JP7752313B2 - Control device and control method - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a control device and a control method.

In recent years, technologies have been under consideration to improve the convenience of public transportation such as buses and trains by providing information to users via wireless communication.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a bus location system that includes a bus, a central control unit that receives information transmitted by the bus, and a display device installed at the bus stop, and provides users with information about the inside of the bus.

JP 2010-140394 A

In Patent Document 1, the accuracy of bus congestion predictions is insufficient, making it difficult to provide highly convenient information to users.

Non-limiting examples of the present disclosure contribute to providing a control device and control method that can provide highly convenient information to transportation users.

A control device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a receiving unit that receives, from a first wireless device installed in a means of transportation, first information regarding the congestion status of the means of transportation, which is determined based on information from a sensor installed in the means of transportation, and receives, from a second wireless device installed in a waiting area where users of the means of transportation wait for the arrival of the means of transportation, second information regarding the congestion status of the waiting area, which is determined based on information from a sensor installed in the waiting area; and a control unit that combines the first information and the second information to generate third information indicating the congestion status within the means of transportation , which is provided to the user.

In a control method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a control device acquires, from a first wireless device installed in a means of transportation serving as a means of transport, first information regarding the congestion status of the means of transportation, which is determined based on information from a sensor installed in the means of transportation; acquires, from a second wireless device installed in a waiting area where users of the means of transportation wait for the arrival of the means of transportation, second information regarding the congestion status of the waiting area, which is determined based on information from a sensor installed in the waiting area; and combines the first information and the second information to generate third information indicating the congestion status within the means of transportation, which is provided to the user.

Note that these comprehensive or specific aspects may be realized as a system, device, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium, or as any combination of a system, device, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, highly convenient information can be provided to transportation users.

Further advantages and benefits of one embodiment of the present disclosure will become apparent from the specification and drawings. While such advantages and/or benefits may be provided by some of the embodiments and features described in the specification and drawings, not all of them necessarily need to be provided to obtain one or more identical features.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a communication system according to an embodiment. A diagram showing an example of a format of bus notification information FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a format of relay station notification information transmitted by a relay station; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first example of a format of relay station notification information transmitted to a control device. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen in the first example. FIG. 10 shows variations of the display screen in the first example. 1 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of a bus radio device according to a first example of an embodiment; 10 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a relay station according to a first example of an embodiment. 1 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of a control device according to a first example of an embodiment; 1 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of a display device according to a first example of an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example of the format of relay station notification information transmitted to the control device. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen in the second example. FIG. 10 shows variations of the display screen in the second example. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a route map in the third example. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a format of bus notification information in the third example. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a format of relay station notification information transmitted by a relay station; A diagram showing an example of occupancy rate statistical information FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen in the third example. 10 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a relay station according to a third example of an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a control device according to a third example of an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of a display device according to a third example of an embodiment. A diagram showing an example of alighting rate statistical information FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of bus notification information in a fourth example. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a format of relay station notification information transmitted by a relay station; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen in the fourth example. 10 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a bus radio device according to a fourth example of an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a relay station according to a fourth example of an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a process flow of a control device according to a fourth example of an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of a display device according to a fourth example of an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a bus radio device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a relay station according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control device according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a display device according to an embodiment.

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that in this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functions will be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

(One embodiment)
For example, Patent Document 1 describes a bus location system that includes a bus, a central control device that receives information transmitted by the bus, and a display device installed at bus stops, and provides users with information about the bus's interior. In this system, the bus includes an on-board generating means that generates seat availability information regarding whether or not there are vacant seats, and an on-board transmitting means that wirelessly transmits the seat availability information to the central control device. The central control device also includes a central receiving means that receives the seat availability information and a central transmitting means that transmits instruction information based on the received seat availability information to the display device, and the display device includes a display means that displays the seat availability on the bus in response to the instruction information from the central control device.

However, the system described in Patent Document 1 does not take into account the number of people waiting for the bus at the bus stop, making it difficult to accurately predict bus congestion.

In addition, it is difficult to predict congestion levels for people who do not have commuter passes, such as those who pay with cash and/or coupon tickets.

In this embodiment, a system is provided that provides highly convenient information to bus users by improving the accuracy of bus congestion predictions by taking into account the number of people waiting for the bus at bus stops (hereinafter referred to as "bus stops").

<System example>
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a communication system according to the present embodiment. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the communication system according to the present embodiment is applied to a route bus. Fig. 1 shows an example of a bus running on a route in which bus stop #1 is a start point (origin point), bus stop #2 is at least one waypoint, and bus stop #n is a finish point (end point).

The bus has a wireless communication device 10. Hereinafter, the wireless communication device of the bus will be referred to as the "bus wireless device 10."

The bus also has a camera that takes pictures of the inside of the bus. The bus camera is connected to the bus radio device 10 by wire, and outputs, for example, images taken inside the bus to the bus radio device 10. Note that the bus camera may also be connected to the bus radio device 10 wirelessly.

The bus radio device 10 obtains bus location information using GPS positioning.

The bus wireless device 10 estimates the congestion level inside the bus based on images acquired from the camera. For example, the bus wireless device 10 extracts people's faces from the image and estimates the congestion level inside the bus based on the number of extracted faces and the specified number of passengers that the bus can accommodate. The estimated congestion level inside the bus may be the ratio of the number of passengers currently on board to the number of passengers that the bus can accommodate.

