Alternative route search system and alternative route search method

Abstract

To provide an alternative route search system and an alternative route search method capable of displaying search results of an alternative route for a bus from an object station accurately and in an easy-to-understand manner.SOLUTION: An alternative route search system includes a processing unit and a display unit. The processing unit searches about alternative bus routes to other stations on railway lines for a target station on a railway line, and transmits search results to a display device. The display device displays a list of alternative bus routes for the target station based on the received search results. For each of the alternative bus routes, the list includes information on the followings: transferable station names which are names of the other stations that can be reached by the alternative bus route; names of transferable railway lines to which the transferable stations belong; a travel time on the alternative bus route; and differences between travel times on rail way routes in normal time and the travel time on the alternative bus route.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an alternative route search system and an alternative route search method, and more particularly to an alternative route search system and an alternative route search method capable of searching for an alternative route for a bus that can be transferred from a railway. [Background technology]

[0002] If a train line is suspended while you are using it, you will need to use another route to reach your destination. For this reason, users will often search for alternative routes to try to travel by other routes. When trying to travel from a station, if there is a train line, it is expected that an alternative route will be searched for by another train line. However, there are many cases where it is not possible to transfer to another train line, in which case it is necessary to search for an alternative bus route as well.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing device that includes an identification means for identifying a route for moving from a position indicated by the first position information to a position indicated by the second position information, the route being different from a predetermined route, using acquired first position information and second position information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-27790 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When searching by bus, it is necessary to search for a bus route starting from the nearest bus stop of the station (target station). However, because general route search systems require you to specify the starting point and the destination, route search is difficult unless you know the information on the bus route from the nearest bus stop of the target station. In addition, although travel by bus route generally takes longer than the original train route, information on the amount of time lost cannot be easily found even when using a route search system. Furthermore, it is preferable for users to have an easy-to-understand overall view of alternative bus routes, but there was no display that made the overall view easy to understand based on the target station.

[0006] If users are unable to search for alternative routes or cannot obtain accurate information, they must inquire with station staff or check the bus information at the station. However, when service is suspended, station staff also have to deal with a large number of inquiries, and users are often unable to make timely inquiries. This also results in an increased burden on station staff.

[0007] In addition, although Patent Document 1 specifies a route for travel from a location indicated by the first location information to a location indicated by the second location information, it does not disclose how to specify a route by bus. In addition, it does not display a list of alternative routes for bus routes based on a target station.

[0008] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide an alternative route search system and an alternative route search method that can display search results for alternative bus routes from a target station in an accurate and easy-to-understand manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one representative alternative route search system of the present invention comprises a processing unit and a display device, wherein the processing unit searches for alternative bus routes to other stations on a target station on a railway line and transmits the search results to the display device, and the display device displays a list of alternative bus routes to the target station based on the received search results, and wherein the list includes, for each alternative bus route, information on the following: transfer station names which are names of other stations that can be reached via the alternative bus route, transfer line names which are the railway lines of the transfer stations, travel time via the alternative bus route, and the difference between the travel time via the railway route under normal circumstances and the travel time via the alternative bus route. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, in the alternative route search system and the alternative route search method, the search results of alternative bus routes from a target station can be displayed accurately and in an easy-to-understand manner. Problems, configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an alternative route search system of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of the alternative route search system of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a route map for explaining a specific example of an alternative route search system according to the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a bus stop master of the alternative route search system of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a route master of the alternative route search system of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a transfer station master of the alternative route search system of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a time-zone-based average time master of the alternative route search system of the present invention. [Figure 8]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a search result based on Station A in the alternative route search system of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a search result based on Station E in the alternative route search system of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a search result based on Station J of the alternative route search system of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] An embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an alternative route search system of the present invention.

[0014] 1 includes a server 11, a recording unit 13, a display device 15, and an input device 16. In FIG 1, the server 11, the display device 15, and the input device 16 are shown configured via a network 20. The alternative route search system here may be applied as a client-server system.

[0015] The server 11 includes a processing unit 12 and performs processing for searching for an alternative route, which will be described later. The processing unit 12 includes various devices necessary for processing for searching for an alternative route, such as a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory.

