Road information boards and road information board control systems

Abstract

To provide road information boards and road information board control systems that can safely acquire and manage maintenance information. [Solution] To achieve the above objective, a road information sign according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a first communication unit, a second communication unit, a first data generation unit, a second data generation unit, and a control unit. The first communication unit communicates with an office terminal located in the office. The second communication unit communicates with a mobile terminal carried by a field worker. The first data generation unit generates first data that includes at least information regarding whether or not the road information sign is malfunctioning. The second data generation unit generates second data different from the first data, which includes information regarding the repair of the malfunctioning road information sign. The control unit outputs the first data to the office terminal in response to a request from the office terminal, and outputs the first data and the second data to the mobile terminal in response to a request from the mobile terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a road information board and a road information board control system applicable to obtaining maintenance information and the like.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, information boards installed on highways and the like that display information such as detour instructions and road closures are managed for failures and the like by a PC installed in a management office. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a remote control system that controls the display state of a display device that displays traffic control information installed in a mountainous area based on an image captured by an imaging device. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses an information display system that remotely operates to display a desired image in real time on a display device installed at the roadside, and monitors in real time from a remote location the content displayed on the display device and the state of the device.

[0003] Also, Patent Document 3 discloses an electrical equipment remote comprehensive inspection system that automatically performs maintenance inspections of electrical equipment remotely. As a result, each inspection item of the electrical equipment is automatically measured, so that it is intended to enable daily inspections without the personnel performing the maintenance inspections having to go to the site.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when an information board malfunctions, it is necessary to go to the site to repair it. In such cases, it can be difficult to ensure safety when obtaining maintenance information that can be acquired by inspecting the inside of the information board, especially when the information board is installed in a location with heavy traffic, a narrow shoulder, poor visibility, difficulty in accessing it such as on a bridge, or in a location requiring traffic restrictions, or when performing maintenance work in adverse environmental conditions such as bad weather or at night.

[0006] In situations where on-site work is difficult, it is desirable to be able to safely acquire and manage maintenance information.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, the object of the present invention is to provide a road information board and a road information board control system that can safely acquire and manage maintenance information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, a road information board according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a first communication unit, a second communication unit, a first data generation unit, a second data generation unit, and a control unit. The first communication unit mentioned above communicates with the office terminal located in the office. The second communication unit described above communicates with mobile terminals carried by field workers. The first data generation unit generates first data that includes at least information regarding whether or not the road information sign is malfunctioning. The second data generation unit generates second data that is different from the first data, which includes information regarding the repair of the malfunction of the road information sign. The control unit outputs the first data to the office terminal in response to a request from the office terminal, and outputs the first data and the second data to the mobile terminal in response to a request from the mobile terminal.

[0009] The above-mentioned road information sign comprises a first communication unit, a second communication unit, a first data generation unit, a second data generation unit, and a control unit. The first communication unit communicates with an office terminal located in the office. The second communication unit communicates with a mobile terminal carried by field workers. The first data generation unit generates first data that includes at least information regarding whether or not the road information sign is malfunctioning. The second data generation unit generates second data, which is different from the first data, and includes information regarding the repair of any malfunctions in the road information sign. The control unit outputs the first data to the office terminal upon request from the office terminal, and outputs the first data and the second data to the mobile terminal upon request from the mobile terminal. This enables the secure acquisition and management of maintenance information.

[0010] The first data mentioned above may include the driving status of the road information sign.

[0011] The second communication unit described above performs short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal. Road information sign.

[0012] A road information sign system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an office terminal, a mobile terminal, and a road information sign. The above-mentioned office terminal will be placed in the office. The above-mentioned mobile device is portable and usable by field workers. The above-mentioned road information sign comprises a first communication unit, a second communication unit, a first data generation unit, a second data generation unit, and a control unit. The first communication unit communicates with the office terminal. The second communication unit communicates with the mobile terminal. The first data generation unit generates first data that includes at least information regarding whether or not the road information sign is malfunctioning. The second data generation unit generates second data that is different from the first data and includes information regarding the repair of any malfunctions in the road information sign. The control unit outputs the first data to the office terminal in response to a request from the office terminal, and outputs the first data and the second data to the mobile terminal in response to a request from the mobile terminal.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] As described above, according to the present invention, it becomes possible to safely acquire and manage maintenance information. Further, by inspecting the inside of the road information board, the maintenance information that can be obtained can be acquired remotely, reducing the man-hours of work and minimizing road restrictions, thereby making it possible to reduce the personnel involved in the restrictions and the costs for maintenance.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing a road information board control system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing a road information board control system. [Figure 3] It is a sequence diagram showing the control of maintenance information of a road information board. [Figure 4] It is a sequence diagram showing the control of a road information board, an office terminal, and a mobile terminal.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a road information board control system 100 according to the present invention.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the road information board control system 100 is composed of a road information board 10 arranged on the road, an office terminal 30, and a mobile terminal 40.

