Escalator step and escalator information display system

Abstract

This invention discloses an escalator step, comprising a first display component on the vertical surface and a second display component on the tread surface. The surface of either the first or second display component is covered with a transparent reinforcing layer. The first or second display component has approximately the same width along the length of the step and is aligned. Compared to existing technologies, this invention provides displays on both the vertical surface and the tread surface of the step. When installed on an escalator, the left and right boundaries of the display areas of multiple steps on the same escalator are aligned, eliminating unevenness in the left and right boundaries of the display areas and improving the continuity of the displayed content between adjacent steps, thus significantly enhancing the display effect. Furthermore, this invention also discloses an escalator information display system based on steps with display components.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of escalators, and more particularly to escalator steps and escalator information display systems. Background Technology

[0002] Escalators have high passenger volume, relatively long ride times, and relatively wide field of vision, making them suitable as a medium for advertising information.

[0003] Publicly available patent document CN200920076524.3 proposes setting up advertising spaces on the top and sides of the steps, the guardrails and their bases, and the ramp plane between the ascending and descending escalators for placing advertisements facing escalator passengers, such as... Figure 1 .

[0004] Publicly available patent document CN201580040703.X further proposes: dynamically displaying the information to be displayed by setting up a display screen on the ladder steps, such as... Figure 2 Although CN201580040703.X proposes using a display screen to show dynamic information, its display screen is limited to the vertical surface of the escalator steps and does not involve the horizontal surface. Clearly, with appropriate settings, both the vertical and horizontal surfaces of the escalator steps can be made capable of display, thus significantly increasing the display area. Therefore, the existing technology suffers from the drawback of not fully utilizing display capabilities. Furthermore, it proposes four methods for controlling the display content: first, displaying the same content on each step; second, displaying different information on each step; third, based on the first method, having the message move with the steps; and fourth, based on the second method, having the message continuously transmitted to the next upper or lower step as the step moves, so that the message appears largely stationary when the step moves up or down. While these methods involve displaying content across multiple steps, they do not consider the obstruction of the escalator steps by passengers or the impact of passenger viewing angles due to height and other factors on the actual information received by passengers. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To provide a larger display area and better display effect, the present invention provides an escalator step, the step including a first display component located on the vertical surface and a second display component located on the tread surface, the surface of the first display component or the second display component being covered with a transparent reinforcing layer, characterized in that the width of the first display component or the second display component is approximately the same and aligned along the length direction of the step.

[0006] Preferably, the reinforcing layer of the first display component is designed as a stepped comb plate.

[0007] The present invention also provides an escalator information display system, comprising a plurality of escalator steps as described in the aforementioned invention; a position detector for detecting passenger positions; a display control device for controlling the first display component and the second display component to display content according to the passenger positions; and classifying passengers into escalator passengers and non-escalator passengers according to whether the passengers are on the escalator.

[0008] Preferably, the display control device controls the first display component and the second display component to display the content according to the following steps: Step S1, determine the visible range of the escalator steps for the passenger based on the passenger's position; Step S2, determine the steps to be displayed and the display areas of their display components based on the visible range; Step S3, allocate the required display content to each display area of ​​the display components of the steps to be displayed; Step S4, control the display components of each step so that their display areas display the content allocated to that display area.

[0009] Preferably, for non-elevator passengers, step S1 determines the visible range of non-elevator passengers based on their position and the height of their eyes relative to their footing, or the position and height of passengers on the steps.

[0010] Preferably, for passengers riding the escalator, step S1 determines the visible range of the passenger based on the passenger's position on the escalator, the height of the passenger's eyes relative to their footing, the direction of movement of the escalator, or the positions of other passengers on the escalator.

[0011] Preferably, step S3 further includes: step S31, determining the projection plane in which the display range is approximately located; step S32, projecting the treads and vertical surfaces of each step within the visible range onto the projection plane to obtain projection blocks corresponding to the treads and vertical surfaces of each step; step S33, arranging the content to be displayed on the projection plane; and step S34, determining the content to be displayed on the projection blocks as the display content to be displayed in the corresponding display area of ​​the projection blocks.