[0016] The recording unit 13 holds information necessary for searching for an alternative route. It also holds information on the results of the alternative route search. Specific information will be described later with reference to Figs. 4 to 10. The recording unit 13 includes a device necessary for recording information, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). In Fig. 1, the recording unit 13 is shown configured to be connected to the server 11, but may be directly connected to the network 20.

[0017] The display device 15 displays necessary information based on the result of the alternative route search processed by the processing unit 12. A display device 15 may be provided for each user or each station, and one processing unit 12 may correspond to a plurality of display devices 15. The display device 15 includes a device required for display, such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence (OEL) display. The display device 15 may also include a processing unit having a processor or the like, and perform necessary processing for display. The display device 15 may be configured to be portable, or may be a display device installed at a station (for example, digital signage, which is an electronic display). In this case, the digital signage may display information about the suspension of train service as well as the result of the alternative route search.

[0018] The input device 16 is a device that allows a user to input information necessary for searching for an alternative route. For example, it may be configured as a touch panel, or a keyboard or a mouse may be used. The input device 16 may be configured integrally with the display device 15. If it is configured as a touch panel, it can have both display and input functions. In this case, a smartphone, a tablet PC, or the like can be applied. The input device 16 may be equipped with a system that identifies the current position of the input device 16. For example, it may be a satellite positioning system such as GPS.

[0019] The network 20 is a network such as the Internet, which makes it possible for the processing unit 12 to transmit the results of the alternative route search to a large number of display devices 15.

[0020] 2 is a flow chart showing an example of the processing of the alternative route search system of the present invention.

[0021] First, in S101, information on a target station is input to the processing unit 12. The target station is a station from which an alternative bus route is to be searched for. For example, when a user inputs information on the target station using the input device 16, that information is input. Furthermore, station information may be input based on location information of the input device 16. Also, when the display device 15 is a digital signage fixedly installed at a station, that station may be set as the target station. For example, an alternative route to the relevant station may be automatically searched for based on information on the occurrence of a suspension of service.

[0022] Next, in S102, a transferable station registered in the transferable station master is searched for from a bus stop adjacent to the target station. A transferable station is another station on a railway line that can be reached from the target station by a bus line. It is preferable that the railway line in this case is another railway line, since this can avoid the suspension of service. The transferable station master stores information on transferable stations on bus lines for a specific station, and transferable stations are searched for from this information.

[0023] Next, in S103, a bus route of an alternative route to a transfer station is searched for and travel time is calculated. The alternative bus route can be obtained from the route master in which the bus route route is stored. In addition, the travel time can be calculated from the time-slot average time master in which the required time for each route in each time slot is stored. In this case, the total required time for the alternative bus route in that time slot from the bus stop adjacent to the target station to the bus stop adjacent to the transfer station is calculated.

[0024] Next, in S104, the average travel time from the target station to a transfer station is searched for. This is to calculate the travel time required for the train route under normal circumstances when there are no suspensions of train services. This information is possible by using train timetable information stored in the recording unit 13, etc.

[0025] Next, in S105, the difference between the average train travel time and the bus route travel time is calculated to calculate the time difference with the train route. The average train travel time is the time calculated in S104. The bus route travel time is the total required time for each alternative bus route calculated in S103. The difference between these travel times is calculated by comparing each alternative bus route with the average train travel time.

[0026] Next, in S106, a search result including information on buses that can be transferred from the target station to transfer stations is created. The search result can be created based on the information in S102 to S105. The search result is created as information tailored to the target station that was the subject of the search by calculating all alternative routes that can be calculated for the target station.

[0027] Next, in S107, the search results are transmitted to the display device. The search results calculated in S106 are transmitted to the corresponding display device 15. The display device 15 displays the search results based on the information. This information is displayed for each alternative bus route.

[0028] 3 is a route map for explaining a specific example of the alternative route search system of the present invention. As a specific example, the route map shown in FIG. 3 will be used for explanation.

