JPH1134872A - Train time information communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To provide a train time information communication system capable of easily, quickly and easily inquiring about train time information. SOLUTION: When a portable device 1 inquires of a station server system 5 of a station about time information of a train at the station, the server system 5 searches for time information of the train from the time information at the station stored in advance. This is a train time information communication system that returns a search result to the portable device 1 and displays the search result received by the portable device 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a train time information communication system, and more particularly to a train time information communication system capable of easily inquiring train time information from a portable device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when it is desired to know the departure time of a train at a place other than a station, call the station to inquire about the departure time, or obtain a timetable at a bookstore or the like and obtain the train at the timetable. There was no other way but to check the departure time.

[0003] In addition to a planned ride using a long-distance train, in the case of getting on a train that departs frequently in daily activities, it is time to look up the telephone number of the boarding station. Considering the time to check, I thought that it was faster to go to the station and see the timetable, and in many cases, I would go to the station anyway.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional method, it is necessary to find out the telephone number of the boarding station, make a telephone call, and wait for the station staff to respond, or to check the timetable and time. Considering that, especially in the case of the latest train, it is considered that it is faster to go to the station, and there is a problem that the train cannot be used quickly and easily.

[0005] Also, for example, on the way to a station, even if a call is made from the portable device to the station to inquire about the departure time using the characteristics of the portable device, the station staff will readily respond to a short-distance train. There was a problem that it could not be expected and that it could not be used casually.

[0006] In addition, when the timetable of the station is checked at the station, a situation has arisen in which the train has just departed and has to wait at the station for a long time until the next departure time.
Not only will you spend time in vain, but you will also feel regretful that you'll be in time if you hurry a little more ... There is a problem in that one or two telephone calls can be made, so that the time required for the original production activities is wasted.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a train time information communication system capable of easily, quickly and easily inquiring about train time information.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a train time information communication system in which a portable machine inquires train time information from a station server system. The server system searches for time information of a train corresponding to the inquiry, and returns a search result to the portable device.
Simple, quick and easy to get the time information of the train at any station.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a station time and a telephone number of a server system of the station name are stored in association with each other in a train time information communication system. When the search condition information of the train to be queried is input and a call instruction is input, the telephone number of the server system associated with the station name is called to connect to the server system, and the search condition information is transmitted. A portable device for receiving and displaying the search result returned from the server system, and storing in advance time information of a train at the own station, and receiving search condition information in response to a call from the portable device, the search condition information And a server system for a station that returns the search result to the portable device according to the following.
Simple, quick and easy to get the time information of the train at any station.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the claimed invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The train time information communication system according to the present invention is configured such that when the portable device inquires of the server system of the station about the time information of the train at the station, the time information of the corresponding train is obtained from the time information at the station stored in the server system in advance. Since the search result is returned to the portable device and the search result received by the portable device is displayed, it is possible to easily, quickly and casually inquire about the time information of the train.

First, a schematic configuration of a train time information communication system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
1 is a schematic configuration block diagram of a train time information communication system according to the present invention.

The train time information communication system according to the present invention includes a portable device 1 for inquiring time information, a base station 2 for performing wireless communication with the portable device 1, and a station responding to the time information inquiry from the portable device 1. Server system 5, a modem 4 for connecting the server system 5 to a wired network, and a public network 3 for connecting the base station 2 to the wired network.

The outline of the operation of the train time information communication system of the present invention is as follows. The portable terminal 1 carried by the user inputs a station name for which the user wants to know the departure time, and search conditions such as route, up / down, time zone, and the like. When a call instruction is input, the portable device 1
A call is made to the server system 5 at the station designated by the user, and the portable device 1 is connected to the server system 5 at the station via the base station 2, the public line network 3, and the modem 4.

Then, the search condition is transmitted from the portable device 1 to the server system 5, and the server system 5 searches for the time information stored in the station in advance according to the received search condition, and sends the search result to the portable device 1. To the mobile device 1
Displays the received search result on the display unit, and the connection between the portable device 1 and the server system 5 is disconnected.

First, the portable device 1 of the train time information communication system of the present invention will be described. The portable device 1 of the present invention is a portable device which is provided with a telephone communication function and wireless communication means capable of two-way data communication, in which the user carries the device and inquires about time information. Mobile phones and simplified mobile phones (Personal Handy-phone System: PH
S) is not limited to a small mobile phone, but may be a small mobile information terminal or the like having a built-in mobile phone function or PHS function.

In general, a mobile phone has a data communication speed of 9600 bps (RCR-STD27).
In PHS, the data communication speed is 32 Kbps (RCR-S
TD28, 64 Kbps for bulk transmission).