[0012] Preferably, the method for determining the projection plane is as follows: Step S311, determine each step within the visible range; Step S312, make a cross-section of each step, the cross-section being perpendicular to the length direction of the step; Step S313, determine the intersection point of the tread and vertical surface of each step on the cross-section, the intersection point including the intersection point of the tread and vertical surface of the same step and the intersection point of the tread and vertical surface of adjacent steps; Step S314, perform linear fitting on each intersection point to obtain a straight line; Step S315, extend the straight line along the length direction of the step, the resulting plane is the projection plane.

[0013] Preferably, step S3 further includes: step S35, compensating the display content of the first display component and the second display component of each step according to the distance and / or angle between the passenger and the vertical plane and the tread surface of each step, and using the compensated display content as its final display content.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial technical effects of the present invention include:

[0015] 1) By simultaneously installing display screens on the vertical surfaces and tread surfaces of the steps, the displayable area can be effectively increased;

[0016] 2) The left and right boundaries of the display areas of the displays set on the vertical surface and tread surface of the steps are aligned along the length of the steps, which can eliminate the unevenness of the left and right boundaries of the display areas, improve the continuity of the display content of adjacent steps, and significantly improve the display effect.

[0017] 3) Determine the visible display range of the escalator steps based on the passenger's position, the distance between two adjacent passengers on the escalator, and the passenger's height. Then control the display components to display the content to be displayed or the projection of the projection device to improve the display effect and make full use of the display capacity of the display area. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 and Figure 2 As a tiered system of existing technologies;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the first and second positions in Example 2;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the third position in Example 2;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the passenger positions on the escalator in Example 2;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the control steps of the control device in Example 2. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can fully understand other advantages and technical effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be applied based on different viewpoints, with various modifications or changes made without departing from the overall design concept of the invention. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other. The following exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the specific embodiments set forth herein. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided to make the disclosure of the present invention thorough and complete, and to fully convey the technical solutions of these exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0024] Example 1

[0025] This embodiment provides a more suitable escalator step for displaying information. The step includes a first display component on the vertical surface and a second display component on the tread surface. The surface of the first or second display component is covered with a transparent reinforcing layer. The width of the first or second display component is approximately the same and aligned along the length of the step. The reinforcing layer of the first display component is designed as a comb plate of the step.

[0026] The first or second display component has approximately the same width and is aligned along the length of the step. This aligns the left and right boundaries of the display areas of multiple steps on the same escalator, eliminating unevenness between the left and right boundaries of the display areas, maintaining continuity of the display content of adjacent steps, and significantly improving the display effect.

[0027] When there is no need to distinguish between the first display component and the second display component in this embodiment and other embodiments, they are collectively referred to as display components.

[0028] The display component is located inside the reinforcing layer, with the display component and the passenger positioned on opposite sides of the reinforcing layer. The display component is approximately bonded to the reinforcing layer. The reinforcing layer is transparent so that the passenger can see the content displayed on the display component. For the display to function, the display component requires a power supply and a display controller. All of the above have been disclosed in CN201580040703.X and are not the focus of this application.

[0029] It should be emphasized that although CN201580040703.X discloses the idea of ​​setting a display component on the vertical surface of the steps, as described in paragraph

[0037] , "an observer who is not riding the escalator but is standing on or walking on a floor near the lower step will be able to observe the visual display 70," it is clear that this is only to enable observers who are not riding the escalator but are standing on or walking on a floor near the lower step to observe the display content of the visual display, hence the display is set on the vertical surface. This application, however, considers the needs of passengers already riding the escalator to view the display content. Considering that these passengers are usually looking roughly parallel or slightly downwards while riding, they are not only facing the vertical surface of the steps in front of them (and only part of the vertical surface can be seen when approaching the ends), but also the plane. Considering the height and orientation of passengers riding the escalator, as well as the structural characteristics of the escalator (the relative positions of each step), analysis revealed that both the vertical and horizontal planes of the steps are observable to passengers. Therefore, this application provides display components on both the vertical and horizontal planes. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reinforcing layer serves as both a comb plate and a step for passengers to step on.

