EP0833286A2 - Graphical control device for indicating or controlling the occupating of seats in a public transport vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The device contains a computer and at least one monitor driven by the computer for the display of operating screen masks (9) with indicating and control fields (14,15,20) associated with the individual seats in the vehicle. The fields are positioned in the screen mask to corresp. to the arrangement of the seats in the vehicle and to indicate their occupancy status. The computer has a memory in which the occupancy state of each seat is stored and which controls the indication and control fields in the screen mask depending on the value of occupancy state of the corresp. seat. Occupancy can be indicated using different colours.

Description

In traffic engineering, the management of space occupancy of transportation with passengers is a common problem This particularly applies to means of transport, e.g. Railways and planes where the passengers are for one seats for a longer period of time. Many times can such seats before taking a trip from the Passengers can be booked. So far, it has been common practice to: Booking of space occupancy in transportation and administration of these bookings, in particular their change and Deletion after the end of a trip, with the help of table-like Make lists, which are preferred in the memories of networked computers are stored and connected to them Monitors and keyboards accessible to operators are.

Such monitor tables can all be used with a specific one Booking, an associated mode of transport and one inputs related to the specific journey of this mode of transport especially one for the issue and payment of Tickets made for transportation provided place e.g. a ticket office. But is an overview e.g. about the current total occupancy of a means of transport and e.g. an overview of the occupancy distribution difficult to get in the form of transport with tabular lists producible. This overview is further complicated by that in modern means of transport the seats are often not are arranged more regularly. Rather, the seats increasingly considering additional Boundary conditions, e.g. certain uses, ergonomics, Security aspects and design requirements, inside of Transportation is grouped and positioned. Hereby will be an overview of current and future Degree of occupancy of the places in a means of transport or a Part of it, e.g. the wagon of a train, both for that personnel working in the transport as well as for new passengers, who have entered the means of transport and are looking for after a seat are considerably more difficult.

The invention has for its object a clear structured and therefore easy to use graphic operating device for displaying and / or controlling the assignment of To indicate places in a means of transport which are both for the personnel of the means of transport as well as for passengers and is easy to handle.

The task is solved with a graphic operating device according to claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments the invention are specified in the subclaims.

FIG 1:

eine beispielhafte erste Bildschirmbedienmaske gemäß der Erfindung, womit in Form einer graphischen Übersicht die Platzbelegung in einem Verkehrsmittel zumindest anzeigbar ist,

FIG 2:

eine beispielhafte zweite Bildschirmbedienmaske gemäß der Erfindung, womit in Form einer graphischen Übersicht den jeweils eine Gruppe bildenden Plätzen in einem Verkehrsmittel jeweils ein Signal- und Steuerfeld zugeordnet ist,

FIG 3:

eine beispielhafte dritte Bildschirmbedienmaske gemäß der Erfindung, womit die Details der Belegung eines Sitzplatzes tabellarisch anzeigbar und gegebenenfalls änderbar sind.

The invention is explained in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the figures briefly listed below. It shows

FIG 1:

1 shows an exemplary first screen operator mask according to the invention, with which the occupancy in a means of transport can at least be displayed in the form of a graphic overview,

FIG 2:

1 shows an exemplary second screen operator mask according to the invention, with which in the form of a graphic overview a signal and control field is assigned to each of the places forming a group in a means of transport,

FIG 3:

an exemplary third screen operator mask according to the invention, whereby the details of the occupancy of a seat can be displayed in a table and optionally changed.

The graphical control device according to the invention is used for Display and / or control of the occupancy of places in one Means of transport, especially the seats on a train. It has a computer and at least one of them controlled Monitor, which at least for displaying graphic screen masks. Because of Clarity is the standard configuration from one Computer with an attached monitor in the figures not shown. The graphic screen masks of the Invention are preferred after that of personal computers in particular well-known so-called Windows standard designed and accordingly with known elements, e.g. a so-called Computer mouse, operable.

A first screen operator mask is shown as an example in FIG 9, which is designed according to the invention. This Mask is exemplary in three, approximately vertically next to each other lying areas 2, 4 and 5 divided. The first Area 2 of the screen operator mask is used to output selectable ones Control fields, via which the seat allocation, especially grouped according to the wagons of a train, with the help are displayed and operated by graphic operating means can. In the example in FIG. 2, this area is on the right Edge of the monitor display arranged horizontally. The second area 4 of the screen operator mask 9, which in the example of the FIG. 1 is arranged on the left edge of the monitor display, is used to output general messages, which the content of the current screen operator mask. Finally serves a third area 5 of the screen operator mask 9, which in the example of FIG. 1 between the first two Areas arranged approximately in the middle of the monitor display is, for the output of further selectable control fields, with which an activation or deactivation of control or reporting functions the computer or others, in particular subordinate screen control panels is possible.

According to the invention, the first area 2 of the first screen operator mask 9 usable and the respective places in the Signal and control fields assigned to each means of transport 14, 15, 20, which are in the screen operator mask 9 graphically according to the arrangement of the places in the means of transport are positioned and show their occupancy status.

In the example of Figure 1, the arrangement of the signal and Control fields for the occupied or unoccupied seats advantageously in the form of a graphic 10, which is a top view corresponds to the seating arrangement in a wagon of a train, shown. For example, graphic 10 indicates a carriage head 17, a carriage end or a passage for one Neighboring car 18, a sanitary area 19, a door area 16 and a luggage compartment 13. Furthermore, the seats arranged individually or in groups. According to the invention is now in this graphic there is a field for each seat, which is also referred to as a control and signal field. over On the one hand, this can be the occupancy status of the respective seat e.g. via a color control of the signal and control fields be visualized. For example, a green control and signal field can be a free and a red control and signal field show an occupied seat. Of course other types of visualization can also be used. So can e.g. a flashing display indicates that a Seat for newly boarded passengers are displayed.

In the example of Figure 1, e.g. by reference number 15 Control and signal fields for e.g. Individual seats, by the reference symbol 14 control and signal fields for e.g. fourfold Seating groups and by the reference number 20 control and signal fields for e.g. symbolized double seating groups. Advantageous the control device according to the invention has Means for graphical operation of screen masks, e.g. a so-called computer mouse. This allows the occupancy status of every place in the means of transport by activation of the associated signal and control field and / or changed. In the example in FIG. 1 this is Position symbol 27, i.e. the so-called cursor, one for graphical operation of the screen operator mask 9 serving represented so-called computer mouse. This points to that Signal and control field 15, which by activating keys be selected on the computer mouse. Possibly The occupancy status of a place can also be changed accordingly authorized person with the graphic operating means be updated.

Aktuelle Streckenabschnitt" zwischen den Orten Würzburg 〈----〉 Fulda". Die für diesen Streckenabschnitt belegten und/oder freien Plätze des Zuges werden in der darunter befindlichen Graphik 10 bevorzugt durch eine entsprechende Farbansteuerung der dazugehörigen Signal- und Steuerfelder angezeigt.In a further embodiment of the operating device according to the invention, the screen operating masks have selectable control fields, with which the occupancy status of the places with respect to past or upcoming route sections of the means of transport can be displayed in the respective screen operating mask. In the example in FIG. 1, control fields 22 are provided for this. The route section that the train is currently traveling through can be output via an additional message field 21 in the first area 2 of the screen operating mask 9

Current route section "between the locations Würzburg 〈----〉 Fulda ". The occupied and / or free seats on the train for this route section are preferably displayed in the graphic 10 below by a corresponding color control of the associated signal and control fields.

The selectable control field of the third area 5 is used to activate or deactivate generally higher-level control or signaling functions of the computer. In this way, a second, in particular subordinate, screen operator mask can be activated with the control field 6, which has the name Seat reservation F2 "carries. An example of such a screen operator mask is shown in FIG. 3 and will be explained in more detail below. A control field 26, which is not shown, can be selected via a further selectable control field 26 Help menu "can be activated, from which operating instructions for a user can be called up in the form of an information system. A selectable control field 7 can be used to select a Main menu F11 "can be activated. An example of such a screen operator mask is shown in FIG. 2 and will be explained in more detail below. Finally, a selectable control field 8 can be used Exit F12 "an operation or the computer program operating the screen displays can be ended. Furthermore, the control panel 11 previous car F9 "and via the control panel 12 next carriage F9 "a switchover of the display content of the screen operator screen 9 shown in FIG. 1 can be achieved in such a way that the graphics 10 belonging to adjacent carriages and showing the occupied or free seats are displayed in area 2.

All the data of the invention provided for display are advantageous Control device, especially the current one Occupancy status of the places of transport, in one Computer memory stored. Via a computer-edited one The signal and control fields then become the user program 14, 15, 20 of the places in the screen operator mask 9 depending on the current occupancy status value contained in the memory of the associated place.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention Operating devices are in the first screen operating masks, which is of the type shown in the example in FIG Screen control masks 9 correspond to groups of operable signal and control fields 14, 15, 20 associated with places in a means of transport. As a group can in particular the to the car or shares of a Train, an airplane, a ship or the like appropriate places can be summarized. It is now advantageous in preferably a further, second screen operator mask Each group of places on a means of transport is operable Signal and control fields 3 in turn in one of the positions the respective group in the means of transport assigned. The first one belonging to this group is operated via the associated signal and control field Screen operator mask can be activated. This is supposed to follow which are explained using the example of FIGS. 1 and 2 an application of the invention in the allocation of space in one Train concerns.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a screen operator mask 1 of the second type. In the first area 2, this contains a separate, selectable control field for each group of seats of an exemplary train consisting of the carriages 1 to 8. If one of these control fields, e.g. control field 3 ( Carriage 8 ") activated with a graphic operating means, for example with the position pointer 27 (cursor) of a computer mouse, the associated screen operator mask of type 1 can be activated and displayed on the monitor by the computer. The first one belonging to control field 3 of train carriage 8 Screen operator mask 9 corresponds to the mask already explained with reference to Figure 1. Accordingly, in the second area 4 of screen operator mask 1 of Figure 2, the general message Reservation: Carriage Selection "and in the second area 4 of the screen operator mask 9 of FIG. 1 the general message Reservation: Car 8 "issued. The selectable control fields contained in the third area 5 of the screen operator mask 2 of FIG. 2 largely correspond to the control fields already explained using the example of FIG. 1. The control field 6 has the label in FIG. 1 Carriage reservation F2 ", by means of which the screen operating mask belonging to the selected carriage of the type shown in FIG. 1 can be activated in the same way as with the position indicator 27 of a graphic operating means.

As already explained, one of the signal and Control fields 14, 15, 20 in Figure 1, a third, the respective Space directly assigned to the screen operator mask in the means of transport can be accessed. In Figure 3 is one such screen operator mask 23 is shown as an example.

This shows the mask-specific message in the second area 4 Reservation: "Carriage: 8, seat 15", and thus represents the screen operator mask of the third type, which belongs to the signal and control field of seat 15 activated in FIG. 1 with the position pointer 27 of a graphic operating means The screen operator mask 23 outputs a preferably tabular overview of the details of the reservation of a specific place.

According to another one already taken into account in FIGS. 1 to 3 Embodiment of the invention has the operating device additional means for preferably automatic recording the current route section of the means of transport on. These are connected to the computer, so that the Display of the occupancy status of the places in the means of transport can control the screen operating masks 9, 1 and 23 in such a way that the current route section of the means of transport appropriate occupancy status of the places retrieved from the memory and is displayed on the monitor.

For example, the first screen operator mask 9 in the example in FIG. 1 has selectable control fields 22, with which the occupancy status of the places with respect to past or upcoming route sections of the means of transport can be displayed in the graphic below of the respectively selected car. The first screen operator mask 9 from FIG. 1 thus represents a so-called In the same way, the third screen operator mask 23 corresponds to a route section-related seat reservation display in the example of FIG. The reservation of a selected seat can in turn be deleted section-by-section via further selectable control fields 25 in the first area 2. On the other hand, of course, further section-section-related information can be output, for example the name of the passenger who has a seat for one or has covered several sections of the route.

Claims (9)

Graphic operating device for display and / or control the occupancy of places in a means of transport, in particular the seats in a train, with a computer and at least one of them controlled monitor, which at least serves to display the first screen operating masks (9), the usable and the respective places in the means of transport have assigned signal and control fields (14, 15, 20), which in the screen control mask (9) according to the arrangement the positions are positioned in the means of transport and which indicate their occupancy status (Figure 1). Control device according to claim 1, wherein the computer Memory in which the occupancy status of the places of the means of transport is deposited, and the signal and Control fields (14, 15, 20) of the places in the screen operator mask (9) depending on the value of the occupancy status of the associated Controls place. Control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display the current occupancy status of the places in the means of transport by color control of the signal and control fields (14,15,20) of the first screen operator mask (9) by the Computer is effected. Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein means (27) for the graphical operation of screen masks exist, and hereby the occupancy status a place in the transport by activating the associated signal and control field (14, 15, 20) display and / or is changeable. Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a) in the first screen operating masks (9) which are grouped into groups of places in a means of transport, in particular the wagons of a train, associated operable signal and control fields (14, 15, 20), and b) in a second screen control mask (1) each group of places of the means of transport, in particular the carriage of a train, an operable signal and control fields (3) is assigned in an arrangement corresponding to the position of the respective group in the means of transport (FIG. 2) and first screen operator mask (9) belonging to this group can be activated by operating the associated signal and control field (3). Control device according to claim 5, wherein the first screen control masks (9) have selectable control fields (11, 12), which means that one of the first screen control masks (9) each adjacent groups of the first screen operator masks belonging to places in the means of transport (9,1,23) can be displayed. Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein means (27) for the graphical operation of screen masks are present, and hereby by activation the associated signal and control field (14, 15, 20) a third, the respective place in the means of transport directly assigned screen operator mask (23) can be called up (Figure 3). Operating device according to one of the preceding claims, whereby means for recording the current route section of the means of transport available and with the computer are connected, and this shows the occupancy status of the places in the means of transport on the screen operator masks (9, 1, 23) controls such that the current route section occupancy status of the means of transport Places is displayed. Control device according to claim 8, wherein the screen control masks (9, 1, 23) have selectable control fields (22), with which the occupancy status of the places with regard to past or upcoming route sections of the means of transport can be displayed in the respective screen operator mask (9, 1, 23) is.

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