Bus-mounted unit

Abstract

To collect a fare in a bus at low cost and acquire OD data.SOLUTION: An on-bus device 1 includes, in one enclosure 5, an information terminal 3 and an IC card reader / writer 4. The information terminal 3 has a processing unit 31, a storage unit 32, a display unit 33, and an input unit 34. The storage unit 32 has stop information and fare information on an operation system of a bus in question. When a passenger gets off the bus, first, a get-off stop is input to the input unit 34. Then, when each passenger gets off the bus, a get-on stop is input to the input unit 34. The processing unit 31 stores the get-on stop and the get-off stop in pairs in the storage unit 32. In a case where the fare information is a uniform fare, the uniform fare is collected using an IC card 2 of each passenger either when the passenger gets on or gets off the bus. In a case where the fare information is not a uniform fare, a fare is calculated based on get-on stop information, get-off stop information, and the fare information when each passenger gets off the bus, and the fare is collected using the IC card 2 of the passenger.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an on-vehicle device for collecting fares inside a bus.

Background Art

[0002] A route bus is an important public transportation means for local residents. However, due to factors such as population decline and the impact of new infectious diseases, the operating environment of bus operators is extremely severe. In particular, it is not easy for bus operators to maintain less-popular routes, and in order to maintain the routes, management efforts to increase users and reduce costs are being made. In order to improve the convenience of buses and streamline operations, it is desirable to revise the bus timetable based on OD data. OD data is an abbreviation for Origin and Destination, and is data on the number of users between the origin (boarding stop) and the destination (alighting stop).

[0003] In railways and urban buses, the use of transportation IC cards for cashless payment of fares is spreading. With the rapid spread of cashless payment in recent years, bus operators on less-popular routes are also expected to support IC cards. If buses on less-popular routes introduce devices compatible with transportation IC cards, it will be possible to obtain OD data.

[0004] Conventionally, a bus ticket gate device using a non-contact IC card (transportation IC card) has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In such a conventional bus ticket gate device, boarding gate main units and alighting gate main units are respectively installed at the boarding and alighting gates. The boarding gate main unit and the alighting gate main unit each have an IC card reader / writer and are connected to a higher-level device inside the vehicle. The higher-level device is composed of a control device, a fare display, a voice synthesis device, etc., and is a device having fare information and stop information. The conventional bus ticket gate device has a high cost for the higher-level device, and the economic burden of introduction for bus operators is very large.

[0005] Therefore, a system could be conceived that reduces the cost of higher-level equipment by having a server process some of the functions of the higher-level equipment. However, such a system would require wireless data communication between the bus and the server, making it unusable on routes where radio waves are difficult to reach.

[0006] IC cards used on trains and buses can also be used as electronic money in taxis. Taxis do not have the same high-level equipment as buses. Therefore, it is conceivable that bus fares could be collected using IC cards, just like in taxis. However, such use of IC cards as electronic money would be treated as payment for goods, and thus would not provide the necessary OD data for improving bus schedules. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-134460 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] This invention aims to solve the above problems by collecting fares on a bus at low cost using passengers' IC cards, and by acquiring OD data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The bus-mounted device of the present invention is a bus-mounted device carried by a bus driver, comprising an information terminal and an IC card reader / writer for reading and writing data between an IC card and the information terminal, all housed in a single enclosure, wherein the information terminal includes a processing unit for processing data, a storage unit for storing data, a display unit for displaying data, and an input unit for receiving input operations from the driver, the storage unit holds bus stop information and fare information for the vehicle's operating route, and when a passenger disembarks, first, a selection of disembarking bus stops is displayed on the display unit based on the bus stop information, and the passenger selects one. The disembarking stop is entered into the input unit, and when each passenger disembarks, a selection of boarding stops is displayed on the display unit based on the stop information, the selected boarding stop is entered into the input unit, the processing unit stores the boarding stop and the disembarking stop as a pair in the storage unit, if the fare information is a flat fare, the processing unit collects the flat fare using the passenger's IC card at either the time of boarding or disembarking for each passenger, if the fare information is not a flat fare, the processing unit collects the boarding stop at the time of disembarking for each passenger place, The aforementioned disembarking stop place, The system is characterized by calculating the fare based on the fare information and collecting the fare using the passenger's IC card.