[0030] The above is based on functional division. In engineering practice, the number of display components and reinforcing layer components in both vertical and horizontal planes can be one or more.

[0031] In this embodiment, in order to achieve a better display effect, display components are required to be provided on both the vertical surface of the step and the flat surface for passengers to step on. Furthermore, when the first display component and the second display component are two independent display components and there is an undisplayable edge at the intersection of the step surface and the vertical surface, the undisplayable edge is made as narrow as possible, such as the ultra-narrow bezel design of computer monitors and mobile phone screens.

[0032] The first or second display component has approximately the same width and is aligned along the length of the escalator step. This aligns the left and right boundaries of the display areas for multiple steps on the same escalator, eliminating unevenness between the left and right boundaries and ensuring continuity of the displayed content for adjacent steps, significantly improving the display effect. With proper control, the first and second display components of multiple steps can be combined to form a complete, regularly shaped large display area.

[0033] Example 2

[0034] This embodiment mainly focuses on how to control the display of the first or second display component of each step to provide passengers with a better display effect, which is the focus of this application.

[0035] This embodiment provides an escalator information display system, including: a plurality of escalator steps as described in Embodiment 1; a position detector for detecting passenger positions; and a display control device for controlling the first display component and the second display component to display content according to the passenger positions.

[0036] In this embodiment, passengers are divided into escalator passengers and non-escalator passengers based on whether they are on the escalator.

[0037] like Figure 6 As shown, the display control device controls the display of content by the first display component and the second display component according to the following steps:

[0038] Step S1: Determine the visible range of the escalator steps for the passenger based on the passenger's position;

[0039] Step S2: Determine the display area of ​​the ladder steps and their display components to be displayed based on the visible range;

[0040] Step S3: Assign the required display content to each display area of ​​the display component of the ladder that needs to be displayed;

[0041] Step S4: Control the display components of each step so that their display areas display the content assigned to that display area.

[0042] For non-escalator passengers, step S1 determines the visible range of non-escalator passengers based on their position and the height of their eyes relative to their footing, or the position and height of passengers on the steps.

[0043] The positions of non-escalator passengers relative to the escalator can be divided into three types, which are defined as the first position, the second position, and the third position.

[0044] The first position is a position located approximately directly opposite the lower end of the escalator or in front of it, where the distance between the position and the lower end of the escalator is less than a first distance threshold. For example... Figure 3 Area A.

[0045] When a non-passenger is in the first position and there are no passengers on the steps, step S1 defines the first visible range as all the treads of the steps whose height is lower than the eye level of the non-passenger and the portion of the vertical surface that is higher than the treads of the adjacent steps. The second visible range is defined as the portion of the vertical surface of the steps whose height is higher than the eye level of the non-passenger, which is not obscured by the intersection line of the tread and vertical surface of the step preceding it when viewed from the non-passenger's position. The combination of the first and second visible ranges is defined as the final visible range.

[0046] When a non-escalator passenger is in the first position and there is an escalator passenger on the escalator step, the visible range is the step between the lower end of the escalator and the step closest to the passenger in the first position.

[0047] The second position is the position located at or in front of the upper end of the escalator, approximately directly opposite the escalator, and at a distance less than a second distance threshold. For example... Figure 3 In region B, the second distance threshold is less than the vertical distance between the passenger's eyes and the upper end of the escalator.

[0048] When a non-passenger is in the second position and there are no passengers on the step, step S1 takes the part of the step tread that is not obscured by the intersection line of the tread of the previous step and the vertical surface as viewed from the position of the non-passenger.

[0049] When a non-escalator passenger is in the second position and there is an escalator passenger on the step, the visible range is the step between the upper end of the escalator and the step closest to the escalator passenger in the second position.

[0050] The third position is located on the upper floor connected to the escalator, and its projection on the lower floor is the lower end of the escalator, near the escalator. For example... Figure 4 Region C.

[0051] When a non-escalator passenger is in the third position and there is an escalator passenger on the escalator step, step S1 takes the portion of all steps and vertical surfaces of the escalator that is not obscured by the escalator passenger as the visible range.

