Monitoring console, station service system, and station service method

Abstract

To reduce the communication load on railway operators by having a control console primarily handle data transmission and reception.SOLUTION: A monitoring console connected to an upper server and a ticket gate according to an embodiment includes: a storage unit that stores a distribution condition file indicating distribution conditions for a modification program; a condition determination unit that determines the timing for receiving the modification program based on the distribution condition file; and a communication control unit that receives the modification program from the upper server at the determined timing, transmits the modification program to the ticket gate, and sends an applied notification to the upper server upon receiving an application notification from the ticket gate indicating the modification program has been applied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a monitoring panel, a station service system, and a station service method. [Background technology]

[0002] When updating ticket gates, modification programs may be applied to all target ticket gates simultaneously on a designated changeover date. The distribution of the modification programs does not have to be simultaneous with the designated changeover date, and can be distributed in advance. However, if the programs are distributed without any designation, it may put strain on the railway operator's lines.

[0003] To reduce the communication load, the upper server can collect information such as the connection status and version of all monitoring panels and change the communication timing.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for updating master data for a ticket gate by specifying the ticket gate with which to communicate from a maintenance server and sending the master data to the specified ticket gate via a monitoring panel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-182728 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When changing the communication timing, it is necessary to determine the optimal communication timing under different conditions for each railway operator or station. If the information is determined collectively on the host server, while all information can be consolidated and managed centrally, the problem is that the system becomes complicated due to the need to make decisions and manage each individually.

[0007] This invention was made with the above-mentioned circumstances in mind, and its purpose is to provide technology that can reduce the communication load on railway operators by having the monitoring panel take the lead in sending and receiving data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In one embodiment, the monitoring panel connected to the upper server and the ticket gate comprises a memory unit that stores a distribution condition file indicating the distribution conditions of the modified program, a condition determination unit that determines when to receive the modified program based on the distribution condition file, and a communication control unit that receives the modified program from the upper server at the determined timing, transmits the modified program to the ticket gate, and, upon receiving an application notification from the ticket gate indicating that the modified program has been applied, transmits an application notification to the upper server. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a station service system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an upper server according to the embodiment and a software configuration associated with the hardware configuration. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the monitoring panel and ticket gate according to the embodiment and the software configuration associated with the hardware configuration. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for applying a remodeling program according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The monitoring panel, station service system, and station service method will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, parts with the same numbers perform the same operations, and redundant explanations will be omitted. For example, when there are multiple identical or similar elements, a common symbol may be used to describe each element without distinguishing between them, or a sub-number may be used in addition to the common symbol to describe each element with distinction between them.

[0011] (composition) FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a station service system according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the station service system 100 includes a host server 1, a monitoring panel 2 connected to the host server 1, and ticket gates 3 connected to the monitoring panels 2, respectively.

[0012] The host servers 1 are placed at designated locations within the railway business. The host servers 1 are connected to each other via a network 4. Furthermore, the host servers 1 are connected to, for example, a monitoring panel 2 via a LAN. The host server 1 can then transfer modified program files acquired from external devices to the monitoring panel 2. Here, the modified program is a program that requires a long preparation period and is simultaneously applied to a large number of units, such as a program used for fare revisions. However, the modified program is not limited to a program used for fare revisions, and may of course be an upgrade or update for improving the functionality of the ticket gate 3. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the host server 1 may be connected to ticket issuing machines, counter processing machines, etc. in addition to the monitoring panel 2.

[0013] The monitoring panel 2 is placed at each station exit, such as at the station attendant corner. For example, the monitoring panel 2 is placed at the station attendant corner at the east exit of the station and at the station attendant corner at the west exit of the station. The monitoring panel 2 is connected to the ticket gate 3, for example, via a LAN. The monitoring panel 2 can control the ticket gate 3 by sending specific commands to the ticket gate 3. The monitoring panel 2 may also send data on passengers who use the ticket gate 3 to the upper server 1.

