Passenger information system and procedures for transmitting passenger information

Abstract

Passenger information system (10) for transmitting passenger information to one or more passengers with at least one stationary display device (11) designed for the visual display of vehicle and timetable-related transport information (14) of at least one means of transport for the carriage of passengers, wherein at least one mobile display device (20) assigned to a passenger (200) is provided, which is equipped: - to identify the means of transport displayed on the stationary display device (11), for which the vehicle and timetable-related transport information (14) is shown, and to determine the relevant vehicle and / or timetable-related data depending on the identified means of transport by means of a transport identification unit, - to determine passenger-related booking data of a travel booking relating to a planned journey of the passenger (200) assigned to this mobile display device (20) by means of a booking data determination unit, wherein the passenger-related booking data includes at least the means of transport required for the planned journey, and - to determine transport-related and / or passenger-related travel information in addition to the vehicle- and timetable-related transport information (14) displayed on the stationary display device (11) based on the vehicle- and timetable-related data of the identified means of transport and the passenger-related booking data and to display this information on a display unit of the mobile display device (20) for the passenger (200), - characterized in that the mobile display device (20) has an AR visualization device which is configured to record the environment of the mobile display device (20) by means of a camera and to display it on the display unit of the mobile display device (20), whereby the transport-related and / or passenger-related information is superimposed on the displayed environment.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a passenger information system for transmitting passenger information to one or more passengers, comprising at least one stationary display device designed for the visual presentation of vehicle- and timetable-related transport information for at least one means of transport. The invention also relates to a method for this purpose.

[0002] At infrastructure hubs (colloquially also called train stations), where passengers can board, alight, or transfer to public transportation such as trains or buses, passenger information systems are usually installed to provide passengers with relevant information about the available modes of transport at these hubs. This vehicle- and timetable-related information is presented, for example, audibly via loudspeakers or visually using fixed displays.

[0003] In particular, the visually displayed vehicle- and timetable-related transport information includes information about the respective vehicles themselves (for trains, for example, the train number, carriage order, train type, etc.) as well as information relating to the timetable for which the respective vehicle was selected and assigned (for trains, for example, the arrival time, departure time, delays, final destination, direction of travel, scheduled intermediate stops, etc.). This timetable-related transport information can refer to static information specified by the timetable as well as to dynamic information that arises in real time from the overall situation (for example, punctuality forecasts, expected delays).

[0004] Such passenger information systems therefore only offer standardized information for a large number of passengers, without taking into account the individual travel plans of each passenger. This is not surprising, since such passenger information systems are aimed at a large number of passengers and, by their very nature, cannot consider the individualized travel information of each passenger. Because each passenger follows a unique travel chain with their own individual travel plans, each passenger currently has to obtain this information through other means.

[0005] German patent application DE 10 2016 202 611 A1 discloses a travel service system in which information on means of transport is displayed in a fixed location. Using a machine-readable code, the fixed display can be scanned and further information about the means of transport can be displayed on a terminal device. The traveler then has the option of using the displayed additional transport services, for example, to book a seat or find connecting services.

[0006] German patent DE 10 2008 039 339 A1 discloses a system for the remote display of transport information. Information about a means of transport, which is normally presented on an electronic display board at a stop or station, is mirrored onto a user's mobile device.

[0007] German patent DE 10 2011 079 328 A1 discloses an arrangement for the provision of individual travel information in passenger transport systems. For this purpose, a data connection is established using a mobile device of the traveler and corresponding travel information is transmitted, which is then merged with timetable data also transmitted via the data connection.

[0008] Finally, US 2019 / 0043148 A1 reveals a system for fusing data across multiple mobile devices.

[0009] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved passenger information system with which passenger information of an individual nature can also be transmitted.

[0010] The problem is solved by the passenger information system according to claim 1 according to the invention. The problem is also solved by the method according to claim 10 according to the invention. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are found in the corresponding dependent claims.

[0011] According to claim 1, a passenger information system of the type mentioned above is claimed, which, according to the invention, is extended by at least one mobile display device (e.g., a mobile device belonging to the passenger). These mobile display devices are each assigned to a passenger and carried by that passenger, and these mobile display devices can be, for example, smartphones or tablets.

[0012] Each of these mobile display devices, which are part of the claimed passenger information system, is first set up to identify the means of transport displayed on the stationary display device, for which the vehicle and timetable-related transport information is shown, and to determine the relevant vehicle and / or timetable-related data depending on the identified means of transport by means of a transport determination unit.

[0013] By identifying the displayed means of transport, the mobile display device indicates for which means of transport the vehicle and timetable-related transport information displayed on the stationary display device is shown. Based on the identification of the displayed means of transport, the relevant vehicle and timetable-related data for that means of transport can then be determined using a means-of-transport identification unit of the mobile display device.

