On-Demand Bus Image Capture for Vehicle Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of on-demand buses face challenges in identifying the arriving vehicle due to varying designs and lack of specific destination or route number display, making it difficult to determine which vehicle to board.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus and system that capture and provide images of arriving on-demand buses to users through signage apparatuses installed at bus stops, allowing users to recognize the vehicle they need to board.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If on-demand buses operate without fixed routes and destination displays, then operational flexibility and adaptability are improved, but user ability to identify the correct vehicle deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses image capture devices to create visual copies (photographs) of the on-demand bus exterior appearances. These image copies are transmitted to user terminals, allowing users to visually identify the correct vehicle without relying on traditional destination displays or route numbers. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining operational flexibility while solving the identification problem through digital imaging.
2Ease of operation
If real-time vehicle images are captured and transmitted to users, then user convenience and vehicle identification accuracy are improved, but system complexity and information processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an image management server as an intermediary component that receives, stores, and manages vehicle images. This server acts as a mediator between the image capture devices on buses and the user terminals, simplifying the overall system architecture by centralizing image processing functions and reducing direct communication complexity between multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing and pre-processing vehicle images before they are needed by users. Images are captured by the image capture device, transmitted to and stored on the image management server in advance, so that when a user needs to identify a vehicle, the images are already prepared and readily available for quick transmission, reducing real-time processing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus comprises a controller configured to: acquire a first image that is obtained by capturing an external appearance of a first vehicle that is operated as an on-demand bus; and provide the first image to a first user who is to get on board the first vehicle.