Work support system for railroad vehicle

Abstract

To support a worker's work when anomaly occurs in a railroad vehicle.SOLUTION: A work support system for a railroad vehicle comprises: a terminal device which is operated by a worker present in a work target area when anomaly occurs in a railroad vehicle, detects visual information and auditory information related to the work target area to transmit them to an information management device, transmits operation detection information to the information management device according to operation input with respect to an onboard device being displayed, and displays information received from the information management device; an information management device which transmits a simulation telegraphic message for controlling the onboard device with respect to a vehicle information controller which controls the onboard device, when the operation detection information is received from the terminal device; and a remote device which is communicatively connected with the information management device, and transmits instruction information for work support to the terminal device through the information management device from a remote location according to the operation input.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a railway vehicle operation support system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when an abnormality occurs in a railcar (including peripheral devices; the same applies below), workers check and inspect the vehicle on the spot, and then share vehicle information such as on-board data (status data, operation data, etc.) and photographed image data obtained there via email, telephone, etc., and investigate the problem based on that information. Generally, causes of abnormalities in railcars can be due to software such as the OS (Operating System) or application software, or due to hardware such as a failure of the device itself or a board within the device. For this reason, it is often not possible to immediately identify the cause.

[0003] In addition, due to timing issues or the occurrence of abnormalities under complex conditions, the environment may be different between the field and the company, and it is often the case that an abnormality cannot be reproduced even if verification is attempted. Therefore, it is necessary to share and understand in detail information such as the vehicle state when the abnormality occurred and the operation when it is restored. In addition, in order to investigate the detailed vehicle state, work must be done in various places such as the vehicle's cab, under the floor, and inside the equipment box, which requires workers to move around and work by multiple people. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-101372 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-201301 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2019-219917 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As described above, in the conventional technology, when an abnormality occurs in a railway vehicle, the work required to share and confirm information increases, and it takes a lot of time and manpower to identify the cause. In addition, in some cases, the necessary information may be lacking, making it necessary to recheck on-site or dispatch a separate worker, which can result in additional work and costs.

[0006] Therefore, an object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a railway vehicle operation support system that can support the operation of an operator when an abnormality occurs on a railway vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An embodiment of a railway vehicle work support system includes a terminal device that is operated by a worker who is in a work area when an abnormality occurs in the railway vehicle, detects visual and auditory information related to the work area and transmits it to an information management device, transmits operation detection information to the information management device in response to operation input to the displayed on-board equipment, and displays information received from the information management device, the information management device transmits a simulated telegram for controlling the on-board equipment to a vehicle information control device that controls the on-board equipment when the operation detection information is received from the terminal device, and a remote device that is communicatively connected to the information management device and transmits instruction information for work support from a remote location to the terminal device via the information management device in response to operation input, and the information management device stores the information received from the terminal device, on-board data that is data related to the on-board equipment received from the vehicle information control device, and information received from the remote device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of a railway vehicle operation support system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an image of the overall configuration of the railway vehicle work support system of the first embodiment. [Diagram 3]FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the information management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of a railway vehicle work support system according to the second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an image of the overall configuration of a railway vehicle work support system according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments (first and second embodiments) of a railway vehicle work support system of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] (First embodiment) First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of a railway vehicle work support system S of the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an image of the overall configuration of a railway vehicle work support system S of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, it is assumed that an operator M works on board a railway vehicle when an abnormality occurs in the vehicle.

[0011] The railway vehicle work support system S includes an on-board device 1, a wearable device 2 (terminal device), an information management device 3, a vehicle information control device 4, and a remote device 5.

[0012] The on-board equipment 1 is a device for controlling the running of a railway vehicle. The on-board equipment 1 includes, for example, devices for controlling the running of the railway vehicle, such as a motor, a brake, and an ATO (Automatic Train Operation) device, devices for monitoring the railway vehicle, such as an on-board monitor, and a driver's cab.

[0013] The wearable device 2 is a goggle-type wearable device equipped with a display 21, a camera, a microphone, a speaker, etc. (not shown), and capable of displaying and operating in a virtual space. The wearable device 2 is worn, used, and operated by a worker M who is in the work area when an abnormality occurs in the railway vehicle, and detects visual information and audio information related to the work area and transmits it to the information management device 3.

[0014] Furthermore, the wearable device 2 transmits operation detection information (control message) to the information management device 3 in response to an operation input to the displayed on-board equipment. Furthermore, the wearable device 2 displays information received from the information management device 3 within the virtual section. For example, in the example of Fig. 2, specifications, on-board data, instructions from a remote location (remote device 5), and information on underfloor equipment are displayed within the virtual space of the display 21. The worker M can work while viewing each piece of information.

