JP2012076681A - Distributed computer system, operation controlling method therefor, operation controlling device, and terminal computer - Google Patents

Abstract

There is no need for a communication cable for connecting between terminal computers distributed in a vehicle and operation control devices, and each terminal computer is independently provided with a display control operation corresponding to each installation position. A distributed computer system that can be executed is provided.
Each terminal computer 4 connected wirelessly to an operation control device 2 via a wireless LAN access point installed in each vehicle specifies an installation position in its own vehicle, and the specified installation position Is notified to the operation control device 2 to acquire its own operation parameters and operate to perform display control. On the other hand, the operation control device 2 generates an operation parameter corresponding to each installation position based on the train organization data including the arrangement pattern of the terminal computer 4, and sets a wireless LAN access point that relays the notification from the terminal computer 4. The vehicle number of the vehicle is identified and identified, and the operation parameter corresponding to the notified installation position is transmitted to the terminal computer 4.
[Selection] Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a distributed computer system suitable for finely controlling the contents of passenger guidance and advertisements displayed on a display device installed on the upper part of a door in a railway vehicle, etc. according to the installation position. The present invention relates to an operation control method, an operation control apparatus, and a terminal computer.

  As an information service for passengers such as railways, a system that installs display devices such as LED (Light Emitting Diode) displays and liquid crystal displays at various locations in the vehicle and provides passengers with various information, news, and advertisement images has been put into practical use. ing. Further, in order to increase passenger satisfaction, a technique for finely controlling the display contents on each display device according to the installation position has been introduced. In order to perform such control, it is necessary to set operation parameters so that display contents corresponding to the installation positions of the display devices are output to the terminal computers that control the respective display devices. The technology to perform work efficiently is important.

  As such a technique, for example, in Patent Document 1, a management device and a plurality of terminal computers distributed and installed in a vehicle are connected in a daisy chain shape with a LAN (Local Area Network) cable, and each of them is connected. The terminal computer automatically obtains its installation position based on the signal transmitted from the management device using the unused signal line of the LAN cable, and automatically configures the configuration information (operation parameter) that defines its own operation. A technique for setting is disclosed.

JP 2009-170989 A

  However, in order to apply the technique of Patent Document 1, a LAN cable for connecting a management device and terminal computers distributedly installed in a vehicle is connected to a ceiling or a wall surface along with a power line and other signal lines. Therefore, there is a problem that the man-hour required for wiring work increases. Furthermore, when a terminal computer in the middle of the daisy chain fails, there is also a problem that it becomes impossible to control a terminal computer group connected downstream thereof.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and does not require a communication cable for connecting between terminal computers and management devices (operation control devices) distributed and installed in a vehicle. It is another object of the present invention to provide a distributed computer system, an operation control method thereof, an operation control apparatus, and a terminal computer that can cause each terminal computer to independently execute a display control operation corresponding to each installation position.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a terminal computer that individually controls display contents of a plurality of display devices installed in a vehicle that forms a train, and is installed in association with the display device. A distributed computer system that is wirelessly connected to an operation control device that distributes information to be displayed on the display device and controls the operation of the terminal computer via a wireless LAN access point installed in a vehicle, The terminal computer indicates a position information acquisition unit that specifies an installation position in the vehicle of the display device associated with the terminal device from a plurality of predetermined positions provided in the vehicle, and indicates the specified installation position An operation for notifying the operation control device of in-vehicle position information and its own terminal identification information, and acquiring an operation parameter for defining its own operation from the operation control device It comprises a parameter acquisition means and a display control means for controlling the display content of the display device by operating according to the acquired operation parameter, and the operation control device organizes a train on which it is mounted. For each car number of the vehicle, based on the knitting data storage unit for storing the identification information of the wireless LAN access point installed in the vehicle and the arrangement pattern of the display device as knitting data, Operation parameter group generation means for generating an operation parameter for defining a display control operation of a terminal computer associated with each of the display devices, and the in-vehicle position information and the terminal identification information notified from each of the terminal computers Referencing the organization data from the transmitted identification information of the wireless LAN access point Therefore, the vehicle number of the vehicle in which the wireless LAN access point is installed is specified, and the generated number corresponding to each installation position identified by the specified vehicle number and the notified position information in the vehicle is generated. Terminal computer management means for transmitting operating parameters to the terminal computer.

  In the distributed computer system according to the present invention, the terminal computer includes an RFID tag reader that reads ID information recorded in an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, and identifies an installation position in each vehicle. An RFID tag in which ID information is recorded is affixed to a position readable by the RFID tag reader provided in the terminal computer associated with the display device installed at the installation position, and the position information acquisition unit includes The installation position in the vehicle is specified from the ID information recorded on the RFID tag read by the RFID tag reader.

  In the distributed computer system according to the present invention, when a plurality of display devices are arranged in parallel at one location, an ID for identifying an installation position in the vehicle at a position readable from the RFID tag reader. Along with the RFID tag on which information is recorded, an RFID tag on which ID information for distinguishing the positional relationship of a plurality of units arranged side by side is affixed, and the position information acquisition means is the one read by the RFID reader. More detailed installation positions of the respective display devices arranged in parallel at the same location in the vehicle are specified from the ID information recorded on one RFID tag.

  According to the present invention, there is no need for a communication cable for connecting between terminal computers distributed in a vehicle and the operation control device, and each terminal computer has a display control operation corresponding to each installation position. Can be provided independently, and a distributed computer system, an operation control method thereof, an operation control apparatus, and a terminal computer can be provided.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the distributed computer system for rail vehicles which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the apparatus mounted in a vehicle, its connection, and the example of arrangement | positioning. It is an example of a display of the guidance screen from which a display content differs in the advancing direction left side and the right side. It is a figure which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of an apparatus when installing two wireless LAN access points in one vehicle. It is a figure which shows the other example of arrangement | positioning of the apparatus to a vehicle. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structural example of a terminal computer. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structural example of an information service management apparatus. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of operation | movement until a terminal computer acquires an IP address. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of the operation | movement which a terminal computer acquires an operation parameter and performs display control. It is explanatory drawing about operation | movement of a RFID tag reader. It is explanatory drawing about the reading range of a RFID tag reader. It is explanatory drawing of the identification method of the installation position in case a display terminal is arranged in parallel. It is a structure and data example of a position number conversion table. It is a structure and data example of a composition data table. It is a structure and data example of an arrangement pattern definition table. It is an example of the data of the initial state of the PC management table which manages a terminal computer. It is an example of data after the configuration of the PC management table and the terminal computer are registered.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a distributed computer system for a railway vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a distributed computer system 10 mounted on a train formed by connecting n vehicles (n is an arbitrary integer greater than or equal to 1) from No. 1 car to No. n car. .

