Train information management system, tourist spot information system, and tourist spot information method

Abstract

A train information management device (30) for managing services of a train comprises: a train location acquisition unit (31) for acquiring a train location indicating the location of the train; a setting information acquisition unit (32) for acquiring setting information regarding operation of the train; a weather determination unit (33) for determining weather conditions at the train location; a sightseeing information retention unit (34) for retaining sightseeing information which includes sightseeing spots along railroad lines at least on which the train travels, guidance locations representing locations of the train at the time of guidance of the sightseeing spots, directions in which the sightseeing spots exist at the guidance locations, and guidance information for use in guidance by using a train guidance information device provided to the train, the sightseeing information being acquired from a database which has registered therein the sightseeing information; and a guidance determination unit (35) for determining, on the basis of the train location, the setting information, and the weather conditions, whether or not to perform guidance on the sightseeing spots indicated by the sightseeing information by using the train guidance information device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a train information management device mounted on a train, a tourist spot guidance system, and a tourist spot guidance method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in transportation means such as trains and buses, information other than information necessary for movement such as stop stations and transfer guidance has been provided to passengers. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for an information providing system that provides information on a predetermined area including a stop station and information on events around the stop station to passengers of transportation means.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above conventional technology, it is conceivable to include information on tourist spots in the information within the area, and it is also conceivable that some tourist spots can be seen by passengers during movement by transportation means. However, the direction from which a tourist spot can be seen from a transportation means differs depending on the traveling direction of the transportation means. Also, originally, in the case of nighttime hours, bad weather, etc., it may not be possible to view a tourist spot from a transportation means. Therefore, when including information on tourist spots in the information within the area in the above conventional technology, there is a problem that there is a possibility of providing uniform guidance on tourist spots to passengers of transportation means even in a situation where the passengers of the transportation means cannot view the tourist spot.

[0005] This disclosure is made in view of the above, and aims to provide a train information management device that can determine whether or not to provide information on tourist spots according to the train's operating status. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the train information management device of this disclosure includes a train position acquisition unit that acquires a train position indicating the location of the train, a setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting information about the operation of the train, a weather determination unit that determines the weather conditions at the train position, and a tourist information holding unit that holds tourist information acquired from a database in which tourist information is registered, including tourist spots along the route on which the train runs, the train's position when providing information about tourist spots, the direction in which the tourist spots are located at the guidance position, and information used for guidance by the train information information device equipped on the train, and the train position, setting information Information, The system also includes a guidance determination unit that determines whether or not to provide information about tourist spots indicated in tourist information on the train information information device based on weather conditions. , watch We decided to provide guidance on the light spot. If , This system controls the train information system to display information about tourist spots, and also controls the display unit installed in the train's driver's cab to show that the train information system is displaying information about tourist spots. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The train information management device disclosed herein has the effect of being able to determine whether or not to provide information about tourist spots depending on the train's operating status. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example configuration of the tourist spot guidance system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a database used by the train information management device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the configuration of the train information management device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] Flowchart showing the operation of the train information management device according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of tourist spot information displayed on a train information information device by the control of the train information management device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a processing circuit for realizing the train information management device according to Embodiment 1, which is configured with a processor and memory. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a case where the processing circuit for realizing the train information management device according to Embodiment 1 is configured with dedicated hardware. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of tourist spot information displayed on a train information information device by the control of the train information management device according to Embodiment 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The train information management device, tourist spot guidance system, and tourist spot guidance method according to embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 shows an example configuration of the tourist spot information system 1 according to Embodiment 1. The tourist spot information system 1 comprises onboard equipment 20 mounted on a train 10, a storage unit 62 storing a database 61, and a terminal device 63. Although the description is simplified in Figure 1, the following train 10 shown on the left is also equipped with onboard equipment 20, similar to the preceding train 10 shown on the right. In the example in Figure 1, the train 10 is a two-car train, but it may be a train of three or more cars. The train 10 also includes a single-car train. In addition, Figure 1 shows the storage unit 62 storing the database 61 existing on a cloud service 60, but it is not limited to this. The storage unit 62 storing the database 61 may be installed on a ground system (not shown) that manages the operation of the train 10, similar to the terminal device 63. The installation location of the storage unit 62 storing the database 61 is not particularly limited.

[0011] The onboard equipment 20 includes an antenna 21, a public network 22, an onboard server 23, a train information management device 30, a train information guidance device 40, and a display 50.

[0012] The antenna 21, the public network 22, and the onboard server 23 are devices used by the train information management device 30 when it communicates wirelessly with a ground system (not shown), a database 61 of the cloud service 60, etc. The antenna 21, the public network 22, and the onboard server 23 are general devices used for wireless communication between the train 10 and a ground system (not shown), so a detailed explanation is omitted. For wireless communication between the train 10 and a ground system (not shown), a dedicated network or the internet may be used.

[0013] The train information management device 30 manages the operation of the train 10 on which the train information management device 30 is installed. In this embodiment, the train information management device 30 also determines whether or not to provide information about tourist spots visible from the train 10 to the train information information device 40, which displays various information for passengers of the train 10. If the train information management device 30 determines that the train information information device 40 should provide information about tourist spots, it controls the train information information device 40 to display the information about tourist spots. In the example in Figure 1, the train 10 is equipped with two train information management devices 30, but the two train information management devices 30 may independently determine whether or not to provide information about tourist spots to the train information information device 40, or one train information management device 30 may determine whether or not to provide information about tourist spots to the train information information device 40, and the other train information management device 30 may operate according to the determination of the other train information management device 30. Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 1, one train information management device 30 controls the information display of one train information information device 40, but it is also possible for one train information management device 30 to control the information displays of multiple train information information devices 40. The detailed configuration and operation of the train information management device 30 will be described later.