Alternatively, the bus wireless device 10 may estimate the congestion situation on the bus (e.g., the occupancy rate of bus seats) based on the position of the extracted face and the specified bus seat positions.

Alternatively, the number of passengers on a bus may be detected by a sensor such as a weight sensor installed on the bus. Alternatively, whether or not a seat on a bus is occupied may be detected by a sensor such as a weight sensor installed on the seat.

Sensors and cameras may be used in combination to detect the number of passengers on the bus and/or whether seats on the bus are occupied.

A wireless communication device 20 is installed at each of bus stops #1 to #n. Below, the wireless communication device 20 installed at the bus stops may be referred to as a "relay station 20" that relays between the bus wireless device 10 and the control device 30 described below. Furthermore, the relay station 20 installed at bus stop #i (i is an integer between 1 and n) may be referred to as relay station 20-i.

Display device 40 is a display that can be seen by people passing by, and is installed in places where many people pass by or see it, such as in front of a station or a shopping mall. Display device 40 is, for example, in the form of signage. Display device 40 in the form of signage is installed, for example, on vending machines, advertising billboards, and guide signs showing maps of the surrounding area. Display device 40 displays display information related to the bus operation status obtained from control device 30. Display information related to the bus operation status may include information related to the congestion status on the bus (hereinafter referred to as "bus congestion information"). Note that display device 40 may also be in the form of a display that only certain people can see (for example, a home television).

The control device 30 centrally controls the bus radio device 10, the relay station 20, and the display device 40. The control device 30 is wirelessly connected to the relay station 20 and acquires information from the relay station 20.

The information that the control device 30 acquires from the relay station 20 is, for example, information notified by the relay station 20 (hereinafter, "relay station notification information"). The relay station notification information includes information that the bus wireless device 10 sent to the relay station 20 (hereinafter, "bus notification information"). The relay station notification information may include information regarding the congestion status of the bus stop where the relay station 20 is located (hereinafter, "bus stop congestion information"). The bus notification information may include bus operation information for the bus, congestion information on the bus, and bus location information.

In Figure 1, for example, the network is shown as a serial wireless connection between relay stations 20. For example, relay station 20-i transmits information to relay station 20-(i+1), and the information is transferred between relay stations 20 in sequence, with relay station 20-n transmitting the information to control device 30. Note that the flow of information (signals) toward control device 30 is sometimes referred to as the upstream direction (or uplink (UL)), and the flow of information away from control device 30 is sometimes referred to as the downstream direction (or downlink (DL)). Also, the flow of information (signals) from relay station 20 to bus radio device 10 is sometimes referred to as the downstream direction (or DL), and the flow of information (signals) from bus radio device 10 to relay station 20 is sometimes referred to as the upstream direction (or UL).

In addition, one relay station 20 may receive bus notification information from each bus wireless device 10 of a bus traveling within the communication range of that relay station 20.

Furthermore, the bus notification information does not have to be relayed by the relay station 20. Instead of being relayed by the relay station 20, the bus notification information may be transmitted directly from the bus wireless device 10 to the control device 30.

Next, we will explain an example of the flow of information notification between the bus radio device 10, relay station 20, and control device 30, as well as an example of the display on the display device 40.

<First Example>
10 shows a first example of notification information (bus notification information) transmitted from the bus wireless device 10 to the relay station 20.

Figure 2 shows an example of the format of bus notification information. The format of the bus notification information shown in Figure 2 includes a bus ID field, a location information field, and a bus congestion information field.

The bus ID field contains information that identifies the bus (identification information (e.g., ID (Identification))).

The location information field contains bus location information. For example, the bus wireless device 10 acquires bus location information using a GPS or similar device.

The bus congestion information field contains information indicating the congestion status on the bus (bus congestion information). The bus congestion information is determined, for example, based on the number of passengers on the bus. For example, the bus congestion information may be the number of passengers on the bus. Alternatively, the bus congestion information may be information indicating whether the number of passengers on the bus is above a threshold (for example, information represented by one bit).

The bus wireless device 10 transmits bus notification information having the format shown in Figure 2 to a relay station 20 that can communicate with the bus wireless device 10.

Next, an example of notification information (relay station notification information) transmitted from a relay station 20 is shown. The relay station notification information includes bus stop congestion information for the bus stop where the relay station 20 is located and bus notification information received by the relay station 20 from the bus wireless device 10. The relay station 20 generates the relay station notification information based on information received from other relay stations 20 and/or bus wireless devices 10.

Figure 3 shows an example of the format of relay station notification information transmitted by relay station 20-1. The format of relay station notification information shown in Figure 3 includes each field of the bus notification information format shown in Figure 3 and a bus stop #1 congestion information field.

Each field in the bus notification information format contains information from the bus notification information received by relay station 20-1 from bus wireless device 10 within a specified time period. Note that while Figure 3 shows an example in which one bus notification information format field is included, the number of fields may be increased depending on the number of bus wireless devices 10 that transmitted bus notification information to relay station 20-1 (the number of bus notification information pieces). For example, if relay station 20-1 receives bus notification information from two bus wireless devices 10, two sets of bus notification information formats will be included in the relay station notification information format. Furthermore, if relay station 20-1 does not receive bus notification information from a bus wireless device 10, the bus notification information format fields may not be included in the relay station notification information format.

