JP7660449B2 - Ticket gate - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a ticket gate with a guidance function.

Ticket gates installed at stations and other facilities previously only accepted magnetic tickets, but with the shift to IC cards, the number of IC-only machines is increasing, and the types of accepted media are also increasing. Currently, information on the types of ticket gates that accept various media is displayed on the LED display in front of the ticket gate, or on the color or nameplate of the ticket gate itself. In recent years, ticket gates that accept QR codes (registered trademark) have also been introduced, and the types of ticket gates are increasing, making ticket gates more complicated.

As described above, the increase in the number of types of ticket gates causes users to become confused about which gate they should go through, which is one of the factors that hinders passenger flow. With the existing dot matrix guidance, ticket gate color, and guidance that only has nameplates, the guidance is hidden by people during rush hour, reducing visibility. Previously, there were also ticket gate guidance LEDs that were hung from the ceiling, but this created problems with equipment costs and installation space. In addition, ticket gate passages are a popular location for advertising due to the high foot traffic, but advertisements are difficult to notice and have little appeal if they are simply stuck on the ticket gate itself.

Some gate devices with display systems display images such as 3D images to increase the eye-catching power of the information displayed as images (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The gate device in Patent Document 1 displays 3D video guidance at the ticket gate slot, etc.

However, in the gate device of Patent Document 1, the information is displayed near the casing of the ticket gate, so visibility remains low for users who are far away.

Technologies for projecting images into the air include a method in which an image is re-imaged in the air using a reflective panel (see, for example, Patent Document 2), and a method in which a plate with a linear array of light-emitting elements is rotated, causing the image to appear to float in the air due to an afterimage (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP 2016-038857 A JP 2013-33344 A International Publication No. 2019/087857

The present invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a ticket gate that provides highly visible guidance even to users who are far away.

The ticket gate to achieve the above objective is compatible with multiple pass media used to determine whether a user can pass through and is equipped with a housing that separates the entrance and exit of users, a projection device that projects an image into the air onto a display area located above and away from the housing, and an image control unit that controls the display of the image projected by the projection device.

In the above-mentioned ticket gate, by displaying images by aerial projection above the casing rather than near it, it is possible to ensure that information is not hidden not only by users passing through the ticket gate, but also by users who are about to use the ticket gate at a distance. This improves passenger guidance at the ticket gate. In addition, aerial projection controlled by the image control unit allows images to be easily changed according to the purpose. Furthermore, by displaying information at a high position, the display is not hidden by users even during busy times, and visibility is good. This is expected to have a high guidance effect and a high advertising effect. Furthermore, by linking it with images from adjacent passageways, large-scale expression is also possible.

In a specific aspect of the present invention, in the ticket gate described above, the display area is positioned so that it can be seen by users located both far and near, but does not require direct viewing of the light source of the projection device. In this case, the image can be comfortably seen by both far and near users.

In another aspect of the present invention, under the control of the image control unit, the projection device switches the image to be projected depending on the state of the housing. In this case, compared to a fixed display guide suspended from the ceiling, the image display can be switched, making it possible to accommodate guidance from a dual-use ticket gate/ticket collection machine.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the projection device projects an image of a guide display according to the type of pass medium that the housing can handle. In this case, by displaying the type of pass medium that the ticket gate can handle and the entry/exit notation on the guide display, users can pass through without getting lost, and passenger flow is smooth.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the projection device projects an image of at least one of the guidance signs, including the type of passage, facility information, and advertisements. In this case, compared to advertisements attached to a housing, the images can be seen from outside the passage, reducing passengers' need to stop and look in the passage, and thus maintaining smooth passenger flow.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the projection device projects a three-dimensional image as the image. In this case, the image display can have an impact, and a high advertising effect can be expected.

1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a gate system including a ticket gate according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2A and 2B are conceptual front and plan views illustrating the ticket gate of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a side view showing a part of the ticket gate from the inside. 4A and 4B are conceptual front and side cross-sectional views illustrating a projection device incorporated in the ticket gate of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4C is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a modified example of the projection device of FIG. 4A. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an image control unit. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of an image control unit. 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating examples of images projected by a projection device. 13A and 13B are conceptual front and plan views illustrating a ticket gate according to a second embodiment. 8A and 8B are conceptual cross-sectional side views illustrating a projection device incorporated in the ticket gate of FIG. 8A.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, an example of a gate system GS including a ticket gate 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram explaining the gate system GS. The gate system GS comprises a ticket gate 100 and a monitoring device 200. The ticket gate 100 is installed, for example, at a ticket gate in a station, an airport, or an office building. The monitoring device 200 is provided outside the ticket gate 100, for example, in a location where a supervisor, staff member, etc. of the facility where the ticket gate 100 is installed can monitor it. The gate system GS, for example, connects multiple ticket gates 100 to the monitoring device 200 via a communication line 300. Note that the gate system GS may be configured to connect one ticket gate 100 to the monitoring device 200. For simplicity's sake, the following description will be given of a case where one ticket gate 100 is connected to the monitoring device 200.

Figures 2(A) and 2(B) are conceptual front and plan views illustrating the ticket gate 100. Figure 3 is a side view showing a part of the ticket gate 100 from the inside. The ticket gate 100 shown in Figure 2(A) etc. will be described as an example installed as an automatic ticket gate at a station. The ticket gate 100 restricts a user US who does not have an appropriate pass medium PM from passing through the passage PA to enter or exit the station premises. In Figure 2(A) etc., the travel direction D1 of the user US is the X direction, the left-right direction (horizontal direction) perpendicular to the X direction is the Y direction, and the up-down direction (vertical direction) perpendicular to the X and Y directions is the Z direction.

The ticket gate 100 includes a housing 10, a reading unit 20, a display unit 30, a detection unit 40, a main body control unit 50, a projection device 60, and an image control unit 70.

The housing 10 of the ticket gate 100 corresponds to a plurality of pass media PM used to allow or disallow the user US to pass through, and separates the entrance or exit of the user US. The housing 10 forms an aisle PA through which the user US can pass, and is composed of a pair of master and slave machines 11 and 12 that are spaced apart to allow the user US to pass through. The master and slave machines 11 and 12 each have a pair of gate doors 11a and 12a that are rotatably attached, and the gate doors 11a and 12a form an opening and closing gate GT. The gate door 11a of the master machine 11 is disposed at both ends of the side surface of the master machine 11 on the aisle side. Similarly, the gate door 12a of the slave machine 12 is disposed at both ends of the side surface of the gate door 12a of the slave machine 12 on the aisle side. Although not shown, a control board or the like for operating the gate doors 11a, 12a, etc. is provided inside the master and slave machines 11 and 12. The example of FIG. 2(A) shows a configuration in which a single ticket gate 100 can be used to control passage for both entry and exit. When a user US passes through, the opening and closing gate GT at the back operates in the direction of travel D1 of the user US, opening and closing to control the passage of the user US. The opening and closing gate GT opens and closes according to the results of the information analysis of the passing medium PM received by the reading unit 20. Specifically, the opening and closing gate GT opens the passage when allowing the user US to pass, and closes the passage when preventing the user US from passing.

The passing medium PM is a ticket medium used for ticket gate processing such as entry and exit processing, and is intended for IC cards, two-dimensional codes (QR codes), magnetic tickets, etc. In wireless passing medium PM such as IC cards and two-dimensional codes, the information required for ticket gate processing is recorded, for example, in internal or external memory. In magnetic passing medium PM, information is recorded, for example, in a recording layer on the ticket surface. The information required for ticket gate processing is linked, for example, to the unique ID of the passing medium PM and recorded in the passing medium PM, the ticket gate 100, or the monitoring device 200.

The reading unit 20 reads information from the passing medium PM, and is provided on the upstream side (in front of the user US) of the main engine 11, which is on the right side of the housing 10 from the user US's traveling direction D1. The reading unit 20 accepts the passing medium PM held by the user US, and reads and writes the rights information recorded on the passing medium PM. Examples of the reading unit 20 include an IC card reader and a two-dimensional barcode reader. If the passing medium PM is a magnetic ticket, the reading unit 20 is provided with a ticket insertion slot 21, an ejection slot 22, and a transport path (not shown) connecting the insertion slot 21 and the ejection slot 22, and is configured to read information on the ticket as it passes through the transport path.

The display unit 30 displays guidance to the user US on the housing 10, and is provided downstream (at the back, away from the user US) of the main unit 11 in the housing 10 with respect to the traveling direction D1 of the user US. The display unit 30 is a display panel composed of, for example, organic EL elements or liquid crystal elements. The display unit 30 displays various guidance information to the user US, for example, a guidance screen corresponding to the results of ticket gate processing. In the example shown in FIG. 2(A), the display unit 30 is provided further back than the reading unit 20, but the position of the display unit 30 can be changed as appropriate so that it is easy for the user US to see.

The detection unit 40 detects the passage of the user US and is disposed on the side of the main machine 11 and the secondary machine 12 of the housing 10 on the aisle PA side. The detection unit 40 detects the position of the user US in the aisle PA and can track the position of the user US in the aisle PA from when the user US enters the aisle PA to when the user US passes through the aisle PA. The detection unit 40 has a plurality of sensors 41 provided along the aisle at a predetermined interval. The sensor 41 is, for example, a transmission type optical sensor, and is composed of a plurality of light emitting units 41a provided in the main machine 11 and a plurality of light receiving units 41b provided in the secondary machine 12 at a position opposite the light emitting units 41a. Each light receiving unit 41b receives light from the opposing light emitting units 41a and detects the presence or absence of the user US depending on the presence or absence of light reception. The sensor 41 may be configured such that the light emitting unit 41a is provided in the secondary machine 12 and the light receiving unit 41b is provided in the main machine 11. The sensor 41 may also be a reflection type optical sensor.

The projection device 60 projects an image IM into the air onto a display area DA located above and away from the housing 10. In this embodiment, the projection device 60 is a rotating display that projects the image IM into the air so that the user US recognizes it as a three-dimensional image due to an afterimage of light. The projection device 60 is provided at the entrance of the ticket gate 100, i.e., in front of the main unit 11 of the housing 10 in the direction of travel D1 of the user US. In addition, when the ticket gate 100 forms a passage for both ticket gate and ticket collection, the projection device 60 is provided at the exit of the ticket gate 100, i.e., in front of the secondary unit 12 of the housing 10 in the opposite direction to the direction of travel D1 of the user US.

Figures 4(A) and 4(B) are a conceptual front view and a side cross-sectional view explaining the projection device 60. The projection device 60 has a projection unit 61, a drive unit 62, a support unit 63, a cover unit 64, and a column unit 65. The projection unit 61 is a part that displays an image IM, and has a blade unit 61a and a substrate 61b. The blade unit 61a is a long and thin flat plate on which a group of light-emitting elements 61c is arranged in a straight line. The group of light-emitting elements 61c is composed of, for example, an array of LEDs 61d. In the projection unit 61, the blade unit 61a and the substrate 61b are integrated at the center of the blade unit 61a. The substrate 61b is connected to the drive unit 62 at the center via a rotation axis RS, and rotates the blade unit 61a at high speed, for example, counterclockwise. The group of light-emitting elements 61c is driven to flash by an image control unit 70 mounted on the substrate 61b. The drive unit 62 is composed of, for example, an electric motor. The support unit 63 is a plate- or rod-shaped member, and supports the projection unit 61 by fixing the drive unit 62 from behind. The cover unit 64 is, for example, a box-shaped protective cover that is optically transparent. As shown in FIG. 4(C), the cover unit 64 may be a hemispherical protective cover. The cover unit 64 is attached to the support unit 63 so as to cover the entire projection unit 61. The pillar unit 65 is fixed to the lower part of the support unit 63 or the cover unit 64, and is attached to the front of the housing 10 or to the top of the housing 10.

Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the image control unit 70. The image control unit 70 controls the display of the image IM projected by the projection device 60 shown in Figure 4 (A) etc. In this embodiment, the image control unit 70 is provided on the substrate 61b of the projection device 60. The image control unit 70 has a drive control unit 71, a temporary storage unit 72, and a communication unit 73. The drive control unit 71 operates the drive unit 62 based on image data corresponding to the image IM. The temporary storage unit 72 stores image data received from the outside via the communication unit 73.

The image data is data for controlling the blinking of the light-emitting element group 61c. The image data also includes information on the rotation control of the wing 61a. The image data is transmitted from, for example, the storage unit of the main body control unit 50 shown in FIG. 2(A) or an external computer or server such as the monitoring device 200 shown in FIG. 1, and is stored in the temporary storage unit 72. The image control unit 70 reads out the image data in sequence at a predetermined timing using the drive control unit 71 to drive the light-emitting element group 61c. In other words, the image control unit 70 blinks the light-emitting element group 61c in response to the image data while rotating the wing 61a at high speed using the drive unit 62. As a result, various images IM are displayed in the display area DA due to the afterimage effect. Unlike a display with a frame, the image IM of the projection device 60 is not surrounded by a frame. When the wing 61a rotates at high speed, the wing 61a becomes invisible, so the image IM formed by the light-emitting element group 61c appears to be floating in space.

As described above, the projection device 60 displays a three-dimensional video or image IM in the display area DA by rotating the wing portion 61a, in which the LED light sources are arranged in a line, at high speed. The display area DA is positioned so that it can be viewed by users US located both far and near, but does not require direct viewing of the light source of the projection device 60 (specifically, the group of light-emitting elements 61c). This allows users US located both far and near to comfortably view the image IM.

Under the control of the image control unit 70, the projection device 60 switches the image to be projected depending on the state of the housing 10. This allows the display of the image IM to be switched, compared to a fixed display guide suspended from the ceiling, and therefore allows for guidance on a machine that can be used for both ticket gates and ticket collection. The switching is linked to the state of the ticket gate 100 or the housing 10. Information on the state of the ticket gate 100 or the housing 10 is sent to the image control unit 70 from the main body control unit 50 or the monitoring device 200.

Figure 6 is a flowchart explaining an example of the operation of the image control unit 70, mainly the switching operation of the image IM. First, the image control unit 70 acquires image data and information on the state of the ticket gate 100 from the main body control unit 50 or the monitoring device 200 via the communication unit 73 (step S11). The acquired image data and the like are stored in the temporary storage unit 72 (step S12). Next, the image control unit 70 judges whether or not the image IM needs to be switched based on the information acquired in step S11 (step S13). If it is judged that the image IM needs to be switched (Y in step S13), the image control unit 70 reads the corresponding image data from the temporary storage unit 72 (step S14), and operates the drive unit 62 based on the image data under the control of the drive control unit 71 to display the updated image IM (step S15). If it is judged that the image IM does not need to be switched (N in step S13), the drive unit 62 operates based on the most recent image data under the control of the drive control unit 71 to display the most recent image IM (step S16).

Figures 7 (A) to 7 (C) are diagrams illustrating examples of the image IM projected by the projection device 60 shown in Figure 2 (A) etc. As shown in Figure 7 (A), the projection device 60 projects an image IM1 of a guidance display corresponding to the pass medium PM that the housing 10 is compatible with. By displaying the compatible medium of the ticket gate 100 and entry/exit notations in the guidance display, the user US can pass through without getting lost, and passenger flow is smoothed. The projection device 60 can display corresponding to media such as magnetic tickets, IC cards, and QR codes as a display corresponding to the type of pass medium PM, for example.

The projection device 60 also projects an image IM of at least one of the guide displays of the type of passage PA, facility information, and advertisements. This allows passengers to see the image IM from outside the passage PA, compared to advertisements attached to the housing 10, so passengers are less likely to stop and look inside the passage PA, and passengers can flow smoothly. The type of passage PA indicates, for example, a ticket gate passage, a ticket collection passage, or a ticket gate/ticket collection passage. The image IM2 shown in FIG. 7(A) indicates that the passage PA of the ticket gate 100 is a ticket gate passage. The image IM3 shown in FIG. 7(B) indicates that the passage PA of the ticket gate 100 is a ticket collection passage. The facility information is, for example, information about the station platform and surrounding facilities. FIG. 7(C) shows an example of the display of facility information and advertisement images IM4 and IM5. Note that the image IM or video projected by the projection device 60 is not limited to the above example and can be changed as appropriate.

Returning to FIG. 2(A) and the like, the main body control unit 50 is built into the housing 10 and controls the operation of the housing 10, the reading unit 20, the display unit 30, the detection unit 40, the projection device 60, and the image control unit 70. Specifically, the main body control unit 50 operates the reading unit 20, and when the passing medium PM is detected, it reads the information of the passing medium PM. The main body control unit 50 also operates the detection unit 40 to detect the entry and exit of the user US into the passage PA, the position within the passage PA, and the like. The main body control unit 50 also operates the display unit 30 to display various guidance information and information based on the passing medium PM to the user US. The main body control unit 50 also operates the projection device 60 via the image control unit 70 to project the desired image IM onto the display area DA. The passage status at the ticket gate 100 can also be managed by an external monitoring device 200. The main body control unit 50 may be provided outside the housing 10. In this case, the main body control unit 50 can, for example, control the operation of each part of the ticket gate 100 over the network via a relay device.

Returning to FIG. 1, the monitoring device 200 appropriately receives information related to the pass medium PM output from the ticket gate 100, the status of the ticket gate 100, etc., and performs appropriate processing. The monitoring device 200 transmits the above processing results and control information for the ticket gate 100 to the ticket gate 100, and can appropriately control the operation of the ticket gate 100. The monitoring device 200 may also transmit image data corresponding to the image IM to be projected by the projection device 60, depending on the status of the ticket gate 100.

As described above, in the ticket gate 100 according to this embodiment, by displaying images by aerial projection upward away from the housing 10 rather than near the housing 10, it is possible to ensure that guidance is not hidden not only from users US passing through the ticket gate 100, but also from users US who are far away and about to use the ticket gate 100. This improves passenger guidance at the ticket gate. In addition, the image IM can be easily changed according to the purpose by aerial projection controlled by the image control unit 70. Furthermore, by displaying guidance at a high position, the display is not hidden by users US even during crowded times, and visibility is good. This is expected to have a high guidance effect and a high advertising effect. In addition, by linking it with images from adjacent passages, large-scale expression is also possible.

Second Embodiment
The ticket gate according to the second embodiment will be described below. The ticket gate according to the second embodiment is a modification of the ticket gate according to the first embodiment, and matters that are not specifically described are the same as those of the ticket gate according to the first embodiment.

Figures 8 (A) and 8 (B) are conceptual front and plan views illustrating the ticket gate 100 of the second embodiment. Figure 9 (A) is a conceptual side cross-sectional view illustrating the projection device 160 incorporated into the ticket gate 100 shown in Figure 8 (A) and other figures. As shown in Figure 8 (A) and other figures, this embodiment shows an example in which the projection device 160 is provided inside the housing 10 and has a coupling optical element 160a. The image control unit 70 is provided within the projection device 160. Note that in this embodiment, the image control unit 70 controls the operation of the display 66, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the projection device 160 includes a display 66 serving as a light source, a retroreflective material 67, and a beam splitter 68. The retroreflective material 67 and the beam splitter 68 of the projection device 160 constitute a combined optical element 160a. The retroreflective material 67 is a member having retroreflective properties that reflects incident light in approximately the same direction as the incident direction. The projection device 160 makes an image IM appear in the air in front of the user by re-focusing the light of the display 66 in the air. The light source light L1 emitted from the display 66 is reflected by the beam splitter 68, and the reflected light L2 proceeds to the retroreflective material 67. The reflected light L2 is retroreflected by the retroreflective material 67 in the same direction as the incident light, and the retroreflected light L3 proceeds again to the beam splitter 68. The light L4 transmitted through the beam splitter 68 converges and then diffuses again, displaying the image IM in the air.

Figure 9 (B) is a conceptual side cross-sectional view explaining a modified example of the projection device 160 incorporated in the ticket gate 100 shown in Figure 8 (A) and the like. The projection device 160 includes a display 66 as a light source and a micromirror array 69. The micromirror array 69 of the projection device 160 constitutes a coupling optical element 160a. The micromirror array 69 is a plate-shaped member formed by crossing two panels in which a plurality of strip-shaped light reflecting parts, the walls of which are mirror-finished and made of a light-transmitting plate member, are arranged in parallel. In the projection device 160, incident light from the display 66 is reflected by two orthogonal mirror surfaces of the micromirror array 69, and is imaged again in the air on the opposite side. The light source light L1 emitted from the display 66 is reflected by the micromirror array 69, and the reflected light L5 is converged and then diffused again, displaying an image IM in the air.

〔others〕
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the case where the device is installed at a station has been described, but as already mentioned, the present application is not limited to this and can be applied to ticket gates installed, for example, in airports, office buildings, etc.

In the above embodiment, the example of FIG. 2(A) shows a configuration in which one ticket gate 100 can be used to control both entry and exit traffic, but the reading unit 20 and display unit 30 may be provided only on the main machine 11, and the configuration may be such that the reading unit 20 and display unit 30 can be used to control either entry or exit traffic.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the projection device 60 is installed on both the master unit 11 and the slave unit 12 of the housing 10, but the projection device 60 may be installed on either the master unit 11 or the slave unit 12 depending on the type of ticket gate 100, etc.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the shape and number of the blades 61a of the projection device 60 can be changed as appropriate. The arrangement of the LEDs 61d that constitute the light-emitting element group 61c provided on the blades 61a can be changed as appropriate. The rotation direction of the blades 61a can be changed as appropriate.

The method of aerial projection described in the above embodiment is merely an example and can be modified as appropriate. For example, the projection device 60 may be configured to draw the image IM using a laser or the like. The location of the projection device 60 and the display area DA can be modified as appropriate so as not to impede the passage of the user US. The display area DA may be located above the passage PA of the ticket gate 100, at both ends of the housing 10, or diagonally above the housing 10. The display areas DA corresponding to the projection devices 60 of multiple ticket gates 100 may be connected to project one image IM. The projected image IM or video may be a still image or a video.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the image control unit 70 is provided inside the projection device 60, but it may be provided outside the projection device 60 or inside the housing 10.

10...Housing, 11...Main unit, 12...Sub unit, 11a, 12a...Gate door, 20...Reading unit, 21...Inlet, 22...Ejection port, 30...Display unit, 40...Detection unit, 41...Sensor, 41a...Light emitting unit, 41b...Light receiving unit, 50...Main body control unit, 60, 160...Projection device, 61...Projection unit, 61a...Wing unit, 61b...Substrate, 61b...Light emitting element group, 61c...Light emitting element group, 62...Drive unit, 63...Support unit, 64 ...Cover section, 65...Column section, 66...Display, 67...Retroreflective material, 68...Beam splitter, 69...Micromirror array, 70...Image control section, 100...Ticket gate, 200...Monitoring device, 300...Communication line, DA...Display area, GS...Gate system, GT...Opening and closing gate, IM, IM1, IM2, IM3, IM4, IM5...Image, PA...Passage, PM...Passage medium, US...User

Claims (5)

A housing that corresponds to a plurality of pass media used to determine whether a user can pass through and separates the entrance or exit of the user;
a projection device that projects an image onto a display area located above and away from the housing;
an image control unit that controls display of the image projected by the projection device;
Equipped with
The display area is visible to users located near and far from the ticket gate, and is positioned to avoid direct viewing of the light source of the projection device . The ticket gate according to claim 1 , wherein the projection device switches the image to be projected depending on a state of the housing under the control of the image control unit. The ticket gate according to claim 2 , wherein the projection device projects an image of a guidance display corresponding to the pass medium compatible with the housing. The ticket gate according to claim 2 , wherein the projection device projects an image of at least one of a guide display of a passage type, facility information, and an advertisement. The ticket gate according to claim 1 , wherein the projection device projects a three-dimensional video as the image.

Images