[0029] In the example of Figure 3, there are three railway lines: Line AAA, Line EEE, and Line JJJ. Line AAA has Station A, Line EEE has Station E, and Line JJJ has Station J. In this case, bus routes exist between Station A and Station E, and between Station E and Station J.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a bus stop master of the alternative route search system of the present invention.

[0031] The bus stop master records the location information of each bus stop. The location information is shown in latitude and longitude. Based on this information, it is possible to identify the route traveled by combining it with the route master in Figure 5. For example, by identifying the location of each bus stop on a map, it is possible to display the route traveled by the bus on the map.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a route master of the alternative route search system of the present invention.

[0033] The route master is used in S103 in FIG. 2. The items "route name," "order," "stop name," and "up and down flag" are recorded. "Route name" indicates the route of the bus route. In the example of FIG. 5, two routes, "East 01" and "West 20," are shown. "Order" indicates the order of stops with numbers. "Stop name" is the stop where the bus stops, and can be linked with the location information of the stop master. "Up and down flag" specifies whether it is an up route or a down route. This is because the stops where the bus stops for up and down trips are different, or the buses may take different routes, so information is stored separately for up and down trips. In this way, the route master can specify which route of the bus route stops at which stops and in what order.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a transfer station master of the alternative route search system of the present invention.

[0035] The transfer station master is used in S102 of Fig. 2. The transfer station master records the following items: "Departure station name", "Departure station / stop name", "Departure stop number", "Route name", "Up / Down flag", "Bus direction name", "Transferable station / stop name", "Transferable station name", and "Transferable route name".

[0036] The "Departure station" is a station on a railroad line where a transfer to a bus line can be made in order to go to a transfer station. The "Departure station / stop name" is the name of a stop adjacent to the station specified by the "Departure station name". It is the stop closest to the departure station on that line. The departure station and the departure station / stop are located within a walking distance within a specified time (e.g., within 5 minutes). The "Departure stop number" is a management number for identifying the "Departure stop". The "Route name" indicates the bus route and corresponds to the "Route name" in the route master in Figure 5. The "Up / Down flag" specifies whether the route is an up or down route and corresponds to the "Up / Down flag" in the route master in Figure 5. The "Bus direction name" is information on which direction (station) the bus is heading for. The "Transferable station / stop name" is the name of a stop adjacent to the station specified by the "Transferable station name". It is the stop closest to the transfer station on that line. Transferable stations and transferable bus stops are located within walking distance within a given time (e.g., within 5 minutes). A "transferable station" is a railway station that is different from the departure station. A "transferable line name" indicates the railway line that passes through a transferable station.

[0037] In this way, the transfer station master is information that records which bus routes run from which station to which other station. In the example of Figure 6, it is possible to go from Station A to Station E by taking the "Downbound" route "Higashi 01". It is also possible to go from Station E to Station A by taking the "Upbound" route "Higashi 01". It is also possible to go from Station E to Station J by taking the "Upbound" route "West 20". It is also possible to go from Station J to Station E by taking the "Downbound" route "West 20".

[0038] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the time-zone-based average time master of the alternative route search system of the present invention.

[0039] The average time by time period master is used in S103 of Fig. 2. The average time by time period master records the items "route name," "order," "stop name," "up / down flag," and "average time to next stop." "Route name," "order," "stop name," and "up / down flag" are the same as those in the route master of Fig. 4. The average time by time period master records information on the average time it takes to travel between stops on bus routes for each time period.

[0040] "Average time to the next bus stop" indicates the average time required for travel by bus from that bus stop to the next bus stop name for each time period. This can be calculated and recorded by collecting data in advance. In FIG. 7, the average travel time is recorded for each hour, such as 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, etc. This is because the travel time varies depending on the time period due to congestion on the route. Although FIG. 7 shows the time period divided by hour, other time period divisions can also be applied. For example, it may be divided by 30 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, etc. Also, for example, the time divisions for morning and evening commuting times may be shorter than those for other time periods.

[0041] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a search result based on Station A in the alternative route search system of the present invention, Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a search result based on Station E in the alternative route search system of the present invention, Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a search result based on Station J in the alternative route search system of the present invention.