The bus stop #1 congestion information field contains information indicating the congestion status of bus stop #1 (bus stop #1 congestion information). Bus stop #1 congestion information is determined, for example, based on the number of people waiting at bus stop #1. For example, bus stop #1 congestion information may be the number of people waiting at bus stop #1. Alternatively, bus stop #1 congestion information may be information (for example, information represented by one bit) indicating whether the number of people waiting at bus stop #1 is above a threshold.

Relay station 20-1 at bus stop #1 transmits the relay station notification information shown in Figure 3 to relay station 20-2 at bus stop #2.

Relay station 20-2 adds a bus stop #2 congestion information field to the format of the relay station notification information received from relay station 20-1 (see Figure 3). Relay station 20-2 sets information indicating the congestion status of bus stop #2 (bus stop #2 congestion information) in the bus stop #2 congestion information field. An example of setting the bus stop #2 congestion information may be the same as the bus stop #1 congestion information.

Note that below, adding a field for other information (e.g., second information) to the format of certain information (e.g., first information) and setting the second information in the added second information field will be described as "adding second information to first information."

When relay station 20-2 receives bus notification information from bus wireless device 10, it may add the bus notification information to the relay station notification information received from relay station 20-1.

Relay station 20-2 transmits the generated relay station notification information to relay station 20-3. Similarly to relay station 20-2, relay station 20-i (where i is an integer between 3 and n-1) adds bus stop #i congestion information to the relay station notification information received from relay station 20-(i-1). Then, relay station 20-i transmits the relay station notification information with the added bus stop #i congestion information to relay station 20-(i+1).

When relay station 20-i receives bus notification information from bus wireless device 10, it may add the bus notification information received from bus wireless device 10 to the relay station notification information received from relay station 20-(i-1).

Relay station 20-n adds bus stop #n congestion information to the relay station notification information received from relay station 20-(n-1). Relay station 20-n then transmits the relay station notification information with the bus stop #n congestion information added to it to the control device 30.

Figure 4 shows a first example of the format of relay station notification information sent to the control device 30. The format of the relay station notification information shown in Figure 4 has each field of the bus notification information format shown in Figure 2, as well as bus stop #1 congestion information fields through bus stop #n congestion information fields.

Each field of the bus notification information in Figure 4 contains bus notification information received by one of relay stations 20-1 to 20-n.

The bus stop #1 congestion information field to bus stop #n-1 congestion information field in Figure 4 are fields containing information included in the relay station notification information received from relay station 20-(n-1).

The bus stop #n congestion information field in Figure 4 contains information indicating the congestion status of bus stop #n (bus stop #n congestion information). An example of the bus stop #n congestion information setting may be the same as the bus stop #1 congestion information.

The control device 30 receives relay station notification information from the relay station 20-n. Based on the relay station notification information, the control device 30 determines the information to be displayed on the display device 40 and transmits the display information to the display device 40.

In the above example, the relay station notification information includes bus notification information, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, if the relay station 20 does not receive bus notification information from the bus wireless device 10, the relay station notification information does not need to include bus notification information. A case in which the relay station 20 does not receive bus notification information may be, for example, when there is no bus in the coverage area of the relay station 20 and/or when the bus wireless device 10 transmits bus notification information to the control device 30 instead of to the relay station 20.

For example, at least some of the bus radio devices 10 on a moving bus may transmit bus notification information to the relay station 20, and the remaining bus radio devices 10 may transmit bus notification information to the control device 30. For example, the destination of the bus notification information may be determined based on the relationship between the bus's traveling position, the coverage area of the relay station 20, and the coverage area of the control device 30. The destination of the bus notification information may be fixed or may be determined dynamically.

In addition, in the above example, the wireless network of relay stations 20-1 to 20-n is connected wirelessly in serial, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the wireless network of relay station 20 may include branches. Even if the wireless network of relay station 20 includes branches, information is aggregated in the upstream direction of the wireless network, and relay station 20 connected to control device 30 transmits the aggregated information to control device 30. In addition, there may be two or more relay stations 20 aggregating information.

Furthermore, in the relay station notification information, bus notification information and bus stop congestion information may be associated. For example, relay station notification information including bus notification information for a bus (hereinafter referred to as "bus z") that has passed bus stop #m (m is an integer between 1 and n), may not include bus stop congestion information corresponding to the bus stops that bus z has passed, i.e., bus stop #1 congestion information through bus stop #m congestion information. In this case, the relay station notification information may include bus notification information for one bus, and different relay station notification information may be notified to the control device 30 for each bus.

Next, we will explain an example of a screen displayed by the display device 40.

Figure 5 shows an example of a display screen in the first example. Figure 5 shows information about bus congestion in table format.

Each row in the table in Figure 5 corresponds to one bus in operation. The table in Figure 5 shows information about buses running on a route where bus stop #1 is the start point (origin point), bus stop #2 is at least one intermediate point, and bus stop #n is the finish point (terminal point). Note that in Figure 5, bus stops between bus stop #2 and bus stop #n are not shown.

The "Bus Location" in Figure 5 displays the location of buses currently in operation. In the example of Figure 5, there are buses currently in operation at addresses a, b, and x. The "Bus Location" is displayed based on the location information included in the bus notification information. Note that in the example of Figure 5, information on buses currently in operation between addresses b and x is omitted.