  In FIG. 1, broken line frames represent vehicles forming a train, and each vehicle includes a wireless LAN access point (hereinafter abbreviated as AP (Access Point)) 3 and a plurality of terminal computers (hereinafter referred to as PC (hereinafter referred to as “PC”)). Personal Computer) and abbreviation 4), and communication between the two is performed wirelessly.

  Each PC 4 is embedded in a wall or the like close to a display terminal (display device) such as an LED display or a liquid crystal display installed in an upper part of a door in the vehicle. In this example, each PC 4 It is a computer that controls the display contents individually in a one-to-one correspondence. All these PCs 4 have the same function of displaying various screens for information services on a display terminal connected to the PC 4. However, each PC 4 distributes from the information service management device 2 in accordance with the installation position of the display terminal connected to the PC 4 so that the display contents can be changed according to the specification and installation position of the display terminal. Program control is performed so that various display control operations can be executed according to predetermined operation parameters. As a result, for example, different information is displayed on the right and left sides of the traveling direction, the guide map indicating the position of the stairs and elevators at the stop station is changed for each vehicle, and the advertisement video to be shown is changed depending on the position in the vehicle. It is possible to perform fine-grained display control.

  The number of display terminals installed in one vehicle (= the number of PCs 4) is arbitrary, but usually from 2 units (installed at both front and rear ends of the vehicle) to 24 units (6 doors on each side, 2 units on top of each door) Some trains are organized only with vehicles with the same number of display terminals installed, or trains with any combination of vehicles with different numbers of display terminals installed There is also. In the example of FIG. 1, a total of 8 PCs # 1-1 to PC # 1-8 are installed in the first car, and a total of 24 PCs 4 are installed in the second car, PC # 2-1 to PC # 2-24. . The notation PC # j-k represents the kth PC4 of the jth car.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the distributed computer system 10 includes a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server 1 that assigns an IP address and the like necessary for IP (Internet Protocol) communication to each PC 4, and the operation of each PC 4. An information service management device 2 that distributes various operating information that is required for provision of operating parameters and information services to be provided, and a LAN (Local Area Network) 5 that connects vehicles are provided. Further, the DHCP server 1, the information service management device 2, and the AP 3 provided in each vehicle are connected to be communicable with each other via the LAN 5, whereby a wireless LAN system including the PC 4 is constructed. The LAN 5 is usually a wired LAN such as a bus type or a loop type, but a different type of wireless LAN that uses a different frequency band from the wireless LAN to which the PC 4 is connected may be used. The DHCP server 1 may be installed in the information service management device 2.

  In addition, various information such as train organization data, operation management data, and content display schedule necessary for providing information services is transmitted from the information distribution center 70 to the information service management device 2 by a train wireless communication means (not shown). Is done.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the device mounted on the vehicle, and its connection and arrangement example. In the example of FIG. 2, the DHCP server 1 and the information service management device 2 are mounted on the vehicle 9 which is the first car, and one unit is provided on the inner wall surface at the upper part of the eight doors 91 (door # 1 to door # 8). The figure shows a case where a total of eight display terminals (not shown) and PCs 4 (PC # 1-1 to PC # 1-8) for controlling them are installed. Note that the DHCP server 1 and the information service management device 2 may be mounted on any other vehicle 9, or both may be mounted on separate vehicles 9. 2 shows a case where one AP3 (AP # 1) is installed near the center of the vehicle 9 near the center, but the number of AP3s installed in one vehicle 9 is PC4. You may make it increase to 2 or more according to the installation number of.

  Further, as shown by the thick line in FIG. 2, each device including the PC 4 and the information service management device 2 installed in the same train shares the power source and turns on the supplied power at the same timing. It is connected to the power source 6 of each vehicle 9 to be turned on / off, and in this example, the power source line 7 is turned on / off at almost the same timing. Further, when the two vehicles 9 are connected to each other, the power line 7 and the communication cable for the LAN 5 are also connected to each other.

  Here, an outline of the display control operation performed by the PC 4 will be described. FIG. 3 is a display example of a guidance screen that is displayed on a display terminal for information services in a vehicle when a train is operating, with different display contents on the left and right sides in the traveling direction. These are all guidance screens displayed when a train approaches the next stop station. FIG. 3A shows an example of a screen displayed on the display terminal on the door opening side, FIG. ) Is an example of a screen displayed on the display terminal on the opposite side.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the operation guide display parts 61a and 61b, a message for guiding the names 65a and 65b of the next stop stations, the car numbers 66a and 66b of the own vehicle in which the display terminal is installed, and open A message for guiding the door directions 67a and 67b is displayed. In the telop display sections 62a and 62b, in addition to guidance messages accompanying train operations, text messages such as news are displayed so as to move from right to left one after another. In addition, guide maps showing the positions of various facilities at the platform of the next stop station are displayed on the home guide map display sections 63a and 63b, and the display terminals are installed on the vehicle position display sections 64a and 64b. The position of the own vehicle is graphically displayed so that it can be identified.

  As can be seen by comparing FIG. 3 (a) and FIG. 3 (b), even if the display terminal is installed in the same vehicle of the same train, the screen configuration and display are displayed on the left and right sides in the traveling direction. Messages, guide maps, etc. may be different. Even if the display terminal is installed on the left (right) side in the same traveling direction of the same train, the car number or figure to be displayed may differ depending on the position of the host vehicle.