[0015] The information management device 3 is a computer device that executes functions such as relaying transmission and reception of information between the wearable device 2, the vehicle information control device 4, and the remote device 5, and storing each piece of information. The information management device 3 includes, as hardware, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a solid state drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a speaker, and a communication interface.

[0016] The information management device 3 may be a device that is originally provided in the railway vehicle, or may be a device that is newly installed in order to implement this embodiment. In addition, the information management device 3 may be installed either on the train or on the ground.

[0017] For example, when the information management device 3 receives operation detection information (control message) from the wearable device 2, it transmits a simulated message (the message content is the same as the control message) for controlling the on-board equipment 1 to the vehicle information control device 4 that controls the on-board equipment 1.

[0018] In addition, the information management device 3 synchronizes (corresponds to date and time information for multiple pieces of information) the information received from the wearable device 2, on-board data (status data, operation data, etc.) related to the on-board device 1 received from the vehicle information control device 4, and information received from the remote device 5, and then stores the information.

[0019] The vehicle information control device 4 transmits on-board data to the information management device 3, and also receives a simulated telegram for controlling the on-board device 1 from the information management device 3. The vehicle information control device 4 controls the on-board device 1 using the received simulated telegram.

[0020] The remote device 5 is communicatively connected to the information management device 3, and transmits instruction information (text data, voice data, etc.) for work support from a remote location to the wearable device 2 in response to an operation input via the information management device 3. The remote device 5 is, for example, a PC (Personal Computer) or a smartphone.

[0021] Next, the functional configuration of the information management device 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the information management device 3 of the first embodiment.

[0022] The information management device 3 includes a communication unit 31 that transmits and receives information with the wearable device 2, a communication unit 32 that transmits and receives information with the vehicle information control device 4, a communication unit 33 that transmits and receives information with the remote device 5, an information processing unit 34 that performs various information processing, and a memory unit 35 having a database for storing information.

[0023] Worker M wears wearable device 2 and inspects on-board equipment 1 such as the cab, under the floor, and inside the equipment box. In doing so, wearable device 2 collects visual information such as the display screen of the real world seen by worker M and LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamps of the equipment using a visual sensor, and also collects auditory information such as the touch sound of the screen, warning sounds, and abnormal sounds using an auditory sensor. Then, wearable device 2 wirelessly transmits the collected sensory information (visual information and auditory information) to information management device 3 at any time.

[0024] Furthermore, the information management device 3 wirelessly receives on-board data from the on-board vehicle information control device 4 at any time. Furthermore, the information management device 3 wirelessly receives instruction information from the remote device 5. The information received by the communication units 31 to 33 is collected in the information processing unit 34, where it undergoes synchronization processing. The information processing unit 34 transmits the synchronized information to the wearable device 2 via the communication unit 31. The wearable device 2 displays the received information on the display 21 (see the display 21 in FIG. 2).

[0025] Furthermore, the information processing unit 34 transmits information to the remote device 5 via the communication unit 33. The remote device 5 displays the received information. This allows the operator of the remote device 5 to check the vehicle status, etc., from a remote location. Furthermore, the information processing unit 34 stores the synchronized information in a database in the storage unit 35. This allows related parties to check the information later.

[0026] Conventionally, when an abnormality occurred in a train, workers would recognize the abnormality from a warning screen on the display or a buzzer sound, and would share various train information and photos of the display screen they had acquired on the spot via email, telephone, etc., and use that information to identify the cause, etc. However, with the conventional method, sharing information was time-consuming, and information could be lost or there could be discrepancies in understanding.

[0027] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the vehicle condition is automatically photographed and recorded by the visual and audio sensors of the wearable device 2. Furthermore, the information management device 3 receives on-board data from the vehicle information control device 4. Then, the information processing unit 34 in the information management device 3 synchronously processes the information. This makes it possible for the remote device 5, etc. to easily grasp the detailed vehicle condition when an abnormality occurs.

[0028] In addition, while worker M is working, remote device 5 can remotely monitor the wearable device 2 in real time and can also send instructions as appropriate. The instructions are displayed on the display 21 of the wearable device 2 or output as audio through a speaker. This not only makes it possible to check the working status of worker M, but also reduces the effort required for sharing information and prevents misunderstandings.

[0029] In addition, it is possible to reproduce the on-board equipment 1 that is not in the immediate work area in the virtual space on the display 21 of the wearable device 2 and operate it remotely. When the equipment is operated in the virtual space, the wearable device 2 transmits operation detection information to the information management device 3. Then, the information management device 3 transmits a simulated message to the vehicle information control device 4. In response to this, the vehicle information control device 4 uses the simulated message to control the on-board equipment 1 in the real world. This allows the worker M to collect, save, and check various information related to the vehicle state only on the display 21 of the wearable device 2 without having to go back and forth between work areas such as the driver's cab, under the floor, and inside the equipment box, thereby preventing information loss and reducing the time and manpower required for work.

[0030] In this way, according to the railway vehicle work support system S of this embodiment, the wearable device 2, information management device 3, vehicle information control device 4, and remote device 5 work together to control the on-board equipment 1, transmit instructions from the remote device 5 to the wearable device 2, and store each piece of information after synchronous processing in the information management device 3, thereby greatly supporting the work of worker M when an abnormality occurs in the railway vehicle.

[0031] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Descriptions of matters similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of a railway vehicle work support system S according to the second embodiment. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an image of the overall configuration of a railway vehicle work support system S according to the second embodiment.

[0032] In the first embodiment, when an abnormality occurs on a railway vehicle, it is assumed that a worker M actually works on the vehicle, but in the second embodiment, it is assumed that a worker M works remotely on the ground.

[0033] Conventionally, when an abnormality occurs in a railway vehicle, an on-site worker performs an internal verification based on the acquired vehicle information and images, but if information is missing or the abnormal situation cannot be reproduced due to differences in the environment, someone must go to the site to check, which requires a lot of time and cost. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a wearable device 2 that can freely operate digital content in a virtual space is used to remotely operate an on-board device 1, making it possible to obtain information about the vehicle status from the ground.

[0034] The wearable device 2 receives visual and audio information about the work area from sensors 6 (cameras, microphones, etc.) installed in the work area via the information management device 3 and outputs (displays, outputs audio). The information management device 3 may be installed either on the vehicle or on the ground.

[0035] Furthermore, within the virtual space of the display 21 of the wearable device 2, an on-vehicle equipment 1 installed on a remote vehicle is reproduced, enabling operation with the wearable device 2. When the worker M operates the on-vehicle equipment within the virtual space of the display 21 of the wearable device 2, operation detection information (control message) is transmitted from the wearable device 2 to the information management device 3. Then, a simulated message is transmitted from the information management device 3 to the vehicle information control device 4. In response to this, the vehicle information control device 4 uses the simulated message to control the on-vehicle equipment 1 in the real world.

[0036] In this way, according to the second embodiment, the worker M can remotely check the detailed vehicle condition when an abnormality occurs, even if he is not at the site. This eliminates the need to share information, and also eliminates the need to go to the site even if additional information is required later, which can significantly reduce the time, manpower, and cost required for the work.

[0037] The programs executed by the wearable device 2 or information management device 3 of the above-described embodiments can be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

[0038] The program may also be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network.

[0039] In addition, the program has a modular structure including each of the functional units described above, and in terms of actual hardware, a CPU (processor) reads the program from a ROM and executes it, causing each functional unit to be loaded onto a main memory device and generated.

[0040] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

[0041] For example, instead of the wearable device 2, a smartphone or a tablet terminal may be used as the terminal device used by the worker M. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1...on-board device, 2...wearable device, 3...information management device, 4...vehicle information control device, 5...remote device, 6...sensor, 21...display, 31...communication unit, 32...communication unit, 33...communication unit, 34...information processing unit, 35...storage unit, M...worker, S...railroad vehicle work support system

Claims

1. a terminal device which is operated by a worker in a work area when an abnormality occurs in the railway vehicle, detects visual information and audio information related to the work area, transmits the information to an information management device, transmits operation detection information to the information management device in response to an operation input to the displayed on-board device, and displays the information received from the information management device; the information management device, when receiving the operation detection information from the terminal device, transmitting a simulated telegram for controlling the on-board device to a vehicle information control device which controls the on-board device; a remote device that is communicatively connected to the information management apparatus and transmits instruction information for work support from a remote location to the terminal device via the information management apparatus in response to an operation input; The information management device stores information received from the terminal device, on-board data which is data regarding the on-board equipment received from the vehicle information control device, and information received from the remote device.

2. a terminal device which is operated by an operator outside a work area when an abnormality occurs in the railway vehicle, which receives visual and auditory information relating to the work area from sensors installed in the work area via an information management device and outputs the information, transmits operation detection information to the information management device in response to an operation input to the displayed on-board device, and displays the information received from the information management device; the information management device transmits a simulated telegram for controlling the on-board device to a vehicle information control device that controls the on-board device when the operation detection information is received from the terminal device, The information management device stores information received from the terminal device and on-board data, which is data relating to the on-board equipment received from the vehicle information control device.

3. 3. The railway vehicle work support system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is a goggle-type wearable device capable of displaying and operating in a virtual space.

4. 3. The railway vehicle work support system according to claim 1, wherein the information management device synchronizes the information received from the terminal device and the on-board data received from the vehicle information control device before storing them.

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