The configuration of the portable device 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the portable device of the present invention. The portable device 1 of the present invention includes an input unit 11 such as keys and switches for inputting various instructions, a display unit 12 such as an LCD for displaying various information, a wireless unit 13 for performing wireless communication, and an entire portable device 1. It comprises a control unit 10 for controlling.

The control unit 10 includes a CPU 20
, An input unit I / F 21, a flash ROM 22, a display unit I / F 23, a ROM 24, a RAM 25, an oscillator 26, a radio unit I / F 27, and an EEPROM 28.

Next, each section inside the control section 10 will be specifically described. The input unit I / F 21 is an interface that outputs input information from the input unit 11 to the CPU 20. The display unit I / F 23 is an interface that outputs display information output from the CPU 20 to the display unit 12 for display. The wireless unit I / F 27 is an interface that transfers data to be transmitted / received between the wireless unit 13 and the CPU 20. The oscillator 26 is an oscillator for counting the current time.

The EEPROM 28 stores its own identifier (I
D) is a non-volatile memory that stores D). The flash ROM 22 is a non-volatile memory that stores telephone directory information and the like registered by the user. The RAM 25 is a volatile memory that temporarily stores data during various processes.

The ROM 24 is a read-only memory having a control program executed by the CPU 20 and a station telephone number table 24a for storing a telephone number of the station, which is a characteristic part of the present invention.

Here, the station telephone number table 24a will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 shows a portable device 1 according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a format diagram showing a configuration of a station telephone number table 24a and a specific registration example.

As shown in FIG. 3, the station telephone number table 24a of the present invention includes a station name, a telephone number (station telephone number) to which the server system 5 of the station is connected, and a line name available at the station. It is composed of For example, the station name "Tokyo" is stored in advance in such a manner that the station telephone number is "03-XXXX-XXXX" and the available line names are "Chuo Line, Tokaido Main Line, ...".

The CPU 20 executes a control program stored in the ROM 24 to control the entire portable device 1. In addition to the control as a general portable device, the CPU 20 is a feature of the present invention. A train time display function for inquiring and displaying the time of the train is realized.

Next, the processing of the train time display function in the CPU 20 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the train time display function in the CPU 20 of the present invention. CPU 20 of the present invention
Is started when the train time display function is selected by inputting a normal function selection or the like, and the station name is input first (100).

Here, with respect to the input of the station name, for example, a guidance "Please input the station name" is displayed on the display unit 12, and the station name is input from the input unit 11. As a method of inputting the station name, for example, if you want to know the departure time of Tokyo Station,
"Tokyo" may be input, or "4513228513 (Let's go)" may be input using the code of Beja.

Then, the station telephone number table 24a in the ROM 24 is searched, and the station telephone number and the line name corresponding to the input station name are read (102), and the station name and the station telephone number are displayed on the display unit 12 (104). Then, search conditions are set (106).

Here, the search conditions are, for example, a route name, up / down and time zone. In setting the route name, the route name corresponding to the station name read in the process 102 is displayed on the display unit 12, and a desired route is selected from the displayed route names by operating the cross key or the like of the input unit 11. Then, only the selected route name is displayed.

In the setting for the up / down, “up”,
“Down” is displayed on the display unit 12, and when a desired one is selected from up or down displayed by operating the cross key or the like of the input unit 11, the selected up or down is displayed.

In the setting of the time zone, for example, when it is desired to know the departure time of a train departing during the 15 minutes from the current time, it is set as “last 15 minutes before”, and similarly, “30 minutes before last”,
“Last 45 minutes ago”, “Last 60 minutes ago”, “Last 75 minutes ago”, “Last 90 minutes ago”, “Last 105 minutes ago”, “Last 120 minutes ago”, etc. are displayed on the display unit 12 as the latest time. Display,
When a desired one is selected from the displayed latest times by operating the cross key or the like of the input unit 11, the selected latest time is displayed.

Next, it is determined whether or not a transmission instruction has been input from the input unit 11 using a transmission key or the like (110). If no input has been made (No), the process returns to step 100 to re-input an input item. When a call is input (Yes)
Goes off-hook (112) and dials the station telephone number read in process 102 (114).

Then, it is determined whether the server system 5 (the other party) of the dialed station telephone number goes off-hook (11).
6) If not off-hook (No), recall processing is performed (118). Here, in the recall process, for example, when the server system 5 is busy, a recall is performed every minute, and the number of recalls can be set. Further, if connection is not possible even if the set number of calls are made again, a message indicating busy is displayed on the display unit 12, and the processing of the train time display function is terminated.