[0014] The ticket gate 3 controls whether or not to permit passage of passengers attempting to pass through (enter or exit) a passageway. One or more ticket gates 3 may be installed at ticket gates of stations, etc. Each of these ticket gates 3 forms a passageway through which users can pass. The ticket gates 3 may also transmit various information obtained from media such as IC cards used by users to the monitoring panel 2.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the host server 1 according to the embodiment and the software configuration associated with the hardware configuration. The upper server 1 includes a control unit 11, a program storage unit 12, a data storage unit 13, a communication interface 14, and an input / output interface 15. The control unit 11, the program storage unit 12, the data storage unit 13, the communication interface 14, and the input / output interface 15 are communicably connected to one another via a bus. The input / output interface 15 is also communicably connected to an input unit 151 and an output unit 152.

[0016] The control unit 11 of the host server 1 controls the host server 1. The control unit 11 includes a hardware processor such as a central processing unit (CPU).

[0017] The program storage unit 12 may use, as a storage medium, a combination of nonvolatile memories that can be written to and read from at any time, such as an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and a nonvolatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory). The program storage unit 12 stores programs necessary for executing various processes. That is, the control unit 11 can realize various controls and operations by reading and executing the programs stored in the program storage unit 12.

[0018] The data storage unit 13 is a storage that uses a combination of nonvolatile memory such as a HDD or memory card that can be written to and read from at any time, and volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a storage medium. The data storage unit 13 is used to store data acquired and generated in the process of the control unit 11 executing programs and performing various processes.

[0019] The communication interface 14 includes one or more wired or wireless communication modules. For example, the communication interface 14 includes a communication module that connects to the monitoring panel 2 via a hub or the like via a wired connection. The communication interface 14 may also include a communication module that connects to other upper level servers 1 and external devices via the network 4 via a wired or wireless connection. In other words, the communication interface 14 may be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with the monitoring panel 2, other upper level servers 1, and external devices under the control of the control unit 11 and send and receive various information.

[0020] The input / output interface 15 is connected to the input unit 151, the output unit 152, etc. The input / output interface 15 is an interface that enables transmission and reception of information between the input unit 151 and the output unit 152. The input / output interface 15 may be integrated with the communication interface 14. For example, the input / output interface 15 and the input unit 151 or the output unit 152 are wirelessly connected using short-range wireless technology or the like, and transmission and reception of various information may be performed using the short-range wireless technology.

[0021] The input unit 151 includes, for example, a keyboard, a pointing device, etc., which are used by the administrator of the upper server 1 to input various instructions to the upper server 1. The input unit 151 may also include a reader for reading data to be stored in the program storage unit 12 or the data storage unit 13 from a memory medium such as a USB memory, or a disk device for reading such data from a disk medium.

[0022] The output unit 152 includes a display that displays output data to be presented to the administrator from the upper server 1, a printer that prints information displayed on the display, and the like.

[0023] Next, the software configuration of the control unit 11 will be described in more detail. The control unit 11 includes a remodeling program acquisition unit 111 and a communication control unit 112. The remodeling program acquisition unit 111 is an acquisition unit that acquires the remodeling program from an external device, for example, via the network 4. The external device may be a central server of a railway operator, etc. Furthermore, when acquiring the remodeling program, the remodeling program acquisition unit 111 may acquire a distribution condition file and application timing from the external device.

[0024] Here, the distribution condition file includes the application conditions for the ticket gate 3, i.e., a file that describes the conditions for applying the modified program to the ticket gate 3. For example, the distribution condition file includes the start time, application deadline, application scope, application order, transfer time, and transferable time, etc. The start time indicates the start time of the transfer of the modified program. The application deadline indicates the deadline for applying the modified program to the ticket gate 3. The application scope indicates which railway operator, which station, or which monitoring panel 2 it is to be applied to. The application order indicates which monitoring panel 2 it is to be applied to. The transfer time indicates the transfer time allocated to one monitoring panel 2 (i.e., the time allocated for the monitoring panel 2 to receive the modified program (e.g., 10 minutes)). Furthermore, the transferable time indicates the time available for transfer (e.g., three hours from 1:00 AM to 4:00 AM). Furthermore, the distribution condition file may differ depending on the railway operator, line, station, etc.