[0018] The road information board 10 has a display unit 14. The display unit 14 displays display information that is information related to road traffic. For example, in FIG. 1, information related to a speed limit of "80 km / h" is displayed. In addition to this, traffic regulations, traffic jam information, warnings for drivers such as road surface freezing and upcoming curve warnings may also be displayed.

[0019] The road information board 10 also has a control panel 19. The control panel 19 is configured to control the display content, such as characters and images, that are displayed on the display unit 14. For example, a field worker 1 can change the currently displayed content to a new display content by directly operating the control panel 19.

[0020] In Figure 1, the control panel 19 is located near the road information sign 10, but depending on the location where the road information sign 10 is installed, such as on a bridge, it may be placed in a position (far away) where the road information sign 10 cannot be seen.

[0021] The road information board 10 also has a display panel 20 (not shown). For example, the display panel 20 is located on the side opposite to the side where the display unit 14 is placed, and displays information regarding the repair of a malfunction in the road information board 10.

[0022] In this embodiment, the road information sign 10 generates first data including information regarding the presence or absence of a malfunction in the road information sign 10, and second data including information regarding the repair of the malfunction in the road information sign 10. In this embodiment, repair includes repairing the malfunctioning part of the road information sign and replacing the malfunctioning part. Repair also includes replacing the entire panel (for example, a single LED) if a part of the whole panel (for example, a panel composed of multiple LED groups) is malfunctioning.

[0023] The first data refers to information recorded at predetermined intervals, that is, information accumulated as history. For example, the first data includes the time of occurrence of a malfunction, the type of abnormal status such as the circumstances and type of malfunction, the location of the malfunction in an LED, power supply, or communication module, or the history of power outages. The first data also includes the operating status of the road information board 10. For example, the first data includes the operating time, display time, power supply voltage, internal temperature, dimming stage, LED illumination rate, or the history of when the power was turned on.

[0024] The second set of data includes, for example, the type of abnormal status such as the circumstances under which the failure occurred and the type of failure, the detailed causes of the failure, or the location of the failure, such as an LED, power supply, or communication module.

[0025] For example, the types of abnormal statuses include "power supply voltage abnormality," which includes cases where the voltage value becomes abnormal due to a failure of the power supply itself or an abnormal input voltage, by monitoring the voltage values ​​of several power supplies within the road information board 10; and "board internal temperature abnormality," which includes cases where the temperature of the road information board 10 rises (an abnormal temperature value is detected) due to a failure of a thermistor installed in the road information board 10 or a failure of the cooling fan inside the road information board 10. In addition to these, the types of abnormal statuses may also include cases where a failure is detected due to overcurrent or a current of 0 [mA] (voltage is the normal value) when a specific module mounted on the road information board 10, such as the communication unit, blower fan drive unit, LED drive unit, or control unit, shorts out for some reason.

[0026] Furthermore, in order to understand the malfunction status of the road information board 10, a drop in power supply voltage may be detected when the power supply itself is damaged due to overload or the like. Also, if a part of the circuit is short-circuited, the power supply voltage will not change, but an overcurrent will flow through the short-circuited part, causing abnormal overheating of the device from an overloaded state, or burning out of an element exceeding its rating, and a break in the corresponding part (current 0 [mA]) may be detected. In addition, in order to understand the malfunction status, a malfunction may be detected if there is no response to a command to determine whether or not there is a malfunction, or if a response different from the expected response is given to a command related to control.

[0027] The road information board 10 also has a first communication unit 11 for long-distance communication with the office terminal 30 and a second communication unit 12 for short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal 40 (see Figure 2).

[0028] In this embodiment, the road information board 10 outputs first data to the office terminal 30 via the first communication unit 11 in response to a request from the office terminal 30. The road information board 10 also outputs both the first data and the second data via the second communication unit 12 in response to a request from the mobile terminal 40.

[0029] The office terminal 30 is a terminal (e.g., a PC) installed in the management department of the organization that manages the road and the road information sign 10. The office terminal 30 is installed at a location away from the road information sign 10 and is operated by the administrator 2. For example, the administrator 2 can request and confirm first data (e.g., whether or not the road information sign 10 is malfunctioning) via the office terminal 30.

[0030] The mobile terminal 40 is a portable terminal that can be used by the field worker 1. For example, the mobile terminal 40 may be a tablet or a smartphone. By operating the mobile terminal 40, the field worker 1 can obtain first data (whether or not the road information sign 10 is malfunctioning and the driving conditions) and second data (information necessary for repairing the malfunction of the road information sign 10).

[0031] In other words, by communicating via short-range wireless communication between the mobile terminal 40 and the second communication unit 12 of the road information board 10, the field worker 1 can acquire, in addition to the first data, the second data, which is information displayed on the display panel 20, that is, information that the field worker 1 would otherwise have to climb to a position where they can see the display panel 20 mounted on the road information board 10, without having to climb up to the display panel 20.

[0032] In the following description, when referring to both the first and second data sets, the term "maintenance information" may be used.

[0033] Here, short-range wireless communication refers to communication that does not involve a network. For example, short-range wireless communication includes BLE (Bluetooth® Low Energy) communication using a BLE module. However, short-range wireless communication is not limited to this, and various communication standards may be used. Long-range communication, on the other hand, refers to communication that takes place via a network.

[0034] Figure 2 shows the road information board control system 100.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, the road information board control system 100 includes a road information board 10, an office terminal 30, and a mobile terminal 40.

[0036] The road information board 10 is capable of displaying traffic-related information such as speed limits and congestion information. In this embodiment, the road information board 10 includes a first communication unit 11, a second communication unit 12, a control unit 13, a display unit 14, a sensor unit 15, a first data generation unit 16, a second data generation unit 17, a storage unit 18, an operation panel 19, and a display panel 20.

[0037] The first communication unit 11 communicates with the office terminal 30. For example, the first communication unit 11 receives a request for first data from the office terminal 30.

[0038] The second communication unit 12 communicates with the mobile terminal 40. In this embodiment, the second communication unit 12 receives a request for maintenance information from the mobile terminal 40 and transmits the request to the control unit 13.

[0039] The control unit 13 performs various controls on the road information board 10. In this embodiment, the control unit 13 retrieves maintenance information stored in the storage unit 18 (described later) in accordance with the maintenance information request from the mobile terminal 40 acquired by the second communication unit 12. For example, field worker 1 requests maintenance information for a predetermined time period (for example, within this month) from the stored maintenance information via the mobile terminal 40.

[0040] The display unit 14 displays various information such as traffic regulations, congestion information, and warnings to the driver, such as road surface icing or caution regarding curves ahead. For example, the display unit 14 is composed of multiple LED groups arranged in a vertical and horizontal direction.

[0041] The sensor unit 15 detects malfunctions or failures of the road information sign 10. The sensor unit 15 also detects the operating status of the road information sign 10, such as its operating time and the dimming rate of its LEDs. The sensing results detected by the sensor unit 15 are output to the first data generation unit 16 and the second data generation unit 17.

[0042] The first data generation unit 16 generates first data that includes at least information regarding whether or not the road information board 10 is malfunctioning. In this embodiment, the first data generation unit 16 generates first data based on sensing results from the sensor unit 15. For example, the first data generation unit 16 generates first data at a 1-second interval and outputs it to the storage unit 18.

[0043] The second data generation unit 17 generates second data, which includes information regarding the repair of a malfunction in the road information sign 10. In this embodiment, the second data generation unit 17 generates the second data based on the sensing results from the sensor unit 15. For example, the second data generation unit 17 generates the second data as real-time information at the time the request from the mobile terminal 40 is received.

[0044] The memory unit 18 stores various information related to the road information board 10. In this embodiment, the memory unit 18 stores maintenance information. In addition to this, the memory unit 18 may also store the time and number of times maintenance information has been requested from the mobile terminal 40. For example, the memory unit 18 may store information input from the first communication unit 11, associating it with a flag indicating that it was input from the first communication unit 11. The memory unit 18 may also store information input from the second communication unit 12 (for example, a request for maintenance information), associating it with a flag indicating that it was input from the second communication unit 12.