[0014] In the simplest case, the vehicle- and / or timetable-related data obtained consists of the information displayed on the stationary display device for the relevant means of transport. However, it is also conceivable that the vehicle- and / or timetable-related data is a subset of this information or significantly more comprehensive information about the vehicle and the timetable of the relevant means of transport. This vehicle- and / or timetable-related data can, for example, be retrieved from a data storage system depending on the identified means of transport.

[0015] Furthermore, the mobile display device is configured to determine passenger-related booking data for a planned journey of the passenger assigned to this mobile display device using a booking data determination unit. This passenger-related booking data includes at least the means of transport required for the planned journey. Such passenger-related booking data thus contains at least the means of transport required for the planned journey and forms the basis of the individual travel chain. In addition, the passenger-related booking data can also contain further information regarding the passenger's planned journey, such as a seat reservation with carriage number and seat number. The passenger-related booking data can also contain transfer information for changing from one means of transport to the next in the travel chain.This may include information regarding arrival and departure points (e.g., platforms) as well as information on how to get from the arrival point of the first means of transport to the departure point of the subsequent second means of transport.

[0016] Finally, according to the invention, the mobile display device is configured to determine, in addition to the vehicle- and timetable-related transport information displayed on the stationary display device, transport-related and / or passenger-related travel information based on the vehicle- and timetable-related data of the identified transport vehicle and the passenger-related booking data, and to display this information on a display unit of the mobile display device for the passenger.

[0017] The vehicle and timetable data of the means of transport, as well as the passenger-related booking data, are fused and combined in such a way that additional travel information for the passenger can be derived and displayed on a mobile display unit. Thus, in addition to the vehicle and timetable information provided by the respective stationary display unit, the passenger receives further, supplementary travel information that complements the vehicle and timetable data and relates to individual aspects of each passenger's individual journey.

[0018] This makes it possible to expand the information offered by existing passenger information systems, which only display vehicle- and timetable-related transport information on stationary display devices, individually for each passenger using their own booking data, thus improving the stay and handling of each passenger at infrastructure hubs for mass transit.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the passenger information system is configured to generate an optoelectronic code depending on the means of transport displayed on the stationary display device and, if applicable, the vehicle- and timetable-related transport information shown, and to display this generated optoelectronic code by means of a display, wherein the mobile display device is configured to optically detect the optoelectronic code displayed on the display by means of an optical scanning device and to identify the means of transport depending on the detected optoelectronic code.

[0020] In this embodiment, an optoelectronic code is displayed by means of a display, screen, or other optically detectable surface. This code encodes information that identifies the means of transport for which the vehicle and timetable-related transport information is displayed on the stationary display device. Optionally, parts or all of the vehicle and timetable-related transport information displayed on the stationary display device may also be encoded as information in the optoelectronic code.

[0021] The mobile display device is now equipped to capture the displayed optoelectronic code and extract the information it contains using a scanning device, such as a camera mounted on the mobile display device. Based on the extracted information encoded in the optoelectronic code, the means of transport for which the vehicle and timetable information is displayed on the stationary display device can be identified. Based on this identification, the vehicle and / or timetable data for this identified means of transport can then be determined.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the passenger information system is configured to display the generated optoelectronic code on the stationary display device, which also depicts the means of transport underlying the optoelectronic code. This makes it possible for the optoelectronic code for electronically identifying the means of transport to be dynamically displayed in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle and timetable-related transport information on the stationary display device, making it easy for passengers to find.

[0023] According to the invention, the mobile display device further includes an AR visualization device configured to capture the environment of the mobile display device using a camera and display it on the display unit of the mobile display device, with the transport-related and / or passenger-related information being superimposed onto the displayed environment. For the purposes of the present invention, an AR visualization device is understood to be a device configured for visualizing augmented reality. For this purpose, the environment is captured using a camera arranged on the mobile display device and displayed directly on the display of the mobile display device, with additional information being superimposed onto the environment displayed on the screen in order to augment the natural environment with digital content.In this way, at least some of the transport and / or passenger-related information can be displayed in the surrounding area of ​​the screen in such a way that the passenger receives additional travel-specific information.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the mobile display device has a navigation device which is set up to navigate the traveler to an endpoint based on the passenger-related booking data, using the location of the stationary display device as the starting point.