[0025] Furthermore, the distribution condition file may include information indicating the order of distribution to the ticket gate 3, distribution time, etc.

[0026] The application timing is information indicating the timing at which the ticket examiner 3 applies the modification program.

[0027] The communication control unit 112 is a control unit that controls the transmission and reception of various information between the monitoring panel 2 and other higher-level servers 1. For example, the communication control unit 112 controls the transfer of a remodeling program to the monitoring panel 2 in accordance with a request from the monitoring panel 2.

[0028] The data storage unit 13 includes a modified program storage unit 131 and a distribution result storage unit 132. The modified program storage unit 131 is a storage unit used to store modified programs acquired from an external device. The modified program storage unit 131 may also store a distribution condition file and application timing. The distribution result storage unit 132 is a storage unit used to store version information of modified programs applied to the ticket gate 3.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the monitoring panel 2 and the ticket gate 3 according to the embodiment, and the software configuration associated with the hardware configuration. First, the hardware and software configurations of the monitoring panel 2 will be described in detail. The monitoring panel 2 includes a control unit 21, a program storage unit 22, a data storage unit 23, a communication interface 24, and an input / output interface 25. The control unit 21, the program storage unit 22, the data storage unit 23, the communication interface 24, and the input / output interface 25 are communicably connected to one another via a bus. The input / output interface 25 is also communicably connected to an input unit 251 and an output unit 252.

[0030] The control unit 21 controls the monitoring panel 2. The control unit 21 includes a hardware processor such as a central processing unit (CPU). For example, the control unit 21 may be an integrated circuit capable of executing various programs.

[0031] The program storage unit 22 may use, as a storage medium, a combination of a nonvolatile memory that can be written to and read from at any time, such as an EPROM, HDD, or SSD, and a nonvolatile memory such as a ROM. The program storage unit 22 stores programs necessary for executing various processes. That is, the control unit 21 can realize various controls and operations by reading and executing the programs stored in the program storage unit 22.

[0032] The data storage unit 23 is a storage that uses a combination of nonvolatile memory such as a HDD or memory card that can be written to and read from at any time, and a volatile memory such as RAM as a storage medium. The data storage unit 23 is used to store data acquired and generated in the process of the control unit 21 executing programs and performing various processes.

[0033] The communication interface 24 includes one or more wired communication modules. For example, the communication interface 24 includes a communication module that connects to the upper server 1 and the ticket gate 3 by wire. In other words, the communication interface 24 may be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with the upper server 1 and the ticket gate 3 under the control of the control unit 21 and send and receive various information. Of course, the communication interface 24 may also include one or more wireless communication modules.

[0034] The input / output interface 25 is connected to the input unit 251, the output unit 252, etc. The input / output interface 25 is an interface that enables transmission and reception of information between the input unit 251 and the output unit 252. The input / output interface 25 may be integrated with the communication interface 24. For example, the monitoring panel 2 and at least one of the input unit 251 or the output unit 252 may be wirelessly connected using short-range wireless technology or the like, and various types of information may be transmitted and received using the short-range wireless technology.

[0035] The input unit 251 includes, for example, a keyboard, a pointing device, etc., which are used by station staff to input various instructions to the monitoring panel 2. The input unit 251 may also include a reader for reading data to be stored in the program storage unit 22 or the data storage unit 23 from a memory medium such as a USB memory, or a disk device for reading such data from a disk medium.

[0036] The output unit 252 includes a display that displays output data to be presented to station staff from the monitoring panel 2, a printer that prints out information displayed on the display, and the like.

[0037] Next, the software configuration of the control unit 21 will be described in more detail. The control unit 21 includes a communication control unit 211 and a condition determination unit 212 .

[0038] The communication control unit 211 is a control unit that controls the transmission and reception of various information with the upper server 1 and the ticket gate 3. For example, the communication control unit 211 transmits a transfer preparation request to the upper server 1 at a predetermined interval. Here, the transfer preparation request includes information inquiring whether the upper server 1 has a modified program. Furthermore, the communication control unit 211 receives a transfer preparation negation response or a transfer preparation response in response to the transmission of the transfer preparation request. The transfer preparation negation response indicates that the upper server 1 does not have a modified program, and the transfer preparation response indicates that the upper server 1 has a modified program. Furthermore, the transfer preparation response may include a distribution condition file. Furthermore, the communication control unit 211 transmits the modified program to be applied to the ticket gate 3 to the ticket gate 3.

[0039] The condition determination unit 212 is a determination unit that determines the timing of transmitting and receiving the modified program. For example, the condition determination unit 212 determines the timing of receiving the modified program from the upper server 1 based on the distribution condition file. Furthermore, the condition determination unit 212 determines the timing of transmitting the modified program to the ticket gate 3 based on the distribution condition file.

[0040] The data storage unit 23 includes an acquired information storage unit 231. The acquired information storage unit 231 is a storage unit used to store various information received by the communication control unit 211. For example, the acquired information storage unit 231 stores a modified program, a distribution condition file, and the like.

[0041] Next, the hardware and software configurations of the ticket examiner 3 will be described in detail. The ticket gate 3 includes a control unit 31, a program storage unit 32, a data storage unit 33, a communication interface 34, and an input / output interface 35. The control unit 31, the program storage unit 32, the data storage unit 33, the communication interface 34, and the input / output interface 35 are connected to each other via a bus so as to be able to communicate with each other. The input / output interface 35 is also connected to a ticket reading unit 351, a display unit 352, and a door 353 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0042] The control unit 31 controls the ticket gate 3. The control unit 31 includes a hardware processor such as a central processing unit (CPU). For example, the control unit 31 may be an integrated circuit capable of executing various programs.

[0043] The program storage unit 32 may use, as a storage medium, a combination of a nonvolatile memory that can be written to and read from at any time, such as an EPROM, HDD, or SSD, and a nonvolatile memory such as a ROM. The program storage unit 32 stores programs necessary for executing various processes. That is, the control unit 31 can realize various controls and operations by reading and executing the programs stored in the program storage unit 32.

[0044] The data storage unit 33 is a storage that uses a combination of nonvolatile memory such as a HDD or memory card that can be written to and read from at any time, and volatile memory such as RAM as a storage medium. The data storage unit 33 is used to store data acquired and generated in the process of the control unit 31 executing programs and performing various processes.

[0045] The communication interface 34 includes one or more wired communication modules. For example, the communication interface 34 includes a communication module that connects to the host server 1 and the ticket gate 3 by wire. That is, the communication interface 34 may be a general communication interface as long as it can communicate with the host server 1 and the ticket gate 3 under the control of the control unit 31 and send and receive various information. Of course, the communication interface 34 may also include one or more wireless communication modules.

[0046] The input / output interface 35 is connected to the ticket reading unit 351, the display unit 352, the door 353, etc. The input / output interface 35 is an interface that enables transmission and reception of information between the ticket reading unit 351, the display unit 352, the door 353, etc.

[0047] The ticket reading unit 351 is a reading unit that reads ticket information from passengers passing through the ticket gate 3. The ticket reading unit 351 includes at least one of a camera, a media reader / writer, a two-dimensional code reading unit, and the like. For example, the ticket reading unit 351 may include any device that can read ticket information from passengers. The ticket information includes general information that can be obtained from a medium, such as the validity period, the section, and the fare. Furthermore, the method for reading the ticket information may be a general method used by the device, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0048] The display unit 352 includes a display for displaying various information to passengers. For example, the display unit 352 may include a display that provides various information to passengers who are entering the premises from inside, and a display that provides various information to passengers who are entering the premises from outside. The display unit 352 may also include a speaker that provides audio guidance to passengers about the information displayed on the display.

