44, whose function is to manage the display on each of these display devices.

The comfort level information is elaborated at the scale of the car V _jk and displayed on the strip 42 in the form of a continuous multi-color image corresponding to the level of comfort of the next metro M, having to stop at station S ,.

Each announcement screen 46 displays the comfort level information of the entire next metro M _j to stop at the station S ,, but segmented by car V _jk . A screen 46 located in a corridor leading to the platform also displays a representation of the arrival location on the platform relative to the cars of the train. The system 10 comprises a communication infrastructure 60 connecting the detection and display means 40 of the different stations S to a central processing unit 70.

The central processing unit 70 comprises a calculator 71 associated with a database 72.

The database 72 comprises different tables, such as, for example, the tables T, T0, H, Q and E.

The table E is an operating table indicating the identifiers of the metros running on the line, the composition of each metro (that is to say the identifiers of the cars that make up this metro), the hourly traffic table of each metro etc. Alternatively, the central office 70 is interfaced with a train operating system and collects the information it needs.

The computer 71 is programmed to execute different software modules.

The central processing unit 70 thus comprises a module 74 for timestamping and recording the counting data acquired by the acquisition means 30 of the various stations S 1. The module 74 stores the numbers ln _ik and Out _ik , timestamped, in a table H of the database 72.

The table H thus comprises, for each station S, and for each landing door P _ik , a history of the number of passengers amount ln _ik and the number of travelers descending Out _ik of a metro stopped at this station.

The central processing unit 70 includes a counting module 75 capable of updating a current load information of each car of each subway. This current charge information is for example a current number of passengers N _jk in the car V _jk . The current number of passengers N _jk is determined, starting from the departure station S1 where it is initialized to zero, by adding the numbers ln _ik and subtracting the numbers Out _ik measured at each station S, in which the subway M stopped. The module 75 is able to update this number of current passengers N _{jk as} soon as the metro leaves a station and the numbers ln _ik and Out _ik for this station are transmitted to the central office 70. The updated value of the number of passengers current N _jk is stored in a table T of the database 72.

The table T thus comprises, for each train M, and for each car V _jk , the number of current passengers N _jk in this car.

The central processor 70 includes a module 76 for extracting statistical information medium of the table H. The module 76 is thus capable of determining, for each landing door P _ik, an average în _ik passenger boarding of a subway via the said landing door, and a mean number of _ik travelers descending a subway through the said landing door, and this preferably for different periods of time of operation of the line (full time, off-peak, etc.) .)

The central processing unit 70 comprises a module 77 for calculating a comfort level information T _jk for each car V _jk of each train M.

For the metro M, this information T _jk is calculated after the metro M has stopped at the previous station S, and while it goes to the next station, S _{i + 1} . It is intended to be retranscribed on the display devices, strips 42 and announcement screens 46, of the next station S _{i + 1} , to inform passengers waiting on the platform of the next station S _{i + 1} comfort that qu they will be likely to find once boarded the various V _jk cars of metro M, which is the next metro to stop at station S _{i + 1} .

For this purpose, the module 77 calculates an estimated charge information of the metro M when it leaves the next station. In the embodiment, this estimated charge information is an estimated number of passengers N ' _jk in the car V _jk when the subway M _j leaves the next station S _{i +} i. This estimated number is obtained from the number of running passengers _Njk , subtracting the average number of travelers descending to the next station Ôut _{i +} i _k and adding the average number of passengers ascending to the next station în _{i + 1 k} , mentioned in table H.

In a first particularly simple embodiment, the estimated number of passengers N ' _jk could then be divided by an optimal number N ₀ of travelers in the car V _jk to obtain the occupancy information T _jk . The database 72 comprises a table T ₀ , which stores, for each car V _jk , the optimal number N _ojk of passengers on board this car to ensure a ride in comfortable conditions.

In a second embodiment, the estimated number of passengers N ' _jk is used to select a busy mapping C _jk stored in the table T ₀ of the database 72.

Occupancy mapping is a graph representing the distribution of passengers in the car under consideration. The database 72 comprises a plurality of maps that differ from one another according to the load of the car (that is to say the number of passengers in this car), the period of operation of the line , and possibly other parameters (such as for example the type of the car when the cars are not identical to each other).

Occupancy maps are obtained after a preliminary phase of studying traveler behavior by quantifying the way in which passengers are distributed inside a car, in particular according to their number,

In this second embodiment, the comfort level information T _ik is therefore a busy map.