[0014] The train guidance information device 40 is a display device that has a display unit such as a monitor and displays various types of information for the passengers of the train 10. The train guidance information device 40 is installed, for example, above or beside the passenger entrance and exit of each vehicle constituting the train 10. The train guidance information device 40 displays, under the control of the train information management device 30, the next stop station, transfer guidance to other connected lines, delay information on the line on which the train 10 travels or other lines, and the like. Also, in the present embodiment, the train guidance information device 40 displays, under the control of the train information management device 30, guidance on tourist spots visible from the train 10 for the passengers of the train 10.

[0015] The display 50 is a display device that is installed on the driver's cab (not shown) of the train 10 and displays various types of information for the crew of the train 10. The display 50 displays various types of information related to the operation of the train 10 under the control of the train information management device 30.

[0016] The storage unit 62 stores the database 61. The database 61 accepts registration of information about the aforementioned tourist spots from the persons in charge of the railway company operating the train 10 via the terminal device 63. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the database 61 used by the train information management device 30 according to Embodiment 1. The database 61 includes tourist spots, distance in kilometers, previous station, next station, direction, weather, and guidance information. That is, for each tourist spot, the distance in kilometers, previous station, next station, direction, weather, and guidance information are registered in the database 61. Note that the tourist spots, distance in kilometers, previous station, next station, direction, weather, and guidance information registered in the database 61 are collectively referred to as tourist information.

[0017] The tourist spots are tourist attractions and the like that exist along the line on which the train 10 travels and are the targets of guidance by the train guidance information device 40. In FIG. 2, Mount Fuji and ○○ Dam are illustrated as tourist spots.

[0018] The kilometer mark is the moving distance of the train 10 from a defined position on the route where the train 10 travels, and it is the position of the train 10, that is, the guidance position, when the tourist spot can be visually recognized from the passengers of the train 10 and the train guidance information device 40 displays the guidance of the tourist spot. Regarding the kilometer mark, that is, the guidance position, it may be a pinpoint notation that specifies a single point, or it may be a notation that designates a range such as A km to B km when a tourist spot can be visually recognized over a wide range with respect to the route where the train 10 travels. In addition, regarding the position of the train 10, that is, the guidance position, when the train guidance information device 40 displays the guidance of the tourist spot, it is not limited to the kilometer mark, and coordinates obtained by a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) such as GPS (Global Positioning System) may also be used.

[0019] The previous station is the station where the train 10 stopped before reaching the tourist spot. The next station is the station where the train 10 stops after reaching the tourist spot. Note that the type of the train 10 may be multiple types such as limited express, express, and all-stations stop, and when the stopping stations differ depending on the type of the train 10, the information of the previous station and the next station corresponding to the type of the train 10 may be included in the tourist information.

[0020] The direction is the direction in which the tourist spot exists at the above-mentioned guidance position, that is, the direction in which the tourist spot can be visually recognized from the train 10. In the example of FIG. 2, the directions are "mountain side" and "sea side", but it is not limited thereto. In the example of FIG. 2, the previous station and the next station are defined for each tourist spot, but considering the traveling direction of the train 10, a plurality of tourist information corresponding to the traveling direction of the train 10 may be registered in the database 61 for the same tourist spot. For example, for a certain tourist spot, it is also possible to register the direction as "left side" when the train 10 is traveling in the uphill direction and the direction as "right side" when the train 10 is traveling in the downhill direction.

[0021] The weather corresponds to the weather conditions at the train's position, as acquired by the train information management device 30, as described later. While sunny, cloudy, rainy, and snowy weather conditions are possible, combinations of these may be used, or other weather conditions may be used.

[0022] The guidance information is the information displayed by the train guidance information device 40 when the train information management device 30 determines that it should provide guidance on a tourist spot. While the guidance information is intended to be textual, it may also include still images, videos, audio, etc. In addition, as shown in Figure 2, it is possible to register multiple pieces of guidance information in the database 61 depending on the weather. In the example in Figure 2, if the tourist spot, i.e., the subject of the guidance, is Mt. Fuji, then "A" is used as the guidance information when it is not snowing, and "B" is used as the guidance information when it is snowing, taking into account the snowy scenery, etc. Also, as shown in Figure 2, if the tourist spot, i.e., the subject of the guidance, is XX Dam, then "C" is used as the guidance information when it is not raining, and when it is raining, visibility is poor and it is highly likely that XX Dam cannot be seen from the train 10, so it is possible to not use guidance information, i.e., not display the guidance. In addition, although not shown in Figure 2, it is also possible to register one piece of guidance information for a single tourist spot regardless of the weather, and it is also possible to register three or more pieces of guidance information depending on the weather. In this way, tourist information can include different pieces of guidance information for multiple weather conditions for the same tourist spot.

[0023] The types of information registered in database 61 are not limited to the example in Figure 2. The information registered in database 61 may include information other than that shown in the example in Figure 2. Database 61 should contain at least tourist information including tourist spots along the route on which train 10 travels, the location of train 10 when providing information about tourist spots, the direction in which tourist spots are located at the guide location, and information corresponding to weather conditions used for guidance on the train information device 40 for passengers equipped on train 10.

[0024] Terminal device 63 is a device used by personnel of the railway company operating train 10 to register tourist information in database 61 or to edit tourist information registered in database 61. Terminal device 63 has a communication function that allows access to database 61 on cloud service 60. When a new tourist spot is established along the route on which train 10 runs, personnel of the railway company operating train 10 register tourist information about that tourist spot in database 61, and when a tourist spot that was along the route on which train 10 runs disappears, personnel of the railway company operating train 10 delete the tourist information about that tourist spot from database 61. In addition, personnel of the railway company operating train 10 can also register tourist information about limited-time events such as fireworks displays and illuminations in database 61 at the start of the event period and delete the tourist information about that tourist spot from database 61 at the end of the event period.

[0025] Next, the configuration and operation of the train information management device 30 will be described. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the train information management device 30 according to Embodiment 1. The train information management device 30 includes a train position acquisition unit 31, a setting information acquisition unit 32, a weather determination unit 33, a tourist information holding unit 34, a guidance determination unit 35, and a train speed control unit 36. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the train information management device 30 according to Embodiment 1.

[0026] The train position acquisition unit 31 acquires the train position, which indicates the position of the train 10 (step S1). As mentioned above, the train position is assumed to be the kilometer mile, which indicates the distance traveled by the train 10 from a defined position on the route on which the train 10 travels, but it is also possible to use coordinates obtained by GNSS, etc. Hereafter, the case in which the train position is the kilometer mile will be explained as an example. The train position acquisition unit 31 can acquire train position, i.e., kilometer mile information, from a speed generator (not shown), a sensor capable of measuring the speed of the train 10, etc. The train position acquisition unit 31 may also use ground-mounted ground-mounted coils (not shown) and on-board coils (not shown) mounted on the train 10, and correct the acquired kilometer mile based on the information from the ground-mounted coils obtained by the on-board coils.

[0027] The setting information acquisition unit 32 acquires setting information about the operation of train 10 (step S2). The setting information includes information indicating whether the operation on the day train 10 is running is a weekday operation or a holiday operation, information indicating the type of train 10 is operated as, for example, limited express, express, or local, and information on the time of day when the scenery can be recognized from the windows of train 10, taking into account the sunrise and sunset times on the day train 10 is running. The train type information may also be information such as a train number that uniquely indicates the operational status of train 10. In addition, the setting information may also include information on the direction of travel of train 10. The setting information acquisition unit 32 may acquire this setting information from a ground system (not shown), or it may be acquired by manual input by crew members, railway company personnel, etc., from equipment installed in the driver's cab of train 10. Information indicating whether the operation of train 10 on a given day is a weekday operation or a holiday operation may be set in the setting information acquisition unit 32 by a railway company representative as annual information once the schedule for special holiday operations that take place on weekdays according to the calendar, such as during the Obon period or the New Year holidays, has been finalized. The setting information acquisition unit 32 also acquires real-time time information while train 10 is running. The setting information acquisition unit 32 may acquire real-time time information from a time server used by a ground system (not shown), or from GNSS if GNSS is used.

[0028] The weather determination unit 33 determines the weather conditions at the train position acquired by the train position acquisition unit 31 (step S3). For example, the weather determination unit 33 determines that it is raining when a wiper (not shown) installed on the leading car of train 10 is operating, and that it is not raining when the wiper is not operating. Also, for example, the weather determination unit 33 determines that it is snowing when a snow-resistant brake (not shown) installed on train 10 is operating, and that it is not snowing when the snow-resistant brake is not operating. Thus, the weather determination unit 33 may determine the weather conditions based on the operation information of the wipers equipped on train 10, or based on the operation information of the snow-resistant brakes equipped on train 10. The weather determination unit 33 may also determine whether it is sunny or cloudy using a sensor capable of measuring illuminance. Furthermore, if it is possible to obtain weather condition information from an external server that provides weather condition information at the train position where train 10 is running, the weather determination unit 33 may obtain weather condition information from an external server and make a determination. The weather judgment unit 33 may determine the weather conditions by combining the multiple pieces of information listed above.

[0029] The tourist information storage unit 34 stores tourist information obtained from a database 61 which contains registered tourist information including tourist spots along the route on which the train 10 travels, the guidance position which is the position of the train 10 when providing guidance on tourist spots, the direction in which the tourist spots are located at the guidance position, and guidance information according to weather conditions used for guidance on the train guidance information device 40 for passengers equipped on the train 10 (step S4). The tourist information storage unit 34 acquires and stores tourist information from the database 61 via the antenna 21, the public telephone network 22, and the onboard server 23. For example, the tourist information storage unit 34 may refer to the database 61 based on the train position, i.e., the mileage, acquired by the train position acquisition unit 31, and acquire tourist information about a tourist spot when it reaches a predetermined distance before the mileage of the tourist spot registered in the database 61, or it may acquire tourist information in advance for multiple tourist spots that will be passed in the future. The timing at which the tourist information storage unit 34 acquires and stores tourist information from the database 61 is not particularly limited, but it is desirable to set the timing with sufficient leeway, taking into account the processing time required for the guidance determination unit 35 to display tourist spot information on the train guidance information device 40, as will be described later.