[0049] The door 353 is installed on the side of the ticket gate 3 and physically blocks the passage of a passenger when the passenger is not permitted to pass through.

[0050] The data storage unit 33 includes a modified program storage unit 331. The modified program storage unit 331 is a storage unit used to store a modified program received by the communication control unit 311. The modified program storage unit 331 may also store version information of the currently applied modified program.

[0051] (operation) FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for applying a remodeling program according to the embodiment. The operation of this sequence diagram is realized by the control unit 11 of the upper server 1, the control unit 21 of the monitoring panel 2, and the control unit 31 of the ticket gate 3 reading and executing the programs stored in the program memory unit 12, the program memory unit 22, and the program memory unit 32, respectively.

[0052] First, suppose that a railway operator wishes to implement a fare revision or the like, which requires a long preparation period and applies to a large number of vehicles at the same time. The railway operator inputs a modification program for the fare revision into an external device (e.g., an administrator server) managed by the railway operator. The external device sends the modification program to the upper server 1, thereby starting this sequence.

[0053] In step ST101, the modified program acquisition unit 111 of the upper server 1 acquires the modified program. The modified program acquisition unit 111 acquires the modified program from an external device via the network 4. At this time, the modified program acquisition unit 111 may acquire a distribution condition file and application timing. Then, the modified program acquisition unit 111 may store the modified program, the distribution condition file, and the application timing in the modified program storage unit 131.

[0054] In step ST102, the communication control unit 211 of the monitoring panel 2 transmits a transfer preparation request. The communication control unit 211 transmits the transfer preparation request to the upper server 1 at a predetermined interval. Here, the predetermined interval may be any time, for example, every 30 minutes, every few hours, or every day. Furthermore, the transfer preparation request includes information indicating that the upper server 1 is ready to accept the modified program. For example, the transfer preparation request may also be transmitted before step ST101. However, in this case, the upper server 1 does not respond because it has not acquired the modified program. Alternatively, the upper server 1 transmits a transfer preparation negation response. For example, the transfer preparation negation response includes information indicating that the upper server 1 does not have the modified program.

[0055] In step ST103, the communication control unit 112 transmits a transfer preparation response. The communication control unit 112 searches the modified program storage unit 131, and if an acquired (i.e., new) modified program is stored, generates a transfer preparation response. Here, the transfer preparation response includes, for example, a distribution condition file. Then, the communication control unit 112 transmits the generated transfer preparation response to the monitoring panel 2. The communication control unit 211 stores the received transfer preparation response in the acquired information storage unit 231.

[0056] In step ST104, the condition determination unit 212 performs a condition determination. The condition determination unit 212 determines the transfer timing of the modified program based on the distribution condition file included in the transfer preparation response. For example, the condition determination unit 212 determines the timing of acquiring the modified program from the upper server 1 based on the conditions described in the distribution condition file.

[0057] For example, if the application scope is 100, i.e., if the modification program is distributed to 100 monitoring panels 2, simultaneously distributing the modification program to each monitoring panel 2 would congest the railway operator's lines. Therefore, the condition determination unit 212 determines that the modification program should be distributed to each monitoring panel 2 with a lag of the transfer time (e.g., 10 minutes) included in the distribution condition file. In this case, the condition determination unit 212 can calculate that distributing the program one by one in order would take approximately 17 hours. Therefore, the condition determination unit 212 calculates how many devices need to communicate at a time to distribute the program by the application deadline based on the start time, application deadline, application scope, and available transfer time included in the distribution condition file. For example, if the application deadline is three days away and the available transfer time is three hours at night, it can be calculated that the modification program should be received from the upper server 1 two devices at a time. The condition determination unit 212 then determines the timing of the calculated schedule for receiving the modification program based on the application scope of the distribution condition file and the monitoring panel identifier of the monitoring panel 2. The reception timing may be determined by referring to the application order. The condition determination unit 212 outputs information about the determined timing to the communication control unit 211.