Advantageously, a table Q contains data relating to the movements of travelers arriving on or off the quay, for different time periods and for each station S, of the line. This table Q is informed from measurements made by additional secondary acquisition means 50, such as a camera placed on the platform, capable of detecting travelers present on the platform of a station, so as to determine the number and distribution. These data are updated regularly. The data in the table Q are advantageously used in a step of correction of the forecast information relating to the cars of the next train at the quay, to meet a need to rebalance the trade volumes along the wharf. This fix is applied by the calculation module 77.

The central unit 70 comprises a display module 78 able to control the display means 40 of the stations S, so that the strip B _ik associated with the landing door P _ik displays a graph corresponding to the information of the level of comfort T _ik determined by output of the module 77 and corresponding to the car V _jk of the next train M _j before stopping at the station S ,.

Advantageously, the module 78 is able to transform the comfort level information into different graphic forms adapted respectively to the devices. display to which they are intended: in a form smoothed to be displayed on the continuous strip 42 located above the platform barriers 24, in a segmented form by car to be displayed on the announcement screens 46 present in the station upstream of the wharf.

For example, the comfort level information is displayed in the form of a color code on the strip 42. The hottest colors are associated spontaneously by the passengers at high occupancy levels (and therefore at different conditions). uncomfortable commuting) and cold colors are associated spontaneously by travelers with low occupancy rates (and therefore comfortable commuting conditions). The module 78 is able to implement color scale rules to transform the comfort level information into a color chart.

The method 100 implemented by the system 10 is described below with reference to FIG.

The process starts at step 1 10, when the metro M, arrives in the station S ,, and the metro doors and the landing doors open to allow the exchange of passengers. The detection means 30 then count, for each landing door P _ik , travelers who go down and those who board the metro.

For the same train sequence, the movements of passengers arriving on the platform or leaving the platform are also counted Mv.

At step 120, as soon as the exchange of passengers is completed and the doors of the metro and the landing doors are closed, the numbers ln _ik , Out _ik and Mv, are transmitted by the means 30 of the station S, to central processing 70. The metro then leaves the station S, and goes to the station S _{i + 1} .

In step 130, upon reception by the central office 70 of the numbers ln _ik , Out _ik and Mv, the module 74 updates the tables H and Q by storing therein the received information, previously stamped.

In parallel, in step 200, the statistics module 76 is regularly executed on the table H, so as to calculate, for each operating time slot of the line, the average values of the number of passengers going up and down to the station. S, using the landing door P _ik . These average numbers are respectively denoted i n _ik and Ôut _jk .

The method 100 continues in step 140 by executing the module 75 in order to calculate the current load information of each car V _jk of the subway M _j . For the car V _jk , the module 75 reads from the table T the value of the current number of passengers N _jk , ln _ik adds the number of traveler are mounted to the station S ,, and subtracts the number of travelers Out _ik being down to the station S ,. The updated value of the current number N _jk is stored in the table T.

In step 150, the table T having been updated, the calculation module 77 determines the estimated load information for the car V _jk at the moment when the train leaves the next station S _{i + 1} . For this, the estimated number of passengers N ' _jk is determined from the current number of passengers N _jk , extracted from the table T, by subtracting the value of the average number of travelers descending Ôut _{i + 1 k} and adding the value of the average number of passengers amounting _i n _{i + 1 k} to the next station S _{i +} i, these average numbers being extracted from the table H.

Then at step 160, the calculation module 77 may be executed to provide, if necessary, a corrective to the estimated number of passengers N ' _jk . This fix results from a processing carried out on the table Q making it possible to take into account the movements of the passengers in the station S _{i +} i. For example, the estimated number of travelers is adjusted for following ways to travelers on the platform flow of the station S _{i +} i, the resulting flow of a statistical processing of data Mv _{i + 1} of the table Q.

Then in step 170, the information given by the estimated number of passengers N ' _jk , possibly corrected, is translated into a comfort level information T _jk . This translation into comfort level can be carried out in a basic way by simple comparison with an optimal predetermined number of travelers, or according to the preferred embodiment by comparison with modeled occupancy maps representing the distribution of passengers in the car. The comfort levels are defined in a scale of sensible perception of comfort. This scale is based on cognitive analysis and perception of comfort according to the modalities of the occupation of the space of cars that have been modeled in the form of occupancy maps. Indeed, studies have shown that the perception of comfort is not directly correlated to the density of occupancy (number of passengers), but also to the distribution of travelers within the various spaces of the car.

