Vehicle Imaging for Faster Train Stoppage Cause Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems fail to promptly determine the stoppage factors of a train when it stops between stations, as drivers or conductors are occupied with communicating with the command center and cannot immediately grasp the cause of the stoppage.

Innovation Solution

An information processing system equipped with an imaging unit and communication unit on vehicles, transmitting peripheral images to a server device, which uses machine learning to identify stoppage factors and request images from vehicles in a designated area when a train stops, enabling faster determination of stoppage causes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If the driver or conductor communicates with the command center to grasp the stoppage factor, then the stoppage cause can be identified, but the time required to grasp the stoppage factor increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestoppage factor informationVSAvoidtime to grasp stoppage factor

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The imaging unit captures peripheral images before the train stops or at the moment of stopping, so that the stoppage factor is already recorded and can be immediately transmitted to the command center without requiring time-consuming communication to identify the cause

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of requiring the driver or conductor to verbally report the stoppage factor to the command center, the system creates an image copy of the peripheral situation and transmits it, allowing the command center to visually identify the stoppage cause without time-consuming verbal communication

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If the driver or conductor focuses on passenger guidance and communication, then passenger safety is maintained, but the ability to immediately grasp the stoppage factor is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepassenger guidance reliabilityVSAvoidtime to identify stoppage cause

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The imaging unit automatically captures peripheral images without requiring the driver or conductor to manually operate it, so the stoppage factor information is collected autonomously while the driver or conductor continues to focus on passenger guidance and safety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The imaging unit acts as an intermediary between the train's peripheral environment and the command center, automatically capturing and transmitting images of the stoppage factor without requiring the driver or conductor to switch attention from passenger guidance to cause identification

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12606174B2Information processing method

Publication Date: 2026.04.21 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK

AI summary

An information processing method is a method executed by an information processing system including: a vehicle including an imaging unit and a communication unit; and a server device. The information processing method includes: requesting, by the server device, the vehicle positioned in an information collecting area including a stop position of a train that moves on a railroad track to provide a peripheral image when the train stops between stations; and transmitting, by the communication unit of the vehicle positioned in the information collecting area, a stoppage factor image that is the peripheral image in which at least one of the train that has stopped in the stop position and the railroad track near the train appears to the server device.