[0058] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the distribution condition file may differ depending on the railway operator, line, station, etc. For example, if you want to transfer at a different start time for each line, or if you want to apply it with a different application deadline, the distribution condition file may be different for each line. If the distribution condition file is separated, conditions such as start time and application period may be set overlapping within the same network. In such cases, monitoring panels under different condition files will be connected simultaneously during the overlapping period. In such cases, although it is not as optimal as if the periods were completely separated, the load will be distributed within each period. As a result, the overall effect of reducing the concentration of line load can be achieved.

[0059] The condition determination unit 212 may also use a method similar to that described above to determine the timing of distributing the modified program to the ticket gate 3. For example, if the distribution condition file includes information indicating the order of distribution to the ticket gate 3, the distribution time, etc., the condition determination unit 212 may determine the timing of distributing the modified program to the ticket gate 3 based on that information.

[0060] In step ST105, the communication control unit 211 acquires the remodeling program. For example, the communication control unit 211 acquires the remodeling program from the upper server 1 using a general file transfer method such as FTP in accordance with the timing received from the condition determination unit 212. The communication control unit 211 may also acquire the application timing from the upper server 1 along with acquiring the remodeling program. The communication control unit 211 stores the acquired remodeling program and application timing in the acquired information storage unit 231.

[0061] In step ST106, the communication control unit 211 transfers the modified program. For example, the communication control unit 211 transfers the modified program to the ticket gate 3 using a general file transfer method such as FTP in accordance with the timing received from the condition determination unit 212. The communication control unit 211 may also transmit the application timing together with the transfer of the modified program.

[0062] In step ST107, the customization program application control unit 312 of the ticket gate 3 applies the customization program. For example, the communication control unit 311 receives the customization program transmitted from the monitoring panel 2 and stores the received customization program in the customization program memory unit 331. The customization program application control unit 312 applies the customization program stored in the customization program memory unit 331 according to the application timing. For example, if all ticket gates 3 to which a fare revision or the like should be applied simultaneously apply the customization program, the customization program application control unit 312 follows the application timing. Alternatively, the customization program may be applied when a notification is received from the communication control unit 311 that a new customization program has been received. For example, in the case of a version upgrade or update, the customization program application control unit 312 may apply the customization program when it receives the customization program.

[0063] In step ST108, the communication control unit 311 transmits an application notification. For example, after applying the remodeling program, the remodeling program application control unit 312 outputs information indicating that application of the remodeling program has been completed to the communication control unit 311. For example, the remodeling program application control unit 312 outputs version information of the remodeling program to the communication control unit 311. The communication control unit 311 transmits an application notification including the version information to the monitoring panel 2.

[0064] In step ST109, the communication control unit 211 transmits an application completion notification. Upon receiving the application notification, the communication control unit 211 transmits an application completion notification including version information of the modified program to the upper server 1. The communication control unit 211 may transmit the application completion notification after receiving application notifications from all ticket gates 3. Based on the application completion notification, the communication control unit 112 stores the version information of the ticket gates 3 in the distribution result memory unit 132. This allows the upper server 1 to manage which version of the modified program has been applied to the ticket gates 3.

[0065] (Action and effect) According to the embodiment described above, the upper server 1 does not decide the timing of distribution of the modified program to the monitoring panel 2, but the monitoring panel 2 decides the timing of transfer of the modified program. Furthermore, when viewed as the system as a whole, even though the monitoring panel 2 decides the timing of transfer of the modified program, the monitoring panel 2 is connected to the upper server 1 in order, which reduces the communication load on the system as a whole.

[0066] Furthermore, rather than the upper server 1 collecting information from the monitoring panel 2 and managing the communication timing, the monitoring panel 2 takes the lead in controlling the sending and receiving of data, so the communication load can be reduced to suit the circumstances of the railway operator or station.