In step 180, the display module 78 converts the comfort level T _jk resulting from the calculation of the module 77 into a graph G _{i +} i _k which is displayed on the display means 40 of the station S _{i +} i. This conversion corresponds to each level of comfort defined in the perception scale, a color palette adapted to provide information determining for the traveler. Thus, for an average level of comfort, it is used a palette of several colors, each particular color to translate a significant change in comfort induced by the estimated number of passengers. In extreme situations, when the train is light or very heavily loaded, a part of relativity is introduced in the form of an additional graphic code. This additional graphic code makes it possible to create a contrast that distinguishes, as a homogeneous whole, areas that present a slightly different comfort (a little less loaded in the case of a densely loaded train, and a little more loaded in the case of a lightly loaded train). ).

In order to allow the presentation of the information of the level of comfort of the train in due time, the entirety of the steps 130 to 180 is carried out for a duration substantially less than the time necessary for the metro Mj to go from the station S, to the station S _{i +} i.

The comfort level information is thus retranscribed on the display means

40.

Thus, a traveler to the station station S _{i +} i will be able, by consulting the display means 40, display devices in the access corridors to the platform and banner on the platform, to identify the locations of the next metro M _j presenting the best level of comfort and, consequently, to choose its positioning on the dock.

Alternatively, a car has several doors 22. In this case, the car is virtually subdivided into as many spaces, each space being associated with a door 22. A metro door being associated with a landing door, the previous calculations s' apply identically. Eventually, a possible movement of passengers inside a car from one space to another is taken into account.

Claims

1. - A method for determining a comfort level information of a railway vehicle traveling along a line (12), characterized in that it comprises the steps of:

- counting a number of passengers and a number of travelers descending from each car of the railway vehicle (Mj) stopped at a previous station (S,) through acquisition means (30) equipping the station (S,);

determining a current load information (N _jk ) of each car of the vehicle at the moment when said railway vehicle leaves the preceding station (S,), based on the number of passengers ascending and the number of descending passengers counted;

calculating an estimated load information (N ' _jk ) at the moment when the railway vehicle leaves the next station (S _{i +} i), based on the current load information corrected by an average number of passengers to be lowered from the car considered at the next station (S _{i +} i) and an average number of passengers to board the car at the next station (S _{i +} i);

- Develop comfort level information of each car from the estimated load information; and,

displaying, by display means (40) equipping the next station (S _{i + 1} ), a graph corresponding to the comfort level information of each car.

2. - Method according to claim 1, wherein the average number of travelers to get off the car at the next station (S _{i + 1} ) and the average number of travelers to board the car at the next station (S _{i + 1} ) are obtained from a history of the number of passengers traveling and the number of travelers descending from each car of railway vehicles stopping at the following station (S _{i +} i), recorded by means of acquiring (30) fitted to said next station (S _{i +} i).

The method of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the comfort level information is thresholded into a range of colors reflecting the different levels of comfort.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the estimated load information is an estimated number of travelers, the information of level of comfort of each car corresponds to the selection, from the estimated number of travelers, of a map of occupation of the said car among a plurality of occupation maps, a map of occupation corresponding to a representation of a density of occupation according to a position inside said car.

5. - Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the comfort level information is corrected according to the average flow of passengers on the platform of the next station (S _{i +} i).

6. System (10) for determining comfort level information of a railway vehicle traveling along a line (12), characterized in that it is suitable for implementing a method according to the invention. any of claims 1 to 5.

7. System (10) according to claim 6, wherein each station of the line comprises acquisition means (30) for counting a number of passengers and a number of travelers descending from each car of a rail vehicle stopped in said station.

8. System according to any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein each station of the line is equipped with display means (40) comprising at least one strip (42) extending along the quay and suitable for displaying said graph corresponding to the comfort level information of each of the cars of the next railway vehicle to stop in said station.

9. - System according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein each station of the line is equipped with display means (40) having at least one announcement screen (46), located upstream of the accesses to the platform, and able to display said graph corresponding to the comfort level information of each of the cars of the next rail vehicle to stop in said station.

10. - System (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein each station of the line comprises secondary acquisition means (50) for detecting travelers present on the platform of said station.