[0052] The identification of passenger locations, as well as the identification of passengers using and not using the escalator, can be obtained by cameras installed on the floors, by detection devices configured on the escalator to detect passengers approaching the escalator entrance (the moment when a passenger leaves the escalator after finishing their ride can be estimated from the escalator's speed, assuming the passenger is near the end of the escalator at this moment), or by detecting the position of detectable items carried by the passenger (such as mobile terminals, various cards, etc.) relative to a reference object (such as a detection device), etc. These can be further identified here.

[0053] like Figure 5 As shown, for passengers riding the escalator, step S1 determines the visible range of the passengers based on their position on the escalator, the height of their eyes relative to their footing, the direction of movement of the escalator, or the positions of other passengers on the escalator.

[0054] For example, when the escalator is going up and there are no other passengers on the steps, step S1 will select all the steps in front of the passenger and determine the passenger's field of vision based on the passenger's position and the height of the passenger's eyes relative to their footing.

[0055] For example, when the escalator is going up and there are other passengers on the escalator steps, step S1 determines the passenger's visible range based on the steps between the passenger and other passengers in front and next to it, and the passenger's position and the height of the passenger's eyes relative to their footing.

[0056] For example, when the escalator is descending and there are no other passengers on the steps, step S1 takes the entire tread of all the steps in front of the passenger as the visible range.

[0057] For example, when the escalator is descending and there are other passengers on the steps, step S1 takes the entire tread of the steps between the passenger and the passenger in front of him / her as the visible range.

[0058] When a non-passenger is in the first position and there are no passengers on the steps, step S2 first determines the steps within the first and second visible ranges based on the non-passenger's eye level; then, it calculates the display area for each step within the first and second visible ranges, as follows:

[0059] For the first visible area, the tread surface remains unchanged, while the vertical display area needs to be calculated based on the position of the steps and the specifications of the escalator (because the position of the steps is time-varying, the visible part of the vertical surface of each step (in the vertical direction) is also time-varying).

[0060] For the second visible range, firstly, based on the eye height of the non-passenger, the first position, and the position of the step within the second visible range, determine the line connecting the non-passenger's eye to the intersection of the tread and vertical surface of step #k. Then, extend this line and intersect it with the vertical surface of step #(k+1, i.e., adjacent to #k). The portion of the vertical surface of step #(k+1) above this intersection point is the display area of ​​that step.

[0061] When a non-escalator passenger is in the first position and there is an escalator passenger on the escalator step, step S2 determines the display area in the manner described above.

[0062] When a non-passenger is in the second position and there are no passengers on the steps, step S2 is processed in accordance with the aforementioned method for determining the display area of ​​the steps within the second visible range.

[0063] When a non-escalator passenger is in the third position and there are no passengers on the escalator steps, step S2 displays the entire tread and vertical surfaces of all escalator steps as the display area.

[0064] When a non-passenger is in the third position and there is a passenger on the escalator step, step S2 intersects the vertical surface of the step where the passenger is located, the treads and vertical surfaces of all steps below the passenger's step (the parts to be obscured need to be determined according to the step position), and the extension line of the line connecting the non-passenger's eye to the top of the passenger's head on the escalator step with the step at a point. All steps above this point (including treads and vertical surfaces; when the intersection point is on the tread of the intersecting steps, only the part of the tread away from the non-passenger; when the intersection point is on the vertical surface of the intersecting steps, only the upper part of the vertical surface; non-intersecting steps include the entire vertical surface and tread).

[0065] Step S3 in this embodiment further includes:

[0066] Step S31: Determine the approximate projection plane where the display area is located;

[0067] Step S32: Project the tread and vertical surfaces of each step within the visible range onto the projection plane to obtain projection blocks corresponding to the tread and vertical surfaces of each step.

[0068] Step S33: Arrange the content to be displayed on the projection plane;

[0069] Step S34: The content to be displayed on the projection block is used as the display content that should be displayed in the corresponding display area of ​​the projection block.

[0070] The method for determining the projection plane is as follows:

[0071] Step S311: Determine each step within the visible range; when multiple locations exist simultaneously (such as multiple passengers spaced apart on an upward escalator, the visible range is determined for each passenger).

[0072] Step S312: Make a cross-section for each step, the cross-section being perpendicular to the length direction of the step;

[0073] Step S313: Determine the intersection of the tread and vertical surface of each step on the cross section. The intersection includes the intersection of the tread and vertical surface of the same step and the intersection of the tread and vertical surface of adjacent steps.

[0074] Step S314: Perform line fitting on each intersection point to obtain a straight line;

[0075] Step S315: Extend the straight line along the length of the ladder step to obtain the projection plane.

[0076] Preferably, step S3 further includes:

[0077] Step S35: Compensate the display content of the first and second display components of each step according to the distance and / or angle between the passenger and the vertical plane and tread surface of each step, and use the compensated display content as its final display content.

[0078] Step S35 above takes into account that, for passengers, the visible display area is not a flat plane, but rather a combination of multiple display components (or parts of display components) at different distances and angles. Therefore, from the perspective of actual display effect, different distances and / or angles (angle is actually also a distance) affect the visual image: the image will be smaller at greater distances and larger at closer distances. To eliminate these problems, when determining the actual display content for each display component, the actual display content can be pre-compensated based on the distance and / or angle, and the compensated actual display content can be used as the final actual display content.

[0079] The present invention has been described in detail above through specific embodiments and examples, but these are not intended to limit the invention. Many modifications and improvements can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principles of the invention, and these should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An escalator information display system characterized by comprising: include: Multiple steps; the steps include a first display component located on the vertical surface and a second display component located on the tread surface, the surface of the first display component or the second display component is covered with a transparent reinforcing layer, characterized in that the first display component or the second display component has the same width and is aligned along the length direction of the step; A location detector used to detect passenger positions; A display control device that controls the first and second display components to display content according to the passenger's position; The passengers are categorized into escalator passengers and non-escalator passengers based on whether they are on the escalator. The display control device controls the display of content by the first display component and the second display component according to the following steps: Step S1: Determine the visible range of the escalator steps for the passenger based on the passenger's position; Step S2: Determine the display area of ​​the ladder steps and their display components to be displayed based on the visible range; Step S3: Assign the required display content to each display area of ​​the display component of the ladder that needs to be displayed; Step S4: Control the display components of each step so that their display areas display the content assigned to that display area; Step S3 further includes: Step S31: Determine the projection plane where the display area is located; Step S32: Project the tread and vertical surfaces of each step within the visible range onto the projection plane to obtain projection blocks corresponding to the tread and vertical surfaces of each step. Step S33: Arrange the content to be displayed on the projection plane; Step S34: The content to be displayed on the projection block is used as the display content that should be displayed in the corresponding display area of ​​the projection block.

2. The escalator information display system according to claim 1, characterized in that, For non-escalator passengers, step S1 determines the visible range of non-escalator passengers based on their position and the height of their eyes relative to their footing, or the position and height of passengers on the steps.

3. The escalator information display system according to claim 1, characterized in that, For passengers riding the escalator, step S1 determines the visible range of the passenger based on the passenger's position on the escalator, the height of the passenger's eyes relative to their footing, the direction of movement of the escalator, or the positions of other passengers on the escalator.

4. The escalator information display system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for determining the projection plane is as follows: Step S311: Determine each step within the visible range; Step S312: Make a cross-section for each step, the cross-section being perpendicular to the length direction of the step; Step S313: Determine the intersection of the tread and vertical surface of each step on the cross section. The intersection includes the intersection of the tread and vertical surface of the same step and the intersection of the tread and vertical surface of adjacent steps. Step S314: Perform line fitting on each intersection point to obtain a straight line; Step S315: Extend the straight line along the length of the ladder step to obtain the projection plane.

5. The escalator information display system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Step S3 further includes: Step S35: Compensate the display content of the first and second display components of each step according to the distance and / or angle between the passenger and the vertical plane and tread surface of each step, and use the compensated display content as its final display content.

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