[0067] [Other embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, although an example in which a distribution condition file is included in the transfer preparation response has been described, the upper server 1 may transmit the distribution condition file to the monitoring panel 2 at an appropriate time. For example, the distribution condition file may be transmitted at night (when the line is not congested). This allows the distribution condition file to be transmitted during the off-peak hours even if the transfer preparation request is received during the day, thereby further reducing the communication load.

[0068] In short, this invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in combination as appropriate as possible, and in such cases, the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining the disclosed multiple constituent elements. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 100...Station service system 1...Upstream server 11...Control unit 111...Modification Program Acquisition Department 112...Communication control unit 12...Program memory section 13...Data storage unit 131... Modification program memory section 132...Distribution result storage unit 14...Communication interface 15...Input / output interface 151...input section 152...Output section 2…Monitoring board 21...Control unit 211...Communication control unit 212...Condition judgment section 22...Program memory section 23...Data storage unit 231...Acquired information storage unit 24...Communication interface 25...Input / output interface 251...input section 252...Output section 3...Ticket gate 31...Control unit 311...Communication control unit 312... Modification program application control unit 32...Program memory section 33...Data storage unit 331... Modification program memory section 34...Communication interface 35...Input / output interface 351...Ticket reader 352...Display section 353...door 4. Network

Claims

1. A monitoring panel connected to a host server and a ticket gate, a storage unit for storing a distribution conditions file indicating distribution conditions for the modified program; a condition determination unit that determines, based on the distribution condition file, when to receive the modified program; a communication control unit that receives the remodeling program from the upper server at the determined timing, transmits the remodeling program to the ticket gate, and, upon receiving an application notification from the ticket gate indicating that the remodeling program has been applied, transmits an application completion notification to the upper server; A monitoring panel equipped with:

2. The distribution conditions file is a file that describes the conditions for applying the modified program to the ticket gate, and includes a start time, an application deadline, an application range, a transfer time, and a transferable time. The monitoring panel according to claim 1.

3. The distribution condition file determines how many monitoring boards should receive the remodeling program at one time based on the start time, the application deadline, the application range, and the transferable time, and determines the timing at which the remodeling program should be received based on the application range and the monitoring board identifier. The monitoring panel according to claim 2.

4. the communication control unit transmits a transfer preparation request at a predetermined cycle, and receives a transfer preparation response indicating that there is a modification program to be applied in response to the transmission of the transfer preparation request; The monitoring panel according to claim 1.

5. the transfer preparation response includes the distribution conditions file; The monitoring panel according to claim 4.

6. The distribution condition file includes information indicating the order and time of application to the ticket gates, a condition determination unit that determines, based on the distribution condition file, the timing of when to transmit the modification program to the ticket gate; The monitoring panel according to claim 1.

7. The upper server, a monitoring panel connected to the upper server; A ticket gate connected to the monitoring panel; Equipped with The upper server a remodeling program acquisition unit that acquires a remodeling program; a remodeling program storage unit that stores the remodeling program; The monitoring panel comprises: a storage unit for storing a distribution conditions file indicating distribution conditions for the modified program; a condition determination unit that determines, based on the distribution condition file, when to receive the modified program; a communication control unit that receives the remodeling program from the upper server at the determined timing, transmits the remodeling program to the ticket gate, and, upon receiving an application notification from the ticket gate indicating that the remodeling program has been applied, transmits an application completion notification to the upper server; The ticket gates are equipped with a remodeling program application control unit that applies the remodeling program upon receiving the remodeling program; a communication control unit that transmits the application notification indicating that the remodeling program has been applied to the monitoring panel; A station service system equipped with:

8. A station operation method executed by a processor of a monitoring panel connected to a host server and a ticket gate, storing a distribution conditions file indicating distribution conditions for the modified program; determining, based on the distribution conditions file, when to receive the modified program; receiving the remodeling program from the host server at the determined timing; transmitting the modification program to the ticket gate; When receiving an application notification indicating that the modification program has been applied from the ticket gate, transmitting an application completion notification to the upper server; A station operation method that includes the following.

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