[0010] In this bus-mounted device, it is preferable that the bus is equipped with a ticket issuing machine that issues numbered tickets with numbered tickets printed on them, and that when each passenger disembarks, the numbered ticket corresponding to the boarding stop, along with the boarding stop selection, is displayed on the display unit.

[0011] In this bus-mounted device, the IC card stores the balance of the prepaid amount, and it is preferable that the processing unit collects the fare by deducting the fare from the stored balance using the IC card reader / writer.

[0012] In this bus-mounted device, it is preferable that the charge amount to be deposited into the IC card is entered into the input unit, and the processing unit adds the entered charge amount to the balance stored on the IC card by the IC card reader / writer, and stores it in the storage unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The bus-mounted device of the present invention includes an information terminal and an IC card reader / writer, allowing for the collection of fares on board the bus using passengers' IC cards. Since the information terminal's storage unit holds stop information and fare information for the vehicle's route, the higher-level equipment previously required is unnecessary, resulting in lower costs. Furthermore, the bus-mounted device first inputs the disembarking stop when a passenger alights, and then inputs the boarding stop when each passenger alights, enabling the acquisition of OD data, which represents the number of users between the boarding and alighting stops. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bus-mounted device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the bus-mounted unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] A bus-mounted device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 1, the bus-mounted device 1 is a device carried by the bus crew. The bus-mounted device 1 is a portable device for collecting fares inside the bus. The bus-mounted device 1 may be attached inside the bus using fittings or the like while the bus is in operation. Since the bus-mounted device 1 is carried by the bus crew, one bus-mounted device 1 can be used in multiple bus vehicles. The IC card 2 is a transportation IC card (contactless IC card) used on railways and buses. When the IC card 2 is touched, the bus-mounted device 1 can read and write data from the IC card 2.

[0016] The bus-mounted device 1 houses an information terminal 3 and an IC card reader / writer 4 within a single housing 5. The bus-mounted device 1 is small enough to be held in the hand, and in this embodiment, it is approximately 177 mm long, 78 mm wide, and 60 mm thick at its thickest point. The information terminal 3 is located on the top of the bus-mounted device 1. The information terminal 3 has a touch panel display 35. The touch panel display 35 is located on the top surface of the bus-mounted device 1. The IC card reader / writer 4 is located on one side (one end in the vertical direction) of the bus-mounted device 1. The IC card reader / writer 4 has a lamp 41. When an IC card 2 is touched to the IC card reader / writer 4, the lamp 41 lights up and the bus-mounted device 1 emits a sound.

[0017] As shown in Figure 2, the information terminal 3 has a processing unit 31, a storage unit 32, a display unit 33, and an input unit 34. The processing unit 31 processes data. The storage unit 32 stores data. The display unit 33 displays data. The input unit 34 receives input operations from the crew. The IC card reader / writer 4 reads and writes data between the IC card 2 and the information terminal 3.

[0018] Information terminal 3 has a configuration similar to that of a smartphone. Therefore, information terminal 3 is small and lightweight. The processing unit 31 of information terminal 3 has a CPU and functions by executing programs. The storage unit 32 is memory. The display unit 33 is the display of the touch panel display 35. The input unit 34 is the touch panel of the touch panel display 35.

[0019] In addition to the above configuration, the information terminal 3 has an interface 36 for data input and output and a communication unit 37 for wireless data communication. The bus-mounted unit 1 further has a small printer 6 and a storage battery 7. The bus-mounted unit 1 can function even without using the communication unit 37. The printer 6 is used to issue receipts. The printer 6 may be omitted. The storage battery 7 is a battery that supplies power for operation to each part inside the housing 5. Since the bus-mounted unit 1 has a storage battery 7, it does not need to be connected to an external power source inside the bus.

[0020] The usage of the bus-mounted device 1 configured as described above will be explained. The bus-mounted device 1 is started at the bus office before the bus starts running. When the bus-mounted device 1 is started, it displays an input screen for ID and password on the display unit 33. The crew member operates the input unit 34 to input the ID and password.

[0021] Immediately after startup, the bus-mounted device 1 is wirelessly connected to the server 8 using the communication unit 37. The server 8 is, for example, a personal computer installed in the bus office. The server 8 may be shared among a plurality of offices of the bus operator. If there is no wireless environment in the bus office, the bus-mounted device 1 may be wired-connected to the server 8 using the interface 36.

[0022] After the bus-mounted device 1 is started, first, a route selection screen is displayed on the display unit 33. A plurality of operating routes are displayed on the route selection screen. Each operating route is an operating route on the line and connects a plurality of stops. On the route selection screen, each operating route is displayed with the route number, destination, and via points, for example, "30 To Medical Center, via City Hall". The crew member selects the operating route from the input unit 34. Then, the stop information and fare information of the selected operating route are provided from the server 8 to the bus-mounted device 1. In this way, the storage unit 32 has the stop information and fare information of the operating route of the vehicle itself. The stop information is information on the stops where the bus stops. The fare information is information on the flat fare or the fare between stops. Note that the connection between the bus-mounted device 1 and the server 8 may be omitted, and the information on a plurality of operating routes may be stored in the storage unit 32 in advance.

[0023] After the bus starts running, a connection to the server 8 of the bus-mounted device 1 is not required. For this reason, the bus-mounted device 1 is also called a "single-operation type bus IC device".

[0024] When passengers disembark, before each passenger gets off, the crew first operates the input unit 34 to display the disembarkation stop selection screen on the display unit 33. The disembarkation stop selection screen displays disembarkation stop options based on the stop information stored in the memory unit 32. The crew then operates the input unit 34 to select a disembarkation stop.

[0025] In other words, when a passenger disembarks, the display unit 33 first shows a selection of disembarking stops based on the stop information, and the selected disembarking stop is entered into the input unit 34.

[0026] Then, when each passenger disembarks, the crew operates the input unit 34 to display the boarding stop selection screen on the display unit 33. The boarding stop selection screen displays boarding stop options based on the stop information stored in the memory unit 32. The crew asks the disembarking passenger which boarding stop they want to use and operates the input unit 34 to select that boarding stop.

[0027] In other words, when each passenger disembarks, the boarding stop options are displayed on the display unit 33 based on the stop information, and the selected boarding stop is entered into the input unit 34.

[0028] The processing unit 31 stores the boarding and alighting stops entered in the input unit 34 as pairs in the storage unit 32. As a result, OD data is accumulated in the storage unit 32.

[0029] Then, if the fare information held by the memory unit 32 is a flat fare, the processing unit 31 collects the flat fare using the IC card 2. That is, when each passenger alights, the processing unit 31 collects the flat fare using the passenger's IC card 2. Note that if it is a flat fare, the flat fare may be collected when each passenger boards, rather than when they alight.

[0030] If the fare information stored in the memory unit 32 is not a uniform fare, when each passenger disembarks, the processing unit 31 calculates the fare based on the boarding stop information and disembarking stop information entered in the input unit 34 and the fare information stored in the memory unit 32, and collects the fare using the passenger's IC card 2.

[0031] In this embodiment, a ticket issuing machine is installed on the bus. The ticket issuing machine issues tickets with ticket numbers printed on them. The ticket issuing machine does not require any higher-level equipment such as a fare display, and the appropriate ticket number is assigned to the ticket issuing machine when the driver presses the "Stop Transfer Button". Each passenger receives a ticket from the ticket issuing machine when boarding. On the boarding stop selection screen of the bus-mounted unit 1, the ticket numbers corresponding to the boarding stops are displayed on the display unit 33 along with the boarding stop selection options. When alighting, each passenger presents or hands their ticket to the driver and tells the driver their boarding stop. This prevents incorrect boarding stops from being entered into the bus-mounted unit 1.

[0032] IC card 2 is used after being prepaid by being charged (deposited). IC card 2 stores the balance of the prepaid amount. The processing unit 31 of the bus-mounted device 1 collects the fare by deducting it from the stored balance using the IC card reader / writer 4.

[0033] Bus passengers only need to load enough money onto IC card 2 to cover the bus fare. Therefore, there is no need to link IC card 2 to a credit card. By not charging a credit card when collecting fares using IC card 2, it is unnecessary to wirelessly connect the bus-mounted device 1 to the credit card company's system.

[0034] The IC card 2 can be charged (deposited money) using the onboard bus device 1. The driver receives cash for charging from the passenger. The amount to be charged to the IC card 2 is then entered into the input unit 34 by the driver's operation. The processing unit 31 adds the entered charge amount to the balance stored on the IC card 2 using the IC card reader / writer 4 and stores it in the storage unit 32.

[0035] Once the bus service has ended, the bus-mounted device 1 is returned to the bus office, and the collected fare information and OD data are registered on the server 8.

[0036] As described above, the bus-mounted device 1 according to this embodiment includes an information terminal 3 and an IC card reader / writer 4, so it can collect fares on board the bus using the passenger's IC card 2. The bus-mounted device 1 has a storage unit 32 in the information terminal 3 that stores stop information and fare information for the vehicle's route, eliminating the need for higher-level equipment that was previously required, resulting in lower costs. Furthermore, the bus-mounted device 1 first inputs the disembarking stop when a passenger alights, and then inputs the boarding stop when each passenger alights, so it can acquire OD data, which is data on the number of users between the boarding stop and the disembarking stop.

[0037] When each passenger disembarks, the display unit 33 shows the boarding stop options along with the corresponding ticket number, thus preventing incorrect boarding stops from being entered into the bus-mounted device 1.

[0038] The bus-mounted device 1 collects fares by deducting the fare from the balance stored on the IC card 2 using the IC card reader / writer 4. Therefore, it does not require wireless connection to the credit card company's system and can be used on routes where radio waves are difficult to reach.

[0039] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without changing the essence of the invention. For example, IC card 2 is not limited to a card shape, but may be a smartphone having the functionality of an IC card. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1. Bus-mounted unit 2 IC cards 3. Information terminals 31 Processing Unit 32 Storage section 33 Display section 34 Input section 4 IC card reader / writer 5 cabinets

Claims

1. A bus-mounted device carried by bus crew members, Information terminals and The IC card reader / writer, which reads and writes data between the IC card and the information terminal, is housed in a single enclosure. The aforementioned information terminal comprises a processing unit for processing data, a storage unit for storing data, a display unit for displaying data, and an input unit for receiving input operations from crew members. The aforementioned storage unit holds stop information and fare information for the vehicle's operating route. When a passenger disembarks, first, the options for the disembarking stop are displayed on the display unit based on the aforementioned stop information, and the selected disembarking stop is entered into the input unit. Then, when each passenger disembarks, the boarding stop options are displayed on the display unit based on the aforementioned stop information, the selected boarding stop is entered into the input unit, and the processing unit stores the boarding stop and the disembarking stop as a pair in the storage unit. If the fare information indicates a flat fare, the processing unit collects the flat fare using the passenger's IC card at either the time of boarding or alighting of each passenger. If the fare information is not a uniform fare, the bus-mounted device is characterized in that, when each passenger disembarks, the processing unit calculates the fare based on the boarding stop, the disembarking stop, and the fare information, and collects the fare using the passenger's IC card.

2. The aforementioned bus is equipped with a ticket issuing machine that issues numbered tickets with numbered tickets printed on them. The bus-mounted device according to claim 1, characterized in that when each passenger disembarks, the display unit displays the boarding stop options along with the ticket number corresponding to those boarding stops.

3. The aforementioned IC card stores the balance of the prepaid amount. The bus-mounted device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the processing unit collects the fare by deducting the fare from the stored balance using the IC card reader / writer.

4. The amount to be charged to the IC card is entered into the input field. The bus-mounted device according to claim 3, characterized in that the processing unit adds the input charge amount to the balance stored on the IC card by the IC card reader / writer and stores it in the storage unit.

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