On the other hand, if the server system 5 of the dialed station telephone number goes off-hook in the processing 116 (Ye
In s), the data of the search condition set in the process 106 is transmitted to the server system 5 (120). Since a general method is used for the data transmission method, a detailed description is omitted.

Then, the search result data transmitted from the server system 5 is received (122), and the search result is displayed on the display unit 12 (124).
6), the processing of the train time display function ends.

Next, the server system 5 of the train time information communication system of the present invention will be described. The server system 5 of the present invention is an incoming call-only system installed at an arbitrary station and connected to a telephone line provided exclusively for a train time information communication system. Therefore, it has a communication unit using a public line, has a storage unit with a certain storage capacity capable of storing timetable information of a train at the station, performs a search according to search conditions from the portable device 1, and obtains a search result. Since it only has to be returned, it can be realized by a general personal computer or the like.

The configuration of the server system 5 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server system of the present invention. The server system 5 of the present invention includes a transmission / reception unit 51, a control unit 52, a storage unit 53, and a timer 54.

Next, each part of the server system 5 will be specifically described. The transmission / reception unit 51 transmits and receives data to and from the public line network 3 via the modem 4. The timer 54 counts the current time.

The storage unit 53 is stored in advance in the train timetable table 53a as train time information such as the departure time and destination of each train at the station, for each up / down train.

The control unit 52 performs a search process of the time information of the train. Specifically, the control unit 52 searches the train time table table 53a according to the search condition transmitted from the portable device 1, and obtains the time information of the corresponding train. Is returned to the portable device 1.

Next, a process of searching for time information of a train in the control unit 52 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
It is a flowchart figure which shows the flow of the search process of the train time in the control part 52 of this invention. The search processing of the time information in the control unit 52 of the present invention is started when the power of the apparatus is turned on, determines whether there is an incoming call (200), and if there is no incoming call (No), the processing 200 is repeated.

When there is an incoming call (Yes), the user goes off-hook (202), receives the search condition transmitted from the portable device 1 (204), and searches the train timetable table 53a according to the search condition (206). Then, the search result is transmitted to the portable device 1 (208), and on-hook (210), the process 20
Return to 0.

At the time of the search in the process 206, since the time zone is specified by the latest time as the search condition data, the current time is read from the timer 54, and the current time is read from the current time to the time specified by the latest time. The time of the departure train is searched.

Here, the description has been given assuming that the latest time is transmitted as search condition data from the portable device 1. However, the departure time period to be searched is calculated from the latest time set in the portable device 1, and the departure time period is calculated. May be transmitted as search condition data.

Next, the operation of the train time information communication system of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 7, and 8.
I will explain using. 7 and 8 are explanatory diagrams showing specific examples of display on the portable device 1 of the present invention. Although FIGS. 7 and 8 show examples of kanji display, katakana display may be used in accordance with the specifications of the display unit.

In the train time information communication system of the present invention,
For example, a portable device 1 carried by a user heading for a station,
When the train time display function is selected from the input unit 11, the CPU
When the processing of the function is activated at 20 and the station name is input from the input unit 11, the station telephone number and the line name corresponding to the station name are read from the station telephone number table 24a, and the station name and the station telephone number are displayed. You.

For example, in the case of the station telephone number table 24a as shown in FIG. 3, if "Tokyo (Tokyo)" is input as the station name, the corresponding station telephone number "03-XXXX-"
XXXX "and the line name" Chuo Line, Tokaido Main Line, ... ".

Then, as the search conditions, the line name read from the station telephone number table 24a, up / down distinction, and time zone are displayed on the display unit 12, and the desired one is selected and determined. The selected condition is displayed on the display unit 12
Will be displayed.

For example, when the route name “central line”, the up / down “down”, and the time zone “last 30 minutes before” are selected, the display is displayed on the display unit 12 as shown in FIG. Note that, depending on the specifications of the display unit 12, each item may be displayed in katakana or the like, or the contents of FIG. 7 may be displayed by scrolling the contents of FIG. 7 depending on the number of displayable lines.

When an outgoing call instruction is input from the input unit 11, the station telephone number is dialed, and the server system 5 is called via the base station 2, the public line network 3, and the modem 4, and the server system 5 is called. Is off-hook and portable device 1
When the line is connected to the server system 5, data of the selected route name, up / down, and time zone (the latest time) are transmitted from the portable device 1 to the server system 5 as search condition data.

The server system 5 searches the train timetable table 53a for the departure time and destination of the corresponding train according to the received search conditions, and the search result is returned from the server system 5 to the portable device 1 and displayed on the portable device 1. Displayed on the unit 12, the line between the portable device 1 and the server system 5 is disconnected.