  Furthermore, even in the case of display terminals installed on the left (right) side in the same traveling direction of the same vehicle, there are cases where it is desired to change the contents of messages and advertisements to be sent depending on the installation position in the vehicle. Therefore, each PC 4 that controls display of each display terminal is operated by switching various display patterns based on operation parameters distributed from the information service management device 2 according to the installation position of the display terminal. Program controlled. Thereby, even if it is the same PC4, it becomes possible to switch operation | movement dynamically according to the installation position of the display terminal which it controls, and fine display control according to the installation position of a display terminal can be performed. it can.

  Next, the arrangement of devices when two wireless LAN access points (AP) 3 are installed in one vehicle will be described. FIG. 4 is a view showing an arrangement example of the apparatus when two AP3s are installed in one vehicle with six doors on one side, and FIG. 4 (a) is a diagram illustrating a closed space behind the ceiling of the vehicle divided into two in the longitudinal direction. FIG. 4B shows an example in which ducts for wireless communication are installed on both sides of the vehicle.

  In the example of FIG. 4 (a), a closed space behind the ceiling is divided into two ceiling back closed spaces 93 by installing a radio wave shielding plate 92 on the back of the ceiling near the center in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. 1 to PC # 2-6 and PC # 2-19 to PC # 2-24 in total communicate with AP # 2-1 and 12 in total from PC # 2-7 to PC # 2-18 to AP # 2-1 I try to communicate with # 2-2. In the example of FIG. 4B, two side ducts 94 covered with radio wave shielding plates 92 are provided on both sides of the vehicle, and a total of 12 PCs # 2-1 to PC # 2-12 are provided. Communication with AP # 2-1 is made so that a total of 12 units of PC # 2-13 to PC # 2-24 communicate with AP # 2-2.

  Thus, when the number of PCs 4 installed in a vehicle is large, it is desirable to secure the wireless communication throughput of each PC 4 by installing two APs 3 in one vehicle. In that case, it is preferable to prevent radio wave interference between the two divided areas by using the radio wave shielding plate 92 or the like.

  In the above, the case where one or more display terminals are installed for each door of the vehicle has been described, but the arrangement method of the display terminals on the vehicle is not limited to this, and for example, as illustrated in FIG. In addition, a total of four display terminals (and PCs 4) may be installed in every other eight-door (four doors on one side) vehicle. Although illustration is omitted, the display terminal may be installed other than the upper part of the door, and a display for displaying the destination embedded in the outer wall surface of the vehicle may be included in the display terminal.

Next, the configuration and function of each terminal computer (PC) 4 will be described.
FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of the terminal computer (PC) 4. Each PC 4 has the same configuration except for unique information such as a PC identification name and a MAC (Media Access Control) address.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the PC 4 includes a power-on detection unit 41, a MAC address acquisition unit 42, a location information acquisition unit 43, an RFID tag reader 44, an IP address acquisition unit 45, an operation parameter acquisition unit 46, a terminal display control unit 47, Each of the processing units of the display content update unit 48 and the wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 49 and the storage units of the operation parameter storage unit 51 and the display content storage unit 52 are provided. Each of these processing units is realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown) included in the PC 4 loading a predetermined program stored in a storage device (not shown) into a main memory (not shown) and executing it. The Each storage unit is realized by assigning a corresponding storage area in a storage device such as a semiconductor memory or a hard disk.

  The power-on detection unit 41 detects that the power of the PC 4 has been turned on, and activates the MAC address acquisition unit 42 and the position information acquisition unit 43. The MAC address acquisition unit 42 reads a MAC address, which is a unique identification number assigned to a wireless LAN card (not shown) mounted on the PC 4, from the wireless LAN card, and reads the read MAC address to the IP address acquisition unit 45. hand over. The IP address acquisition unit 45 notifies the DHCP server 1 of the MAC address delivered from the MAC address acquisition unit 42 to instruct the wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 49 to acquire the IP address, and is delivered from the wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 49. The IP address is delivered to the operation parameter acquisition unit 46.

  The position information acquisition unit 43 instructs the RFID tag reader 44 to read the RFID tag 8 attached in the vicinity of the installation position of the PC 4 that controls the display terminal 40, and the tag of the RFID tag 8 read by the RFID tag reader 44. An ID is received, a position number to be described later is specified based on the received tag ID, and the specified position number is delivered to the operation parameter acquisition unit 46. The RFID tag reader 44 includes a reader antenna, transmits a radio wave (question wave) from the reader antenna to the RFID tag 8, receives a tag ID from a response wave transmitted from the RFID tag 8, and uses the received tag ID as position information. Deliver to the acquisition unit 43.

  The operation parameter acquisition unit 46 notifies the information service management device 2 of the IP address transferred from the IP address acquisition unit 45 and the position number transferred from the position information acquisition unit 43 so as to acquire the operation parameter. 49, and the operation parameter storage unit 51 stores the operation parameter delivered from the wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 49.

  The terminal display control unit 47 generates screen display data to be displayed on the display terminal 40 in accordance with the operation parameters stored in the operation parameter storage unit 51, and transmits the generated display data to the display terminal 40. In addition, the terminal display control unit 47 switches the screen configuration and display contents according to display control information such as a next station guidance instruction transmitted from the information service management device 2, or displays the display schedule stored in the display content storage unit 52. Accordingly, various display contents stored in the display content storage unit 52 are displayed on the display terminal 40.

  The display content update unit 48 receives a display schedule and display content for addition and update transmitted from the information service management apparatus 2 via the wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 49, and displays the received display schedule and display content as a display content storage unit. 52 is stored.

  The wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 49 communicates with a wireless LAN access point (AP) 3 (not shown) via a wireless LAN card (not shown) so that the PC 4 and the DHCP server 1 and the information service management device 2 communicate with each other. A wireless communication link is established between the information service management apparatus 2 and various data via IP communication.

Next, the configuration and function of the information service management apparatus 2 will be described.
FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the information service management apparatus 2. As shown in FIG. 7, the information service management device 2 includes a power-on detection unit 21, a wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 22, an operation parameter group generation unit 23, a PC management unit 24, a display content distribution control unit 25, and display control information distribution control. Processing unit 26, input / output unit 27, composition data update unit 28, and information distribution center communication unit 29, PC management data storage unit 31, composition data storage unit 32, and distribution content storage unit 33 storage units With. Each of these processing units is realized by a CPU (not shown) included in the information service management device 2 loading a predetermined program stored in a storage device (not shown) into a main memory (not shown) and executing it. . Each storage unit is realized by assigning a corresponding storage area in a storage device such as a semiconductor memory or a hard disk.