[0042] These search results are calculated in S106 of Fig. 2. The search results are calculated in the following order: "Departure station name", "Departure station / stop name", "Departure stop number", "Route name", "Bus direction name", "Travel time", "Transferable station / stop name", "Transferable station name", "Transferable line name", and "Time difference with rail route". Here, "Departure station name", "Departure station / stop name", "Departure stop number", "Route name", "Bus direction name", "Transferable station / stop name", "Transferable station name", and "Transferable line name" are the same as the items explained in the transferable station master of Fig. 6.

[0043] "Travel time" is the time required from the departure station or stop of the bus route to the transfer station or stop. This time is calculated in S103 of Figure 2. "Time difference from rail route" is the difference between the time required from the departure station or stop of the bus route to the transfer station and the normal travel time on the rail route from the departure station or stop to the transfer station. It can be expressed as the value obtained by subtracting the travel time on the rail route from the travel time on the bus. This time is calculated in S105 of Figure 2. If the bus route takes longer, this is indicated by "+", and if the bus route takes less time, this is indicated by "-". Note that if the travel time on the bus and the travel time on the rail route are the same, this is indicated by "±0".

[0044] Figure 8 shows the case where the target station is Station A. Here, an alternative bus route from Station A to Station E is shown. In this case, the travel time from the bus stop at Terminal Station A to the bus stop in front of Station E is 12 minutes, which means that it takes 5 minutes longer (+5 minutes) than the usual travel time from Station A to Station E by train.

[0045] Figure 9 shows the case where the target station is Station E. Two types of alternative routes are shown here: an alternative bus route from Station E to Station A, and an alternative bus route from Station E to Station J. For Station A, the travel time from the bus stop in front of Station E to the bus stop at Terminal A is 7 minutes, which is the same as the travel time from Station E to Station A by normal train (±0 minutes). For Station J, the travel time from the bus stop in front of Station E to the bus stop at the east exit of Station J is 10 minutes, which is 2 minutes longer than the travel time from Station E to Station J by normal train (+2 minutes).

[0046] Figure 10 shows the case where the target station is Station J. Here, an alternative bus route from Station J to Station E is shown. In this case, the travel time from the bus stop at the east exit of Station J to the bus stop in front of Station E is 10 minutes, which means that it takes 2 minutes longer (+2 minutes) than the usual travel time from Station A to Station E by train.

[0047] The search results in Figs. 8 to 10 can be displayed on the display device 15. This displays a list of search results for alternative bus routes to the target station. This list includes each search result for each alternative bus route. The display configuration of the search results exemplified in Figs. 8 to 10 can be arranged according to the display screen of the display device 15. For example, if the display screen is small, they can be displayed separately. In addition, map information of the bus route map may also be displayed together, for example, by using the bus stop master information in Fig. 4.

[0048] Furthermore, if the display device 15 is a fixed display board such as a digital signage installed at a station, the search results can be displayed with the station where the display device 15 is installed as the target station. For example, when sending search results from the processing unit 12 to the display device 15 installed at a station, the search is performed with the station where the display device 15 is installed as the target station. Furthermore, when the processing unit 12 acquires information on a train service suspension, it can automatically start a search with the station corresponding to the suspension of service as the target station and transmit the search results to the relevant station. The display device 15 installed at the station can display the search results alternately or on the same screen together with the information on the suspension of train service.

[0049] Furthermore, in the case where the display device 15 is a computer or the like integrated with the input device 16, the input target station can be transmitted to the processing unit 12, and the search results can be displayed on the same display device 15. Furthermore, for example, in the case of a portable smartphone or tablet PC in which the display device 15 is integrated with the input device 16, the location can be specified using a satellite positioning system or the like. In this case, the station closest to the location can be set as a candidate for the target station. In addition, stations within a specific distance from the location can be displayed as a list of candidate target stations. The user specifies the target station and transmits it to the processing unit 12, and the search results can be displayed on the display device 15 integrated with the input device 16 that transmitted the search results.

[0050] As an additional function of the search results of Figs. 8 to 10, when multiple alternative routes are displayed, the order may be changed. For example, when the item "time difference from railroad route" is selected, the alternative routes are sorted in ascending order of difference value. Here, the alternative routes are sorted in ascending order of the value obtained by subtracting the travel time of the railroad route under normal conditions from the travel time of the alternative bus route. When the item "name of transferable route" is selected, the alternative routes may be sorted in descending order of transferable route. In this case, the selection may be made, for example, by a method in which, if the display device 15 is a touch panel, touching the corresponding part is recognized as a selection. Also, another operating device may be installed and selected by operating it.

[0051] As in the above embodiment, by displaying all alternative bus routes to transfer stations for the target station as a list of search results, the user can immediately grasp the alternative routes. In addition, by displaying the required time and the time difference from the rail route, the user can know how long each alternative route takes. Furthermore, the required time of the alternative route can be calculated from the average required time in the same time period, so that more accurate information can be obtained. In addition, the user does not need to input the destination, and can immediately know the entire bus information of the alternative route from the target station.

[0052] Furthermore, when the display device 15 is a fixed display device installed at a station, the target station is fixed, so it is possible to automatically display a list of alternative routes when service is suspended. This allows users to check the information at the station without performing a search operation. Furthermore, when the display device 15 and the input device 16 are portable terminals, the target station can be identified from the location information acquired by the terminal, making it possible to search for alternative routes with less operation by the user.

[0053] Furthermore, in an additional function, the display order of the display device 15 can be changed by the user's operation, so that information more desired by the user can be displayed.

[0054] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modified examples other than those described above are also included. For example, the present invention is not limited to those having all the configurations provided in the above-mentioned embodiments. In addition, it is also possible to delete part of the configuration of a certain embodiment or replace it with another configuration.

[0055] For example, while FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which the network 20 is used, a configuration in which the network 20 is not used may also be applicable depending on the situation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 11: server, 12: processing unit, 13: recording unit, 15: display device, 16: input device, 20: network

Claims

1. A processing unit and a display device, The processing unit searches for an alternative bus route to another station on the railway line for the target station on the railway line, and transmits the search result to the display device; The display device displays a list of alternative bus routes to the target station based on the received search results, An alternative route search system characterized in that the list includes, for each alternative bus route, information on the names of other stations that can be reached via the alternative bus route where transfer is possible, the names of the railway lines at which the transfer is possible, the travel time via the alternative bus route, and the difference in travel time between the alternative bus route and the normal railway route.

2. 2. The alternative route search system according to claim 1, The alternative route search system is characterized in that the processing unit calculates the current travel time along the alternative bus route by using an average time master by time period which records information on the average time required to travel between bus stops on a bus route for each time period.

3. In the alternative route search system according to claim 1 or 2, The alternative route search system is characterized in that the display device is a display device installed at a station, and the processing unit searches for the station in which the display device to which the search results are to be sent is installed as the target station.

4. 4. The alternative route search system according to claim 3, The alternative route search system is characterized in that, when the processing unit obtains information about a suspension of service, it searches for an alternative route for the station where the service is suspended, and transmits the search results with the station as the target station to the display device installed at the station.

5. In the alternative route search system according to claim 1 or 2, An input device is provided, The alternative route search system is characterized in that the input device transmits input station information to the processing unit, and the processing unit designates the received station information as the target station.

6. 6. The alternative route search system according to claim 5, The alternative route search system is characterized in that the input device selects a station closest to the position of the input device as a candidate for the target station based on position information of the input device.

7. In the alternative route search system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The display device is an alternative route search system that has a function of rearranging the display so that, when an item showing the difference between the travel time via the rail route under normal circumstances and the travel time via the alternative bus route is selected, the value obtained by subtracting the travel time via the rail route under normal circumstances from the travel time via the alternative bus route is displayed in ascending order.

8. searching for alternative bus routes to other stations on the railway line for the target station on the railway line by a processing unit, and transmitting the search results to a display device; and displaying, by the display device, a list of alternative bus routes to the target station based on the received search result; The alternative route search method is characterized in that the list includes, for each alternative bus route, information on the names of other stations that can be reached via the alternative bus route where transfer is possible, the names of the railway lines at which the transfer is possible, the travel time via the alternative bus route, and the difference in travel time between the alternative bus route and the normal railway route.

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