[0025] According to one embodiment, such an endpoint based on passenger-related booking data can, for example, be the reserved seat. With the aid of the present invention, it thus becomes possible to navigate the passenger individually from the location of the stationary display device to their reserved seat without the passenger having to search for a long time. This makes boarding the vehicle significantly more efficient, without passengers searching for seats blocking the infrastructure within the vehicle.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the mobile display device is configured to retrieve vehicle- and / or timetable-related data and / or passenger-related booking data from a remotely located data storage device via a digital data network. Such a remotely located data storage device can, for example, be provided by the transport operator. The data storage device is specifically not located within the mobile display device itself.

[0027] The invention is explained in more detail using the accompanying figure as an example. It shows: Fig. 1 Schematic representation of the passenger information system according to the invention.

[0028] The Fig.Figure 1 shows a highly simplified schematic representation of the passenger information system 10, which is designed for operation at a passenger train station. The passenger information system 10 has several fixed display devices 11, of which only one is shown in detail. The fixed display devices 11 are connected to a data processing system 12, which is in communicative contact with a data storage device 13.

[0029] Data storage 13 contains a large number of vehicle and / or timetable-related data relating to a specific means of transport in relation to a specific timetable for that means of transport.

[0030] The data processing system 12 can now retrieve the relevant vehicle and / or timetable-related data from the data storage 13 for a means of transport that is due to arrive at platform 100 in the near future. The vehicle and / or timetable-related data thus obtained is then used by the data processing system 12 to display corresponding vehicle and / or timetable-related transport information 14 on the stationary display devices 11.

[0031] Furthermore, the data processing unit 12 of the passenger information system 10 is configured to generate an optoelectronic code 15, based at least on some of the vehicle and / or timetable-related data, which contains at least one piece of information about the displayed means of transport. This optoelectronic code 15 is then displayed on the stationary display devices 11 in addition to the vehicle and / or timetable-related means of transport information 14.

[0032] The respective optoelectronic code 15, generated by the data processing system 12, can also contain encoded location information indicating the location of the stationary display device 11. This allows the optoelectronic code 15 to identify not only the means of transport displayed on the stationary display device 11, but also the location of the stationary display device 11 itself.

[0033] The passenger information system 10 also features a number of mobile display devices 20, which are assigned to individual passengers 200. These mobile devices can be, for example, the passengers' own smartphones or tablets. The mobile display devices 20 include, in particular, a camera and a display for showing information.

[0034] Using the mobile device 20, the passenger 200 can now capture the optoelectronic code 15 displayed at the location of the fixed display device 11 by using the camera contained in the mobile device 20 and pointing the mobile device 20 towards the fixed display device 11. The camera then records the optoelectronic code 15 and can extract the information encoded in the optoelectronic code 15 using analysis software available on the mobile device 20.

[0035] The optoelectronic code 15 thus captured contains information about the displayed means of transport, allowing the means of transport to be identified. Based on the identified means of transport, the mobile device 20 then establishes a data connection to the data processing system 12 or the data storage system 13 in order to obtain further vehicle- and / or timetable-related data for the identified means of transport. This data is then retrieved from the data processing system 12 or the data storage system 13 and loaded into the mobile device 20.

[0036] Alternatively, it is also conceivable that the optoelectronic code contains all relevant vehicle and / or timetable-related data of the displayed means of transport, so that a further data connection to the data processing system 12 or the data storage system 13 is not necessary.

[0037] Furthermore, the mobile device 20 retrieves passenger-related booking data for a travel booking, which is either already contained in the mobile device 20 or is accessed via a data connection to the data processing system 12 or the data storage system 13. This passenger-related booking data includes at least the means of transport required for the planned journey in the corresponding order, as well as any further information.

[0038] The previously determined vehicle and / or timetable-related data of the displayed means of transport are now combined with the passenger-related booking data, so that the display of the mobile device 20 shows transport-related and / or passenger-related travel information in addition to the means-of-transport information shown on the stationary display device.

[0039] Such additional transport-related and / or passenger-related travel information can, for example, provide directions to guide passenger 20 from the identified location of the stationary display device 11 to his booked seat.

[0040] It is also conceivable that, as additional transport-related and / or passenger-related travel information, a translation of the vehicle- and / or timetable-related transport information displayed on the stationary display device 11 into a language corresponding to the passenger's preferred language 200 could be shown on the mobile device 20. This would allow passengers who speak a foreign language to easily understand the information on the stationary display devices 11. Reference symbol list 10 Passenger Information System 11 stationary display device 12 Data processing system 13 Data storage 14 vehicle and / or timetable-related transport information 15 optoelectronic code 20 mobile display devices 100 track / station 200 passengers

Claims

[1] Passenger information system (10) for transmitting passenger information to one or more passengers with at least one stationary display device (11) designed to visually display vehicle and timetable-related transport information (14) of at least one means of transport for the carriage of passengers, wherein at least one mobile display device (20) assigned to a passenger (200) is provided, which is equipped: - to identify the means of transport displayed on the stationary display device (11), for which the vehicle and timetable-related transport information (14) is shown, and to determine the relevant vehicle and / or timetable-related data depending on the identified means of transport by means of a transport identification unit, - to determine passenger-related booking data of a travel booking relating to a planned journey of the passenger (200) assigned to this mobile display device (20) by means of a booking data determination unit, wherein the passenger-related booking data includes at least the means of transport required for the planned journey, and - to determine transport-related and / or passenger-related travel information in addition to the vehicle- and timetable-related transport information (14) displayed on the stationary display device (11) based on the vehicle- and timetable-related data of the identified means of transport and the passenger-related booking data and to display this information on a display unit of the mobile display device (20) for the passenger (200), - characterized by, that the mobile display device (20) has an AR visualization device which is set up to record the environment of the mobile display device (20) by means of a camera and to display it on the display unit of the mobile display device (20), whereby the transport vehicle and / or passenger-related information is superimposed on the displayed environment. [2] Passenger information system (10) according to claim 1, characterized by, that the passenger information system (10) is configured to generate an optoelectronic code depending on the means of transport displayed on the stationary display device (11) and, if applicable, the vehicle- and timetable-related means of transport information (14) displayed, and to display this generated optoelectronic code by means of a display, wherein the mobile display device (20) is configured to optically detect the optoelectronic code displayed on the display by means of an optical scanning device and to identify the means of transport depending on the detected optoelectronic code. [3] Passenger information system (10) according to claim 2, characterized by , that the passenger information system (10) is set up to display the generated optoelectronic code by means of the stationary display device (11) on which the means of transport underlying the optoelectronic code is shown. [4] Passenger information system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the mobile display device (20) has a navigation device which is set up to navigate the traveler to an endpoint based on the passenger-related booking data, using the location of the fixed display device (11) as the starting point. [5] Passenger information system (10) according to claim 4, characterized by that the endpoint based on passenger-related booking data is a reserved seat. [6] Passenger information system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the mobile display device (20) is configured to retrieve the vehicle and / or timetable-related data and / or the passenger-related booking data from a remotely located data storage device (13) via a digital data network. [7] Passenger information system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the mobile display device (20) is a smartphone. [8] Mobile display device (20) configured according to the mobile display device (20) according to one of the preceding claims. [9] Method for transmitting passenger information to at least one passenger (200), wherein vehicle- and timetable-related transport information (14) of at least one means of transport for the carriage of passengers is displayed by means of at least one stationary display device (11) of a passenger information system (10), the method comprising the following steps: - Identifying the means of transport displayed on the stationary display device (11) for which the vehicle and timetable-related transport information (14) is displayed, and determining the relevant vehicle and / or timetable-related data depending on the identified means of transport by means of a means of transport detection unit of a mobile display device (20) assigned to the respective passenger (200), - Determining passenger-related booking data of a travel booking relating to a planned journey of the passenger (200) assigned to this mobile display device (20) by means of a booking data determination unit of the mobile display device (20), wherein the passenger-related booking data includes at least the means of transport required for the planned journey, and - Determining transport-related and / or passenger-related travel information in addition to the vehicle- and timetable-related transport information (14) displayed on the stationary display device (11) based on the vehicle- and timetable-related data of the identified transport vehicle and the passenger-related booking data, and - Displaying this determined transport-related and / or passenger-related travel information on a display unit of the mobile display device (20) for the passenger (200), - characterized by , that the environment of the mobile display device (20) is recorded by means of a camera of an AR visualization device and displayed on the display unit of the mobile display device (20), wherein the transport vehicle and / or passenger-related information is superimposed into the displayed environment by means of the AR visualization device. [10] Method according to claim 9, characterized by, that an optoelectronic code (15) is generated depending on the means of transport displayed on the stationary display device (11) and, if applicable, the vehicle- and timetable-related means of transport information (14) displayed, and that this generated optoelectronic code is displayed by means of a display, wherein the optoelectronic code displayed on the display is optically detected by means of an optical scanning device and the means of transport is identified depending on the detected optoelectronic code. [11] Method according to claim 10, characterized by , that the generated optoelectronic code is displayed by means of the stationary display device on which the means of transport underlying the optoelectronic code is depicted. [12] Method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized by, that based on the location of the stationary display device (11) as the starting point, the traveler is navigated to an endpoint based on the passenger-related booking data by means of a navigation device of the mobile display device (20). [13] Method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized by , that the vehicle and / or timetable-related data and / or the passenger-related booking data are retrieved from a remotely located data storage device (13) via a digital data network by the mobile display device (20).

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