  The power-on detection unit 21 detects that the information service management apparatus 2 has been turned on, and activates the operation parameter group generation unit 23. The operation parameter group generation unit 23 is based on the train train data stored in the train data table 321 of the train data storage unit 32 and the layout pattern of the display terminal 40 stored in the layout pattern definition table 322. Then, an operation parameter group to be distributed to each PC 4 installed in the own train is generated, and initial setting of the PC management table 311 stored in the PC management data storage unit 31 is performed. Details of the organization data table 321, the arrangement pattern definition table 322, and the PC management table 311 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 13, 14, 16, and 17.

  The wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 22 transmits / receives various data by IP communication with the PC 4 by communicating with a wireless LAN access point (AP) 3 (not shown) via the LAN 5 (see FIG. 1). The information service management device 2 is assigned a fixed IP address in advance, and the IP address of each AP 3 is notified from the information distribution center 70 as a part of train organization data, for example. .

  The PC management unit 24 receives the parameter request transmitted from each PC 4 via the wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 22, and searches the PC management table 311 for the operation parameter corresponding to the position number of the PC 4 included in the received parameter request. The acquired operation parameters are returned to the PC 4. Further, the PC identification name, MAC address, and IP address of the PC 4 included in the received parameter request are stored in the PC management table 311.

  The display content distribution control unit 25 receives various distribution contents such as news and advertisements transmitted from the information distribution center 70 via the information distribution center communication unit 29 and stores the received distribution content in the distribution content storage unit 33. At the same time, the PC management unit 24 is requested to distribute distribution contents to each PC 4. The PC management unit 24 transmits the distribution content requested to be distributed from the display content distribution control unit 25 to all the PCs 4 that display the content via the wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 22. For example, if the distribution of news is requested, the news is transmitted to all PCs 4 displaying the news. If the distribution destination is a specified distribution content, the content is transmitted only to the corresponding PC 4.

  The display control information distribution control unit 26 receives operation management data such as the position of the own train transmitted from the information distribution center 70 via the information distribution center communication unit 29, and the PC management unit 24 sends each PC 4 to the next station. Request to send display control information to give instructions such as guidance. The PC management unit 24 transmits the display control information requested to be transmitted from the display control information distribution control unit 26 to all the PCs 4 that perform display control based on the display control information.

  The input / output unit 27 is used by crew members and maintenance personnel to check and change information such as the knitting data stored in the knitting data storage unit 32 and the arrangement pattern of the display terminal 40 using an unillustrated input / output device. I / O control to do. The knitting data update unit 28 receives the knitting data transmitted from the information distribution center 70 and stores the received knitting data in the knitting data storage unit 32. In addition, an operation for changing the knitting data stored in the knitting data storage unit 32 is accepted via the input / output unit 27, and the knitting data is updated. The information distribution center communication unit 29 receives various information distributed from the information distribution center 70 by train radio or the like.

Next, an operation for providing the information service for passengers in cooperation with each of the devices described above will be described in detail.
FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an operation flow until each terminal computer (PC) 4 acquires an IP address necessary for performing IP communication. The details of the operation until each PC 4 acquires an IP address from the DHCP server 1 will be described below with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG.

  First, when the power supply 6 is activated and the supply of power to each device is started by the power supply line 7, the power-on detection unit 41 of the PC 4 detects the power-on of the own device (step S411), and acquires the MAC address. The unit 42 is activated. Next, the MAC address acquisition unit 42 acquires the MAC address by reading the MAC address, which is a unique number, from the wireless LAN card mounted on the own device (step S412).

  On the other hand, the AP 3 that has been turned on also receives a beacon signal for notifying information necessary for wireless communication such as its own MAC address at a predetermined period (for example, every 100 milliseconds) defined in the wireless LAN standard. (R11) is transmitted (step S31). When the wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 49 of the PC 4 detects this beacon signal (R11) (step S413), an association request (R12) for notifying its own MAC address, authentication information, etc. in order to establish a communication link with the AP3. ) Is transmitted (step S414).

  When this association request (R12) is received by AP3 and necessary client authentication is performed (step S32), if connection is permitted, connection is permitted from AP3 to PC4 (specifying the MAC address of PC4). And an association response (R13) for notifying communication parameters when performing wireless communication is transmitted. The wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 49 of the PC 4 that has received the association response (R13) sets the notified communication parameter in the wireless LAN card (step S415), thereby performing wireless communication between the PC 4 and the AP 3 After the communication link (association) is established, the PC 4 can communicate with other devices via the AP 3 thereafter.

  When the association between the PC 4 and the AP 3 is established, the IP address acquisition unit 45 of the PC 4 next sends a DHCP DISCOVER (R14), which is a broadcast signal for notifying that it wants to acquire an IP address and its own MAC address, to the AP 3. (Step S416). The DHCP server 1 that has received this broadcast signal relayed by the AP 3 selects one assignable IP address candidate (step S11), and sends the IP address to the PC 4 (specifying the MAC address of the PC 4). DHCP OFFER (R15), which is a signal for notifying a candidate, is transmitted.

  The IP address acquisition unit 45 of the PC 4 accepts the IP address candidate notified by the DHCP OFFER (R15) received via the wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 49 (step S417), and notifies that the IP address candidate is to be used. DHCP REQUEST (R16), which is a signal to be transmitted, is transmitted to the DHCP server 1. The DHCP server 1 that has received this signal relayed by the AP 3 performs the lending process of the IP address notified as the IP address candidate (step S12), and sends a DHCP ACK (R17), which is a signal notifying that the lending is completed, to the PC 4 Send to Upon receiving this signal, the IP address acquisition unit 45 of the PC 4 sets the IP address as the IP address of its own device (step S418), and the acquisition of the IP address is completed.

  Next, an operation in which each PC 4 acquires an operation parameter defining its own operation from the information service management apparatus 2 using the acquired IP address and performs display control will be described. FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of operations in which each terminal computer (PC) 4 that has acquired an IP address acquires operation parameters from the information service management apparatus 2 and performs display control of the display terminal 40. Hereinafter, the operation of each device will be described in detail with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG.

  As described above, when the power-on detection unit 41 detects that the power of the PC 4 is turned on, the position information acquisition unit 43 is activated, and the position information acquisition unit 43 is controlled by the own device (more precisely, the own device controls the device). Position information indicating the installation position of the display terminal 40) in the vehicle is acquired (step S421). This position information acquisition operation will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The installation position of the display terminal 40 in the vehicle is determined in advance for each type of vehicle, and in the acquisition of this position information, any of a plurality of predetermined installation positions determined for each type of vehicle A position number for identifying whether or not is installed. As described above, if the k-th PC 4 of the j-th car is marked as PC # j-k, this corresponds to obtaining the value of k.

  In this embodiment, each PC 4 uses an RFID tag in which ID information for specifying a position number is recorded as a means for acquiring its own installation position at the time of activation. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, each PC 4 is equipped with an RFID tag reader 44 connected with a reader antenna for wirelessly reading a tag ID (ID information) from the RFID tag 8, and each PC 4 is installed at a predetermined position. The RFID tag 8 in which ID information for specifying the installation position is previously recorded on the wall surface 95 of the vehicle or the like so that the RFID tag 8 to be read enters the reading range A formed during operation. Affix it.

  As schematically shown in FIG. 11, each reading range A is from the reader antenna so that it does not read the RFID tag 8 for specifying another adjacent installation position. It is advisable to adjust the intensity and reception sensitivity of the output radio wave in advance. The RFID tag 8 is preferably a metal-compatible RFID tag that can be attached to iron, aluminum alloy, or the like forming the vehicle.

  Thus, the total number of ID information necessary for identifying the installation positions of the respective display terminals 40 determined in advance for each type of vehicle is basically the display terminal 40 installed in one vehicle. For example, if a maximum of 36 display terminals 40 are installed in a 12-door vehicle with 3 doors per door, 36 types of ID information are required.

  As the number of ID information to be used increases, the production cost and management man-hour of the RFID tag 8 increase accordingly. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the number of ID information to be used as much as possible. As one of the methods, it can be considered that each installation position is not identified by one RFID tag 8 but by a combination of two or more RFID tags 8.

  FIG. 12 illustrates an identification method in the case where two display terminals 40 are juxtaposed on one door. In this method, the door #ID tag 81 in which ID information for identifying the door # is recorded, and the left in which ID information for identifying the left and right positions when being arranged in parallel on the same door is recorded. The sub ID tag 82 or the right sub ID tag 83 is used in combination.

  FIG. 12A shows the door #ID tag 81 and the left sub ID tag 82 or the right sub ID in the left and right reading ranges L and R for identifying the installation positions of the two display terminals 40 arranged side by side. In this example, two ID tags 83 are pasted together so that they can be identified. 12B, the door #ID tag 81 and the left sub ID tag 82 are attached to the left reading range L, and only the door #ID tag 81 is attached to the right reading range R. This is an example of enabling identification.

  FIG. 13 is a configuration example of a position number conversion table referred to by the position information acquisition unit 43 for specifying a position number and a data example corresponding to the example of FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, in the position number conversion table, the position number of each installation position to be specified, the door #ID which is the ID information of the door #ID tag 81 corresponding thereto, the left sub ID tag 82 or Records having as attributes the sub ID which is ID information of the right sub ID tag 83 are registered by the number of position numbers to be specified. The position number is a number for specifying a position in the vehicle, and here, for convenience, a serial number assigned to each door of the vehicle and a letter L (left side) or R (right side) representing left and right The position numbers are marked as “1”, “1L”, “1R”, but these position numbers may be serial numbers. It is also assumed that the maximum number of doors of one vehicle is 12, and the door #ID is “id1”, “id2”,. The ID information of the ID tag 82 is “id13”, and the ID information of the right sub ID tag 83 is “id14”.

  The position information acquisition unit 43 identifies the corresponding position number by comparing the ID information of the RFID tag 8 read by the RFID tag reader 44 with each record of the position number conversion table. For example, if the RFID tag 8 read by the RFID tag reader 44 has only one ID information “id1”, the position number is “1”, and if the ID information is two “id1” and “id13”. The position number is specified as “1L”. As described above, by using the RFID tag 8 in which 14 types of ID information from “id1” to “id14” are recorded, a maximum of 36 installation positions can be identified.

  The above is the case where the ID information of the sub ID tag is only two, but the number of ID information of the sub ID tag may be three or more. In this case, the number of door #IDs and the sub ID tag A value obtained by multiplying the number of ID information + 1 is the total number of identifiable installation positions.

  Returning to FIG. 9, the description will be continued. In step S421, after acquiring the position information indicating the installation position of the own apparatus in the vehicle as the position number, the operation parameter acquisition unit 46 is the position number acquired by the information service management apparatus 2 and its own unique information. The PC identification name is notified and a parameter request is transmitted (step S422). At this time, the wireless LAN transmitting / receiving unit 49 receives the parameter request (R23) including the MAC address of the own device acquired by the MAC address acquiring unit 42 and the IP address of the own device acquired by the IP address acquiring unit 45. An IP packet is generated and transmitted to the AP 3 (not shown), and the AP 3 relays the IP packet to the information service management apparatus 2.

  When the PC management unit 24 of the information service management apparatus 2 receives this parameter request (R23) converted into an IP packet via the wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 22, the PC management unit 24 refers to the composition data table 321 and transmits the IP packet. The PC management table corresponding to the installation position identified by the identified vehicle number and the notified position number by identifying the vehicle number of the vehicle in which the AP3 (and the PC4) is installed from the MAC address of the AP3 The PC identification name notified from the PC 4 and the MAC address and IP address of the PC 4 included in the received IP packet are registered in the record 311 (step S22). Subsequently, the PC management unit 24 acquires the operation parameter generated corresponding to the record from the PC management table 311 and transmits the operation parameter (R24) including the acquired operation parameter to the PC 4 (step S23). . Note that step S21 in FIG. 9 will be described later.

  FIG. 14 shows a configuration and data example of the knitting data table 321 provided in the knitting data storage unit 32. As shown in FIG. 14, records corresponding to the vehicles forming the train are registered in the formation data table 321 in the order of the car numbers. Each record has a car number, a door number, a PC number, access point attribute data, and an arrangement pattern as attributes. The car number is a serial number assigned to each vehicle in the order of connection of the vehicles forming the train. The number of doors is the number of entrance / exit doors installed in the vehicle. The number of PCs is the number of PCs 4 installed in the vehicle (= the number of display terminals 40). The access point attribute data is attribute data of the AP 3 installed in the vehicle, and includes an AP 3 identification number, a wireless communication channel number, a MAC address, and an IP address. The arrangement pattern is an identification name of a pattern in which the display terminal 40 is arranged on the vehicle.

  In the data example of FIG. 14, the 8-door No. 1 car has eight PCs 4 installed by pattern A, the identification number is “AP # 1,” the wireless communication channel number is “1”, and the MAC address is “ 0x --- abf0 "and one AP3 with an IP address of" 192.168.1.11 "is installed, and the 12-door Car 2 is equipped with 24 PCs 4 by Pattern B and the identification number is Two AP3s, “AP # 2-1” and “AP # 2-2”, are installed, and there are four PC4s installed by pattern C in the 8-door third car. Is shown.

  FIG. 15 shows a configuration and data example of the arrangement pattern definition table 322 provided in the composition data storage unit 32. As shown in FIG. 15, records corresponding to each pattern in which the display terminal 40 is arranged on the vehicle are registered in the arrangement pattern definition table 322. Each record has an arrangement pattern, arrangement, left and right, front and rear, and display data type as attributes. The arrangement pattern is an identification name of the arrangement pattern. The arrangement indicates whether the display terminal 40 is a single installation or a parallel installation. Whether the left and right screens are symmetrical or the same as the relationship between (a) and (b) in FIG. 3 are displayed on the display terminals 40 installed on the left and right sides in the vehicle traveling direction. Indicates. The front and rear indicate whether the screens to be displayed are individual or the same depending on the installation position of the display terminal 40 in the front-rear direction. The display data type indicates a list of display data types (display contents) displayed on the display terminal 40.

  In the data example of FIG. 15, in the pattern A, the car number, the operation guide, the telop, and the home guide map are symmetrical on the left and right sides in the traveling direction on the display terminal 40 that is installed independently at each installation position. The displayed pattern C indicates that the same telop is displayed on the display terminal 40 that is installed independently at each installation position. In Pattern B, the car number, the operation guide, and the home guide map are displayed on one of the display terminals 40 arranged in parallel at each installation position so as to be symmetrical on the left and right sides in the traveling direction. Further, it is shown that individual advertisements, weather forecasts, and telops that are the same on the left side and the right side in the traveling direction and that differ depending on the installation position in the front-rear direction are displayed.

  FIG. 16 shows an initial state of the PC management table 311 generated in the PC management data storage unit 31 when the PC management unit 24 of the information service management device 2 receives train formation data (R21) from the information distribution center 70. It is a data example. As shown in FIG. 16, in the PC management table 311 in the initial state, records corresponding to each PC 4 installed in each vehicle that forms the train are registered in order of car number and position number. Each record has a car number, a position number, and a pointer value as attributes.

  The car number is the car number of the vehicle on which the PC 4 is installed. The position number is a number for identifying the installation position in the vehicle of the display terminal 40 associated with the PC 4, and is the same as the position number described in FIG. In the data example of FIG. 16, a total of 8 PCs 4 are installed individually in the first car corresponding to the eight installation positions, and two PCs 4 are installed side by side in the second car corresponding to the respective installation positions. Shows the case.

  In the pointer value, a pointer value indicating an address of a list of operation parameters to be distributed to the PC 4 is registered. Here, for example, p (A, 1) indicates a pointer value to the list of the first operation parameter to be distributed to the PC 4 whose arrangement pattern is “pattern A”. The train composition data received from the information distribution center 70 is registered in the composition data table 321 (FIG. 14) by the composition data update unit 28, and the PC management unit 24 uses the composition data table 321 and the arrangement pattern definition table ( 15), the operation parameters to be distributed to the respective PCs 4 corresponding to the respective installation positions of the respective vehicles are specified, and pointer values to the specified operation parameter list are registered in the PC management table 311. .

  For example, as shown in the data examples of FIGS. 14 and 15, when a display terminal is independently installed on the upper part of each door of the 8-door No. 1 car and a symmetrical screen is displayed on the right side and the left side in the traveling direction, As shown in the data example of FIG. 16, the operation for displaying the left screen of the first car in the four records with the car number corresponding to the left side in the traveling direction “1” and the position numbers “1” to “4”. Register the pointer value to the parameter list, and register the pointer value to the list of operation parameters to display the screen on the right side of the first car in the following four records with position numbers "5" to "8" To do.

  As a result, for example, when the entrance door that opens at the next station is on the left side in the direction of travel, PC # 1-1 to PC # 1-4 whose left and right division values are “left” will “open this door” Depending on the operating parameters, PC # 1-5 to PC # 1-8 whose left and right division values are “right” are displayed as “the door on the opposite side opens”. The display control operation of each PC 4 can be controlled.

  Similarly, in the next two records, operation parameters for displaying a screen on the left side and a screen on the right side in the traveling direction when the door number of the car No. 2 is arranged at the top of the door having the door number “1”, respectively. Register a pointer value to the list of

  Then, in step S22 of FIG. 9, the PC management table 311 is searched for a record corresponding to the car number and position number of the PC 4 that has transmitted the parameter request, and the PC identification name of the PC 4 is registered in the record. In subsequent step S23, a list of operation parameters is acquired from the pointer value of the record, and the acquired operation parameters are transmitted to the PC 4.

  By repeatedly executing such an operation for each PC 4 that has transmitted the parameter request, as shown in FIG. 17, each record in the PC management table 311 after the PC registration includes a corresponding PC 4. PC identification name, MAC address, and IP address are additionally registered. In the data example of FIG. 17, since the car identification number is “2” and the position number is “1L”, the PC identification name is not yet registered (“−”). Although display control of the display terminal 40 to be performed cannot be performed, display control of the display terminal 40 corresponding to another record in which the PC identification name or the like has been registered is executed independently of this.

  Returning to FIG. 9 again, the description will be continued. When the operation parameter acquisition unit 46 of the PC 4 receives the operation parameter (R24) via the wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 49, the operation parameter acquisition unit 46 stores the received operation parameter in the operation parameter storage unit 51, and the terminal display control unit 47 stores the operation parameter storage By referring to the operation parameters stored in the unit 51 and controlling its own operation, initial display data to be displayed on the display terminal 40 is acquired by acquiring a necessary display schedule and content from the display content storage unit 52 ( Step S423). Thereby, the generated display data P1 of the initial screen is transmitted to the display terminal 40, and the initial screen is displayed.

  Further, if necessary, train formation data (R21) transmitted from the information distribution center 70 to the information service management device 2 and distribution content (R22) including display content and display schedule are displayed content distribution control unit 25. The data is stored in the distribution content storage unit 33 (step S21).

  Apart from this, operation management data (R25) such as train position information is transmitted from the information distribution center 70 to the information service management device 2, and the display control information distribution control unit 26 of the information service management device 2 receives the information. For example, the PC management unit 24 is requested to distribute display control information instructing to send a telop for next station guidance based on the operation management data. Upon receiving the request, the PC management unit 24 refers to the composition data table 321 (FIG. 14), the arrangement pattern definition table (FIG. 15), the PC management table 311 (FIG. 17), the operation parameter list (FIG. 16), and the like. Thus, the PC 4 to which the display control information is to be distributed is extracted, and the display control information (R26) is distributed to each of the extracted PCs 4 (step S24). Thereby, for example, distribution of unnecessary display control information to the PC 4 corresponding to the display terminal 40 that does not perform telop display is suppressed.

  The terminal display control unit 47 of the PC 4 that has received this display control information (R26) responds to the received display control information by controlling its own operation with reference to the operation parameters stored in the operation parameter storage unit 51. The display data thus updated is updated (step S424), whereby, for example, the next station guidance telop display data P2 is generated and transmitted to the display terminal 40. Thereafter, similarly, based on the new operation management data (R27), the display control information (R28) is transmitted from the information service management device 2 to the PC 4 (step S25), and the display control information received by the PC 4 is displayed. By updating the corresponding display data (step S425), the display data Pi is generated and transmitted to the display terminal 40.

  In addition, the distribution contents such as the latest news and weather forecast transmitted from the information distribution center 70 and stored in the distribution content storage unit 33 are sent to each PC 4 that needs the information by the display content distribution control unit 25. It is appropriately distributed as updated content (R29). The display content update unit 48 of each PC 4 that has received this update content (R29) stores the received content and display schedule in the display content storage unit 52 (step S426).

  Thereafter, the terminal display control unit 47 performs display data update for displaying the updated content according to the latest display schedule stored in the display content storage unit 52 (step S427). Thereby, the updated display data Pj is generated and transmitted to the display terminal 40.

  As described above, according to the distributed computer system according to the present embodiment, there is no need to install a LAN cable for connecting each terminal computer that controls a display terminal installed in a vehicle. In addition, since each terminal computer operates independently without depending on the state of other terminal computers, even if some terminal computers fail and become inoperable, other terminal computers Service can be provided continuously. Furthermore, each terminal computer specifies its own location where it is installed, and obtains operation parameters for performing operations corresponding to that location from the operation control device. It is not necessary to set parameters in advance, and initial installation work and replacement work of the terminal computer are facilitated.

  Although the description of the embodiment has been described above, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, each or all of the processing units described above may be realized by hardware such as an integrated circuit. In addition, although train train data is distributed from the information distribution center, the train data may be read into the information service management device using a storage medium. The operation management data is distributed from the information distribution center, but may be received directly from the operation management system.

1 DHCP server 10 Distributed computer system 2 Information service management device (operation control device)
21 power-on detection unit 22 wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 23 operation parameter group generation unit (operation parameter group generation means)
24 PC management unit (terminal computer management means)
25 Display content distribution control unit 26 Display control information distribution control unit 27 Input / output unit 28 Composition data update unit 29 Information distribution center communication unit 3 Wireless LAN access point (AP)
31 PC management data storage unit 311 PC management table 32 composition data storage unit 321 composition data table 322 arrangement pattern definition table 33 distribution content storage unit 4 terminal computer (PC)
40 Display terminal (display device)
41 power-on detection unit 42 MAC address acquisition unit 43 position information acquisition unit (position information acquisition means)
44 RFID tag reader 45 IP address acquisition unit 46 operation parameter acquisition unit (operation parameter acquisition means)
47 Terminal display control unit (display control means)
48 Display content update unit 49 Wireless LAN transmission / reception unit 5 LAN
51 Operation Parameter Storage Unit 52 Display Content Storage Unit 6 Power Supply 7 Power Supply Line 70 Information Distribution Center 8 RFID Tag 81 Door #ID Tag (RFID Tag)
82 Left sub ID tag (RFID tag)
83 Right sub ID tag (RFID tag)
9 Vehicle 91 Door 92 Radio wave shielding plate 93 Ceiling back closed space 94 Side duct 95 Wall surface

Claims (10)

A terminal computer that individually controls the display contents of a plurality of display devices installed in a vehicle that forms a train is installed in association with the display device, via a wireless LAN access point installed in each vehicle, A distributed computer system that distributes information to be displayed on the display device and is wirelessly connected to an operation control device that controls the operation of the terminal computer,
Each said terminal computer is
Position information acquisition means for specifying an installation position in the vehicle of the display device associated with itself from a plurality of predetermined positions provided in the vehicle;
In-vehicle position information indicating the specified installation position and its own terminal identification information are notified to the operation control device, and an operation parameter acquisition means for acquiring an operation parameter defining its own operation from the operation control device;
Display control means for controlling the display content of the display device by operating according to the acquired operation parameter;
The operation control device includes:
For each car number of a vehicle that is organizing a train on which it is mounted, the organization that stores the identification information of the wireless LAN access point installed in the vehicle and the arrangement pattern of the display device as organization data A data storage unit;
Based on the knitting data, operation parameter group generation means for generating operation parameters for defining display control operations of the terminal computer associated with each of the display devices;
The wireless LAN access point is installed by referring to the composition data from the identification information of the wireless LAN access point that has transmitted the in-vehicle position information and the terminal identification information notified from each terminal computer. A terminal computer that identifies a vehicle number of a vehicle that is present and transmits the generated operation parameter corresponding to each installation position identified by the identified vehicle number and the notified position information in the vehicle to the terminal computer A distributed computer system comprising a management means. The distributed computer system according to claim 1,
The terminal computer includes an RFID tag reader that reads ID information recorded on an RFID tag,
The RFID tag on which ID information for identifying the installation position in each vehicle is recorded is readable by the RFID tag reader included in the terminal computer associated with the display device installed at the installation position. Affixed,
The distributed computer system characterized in that the position information acquisition means specifies an installation position in the vehicle from the ID information recorded on the RFID tag read by the RFID tag reader. In the distributed computer system according to claim 2,
When a plurality of the display devices are arranged in one place, a plurality of the display devices are arranged in parallel with an RFID tag in which ID information for identifying an installation position in the vehicle is recorded at a position readable from the RFID tag reader. An RFID tag on which ID information for distinguishing the positional relationship between the stands is recorded is attached.
The position information acquisition means obtains more detailed installation positions of the display devices arranged in parallel at the same location in the vehicle from the ID information recorded on the two RFID tags read by the RFID tag reader. A distributed computer system characterized by specifying. In the distributed computer system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The operation control device selects information to be displayed on a display device associated with the terminal computer based on the operation parameter transmitted to each of the terminal computers, and distributes the information to the terminal computer. Distributed computer system. A terminal computer, which is associated with each of a plurality of display devices installed in a vehicle forming a train and controls the display contents of the display device, trains via a wireless LAN access point installed in each vehicle. An operation control method for a distributed computer system that is wirelessly connected to an operation control device that distributes information, news, advertisements, etc. relating to the operation of the terminal and controls the operation of the terminal computer,
The operation control device includes:
For each car number of a vehicle that is organizing a train on which it is mounted, the organization that stores the identification information of the wireless LAN access point installed in the vehicle and the arrangement pattern of the display device as organization data A data storage unit,
The operation control device, based on the train data, generating an operation parameter defining a display control operation of a terminal computer corresponding to each of the display devices installed in the train;
Each of the terminal computers specifying an installation position in the vehicle of the display device associated with the terminal computer from a plurality of predetermined positions provided in the vehicle;
Each of the terminal computers notifying the operation control device of in-vehicle position information indicating the specified installation position;
The operation control device identifies the vehicle number of the vehicle in which the terminal computer is installed by identifying the wireless LAN access point that has transmitted the in-vehicle position information notified from each terminal computer. Transmitting the operation parameter generated corresponding to each installation position identified by the identified car number and the notified installation position in the vehicle to the terminal computer;
Each of the terminal computers receiving the operation parameter transmitted from the operation control device, and controlling the display contents of the display device according to the received operation parameter. System operation control method. The operation control method for a distributed computer system according to claim 5,
An RFID tag in which ID information for identifying an installation position in the vehicle is attached to a position readable by an RFID tag reader provided in the terminal computer,
Each of the terminal computers, in the step of specifying the installation position in the vehicle, specifies the installation position in the vehicle by reading the ID information recorded in the RFID tag with the RFID tag reader. Control method for distributed computer system. Wireless communication via a wireless LAN access point installed in each of the vehicles to a terminal computer associated with each of the display devices installed in the vehicle forming the train and controlling the display contents of the display device Is a distributed computer system operation control device that distributes information on train operations, news, advertisements, etc. and controls the operation of the terminal computer,
For each car number of a vehicle that is organizing a train on which it is mounted, the organization that stores the identification information of the wireless LAN access point installed in the vehicle and the arrangement pattern of the display device as organization data A data storage unit;
Based on the knitting data, operation parameter group generation means for generating operation parameters for defining display control operations of the terminal computer corresponding to each of the display devices installed in the train,
By identifying the wireless LAN access point that has transmitted the information of the installation position in the vehicle notified from each of the terminal computers, the vehicle number of the vehicle in which the terminal computer is installed is identified and identified. Terminal computer management means for transmitting the operation parameter generated corresponding to each installation position identified by the symbol vehicle number and the notified installation position in the vehicle to the terminal computer, An operation control device for a distributed computer system. The operation control apparatus for a distributed computer system according to claim 7,
A distributed computer system characterized in that, based on the operation parameters transmitted to each terminal computer, information displayed on a display device associated with the terminal computer is selected and distributed to the terminal computer. Operation control device. A terminal computer that is associated with each of a plurality of display devices installed in a vehicle that forms a train and controls the display content of the display device,
Via a wireless LAN access point installed in each vehicle, it is wirelessly connected to an operation control device that distributes information on train operations, news, advertisements, etc. and controls the operation of the terminal computer,
Position information acquisition means for specifying an installation position in the vehicle of the display device associated with itself from a plurality of predetermined positions provided in the vehicle;
In-vehicle position information indicating the specified installation position and its own terminal identification information are notified to the operation control device, and an operation parameter acquisition means for acquiring an operation parameter defining its own operation from the operation control device;
A terminal computer comprising: display control means for controlling display contents of the display device by operating according to the acquired operation parameter. In the terminal computer according to claim 9,
An RFID tag in which ID information for identifying an installation position in the vehicle is attached to a position readable by an RFID tag reader provided in the terminal computer,
The terminal computer is characterized in that the position information acquisition means identifies an installation position in the vehicle by reading the ID information recorded on the RFID tag with the RFID tag reader.

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