As a specific example of the display of the search results on the display unit 12, for example, at 20:00, the search conditions (route name “central line”, up / down “down”, time zone “last 30 minutes before”) are set in Tokyo. It is transmitted to the server system 5 of the station, and the search result is displayed as shown in FIG. It should be noted that data that cannot be displayed can be scrolled and displayed by inputting an arrow key or the like in accordance with the size of the screen of the display unit 12.

In the above description, only the realizing technology has been described. However, when actually providing the train time information communication system of the present invention, the train operating company requires the server system 5 and the reception-only public line for each station. Therefore, for example, a service user of the present system may be set as a registration system, and a service enrollment fee, a usage fee, and the like may be charged and collected. It should be noted that it is conceivable to apply general ordinary technology for service registration and charging technology.

According to the train time information communication system of the present invention, when a station name and a search condition are input on the portable device 1 and a call instruction is input, a station telephone number corresponding to the station name is called and transmitted to the station server system 5. The connection is made, the search condition is transmitted from the portable device 1 to the server system 5, the train timetable table 53a in the server system 5 is searched, and the search result is returned from the server system 5 to the portable device 1 and displayed on the portable device 1. Therefore, the time information of the train can be obtained easily, quickly and easily, and as a result, there is an effect that the use value can be expanded by utilizing the characteristics of the portable device.

Also, since the time information of the train can be obtained easily and easily, the user can grasp the departure time of the train in advance and behave in a planned manner, and can effectively use the time, and can also use the time. This has the effect of avoiding strategic stress and preventing wasting time that should be spent on the original production activities.

Further, the information of the departure time for each station is managed by the server system 5 provided for each station, and the search is performed in response to the search request from the portable device 1, so that the search request is flooded at one place. Therefore, there is an effect that the time required for the search can be shortened. Furthermore, since the information on the departure time is managed for each station only for the own station, the data amount can be reduced and the maintenance of the data can be facilitated.

Further, after setting all the search conditions on the portable device 1, the server system 5 is called and connected, the search conditions are transmitted, and the line is cut off when the search result is received. It has the effect of shortening it and saving call charges.

On the other hand, as a train operating company, there is an effect that services are improved and income can be increased.

[0058]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the portable device inquires the train server time information to the station server system, the server system searches for the train time information corresponding to the inquiry, and the search result is transmitted to the portable terminal. Since the train time information communication system is used to return the information to the machine, the time information of the train at any station can be easily, quickly and easily obtained, and the utility value can be expanded by utilizing the characteristics of the portable machine.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the portable device comprises:
Enter the station name and search condition information of the train you want to inquire,
When a call instruction is inputted, the telephone number of the server system associated with the station name is called to connect to the server system, search condition information is transmitted, and the own station stored in advance in accordance with the search condition information received by the server system. Search for the time information of the train in, return the search results to the portable device, and display the search results received by the portable device is a train time information communication system, so it is simple, quick and easy Time information can be obtained, and there is an effect that the value of use can be expanded by utilizing the characteristics of the portable device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration block diagram of a train time information communication system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a portable device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a format diagram showing a configuration and a specific registration example of a station telephone number table in the portable device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a train time display function in the CPU of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a server system of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of a train time search process in the control unit 52 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of display on the portable device of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of display on the portable device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... portable device, 2 ... base station, 3 ... public network, 4 ...
Modem, 5: Server system, 10: Control unit, 1
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Input part, 12 ... Display part, 13 ... Wireless part, 20
... CPU, 21 ... Input unit I / F, 22 ... Flash ROM, 23 ... Display unit I / F, 24 ... ROM, 24
a: Station telephone number table, 25: RAM, 26: Oscillator, 27: Radio I / F, 28: EEPRO
M, 51: transmission / reception unit, 52: control unit, 53: storage unit, 53a: train timetable table, 54: timer

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. When a time stamp of a train is inquired from a portable device to a server system of a station, the server system searches for time information of a train corresponding to the inquiry, and returns a search result to the portable device. Train time information communication system. 2. A station name and a telephone number of the server system of the station name are stored in advance in association with each other. When a station name and search condition information of a train to be inquired are input and a call instruction is input, the station name is associated with the station name. A portable device for calling the telephone number of the server system provided, connecting to the server system, transmitting the search condition information, receiving and displaying the search result returned from the server system, and the time of the train at the own station. And a server system for a station that stores information in advance and, when receiving search condition information in response to a call from the portable device, searches for the time information according to the search condition information and returns a search result to the portable device. A train time information communication system, comprising: