IP Library Granted Patent US 10,279,818
Granted Patent B2
US 10,279,818 · App. 15/503,559 · Granted May 7, 2019

Method for directing passengers of public means of transport

Inventors: Ulrich Schmidt (Karlsruhe, DE); Georg Koenig (Waldbronn, DE)
Assignee: INIT INNOVATIVE INFORMATIKANWENDUNGEN IN TRANSPORT-, VERKEHRS—UND LEITSYSTEMEN GMBH
B61B1/02B61L15/00B61L15/009B61L15/0072B61L27/0077G09F19/00G09F25/00H04R27/00B61L15/0027H04R2499/13
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,279,818
App. No.
15/503,559
Granted
May 7, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed is a method for guiding passengers of public transport, in particular of trams or trains respectively, at stations or in station areas and/or inside the transportation unit. The passengers embark and disembark in the embark-/disembark area via at least two doors, and the embark-/disembark area extends to the length of the vehicle. The method includes: generating a prediction of the occupancy level of the vehicle with regard to the resulting situation in the vehicle after disembarking at each stop; distributing of the passengers which are moving to the entry area and/or waiting in the entry area ready for embarking corresponding to the prediction to the area of the doors for an approximately uniform distribution of the passengers inside the vehicle; and if applicable, distribution of the passengers inside the vehicle under consideration of the predicted, preferably section-wise occupancy level and of the passengers actually ready for embarking.

Claims (33)

1. A method for directed guiding of passengers of public transport, in particular of trams or trains ( 1 ) respectively, at stations ( 2 ) or in station areas and/or inside the transportation means, wherein the passengers ( 5 ) embark and disembark in the embark-/disembark area via at least two doors, mostly via a plurality of doors, wherein the embark-/disembark area extends to the length of the vehicle ( 1 ), the method comprising:

computing a prediction of the occupancy level of the vehicle ( 1 ) with regard to the resulting situation in the vehicle ( 1 ) after disembarking at each stop ( 2 ), under consideration of the filling level in the entry areas ( 3 ) and when applicable the local occupancy level inside the vehicles ( 1 ) being determined by passenger counting systems in the entry areas and inside or on the vehicle ( 1 ) respectively,

guiding of the passengers ( 5 ) which are moving to the entry area ( 3 ) and/or waiting in the entry area ( 3 ) ready for embarking corresponding to the prediction to the area of the doors for an approximately uniform distribution of the passengers ( 5 ) inside the vehicle ( 1 ) by transmission of acoustic and/or optical information to the passengers ( 5 ) in front of or in the entry area ( 3 ) and inside the vehicle ( 1 ), and

guiding of the passengers ( 5 ) inside the vehicle ( 1 ) under consideration of the predicted occupancy level and of the passengers ( 5 ) actually ready for embarking.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein for generating the prediction a prediction model is used.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the prediction model uses the following data:

current occupancy level per carriage/compartment/area ( 4 ) inside the vehicle;

prediction of the number of disembarking persons at the next stop, in particular based on determined statistical data ( 8 ) of the past;

if applicable considering passenger appearance due to one or more events;

current filling level of the entry areas ( 3 ).

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the information is provided as visualized information.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the visualization comprises the indication of preferred entry areas ( 3 ) in the feeder areas and/or in the entry areas ( 3 ).

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the visualized information are at least partially provided in form of pictograms.

7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the information is provided as announcements in feeder areas and/or in the entry area ( 3 ) and/or inside the vehicle ( 1 ).

8. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the information is provided via portable terminals.

9. The method according to claim 3 , wherein weather specific parameters ( 10 ), if applicable a prediction model is used for the passenger behavior during the course of the day/week/and/or year based on it for including the passenger appearance based on one or more events.

10. The method according to one of the claim 1 , wherein the information is prepared and provided directly out of vehicles ( 1 ) in a decentralized manner or via the control center ( 6 ).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the distribution step, the occupancy level considered is the section-wise occupancy level.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the information provided by portable terminals is provided by push messages via organizer ( 11 ) and loaded apps thereon.

13. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the visualized information are at least partially provided in form of pictograms.

14. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the information is provided as announcements in feeder areas and/or in the entry area ( 3 ) and/or inside the vehicle ( 1 ).

15. A method for directed guiding of passengers of public transport into vehicles ( 1 ), including trams and trains ( 1 ), wherein the passengers ( 5 ) embark and disembark in the embark-/disembark area via a plurality of doors into the vehicles ( 1 ) from entry areas ( 3 ), wherein the embark-/disembark area extends to a full length of the vehicles ( 1 ), the method comprising:

computing a prediction of an occupancy level of each of the vehicles ( 1 ) with regard to a resulting situation in each vehicle ( 1 ) after disembarking at each stop ( 2 ), wherein a filling level in the entry areas ( 3 ) and local occupancy level inside the vehicles ( 1 ) is determined by passenger counting systems in the entry areas ( 3 ) and on the vehicles ( 1 ) respectively;

directed guiding of the passengers ( 5 ) which are moving to the entry area ( 3 ) and waiting in the entry area ( 3 ) ready for embarking corresponding to the prediction to the area of the doors for an approximately uniform distribution of the passengers ( 5 ) inside each of the vehicles ( 1 ) by transmission of information to the passengers ( 5 ) in front of and in each of the entry areas ( 3 ) and inside the vehicles ( 1 ); and

directed guiding of the passengers ( 5 ) inside the vehicles ( 1 ) under consideration of the predicted occupancy level and of the passengers ( 5 ) actually ready for embarking.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein,

a prediction model is used for generating the prediction,

the prediction model uses the following data:

current occupancy level per carriage/compartment/area ( 4 ) inside the vehicles;

prediction of the number of disembarking persons at the next stop, based on determined statistical data ( 8 ) of the past;

considering passenger appearance due to one or more events; and

current filling level of the entry areas ( 3 ).

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the consideration of passenger appearance due to one or more events uses a prediction model for the passenger behavior during the course of the day/week/and/or year based on weather specific parameters ( 10 ).

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 9, 2017
From: SCHMIDT, ULRICH; KOENIG, GEORG
To: INIT INNOVATIVE INFORMATIKANWENDUNGEN IN TRANSPORT-, VERKEHRS- UND LEITSYSTEMEN GMBH
Reel/Frame 043240/0485 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2014 215 857 · Aug 11, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170232976A1 · Aug 17, 2017