[0030] The guidance determination unit 35 determines whether or not to provide guidance to tourist spots indicated in the tourist information on the train information device 40 for passengers equipped on the train 10, based on the train position of the train 10 obtained by the train position acquisition unit 31, the setting information obtained by the setting information acquisition unit 32, and the weather condition obtained by the weather determination unit 33 (step S5). For example, if the target of the tourist information in the example of the database 61 in Figure 2 is ○○ Dam, the guidance determination unit 35 determines that guidance will be provided using guidance information C when the weather at the train position of the train 10 is sunny, cloudy, etc., and determines that guidance will not be provided when the weather at the train position of the train 10 is rainy. Even if the weather is the same rain, if the target of the tourist information in the example of the database 61 in Figure 2 is Mt. Fuji, the guidance determination unit 35 determines that guidance will be provided using guidance information A, which targets weather other than snow. Furthermore, if the target of the tourist information is Mt. Fuji, the guidance determination unit 35 determines that guidance will be provided using guidance information B when the weather is snowy. The guidance decision unit 35 can change its decision on whether or not to provide guidance depending on the tourist spot covered by the tourist information, even if the weather conditions are the same. In this way, the guidance decision unit 35 can control the train guidance information device 40 to display information about tourist spots using guidance information that corresponds to the weather conditions.

[0031] Furthermore, if it is stipulated that tourist spot information will be provided when train 10 is operating on holidays, and not when train 10 is operating on weekdays, the guidance judgment unit 35 can determine that if the day is a holiday, it will provide tourist spot information as indicated in the tourist information displayed in the train guidance information device 40, and if the day is a weekday, it will determine that it will not provide tourist spot information as indicated in the tourist information displayed in the train guidance information device 40.

[0032] Furthermore, if it is stipulated that tourist spot information will be provided when the train 10 is a limited express or express train, and not provided when the train 10 is a local train, the guidance judgment unit 35 can determine that tourist spot information will be provided in the tourist information displayed in the train guidance information device 40 when the train 10 is a limited express or express train, and that tourist spot information will not be provided in the tourist information displayed in the train guidance information device 40 when the train 10 is a local train.

[0033] Furthermore, if the guidance determination unit 35 is configured to provide information about tourist spots when the current time falls between sunrise and sunset, and not provide information about tourist spots when the current time falls before sunrise or after sunset, it can determine that it will provide information about tourist spots indicated in the tourist information displayed in the train guidance information device 40 when the current time falls between sunrise and sunset, and that it will not provide information about tourist spots indicated in the tourist information displayed in the train guidance information device 40 when the current time falls before sunrise or after sunset.

[0034] The guidance decision unit 35 may decide to provide information about tourist spots indicated in the tourist information on the train information information device 40 if all of the above conditions are met: weather conditions, holiday operation or weekday operation, type of train 10, and current time of day. If any of the conditions are not met, the guidance decision unit 35 may decide not to provide information about tourist spots indicated in the tourist information on the train information information device 40. The guidance decision unit 35 can also assign weights to each condition when making its decision. For example, if the type of train 10 is an express or limited express, the guidance decision unit 35 may decide to provide information about tourist spots indicated in the tourist information on the train information information device 40 even if train 10 is operating on a weekday.

[0035] If the guidance determination unit 35 determines that it is appropriate to provide information about a tourist spot (step S5: Yes), it controls the train information information device 40 to display information about the tourist spot to the passengers (step S6). For example, if the train position of train 10, i.e., the mileage, reaches the mileage indicated in the tourist information, or is within a specified distance of the mileage indicated in the tourist information, the guidance determination unit 35 outputs the guidance information included in the tourist information to the train information information device 40. As a result, the train information information device 40 can use the guidance information to display information about tourist spots to the passengers of train 10. The guidance determination unit 35 can display information about tourist spots on the train information information device 40 in real time according to the running status of train 10.

[0036] Figure 5 shows an example of tourist spot information displayed on the train information information device 40 by the control of the train information management device 30 according to Embodiment 1. The guidance judgment unit 35 can calculate information such as "○○m to go" from the difference between the mileage indicated in the tourist information and the mileage of the train position acquired by the train position acquisition unit 31. In addition, if the setting information includes information on the direction of travel of the train 10, the guidance judgment unit 35 may take the direction of travel of the train 10 into consideration and convert the direction from which Mt. Fuji, a tourist spot, can be seen from the train 10 from "mountain side" to information such as "right side" so that passengers can uniquely understand it.

[0037] At this time, the guidance determination unit 35 may control the display unit 50, which is installed in the driver's cab of train 10 and is intended for the crew, to display to the crew that the train information information device 40 is displaying information about tourist spots. The content displayed on the display unit 50 may be, for example, a digest version of the tourist spot information displayed on the train information information device 40, or just the names of the tourist spots. This allows the crew of train 10 to understand that the train information information device 40 is displaying information about tourist spots to passengers.

[0038] If the guidance determination unit 35 determines that it is not necessary to provide information about tourist spots (step S5: No), it does not control the train information information device 40 to display information about tourist spots to passengers (step S7). For example, even if the train position of train 10, i.e., the mileage, reaches the mileage indicated in the tourist information, or reaches a predetermined distance before the mileage indicated in the tourist information, the guidance determination unit 35 does not output the guidance information included in the tourist information to the train information information device 40. As a result, the train information information device 40 cannot display information about tourist spots to passengers of train 10. Furthermore, since the train information information device 40 is not providing information about tourist spots, the guidance determination unit 35 does not control the display 50 for crew members installed in the driver's cab of train 10 to display information about tourist spots to the crew. This allows the crew of train 10 to understand that the train information information device 40 is not displaying information about tourist spots to passengers.

[0039] Furthermore, in the database 61, if the tourist spot shown in Figure 2 is the ○○ Dam, information such as images of the ○○ Dam in good weather may be registered as information D for when the weather is rainy. This allows the guidance judgment unit 35 to make passengers aware of the scenery of the ○○ Dam that cannot actually be seen due to bad weather, etc., in the train information information device 40.

[0040] If the train speed control unit 36 ​​determines that the tourist information includes information about the next station where the train 10 will stop after passing the guided kilometer marker, and the guided determination unit 35 determines that tourist spot information should be provided, and the train guided information device 40 displays information about tourist spots, then the train speed control unit 36 ​​determines whether it is possible to recover the delay in the operation of the train 10 by the next station even if the train 10 is driven at a reduced speed (step S8: Yes). If the train speed control unit 36 ​​determines that it is possible to recover the delay in the operation of the train 10 by the next station even if the train 10 is driven at a reduced speed (step S8: Yes), it controls the train 10 to drive at a reduced speed within a defined range including the guided kilometer marker, and then controls the train 10 to drive at a reduced speed to recover the delay in the operation of the train 10 during its journey to the next station (step S9). If the train speed control unit 36 ​​determines that it is not possible to recover the delay in the operation of the train 10 by the next station (step S8: No), it does not control the train 10 to drive at a reduced speed (step S10).

[0041] Furthermore, the train speed control unit 36 ​​does not always decide whether or not to slow down train 10, but may make the decision according to the setting information regarding the operation of train 10. For example, when operating on holidays, the train speed control unit 36 ​​may decide whether or not to slow down train 10 at tourist spots because there are many tourists, but when operating on weekdays, it may not decide whether or not to slow down train 10 at tourist spots because there are few tourists. Also, for example, when train 10 is a limited express, the train speed control unit 36 ​​may decide whether or not to slow down train 10 at tourist spots because there are many tourists, but when train 10 is a local train, it may not decide whether or not to slow down train 10 at tourist spots because there are few tourists.

[0042] The train information management device 30 repeatedly performs the operations shown in the flowchart in Figure 4 at a specified interval while the train 10 on which it is installed is in operation.

[0043] Next, the hardware configuration of the train information management device 30 will be described. In the train information management device 30, the train position acquisition unit 31, the setting information acquisition unit 32, the weather determination unit 33, the tourist information storage unit 34, the guidance determination unit 35, and the train speed control unit 36 ​​are implemented by processing circuits. The processing circuits may be a processor and memory that executes programs stored in memory, or they may be dedicated hardware.

[0044] Figure 6 shows an example of a case where the processing circuit 90 that implements the train information management device 30 according to Embodiment 1 is configured with a processor 91 and a memory 92. When the processing circuit 90 is configured with a processor 91 and a memory 92, each function of the processing circuit 90 of the train information management device 30 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software or firmware is written as a program and stored in the memory 92. In the processing circuit 90, each function is realized by the processor 91 reading and executing the program stored in the memory 92. In other words, the processing circuit 90 is equipped with a memory 92 for storing programs that will ultimately be executed as processing for the train information management device 30. Furthermore, these programs can be said to cause the computer to execute the procedures and methods of the train information management device 30.

[0045] The above program can also be described as a program that causes the train information management device 30 to execute the following steps: a train position acquisition step in which the train position acquisition unit 31 acquires a train position indicating the position of the train 10; a setting information acquisition step in which the setting information acquisition unit 32 acquires setting information regarding the operation of the train 10; a weather determination step in which the weather determination unit 33 determines the weather conditions at the train position; a tourism information holding step in which the tourism information holding unit 34 holds tourism information acquired from a database 61 in which tourism information is registered, including at least tourist spots along the route on which the train 10 runs, a guidance position which is the position of the train 10 when providing guidance to tourist spots, the direction in which the tourist spots exist at the guidance position, and guidance information used for guidance by the train guidance information device 40 equipped with the train 10; and a guidance determination step in which the guidance determination unit 35 determines whether or not to provide guidance to tourist spots indicated by the tourism information in the train guidance information device 40 based on the train position, setting information, and weather conditions.

[0046] Here, the processor 91 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit), processing unit, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, microcomputer, or DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. The memory 92 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Registered Trademark) (Electrically EPROM), magnetic disk, flexible disk, optical disk, compact disk, minidisc, or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).

[0047] Figure 7 shows an example of a case where the processing circuit 93 that implements the train information management device 30 according to Embodiment 1 is configured with dedicated hardware. When the processing circuit 93 is configured with dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 93 shown in Figure 7 may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. Each function of the train information management device 30 may be implemented by the processing circuit 93 separately for each function, or each function may be implemented together by the processing circuit 93.

[0048] Furthermore, some of the functions of the train information management device 30 may be implemented using dedicated hardware, while others may be implemented using software or firmware. In this way, the processing circuit can implement the above-mentioned functions using dedicated hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0049] As described above, according to this embodiment, in the train information management device 30, the guidance determination unit 35 determines whether or not to provide guidance on tourist spots indicated in tourist information in the train guidance information device 40 based on the train position of the train 10 acquired by the train position acquisition unit 31, the setting information acquired by the setting information acquisition unit 32, and the weather conditions acquired by the weather determination unit 33. If it is determined that guidance on tourist spots should be provided, the guidance information device 40 controls the display of information on tourist spots to passengers.

[0050] As a result, the guidance decision unit 35 can display information about tourist spots on the train information information device 40 when the tourist spots are visible to passengers on train 10, and not display information about tourist spots on the train information information device 40 when the tourist spots are not visible to passengers on train 10. Furthermore, the guidance decision unit 35 can display information about tourist spots on the train information information device 40 when train 10 is thought to have many passengers traveling for leisure, and not display information about tourist spots on the train information information device 40 when train 10 is thought to have many passengers commuting to work or school. By operating as described above, the guidance decision unit 35 can appropriately determine whether or not to provide information about tourist spots indicated in the tourist information on the train information information device 40, even when the train 10's operating schedule is disrupted. In this way, the guidance decision unit 35 can determine whether or not to provide information about tourist spots according to the operating status of train 10. As a result, when tourist spots are visible from train 10, passengers on train 10 can understand the location and direction from which tourist spots can be seen.

[0051] Embodiment 2. In Embodiment 1, it was assumed that the train information management device 30 would display one tourist spot on the train information information device 40 at a time. Embodiment 2 describes a case in which the train information management device 30 displays multiple tourist spots on the train information information device 40.

[0052] In Embodiment 2, the configuration of the tourist spot information system 1 is the same as that of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1. Also, in Embodiment 2, the configuration of the train information management device 30 is the same as that of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 3. Also, in Embodiment 2, the configuration of the database 61 is the same as that of Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 2.

[0053] In Embodiment 1, the tourist information storage unit 34 may store tourist information for only one most recent tourist spot, or it may store tourist information for multiple tourist spots. In Embodiment 2, the tourist information storage unit 34 stores tourist information for multiple tourist spots.

[0054] If the guidance determination unit 35 determines that it will provide information on a predetermined number of tourist spots, it controls the train information information device 40 to display information on the predetermined number of tourist spots in order of proximity to the current train position in the direction of travel of the train 10. The predetermined number of tourist spots that the guidance determination unit 35 will display on the train information information device 40 will be less than or equal to the number of tourist information entries for each tourist spot held by the tourist information holding unit 34.

[0055] Figure 8 shows an example of tourist spot information displayed on the train information information device 40 by the control of the train information management device 30 according to Embodiment 2. In the example in Figure 8, the guidance determination unit 35 displays the same guidance on the train information information device 40 as in Embodiment 1 shown in Figure 5 for the nearest tourist spot, Mt. Fuji, and displays only the name of the tourist spot on the train information information device 40 as guidance for the second and subsequent tourist spots, but is not limited to this. If there is sufficient display space on the train information information device 40, the guidance determination unit 35 may also display the same guidance on the train information information device 40 as for the second and subsequent tourist spots, such as Lake △△, Dam □□, and Bridge ◇◇ in the example in Figure 8, as for the nearest tourist spot, Mt. Fuji. If there is insufficient display space on the train information information device 40, the guidance determination unit 35 may alternately display the display shown in the upper part of Figure 8 and the display shown in the lower part of Figure 8 at a predetermined interval.

[0056] Regarding the operation of the train information management device 30 in Embodiment 2, since the operation of the flowchart shown in Figure 4, which was explained in Embodiment 1, should be performed for each tourist spot, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0057] As described above, according to this embodiment, in the train information management device 30, the guidance determination unit 35 is configured to display information on multiple tourist spots on the train guidance information device 40 as guidance on tourist spots. In this case as well, the train information management device 30 can determine whether or not to provide information on tourist spots according to the operating status of the train 10. Furthermore, the train information management device 30 can improve passenger convenience by displaying information on multiple tourist spots on the train guidance information device 40.

[0058] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and it is possible to combine them with other known technologies, combine different embodiments, and omit or modify parts of the configuration without departing from the gist of the invention. The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix. (Note 1) A train position acquisition unit that acquires the train's position, A setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting information regarding the operation of the aforementioned train, A weather determination unit that determines the weather conditions at the aforementioned train location, A tourism information holding unit that holds tourism information obtained from a database in which tourism information is registered, including at least tourist spots along the route on which the train runs, the position of the train when providing information about the tourist spots, the direction in which the tourist spots are located at the position, and information used for guidance by the train information information device provided by the train. A guidance determination unit that determines whether or not to provide guidance on the tourist spots indicated in the tourist information in the train guidance information device based on the train position, the setting information, and the weather conditions, A train information management device characterized by being equipped with the following features. (Note 2) When the guidance determination unit determines that it will provide guidance to the tourist spot, it controls the train guidance information device to display the information to the tourist spot, and controls the display unit installed in the train's driver's cab to display that the train guidance information device is displaying the information to the tourist spot. The train information management device described in Appendix 1, characterized by the features described herein. (Note 3) The aforementioned tourist information includes information on the next station where the train will stop after passing the aforementioned location. moreover, If it is determined that the delay in the operation of the train can be recovered by the next station even if the train is operated at a reduced speed, the train speed control unit controls the deceleration of the train within a defined range including the guide position, and then controls recovery operation to recover the delay in the operation of the train during its journey to the next station. A train information management device according to Appendix 1 or 2, characterized by comprising the following: (Note 4) The aforementioned tourist information storage unit stores the tourist information for multiple tourist spots, When the guidance determination unit determines that it will provide guidance for a specified number of tourist spots, it controls the train guidance information device to display the specified number of tourist spots in order of proximity to the train's current position in the direction of travel. A train information management device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3, characterized by the above. (Note 5) The weather determination unit determines the weather conditions based on the operation information of the wipers provided by the train. A train information management device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4, characterized by the above. (Note 6) The weather determination unit determines the weather conditions based on the operation information of the snow-resistant brakes provided by the train. A train information management device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 5, characterized by the above. (Note 7) The aforementioned tourist information includes multiple different pieces of information regarding the same tourist spot in relation to the aforementioned weather conditions. The guidance determination unit controls the train guidance information device to display information about the tourist spots using the guidance information corresponding to the weather conditions. A train information management device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 6, characterized by the above. (Note 8) A train information management device installed on the train, as described in one of the appendices 1 to 7, A storage unit that stores a database containing tourist information, including tourist spots along the route on which the train travels, the train's position when guiding passengers to the tourist spots, the direction in which the tourist spots are located at the guided location, and guidance information used for guidance by the train's information system. The train information information device, which is installed on the aforementioned train and displays information about the aforementioned tourist spots under the control of the train information management device, A tourist spot information system characterized by having the following features. (Note 9) The train position acquisition unit performs a train position acquisition step, which involves acquiring a train position that indicates the position of the train, The setting information acquisition unit performs a setting information acquisition step in which it acquires setting information regarding the operation of the aforementioned train, The weather determination unit performs a weather determination step in which it determines the weather conditions at the train's location, A tourist information holding step in which a tourist information holding unit holds tourist information obtained from a database in which tourist information is registered, including tourist spots along the route on which the train runs, the position of the train when providing information about the tourist spots, the direction in which the tourist spots are located at the position, and information used for guidance by the train information information device provided by the train. A guidance determination step in which the guidance determination unit determines whether or not to provide guidance to the tourist spots indicated in the tourist information in the train guidance information device based on the train position, the setting information, and the weather conditions, A method for guiding tourists to tourist spots, characterized by including the following. (Note 10) In the guidance determination step, if the guidance determination unit determines that it will provide guidance to the tourist spot, it controls the train guidance information device to display information about the tourist spot, and controls the display unit installed in the train's driver's cab to display that the train guidance information device is displaying information about the tourist spot. The method of guiding tourists to tourist spots as described in Appendix 9, characterized by the features described herein. (Note 11) The aforementioned tourist information includes information on the next station where the train will stop after passing the aforementioned location. moreover, If the train speed control unit determines that it is possible to recover the delay in the train's operation by the next station even if the train is driven at a reduced speed, it controls the deceleration of the train within a defined range including the guide position, and then controls recovery operation to recover the delay during the train's journey to the next station. A method for guiding tourists to tourist spots as described in Appendix 9 or 10, characterized by including the following: (Note 12) In the aforementioned tourist information retention step, the tourist information retention unit retains the tourist information for a plurality of tourist spots. In the guidance determination step, if the guidance determination unit determines that it will provide guidance for a specified number of tourist spots, it controls the train guidance information device to display the specified number of tourist spots in order of proximity to the current train position in the direction of travel of the train. A method for guiding tourists to tourist spots as described in any one of the appendices 9 to 11, characterized by the features described herein. (Note 13) In the weather determination step, the weather determination unit determines the weather condition based on the operation information of the wipers provided by the train. A method for guiding tourists to tourist spots as described in any one of the appendices 9 to 12, characterized by the features described herein. (Note 14) In the weather determination step, the weather determination unit determines the weather condition based on the operation information of the snow-resistant brakes provided by the train. A method for guiding tourists to tourist spots, characterized by any one of the appendices 9 to 13. (Note 15) The aforementioned tourist information includes multiple different pieces of information regarding the same tourist spot in relation to the aforementioned weather conditions. In the guidance determination step, the guidance determination unit controls the train guidance information device to display information about the tourist spot using the guidance information corresponding to the weather conditions. A method for guiding tourists to tourist spots as described in any one of the appendices 9 to 14, characterized by the features described herein. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 1 Tourist spot information system, 10 Train, 20 Onboard equipment, 21 Antenna, 22 Public network, 23 Onboard server, 30 Train information management device, 31 Train position acquisition unit, 32 Setting information acquisition unit, 33 Weather judgment unit, 34 Tourist information storage unit, 35 Guidance judgment unit, 36 Train speed control unit, 40 Train information information device, 50 Display unit, 60 Cloud service, 61 Database, 62 Storage unit, 63 Terminal device, 90, 93 Processing circuit, 91 Processor, 92 Memory.

Claims

1. A train position acquisition unit that acquires the train's position, A setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting information regarding the operation of the aforementioned train, A weather determination unit that determines the weather conditions at the aforementioned train location, A tourism information holding unit that holds tourism information obtained from a database in which tourism information is registered, including at least tourist spots along the route on which the train runs, the position of the train when providing information about the tourist spots, the direction in which the tourist spots are located at the position, and information used for guidance by the train information information device provided by the train. A guidance determination unit that determines whether or not to provide guidance on the tourist spots indicated in the tourist information in the train guidance information device based on the train position, the setting information, and the weather conditions, Equipped with, When the guidance determination unit determines that it will provide guidance to the tourist spot, it controls the train guidance information device to display the information to the tourist spot, and controls the display unit installed in the train's driver's cab to display that the train guidance information device is displaying the information to the tourist spot. A train information management device characterized by the following features.