[0045] The control panel 19 is configured to receive operations from the field worker 1. For example, the control panel 19 has an operating section such as a switch or a panel for changing the display content shown on the road information board 10. Also, for example, the control panel 19 transmits the operation instructions performed by the field worker 1 to the control unit 13.

[0046] The display panel 20 is configured to display second data. For example, the display panel 20 may have a display that allows the second data to be visually displayed, such as the type of abnormal status, such as the circumstances under which a failure occurred or the type of failure, the power supply voltage, or the location of the failure. The configuration of the display panel 20 is not limited.

[0047] The mobile terminal 40 includes a communication unit 41 that can communicate with the second communication unit 12, a storage unit 42 that stores applications related to the road information board control system 100, an operation unit 43 that receives input from a field worker 1 operating the mobile terminal 40, a display unit 44, and the like.

[0048] For example, field worker 1 is near a road information sign 10 (for example, within 100m) and selects the road information sign 10 to be operated from a mobile terminal 40. Field worker 1 also requests maintenance information for the selected road information sign 10. As a result, the first and second data for the road information sign 10 are displayed on the mobile terminal 40, allowing field worker 1 to check for malfunctions, operating status, etc. of the road information sign 10.

[0049] Figure 3 is a sequence diagram showing the control of maintenance information on the road information board 10.

[0050] As shown in Figure 3, the field worker 1 operates the mobile terminal 40 to select the road information sign 10 to be operated on (step 101). For example, different IDs are assigned to the BLE modules installed on the road information sign 10, and the field worker 1 can select the road information sign 10 by checking the ID on the mobile terminal 40.

[0051] Furthermore, field worker 1 requests that maintenance information be sent to the road information board 10 by operating the mobile terminal 40 (step 102). For example, field worker 1 requests maintenance information for the road information board 10 from the time the current malfunction occurred to the time the previous malfunction occurred. Field worker 1 may request only specific information from the maintenance information, such as the time of occurrence and the location of the malfunction.

[0052] The second communication unit 12 transmits a request from the mobile terminal 40 to the control unit 13 (step 103). The control unit 13 reads the requested maintenance information from the storage unit 18 (step 104). For example, the control unit 13 reads a time period or specific maintenance information designated by the field worker 1 from the maintenance information stored in the storage unit 18. Of course, all maintenance information stored in the storage unit 18 may also be read.

[0053] The second communication unit 12 transmits the maintenance information read by the control unit 13 to the mobile terminal 40 (step 105).

[0054] The mobile terminal 40 receives a response from the second communication unit 12, analyzes the response, and displays and saves maintenance information (step 106). For example, the retrieved maintenance information may be displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal 40, and a button may be displayed to select whether or not to save it.

[0055] Figure 4 is a sequence diagram showing the control of the road information board 10, the office terminal 30, and the mobile terminal 40. Note that in Figure 4, step 101 and the step of selecting the road information board 10 to be operated by the office terminal 30 are omitted from the illustration.

[0056] Figure 4 illustrates a sequence diagram showing what happens when a request for the first data is made from the office terminal 30 while the road information board 10 is processing (steps 101 to 106) to request maintenance information from the mobile terminal 40.

[0057] As shown in Figure 4, when the processes from step 101 to step 106 of the sequence diagram shown in Figure 3 are performed, assume that administrator 2 requests the first data from office terminal 30 (step 201).

[0058] In this case, the road information board 10 controls the request for the first data from the office terminal 30 after it has completed controlling the mobile terminal 40 that previously sent the maintenance information request. Specifically, after the maintenance information is sent to the mobile terminal 40 in step 106, the first communication unit 11 sends the request for the first data output from the office terminal 30 to the control unit 13 (step 202).

[0059] The control unit 13 then reads the requested first data from the storage unit 18 (step 203). The first communication unit 11 transmits the first data read by the control unit 13 to the office terminal 30 (step 204).

[0060] The office terminal 30 receives a response from the first communication unit 11, analyzes the response, and displays and saves the first data (step 205).

[0061] Note that the control shown in the sequence diagram in Figure 4 is not limited to the above. For example, information indicating that maintenance information has been requested by the mobile terminal 40 may be sent to the office terminal 30, or information indicating that the first data has been requested by the office terminal 30 may be sent to the mobile terminal 40. Furthermore, even if various control commands other than maintenance information are sent from the mobile terminal 40 or the office terminal 30, the control of the one that outputs the control command first may take precedence.

[0062] As described above, by implementing a BLE communication module or similar device capable of short-range wireless communication on road information boards and communicating with mobile terminals, information that previously could only be obtained by inspecting the inside of the road information board can now be acquired from a safe location. This makes it possible to download information used for maintenance, such as past anomalies and failures of the road information board, the location of failures in LEDs, power supplies, etc., current status such as illumination rate, voltage, and dimming stage, operating time, display time, and operation history, as well as data necessary for the above repairs.

[0063] <Other Embodiments> This technology is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various other embodiments can be realized. In the following description, parts that are similar to the configuration and operation of the road information board control system 100 described in the above embodiments will be omitted or simplified.

[0064] In the above embodiment, maintenance information is transmitted to the mobile terminal 40 of the field worker 1, and only the first data is transmitted to the office terminal 30. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and maintenance information may also be transmitted from the mobile terminal 40 to the office terminal 30. For example, the field worker 1 may upload the maintenance information to the office terminal 30 using an LTE (Long Term Evolution) line or the like by operating the mobile terminal 40. This allows the administrator 2 to also check the maintenance information.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the field worker 1 went to the site when a malfunction occurred in the road information board 10 and obtained maintenance information. However, the invention is not limited to this, and various management tasks may be performed using the mobile terminal 40 depending on the cause of the malfunction in the road information board 10.

[0066] For example, the system may prevent the display of unintended erroneous information in the event of an abnormality such as the dimming of some light sources in the display unit 14 of the road information board 10. Specifically, if some light sources dim due to a short circuit or the like, some characters or numbers may disappear, potentially resulting in the display of incorrect information. For example, in the case of the number 8, if the horizontal line in the middle dims, it may appear as a 0, which would be a serious error in speed or distance information. In such cases, the sensor unit 15 may detect the dimming or incorrect illumination of a specific part of the display that would result in erroneous information, and the control unit 13 may make a determination. If the control unit 13 determines that there is a possibility of the above-mentioned erroneous information being displayed, the road information board 10 may be forcibly turned off completely, or a message indicating a malfunction may be displayed on the display unit 14. The system may also notify the mobile terminal 40 that there is a possibility of erroneous information being displayed.

[0067] Furthermore, for example, if the display unit 14 of the road information board 10 is partially functional, the normal display content that would normally be displayed may be simplified. Specifically, when only a part of the display unit 14 is turned off, and the range of the normally functioning display unit 14 is detected by the sensor unit 15, the control unit 13 may notify the mobile terminal 40 of the parts of the display unit 14 that are turned off, the display content, and the range in which they can be lit. The field worker 1 can output an input instruction from the mobile terminal 40 to the road information board 10 to simplify the display content, or an input instruction to reduce the font size, etc.

[0068] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made. Furthermore, the configurations of each embodiment and its modified form may be combined. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 10…Road information sign 11...First Communications Department 12...Second Communications Department 13…Control Unit 14...Display section 15...Sensor section 16...First data generation unit 17…Second Data Generation Unit 18...Storage section 19...Operation panel 20…Display panel 30…Office terminal 40…Mobile devices 41... Communications Department 42...Storage section 43...Operation unit 44…Display section 100…Road information sign control system

Claims

1. It is a road information sign, The first communication unit communicates with the office terminals located in the office, A second communication unit that communicates with mobile terminals carried by field workers, A first data generation unit that generates first data including at least information regarding whether or not the road information sign is malfunctioning, A second data generation unit generates second data different from the first data, which includes information regarding the repair of a malfunction in the road information sign. A control unit that outputs the first data to the office terminal in response to a request from the office terminal, and outputs the first data and the second data to the mobile terminal in response to a request from the mobile terminal. A road information sign equipped with the following features.

2. A road information sign according to claim 1, The first data includes the operating status of the road information sign. Road information sign.

3. A road information sign according to claim 1, The second communication unit performs short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal. Road information sign.

4. Office terminals placed in the office, Mobile devices carried by field workers, A first communication unit that communicates with the aforementioned office terminal, A second communication unit that communicates with the aforementioned mobile terminal, A first data generation unit that generates first data including at least information regarding whether or not the road information sign is malfunctioning, A second data generation unit generates second data different from the first data, which includes information regarding the repair of a malfunction in the road information sign. A control unit that outputs the first data to the office terminal in response to a request from the office terminal, and outputs the first data and the second data to the mobile terminal in response to a request from the mobile terminal. Road information signs and A road information sign control system equipped with the following features.

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