The "Bus Crowding Status" in Figure 5 displays the congestion status of the corresponding bus. For example, the congestion status is indicated by two levels: "○" or "×." For example, if the number of people on the bus is above a threshold, "×" is displayed, and if the number of people on the bus is below the threshold, "○" is displayed. The "Bus Crowding Status" is displayed based on the bus congestion information included in the bus notification information.

The "Bus Stop #1 Crowding Status" in Figure 5 displays the congestion status of bus stop #1. For example, the congestion status is indicated by two levels: "○" or "×". For example, if the number of people waiting at bus stop #1 is equal to or greater than the threshold, an "×" is displayed, and if the number of people waiting at bus stop #1 is less than the threshold, an "○" is displayed. The "Bus Stop #1 Crowding Status" is displayed based on the bus stop #1 congestion information.

In Figure 5, "Bus Stop #2 Congestion Status" to "Bus Stop #n Congestion Status" display the congestion status of bus stops #2 to #n, respectively. Note that the information displayed is the same as for bus stop #1, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

In Figure 5, the display mode of bus stops that a bus has passed (or stopped at) is different from the display mode of bus stops that the bus will stop (or will stop at). For example, the bus at address a has passed at least bus stops #1 and #2. On the other hand, the bus at address a has not passed bus stop #n. Also, the bus at address b has passed at least bus stop #1. On the other hand, the bus at address b has not passed at least bus stops #2 and #n.

Note that in the example of Figure 5, the congestion level is indicated using two levels, "○" and "×", but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the congestion level may be indicated using three levels, adding "△" to indicate a level between "○" and "×", or may be indicated using four or more levels. Furthermore, the example is not limited to indicating the level of congestion using symbols, and the level of congestion may also be indicated by changing the display method, such as color or size.

In addition, in Figure 5, the congestion status on the bus may be displayed, corrected based on the congestion status at the bus stop. For example, the congestion status on the bus may be corrected based on the sum of the number of people on the bus and the number of people waiting at the bus stop, and the corrected congestion status on the bus may be additionally displayed.

Figure 6 shows variations of the display screen in the first example. In Figure 6, descriptions of display examples similar to those in Figure 5 will be omitted.

In Figure 5, "Bus stop #1 congestion status" to "Bus stop #n congestion status" are displayed, while in Figure 6, "Number of people waiting/congestion status at bus stop #1" to "Number of people waiting/congestion status at bus stop #n" are displayed.

The "Number of people waiting/crowding status at bus stop #1" in Figure 6 displays the number of people waiting for the bus at bus stop #1 and the congestion status calculated from that number. The example in Figure 6 shows that α people are waiting at bus stop #1 and the congestion status is "x". For example, in this example, α people is a number above the threshold for determining congestion status.

In Figure 6, "Number of people waiting/crowding status at bus stop #2" to "Number of people waiting/crowding status at bus stop #n" display the number of people waiting and the congestion status at bus stops #2 to #n, respectively. Note that the information displayed is the same as for bus stop #1, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

In the example of Figure 6, as in Figure 5, the display mode of bus stops that the bus has passed (or stopped at) is different from the display mode of bus stops at which the bus will (or will stop).

<Processing flow of the first example>
The following describes the process flow of each of the bus radio device 10, the relay station 20, the control device 30, and the display device 40 included in the communication system according to the present embodiment for the first example.

Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the bus radio device 10 according to the first example of this embodiment. The flow shown in Figure 7 may be initiated when the bus engine starts, or may be initiated by the bus driver's operation when a specified operation begins. The flow shown in Figure 7 may also be terminated by the bus driver's operation when the specified operation ends (for example, when the destination is reached).

The bus wireless device 10 determines whether it is time to update the congestion status (S101). The timing for updating the congestion status may be, for example, periodic, or when the change in the congestion status on the bus reaches or exceeds a predetermined level.

If it is not time to update the congestion status (NO in S101), the flow returns to S101.

If it is time to update the congestion status (YES in S101), the bus wireless device 10 analyzes the congestion status on the bus (S102). For example, the bus wireless device 10 estimates the number of people on the bus based on image processing of images taken of the bus interior.

The bus wireless device 10 generates bus congestion information and transmits bus notification information including the bus congestion information (S103). The bus wireless device 10 may transmit the bus notification information to, for example, a relay station 20 with which a wireless connection has been established, or to a control device 30 with which a wireless connection has been established. The flow then returns to S101.

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of relay station 20 according to the first example of this embodiment. The flow shown in Figure 8 may be started when relay station 20 is started, or may be started at a specified time (for example, the time when bus service begins). The flow shown in Figure 8 may also end at a specified time (for example, the time when bus service ends).

The relay station 20 receives bus notification information from the bus wireless device 10 (S201).

The relay station 20 acquires camera images from cameras installed at bus stops (S202).

The relay station 20 determines whether it is time to update the congestion status (S203). The timing for updating the congestion status may be, for example, periodic, or when the change in the congestion status at the bus stop reaches or exceeds a predetermined level.

If it is not time to update the congestion status (NO in S203), the flow returns to S201.

If it is time to update the congestion status (YES in S203), the relay station 20 analyzes the congestion status at the bus stop based on the camera image (S204).

The relay station 20 generates bus stop congestion information and generates relay station notification information that includes the bus stop congestion information and bus notification information (S205).

The relay station 20 transmits the relay station notification information to the control device 30 (S206). The flow then returns to S201.

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the control device 30 according to the first example of this embodiment. The flow shown in Figure 9 may be started when the control device 30 is started, or may be started at a specified time (for example, the time when bus service begins). The flow shown in Figure 9 may also end at a specified time (for example, the time when bus service ends).