2. A train position acquisition unit that acquires the train's position, A setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting information regarding the operation of the aforementioned train, A weather determination unit that determines the weather conditions at the aforementioned train location, A tourism information holding unit that holds tourism information obtained from a database in which tourism information is registered, including at least tourist spots along the route on which the train runs, the position of the train when providing information about the tourist spots, the direction in which the tourist spots are located at the position, and information used for guidance by the train information information device provided by the train. A guidance determination unit that determines whether or not to provide guidance on the tourist spots indicated in the tourist information in the train guidance information device based on the train position, the setting information, and the weather conditions, Equipped with, The aforementioned tourist information includes information on the next station where the train will stop after passing the aforementioned location. moreover, If it is determined that the delay in the operation of the train can be recovered by the next station even if the train is operated at a reduced speed, the train speed control unit controls the deceleration of the train within a defined range including the guide position, and then controls recovery operation to recover the delay in the operation of the train during its journey to the next station. A train information management device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

3. The aforementioned tourist information includes information on the next station where the train will stop after passing the aforementioned location. moreover, If it is determined that the delay in the operation of the train can be recovered by the next station even if the train is operated at a reduced speed, the train speed control unit controls the deceleration of the train within a defined range including the guide position, and then controls recovery operation to recover the delay in the operation of the train during its journey to the next station. The train information management device according to claim 1, characterized by comprising the following:

4. The aforementioned tourist information storage unit stores the tourist information for multiple tourist spots, When the guidance determination unit determines that it will provide guidance for a specified number of tourist spots, it controls the train guidance information device to display the specified number of tourist spots in order of proximity to the train's current position in the direction of travel. The train information management device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a train information management device.

5. The weather determination unit determines the weather conditions based on the operation information of the wipers provided by the train. The train information management device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a train information management device.

6. The weather determination unit determines the weather conditions based on the operation information of the snow-resistant brakes provided by the train. The train information management device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a train information management device.

7. The aforementioned tourist information includes multiple different pieces of information regarding the same tourist spot in relation to the aforementioned weather conditions. The guidance determination unit controls the train guidance information device to display information about the tourist spots using the guidance information corresponding to the weather conditions. The train information management device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a train information management device.

8. A train information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is installed on a train, A storage unit that stores a database containing tourist information, including tourist spots along the route on which the train travels, the train's position when guiding passengers to the tourist spots, the direction in which the tourist spots are located at the guided location, and guidance information used for guidance by the train's information system. The train information information device, which is installed on the aforementioned train and displays information about the aforementioned tourist spots under the control of the train information management device, A tourist spot information system characterized by having the following features.

9. The train position acquisition unit performs a train position acquisition step, which involves acquiring a train position that indicates the position of the train, The setting information acquisition unit performs a setting information acquisition step in which it acquires setting information regarding the operation of the aforementioned train, The weather determination unit performs a weather determination step in which it determines the weather conditions at the train's location, A tourist information holding step in which a tourist information holding unit holds tourist information obtained from a database in which tourist information is registered, including tourist spots along the route on which the train runs, the position of the train when providing information about the tourist spots, the direction in which the tourist spots are located at the position, and information used for guidance by the train information information device provided by the train. A guidance determination step in which the guidance determination unit determines whether or not to provide guidance to the tourist spots indicated in the tourist information in the train guidance information device based on the train position, the setting information, and the weather conditions, Includes, In the guidance determination step, if the guidance determination unit determines that it will provide guidance to the tourist spot, it controls the train guidance information device to display information about the tourist spot, and controls the display unit installed in the train's driver's cab to display that the train guidance information device is displaying information about the tourist spot. A method for guiding tourists to tourist spots, characterized by the following features.

10. The train position acquisition unit performs a train position acquisition step, which involves acquiring a train position that indicates the position of the train, The setting information acquisition unit performs a setting information acquisition step in which it acquires setting information regarding the operation of the aforementioned train, The weather determination unit performs a weather determination step in which it determines the weather conditions at the train's location, A tourist information holding step in which a tourist information holding unit holds tourist information obtained from a database in which tourist information is registered, including tourist spots along the route on which the train runs, the position of the train when providing information about the tourist spots, the direction in which the tourist spots are located at the position, and information used for guidance by the train information information device provided by the train. A guidance determination step in which the guidance determination unit determines whether or not to provide guidance to the tourist spots indicated in the tourist information in the train guidance information device based on the train position, the setting information, and the weather conditions, Includes, The aforementioned tourist information includes information on the next station where the train will stop after passing the aforementioned location. moreover, If the train speed control unit determines that it is possible to recover the delay in the train's operation by the next station even if the train is driven at a reduced speed, it controls the deceleration of the train within a defined range including the guide position, and then controls recovery operation to recover the delay during the train's journey to the next station. A method for guiding tourists to tourist spots, characterized by including the following.

11. The aforementioned tourist information includes information on the next station where the train will stop after passing the aforementioned location. moreover, If the train speed control unit determines that it is possible to recover the delay in the train's operation by the next station even if the train is driven at a reduced speed, it controls the deceleration of the train within a defined range including the guide position, and then controls recovery operation to recover the delay during the train's journey to the next station. The method for guiding tourists to tourist spots according to claim 9, characterized by including the following:

12. In the aforementioned tourist information retention step, the tourist information retention unit retains the tourist information for a plurality of tourist spots. In the guidance determination step, if the guidance determination unit determines that it will provide guidance for a specified number of tourist spots, it controls the train guidance information device to display the specified number of tourist spots in order of proximity to the current train position in the direction of travel of the train. The method for guiding tourists to tourist spots as described in feature 9.

13. In the weather determination step, the weather determination unit determines the weather condition based on the operation information of the wipers provided by the train. The method for guiding tourists to tourist spots as described in feature 9.

14. In the weather determination step, the weather determination unit determines the weather condition based on the operation information of the snow-resistant brakes provided by the train. The method for guiding tourists to tourist spots as described in feature 9.

15. The aforementioned tourist information includes multiple different pieces of information regarding the same tourist spot in relation to the aforementioned weather conditions. In the guidance determination step, the guidance determination unit controls the train guidance information device to display information about the tourist spot using the guidance information corresponding to the weather conditions. A method for guiding tourists to tourist spots according to any one of claims 9 to 14.

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