The control device 30 receives relay station notification information from the relay station 20 (S301).

The control device 30 determines whether it is time to update the congestion status (S302). The timing for updating the congestion status may be, for example, periodic, or when the change in the congestion status of the bus and/or bus stop reaches or exceeds a predetermined level.

If it is not time to update the congestion status (NO in S302), the flow returns to S301.

If it is time to update the congestion status (YES in S302), the control device 30 analyzes the congestion status on the bus (S303). The control device 30 may also analyze the congestion status of each of multiple buses.

The control device 30 analyzes the congestion status of the bus stop (S304). The control device 30 may analyze the congestion status of each of multiple bus stops.

The control device 30 corrects the congestion situation on the bus based on the congestion situation at the bus stop (S305). For example, the control device 30 may correct the congestion situation on the bus based on the sum of the number of people on the bus and the number of people waiting at the bus stop.

The control device 30 transmits display information including the corrected congestion status to the display device 40 (S306). The display information may include information such as bus congestion information, bus stop congestion information, and bus location information contained in the relay station notification information acquired by the control device 30. The flow then returns to S301.

Note that Figure 9 shows an example in which the control device 30 analyzes the congestion situation on the bus and at the bus stop. However, as shown in Figure 7, if the bus wireless device 10 analyzes the congestion situation on the bus, the control device 30 does not need to analyze the congestion situation on the bus. Also, as shown in Figure 8, if the relay station 20 analyzes the congestion situation at the bus stop, the control device 30 does not need to analyze the congestion situation at the bus stop.

10 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the display device 40 according to the first example of this embodiment. The flow shown in FIG. 10 may be initiated when the display device 40 is started, at a specified time (e.g., when bus service begins or when use of the display device 40 begins), or by operation by an administrator of the display device 40. The flow shown in FIG. 10 may also end when the display device 40 has finished starting, at a specified time (e.g., when bus service ends or when use of the display device 40 ends), or by operation by an administrator of the display device 40. Alternatively, the flow shown in FIG. 10 may be initiated at a specific start timing and terminated at a specific end timing. For example, the specific start timing and the specific end timing are the start timing and end timing of a busy time period, respectively. A busy time period is, for example, at least one of a time period with a large number of commuters (e.g., rush hour), a time period with a large number of elderly passengers, and a time period when an event or the like is held near the bus route.

The display device 40 receives display information from the control device 30 (S401).

The display device 40 determines whether it is time to update the congestion status (S402). The timing for updating the congestion status may be, for example, periodic, or when the change in the congestion status of the bus and/or bus stop reaches or exceeds a predetermined level.

If it is not time to update the congestion status (NO in S402), the flow returns to S401.

If it is time to update the congestion status (YES in S402), the display device 40 displays the current location of the bus based on the display information (S403).

The display device 40 displays the congestion status on the bus based on the display information (S404). The displayed congestion status on the bus may be the current congestion status on the bus or the corrected congestion status on the bus.

The control device 30 displays the congestion status of the bus stop based on the display information (S405). The flow then returns to S401.

As described above, the control device 30 analyzes the congestion situation along the bus route based on the bus congestion information transmitted by the bus wireless device 10 and the bus stop congestion information transmitted by the relay station 20. The control device 30 then transmits display information including the analysis results to the display device 40, allowing the display device 40 to provide appropriate congestion situation information to bus users.

In the above example, the correction of the congestion status on the bus is performed by the control device 30, but the correction of the congestion status on the bus may be performed by each relay station 20 instead of the control device 30.

<Second Example>
In the first example described above, relay station 20 transmits relay station notification information including bus stop congestion information for the bus stop where relay station 20 is installed, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Relay station 20 may transmit relay station notification information including information other than the bus stop congestion information.

For example, relay station 20 may transmit relay station notification information including bus stop congestion information and bus stop congestion information focusing on a specific person. Below, an example is described in which bus stop congestion information focusing on elderly people (hereinafter referred to as bus stop elderly congestion information) is included in the relay station notification information. Note that, while an example is described in which the specific person is elderly, the specific person is not limited to elderly people. For example, the specific person may be one or more of other people, such as a person with a disability, a pregnant woman, or a person with a stroller.

Figure 11 shows a second example of the format of relay station notification information sent to the control device 30. In Figure 11, descriptions of fields that are the same as those in Figure 4 will be omitted.

The format of the relay station notification information shown in Figure 11 includes the fields of the relay station notification information format shown in Figure 4, as well as fields for bus stop #1 elderly passenger congestion information through bus stop #n elderly passenger congestion information.

The bus stop #i elderly congestion information (i is an integer between 1 and n) field contains information indicating the congestion situation at bus stop #i with a focus on elderly people (bus stop #i elderly congestion information). Bus stop #i elderly congestion information is determined, for example, based on the number of elderly people waiting at bus stop #i. For example, bus stop #i elderly congestion information is the number of elderly people waiting at bus stop #i. Also, for example, bus stop #i elderly congestion information is information (for example, information represented by 1 bit) indicating whether the number of elderly people waiting at bus stop #i is above a threshold.

The method for determining elderly people waiting at bus stop #i is not particularly limited. For example, relay station 20 may estimate the ages of people waiting at bus stop #i based on images of the people waiting at bus stop #i, and determine whether each person waiting at bus stop #i is elderly based on the estimated ages.

Next, we will explain an example of a screen that is displayed on the display device 40 when the relay station notification information includes information about elderly people crowding at bus stops.

Figure 12 shows an example of a display screen in the second example.

In Figure 12, similar to Figure 5, information about bus congestion is displayed in table format. Explanation of the display content that is the same as Figure 5 will be omitted.

In Figure 5, the "bus stop #i congestion status" is displayed in one format, but in Figure 12, the "bus stop #i congestion status" is displayed separately for "overall" and "elderly."

In "Overall" of "Bus Stop #i Congestion Status" in Figure 12, the congestion status of bus stop #i is displayed, similar to "Bus Stop #i Congestion Status" in Figure 5.

In "Elderly" under "Bus Stop #i Crowding Status" in Figure 12, the congestion status at bus stop #i when focusing on elderly people is displayed. For example, the congestion status is indicated by two levels: "○" or "×". For example, if the number of elderly people waiting at bus stop #i is equal to or greater than a threshold, "×" is displayed, and if the number of elderly people waiting at bus stop #i is less than the threshold, "○" is displayed. Note that the threshold compared with the number of elderly people waiting at bus stop #i may be different from the threshold compared with the number of people waiting at bus stop #i.

For example, at bus stop #1 in Figure 12, the total number of people waiting at bus stop #1 is above the threshold, but the number of elderly people waiting at bus stop #1 is below the threshold.

Figure 13 shows variations of the display screen in the second example. In Figure 13, descriptions of display examples similar to those in Figure 6 will be omitted.

In Figure 6, "Number of people waiting/crowding status at bus stop #i" is displayed in one format, but in Figure 13, "Number of people waiting/crowding status at bus stop #1" is displayed separately for "Total" and "Elderly."

In the "Overall" section of "Number of people waiting/crowding status at bus stop #i" in Figure 13, similar to the "Number of people waiting/crowding status at bus stop #i" in Figure 6, the number of people waiting for the bus at bus stop #i and the congestion status calculated from that number are shown.

In Figure 13, the "Elderly" section of "Number of people waiting/crowding status at bus stop #i" shows the number of elderly people waiting for the bus at bus stop #i and the congestion status calculated from that number.

For example, at bus stop #1 in FIG. 13, the total number of people waiting at bus stop #1 is α, which is a number equal to or greater than the threshold, but the number of elderly people waiting at bus stop # ₁ is _αo , which is less than the threshold.

<Processing flow of the second example>
The following describes the second example of the processing flow of the bus radio device 10, the relay station 20, the control device 30, and the display device 40 included in the communication system according to this embodiment. Note that the following describes the differences between the first example and the second example in the processing flow, and may omit a description of the commonalities.

The processing flow of the bus radio device 10 in the second example may be the same as that of the bus radio device 10 in the first example.

The processing flow of the relay station 20 in the second example will be explained with reference to Figure 8, which shows the processing flow of the relay station 20 in the first example.

The difference between the processing flow of the relay station 20 in the second example and the processing flow of the relay station 20 in the first example is that in the second example, an analysis of congestion at bus stops that focuses on elderly people is added.

For example, in the second example, in S204 of FIG. 8, the relay station 20 analyzes the overall congestion status of the bus stop based on camera images, and analyzes the congestion status of elderly people at the bus stop.

In the second example, in S205 of Figure 8, relay station notification information is generated, which includes bus stop elderly congestion information, bus stop congestion information, and bus notification information.

The processing flow of the control device 30 in the second example will be explained with reference to Figure 9, which shows the processing flow of the control device 30 in the first example.

The difference between the processing flow of the control device 30 in the second example and the processing flow of the control device 30 in the first example is that in the second example, bus stop congestion information for elderly people is taken into account when analyzing the congestion status of bus stops.

For example, in the second example, at S305 in FIG. 9, the control device 30 analyzes congestion at bus stops with a focus on elderly people based on bus stop congestion information for elderly people.

In the second example, in S306 of FIG. 9, the control device 30 corrects the congestion situation on the bus based on the congestion situation of elderly people at the bus stop.

The processing flow of the display device 40 in the second example will be explained with reference to Figure 10, which shows the processing flow of the display device 40 in the first example.

The difference between the processing flow of the display device 40 in the second example and the processing flow of the display device 40 in the first example is that in the second example, the display takes into account information about elderly people crowding at bus stops.

For example, in the second example, in S405 of FIG. 10, the display device 40 displays the congestion status of elderly people at the bus stop based on the bus stop elderly congestion information.

As described above, the control device 30 analyzes the congestion situation along the bus route based on the bus congestion information transmitted by the bus wireless device 10 and the bus stop congestion information and elderly passenger congestion information transmitted by the relay station 20. The control device 30 then transmits display information including the analysis results to the display device 40, which can then provide appropriate congestion situation information to bus users.

In the second example, by analyzing and displaying congestion conditions focusing on a specific person, it is possible to provide appropriate congestion information to that specific person. Furthermore, the results of analyzing congestion conditions focusing on a specific person may be used to request that people other than that specific person avoid using the bus as much as possible during times when many of that specific person are riding the bus.

<Third Example>
In the third example, consider a case where multiple buses with different destinations stop at the same bus stop on a bus route. In other words, in this case, people waiting at a bus stop do not board the same bus, but board buses with different destinations. In the third example, the congestion status at a bus stop is distinguished for each destination.

Figure 14 shows an example of a route map for the third example. Figure 14 shows destinations A, B, and C, as well as the bus stops where buses for each destination stop.

In the example of Figure 14, people boarding Bus A wait at bus stop #p (p is an integer greater than n) where a bus with destination A (hereinafter referred to as Bus A) stops and no buses with other destinations stop. Furthermore, people boarding Bus B wait at bus stop #q (q is an integer greater than n and different from p) where a bus with destination B (hereinafter referred to as Bus B) stops and no buses with other destinations stop. Furthermore, people boarding Bus C wait at bus stop #r (r is an integer greater than n and different from p and q) where a bus with destination C (hereinafter referred to as Bus C) stops and no buses with other destinations stop.

On the other hand, in the example of Figure 14, people waiting to board buses A, B, and C are waiting at bus stops #1 to #n where buses A, B, and C stop. In the third example, we will explain an example of analyzing and displaying the congestion situation for each destination when people waiting to board buses with different destinations are waiting at the same bus stop, as in bus stops #1 to #n in Figure 14.

Figure 15 shows an example of the format of bus notification information in the third example. In Figure 15, descriptions of fields that are the same as those in Figure 2 will be omitted.

The bus notification information format shown in Figure 15 has each field of the bus notification information format shown in Figure 2 and a destination information field.

The destination information field contains information about the destination of the bus on which the bus wireless device 10 transmitting the bus notification information is installed.

The bus wireless device 10 transmits bus notification information having the format shown in Figure 15 to a relay station 20 that can communicate with the bus wireless device 10.

When the relay station 20 receives the bus notification information, it transmits relay station notification information that includes the received bus notification information.

The relay station notification information transmitted by relay station 20 may be similar to the relay station notification information shown in the first example (e.g., Figure 3), except that destination information is added to the bus notification information.

Figure 16 shows an example of the format of relay station notification information transmitted by relay station 20-n. The format of the relay station notification information shown in Figure 16 includes each field of the bus notification information format shown in Figure 15, as well as bus stop #1 congestion information fields through bus stop #n congestion information fields.

The difference between Figure 16 and Figure 4 is that a destination information field is added in Figure 16. Note that if multiple bus notification information items are included, a destination information field may be added for each of them.

The control device 30 receives bus notification information including destination information and bus stop congestion information and estimates the congestion status for each destination at each bus stop based on the bus stop congestion information and occupancy rate statistical information. The occupancy rate statistical information indicates, for example, the ratio (proportion) of the number of people waiting to board at each bus stop to the number of people boarding each bus for multiple destinations. The occupancy rate statistical information for the case shown in Figure 14 is explained below.

Figure 17 is a diagram showing an example of occupancy rate statistical information. Figure 17 shows occupancy rate statistical information for bus stop #n in Figure 14.

Figure 17 shows the percentage of people boarding buses for destinations A, B, and C among the number of people waiting at bus stop #n, broken down by time period, day of the week, and specific period (summer vacation and winter vacation). For example, the occupancy rate statistical information may be determined based on statistical data of past boarding history. The occupancy rate statistical information at bus stop #n may be determined by classifying statistical data of the percentage of people boarding buses for destinations A, B, and C at bus stop #n over a period of one year or more into time periods, days of the week, specific periods, etc. Furthermore, the occupancy rate statistical information may differ for each bus stop.

For example, we will explain an example in which the control device 30 estimates the congestion status for each destination at bus stop #n during time slot #1 on Monday based on bus stop congestion information and the occupancy rate statistical information shown in Figure 17.

In the example of Figure 17, during time slot #1 on Monday, a1% of people waiting at bus stop #n board a bus with destination A. During time slot #1 on Monday, aa1% of people waiting at bus stop #n board a bus with destination B. During time slot #1 on Monday, aaa1% of people waiting at bus stop #n board a bus with destination C. Therefore, for example, if the bus stop #n congestion information indicates that X people are waiting at bus stop #n, the control device 30 estimates that of the X people, a1% will board a bus with destination A, aa1% will board a bus with destination B, and aaa1% will board a bus with destination C. Based on these estimation results, the control device 30 generates information to be displayed on the display device 30.

Next, we will explain an example of a screen displayed on the display device 40 in the third example.

Figure 18 shows an example of a display screen in the third example.

In Figure 18, information about bus congestion is displayed in table format, similar to Figure 5. Explanations of the display content in Figure 18 that is the same as that in Figure 5 will be omitted.

Figure 18 shows information about bus congestion for each destination.

For example, "Bus Location" displays the location of buses currently in operation. In the example of Figure 18, the bus locations are displayed separately for each destination based on the location information and destination information in the bus notification information. For example, the bus notification information transmitted by the bus wireless device 10 of a bus located at address a includes location information indicating that the bus's location is address a and destination information indicating that the destination is A. Therefore, in the example of Figure 18, it is displayed that a bus with destination A is located at address a.

The "Bus Crowding Status" in Figure 18 displays the congestion status of the corresponding bus.

The "Bus stop #i congestion status" displays the congestion status of bus stop #i. In the example of Figure 18, the congestion status of bus stop #i is displayed for each destination. Note that the congestion status of bus stop #i for each destination may be a congestion status estimated by the control device 30 based on bus stop congestion information and occupancy rate statistical information.

In the example of Figure 18, the number of people (total number) waiting for the bus at each bus stop may be displayed, as in Figure 6, etc. In this case, a predicted number of people waiting for each destination may also be displayed.

Note that in the example of FIG. 18, the congestion status of bus stops #1 to #n where buses with destinations A, B, and C each stop is displayed, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The congestion status of bus stops where any of buses with destinations A, B, and C stop (for example, bus stops #p, #q, and #r in FIG. 14) may also be displayed. In this case, the display corresponding to buses that do not stop at that bus stop may be left blank. Alternatively, the congestion status of buses with destinations frequently used by elderly people may be displayed, and the displays corresponding to other buses (for example, buses with destinations less frequently used by elderly people) may be left blank.

<Processing flow of the third example>
The following describes the processing flow of the bus radio device 10, relay station 20, control device 30, and display device 40 included in the communication system according to the present embodiment for the third example. Note that the following describes differences between the processing flow of the first example and the third example, and may omit a description of commonalities.

The processing flow of the bus radio device 10 in the third example may be the same as that of the bus radio device 1 in the first example.

Figure 19 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of relay station 20 according to the third example of this embodiment. Note that in Figure 19, the same processes as those in Figure 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted.

In the third example, if it is time to update the congestion status (YES in S203), the relay station 20 analyzes the congestion status at bus stops for each destination based on camera images (S601).

The relay station 20 generates bus stop congestion information for each destination and generates relay station notification information that includes the bus stop congestion information (S602). Note that the relay station notification information may also include bus notification information. The relay station 20 then transmits the relay station notification information to the control device 30 (S206).

If it is not time to update the congestion status (NO in S203), or after transmitting the relay station notification information (after S206), the relay station 20 determines whether it is time to update the statistical information (S603). The timing for updating the statistical information may be, for example, periodic, after the bus departs from the bus stop, or when the difference between the statistical information and the detection result at the bus stop (for example, the percentage of people actually boarding) exceeds a predetermined value.

If it is not time to update the statistical information (NO in S603), the flow returns to S201.

If it is time to update the statistical information (YES in S603), the relay station 20 updates the statistical information of the occupancy rate for each destination based on the camera image (S604). For example, the relay station 20 detects the number of people who have boarded the bus for destination A by calculating the difference between the number of people waiting at the bus stop before the bus for destination A arrives and the number of people remaining at the bus stop after boarding the bus for destination A has arrived. The relay station 20 may update the statistical information by detecting the number of people who have boarded the bus for each destination and calculating the occupancy rate based on the detection results. The flow then returns to S201.

Note that while Figure 19 shows an example in which the relay station 20 analyzes the congestion status of bus stops for each destination, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the control device 30 may analyze the congestion status of bus stops for each destination. In this case, S601 and S602 in Figure 19 may be replaced with S204 and S205 in Figure 8, respectively.

Figure 20 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the control device 30 according to a third example of this embodiment. Note that in Figure 20, the same processes as those in Figure 9 are given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof are omitted. Figure 20 also shows, by way of example, an example of an analysis of congestion status for buses with two destinations, destination A and destination B, and bus stops at which buses with the two destinations stop. Note that there may be three or more destinations.

If it is time to update the congestion status (YES in S302), the control device 30 determines whether the congestion status for the bus with destination B is to be updated (S701).

If the target for updating the congestion status is a bus with destination B (YES in S701), the control device 30 analyzes the congestion status on board the bus with destination B (S702).

The control device 30 analyzes the congestion status of the bus stop (S703). Here, the control device 30 may calculate the number of people boarding the bus for destination B based on statistical information.

The control device 30 corrects the congestion situation on the bus for destination B based on the congestion situation at the bus stop for destination B (e.g., the number of people boarding the bus for destination B) (S704). For example, the control device 30 may correct the congestion situation on the bus based on the sum of the number of people on the bus for destination B and the number of people waiting at the bus stop to board the bus for destination B.

The control device 30 transmits display information including the corrected congestion status to the display device 40 (S705). The flow then returns to S301.

If the bus for which congestion status is to be updated is not the bus for destination B (NO in S701), i.e., if the bus for which congestion status is to be updated is the bus for destination A, the control device 30 analyzes the congestion status on board the bus for destination A (S706).

The control device 30 analyzes the congestion status of the bus stop (S707). Here, the control device 30 may calculate the number of people boarding the bus for destination A based on statistical information.

The control device 30 corrects the congestion situation on the bus for destination A based on the congestion situation at the bus stop for destination A (e.g., the number of people boarding the bus for destination A) (S708).

The control device 30 transmits display information including the corrected congestion status to the display device 40 (S709). The flow then returns to S301.

Figure 21 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the display device 40 according to the third example of this embodiment. Note that in Figure 21, processes similar to those in Figure 10 are given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Also, like Figure 20, Figure 21 illustrates an example of an analysis of congestion status for buses with two destinations, destination A and destination B, and bus stops at which buses with the two destinations stop. Note that in the present disclosure, there may be three or more destinations.

If it is time to update the congestion status (YES in S402), the display device 40 determines whether the received display information is for a bus with destination B (S801).

If the received display information is display information for a bus with destination B (YES in S801), the display device 40 displays the current location of the bus with destination B (S802).

The display device 40 displays the congestion status on the bus for destination B (S803).

The display device 40 displays the congestion status of the bus stop for destination B (e.g., the number of people boarding the bus for destination B) (S804). The flow then returns to S401.

If the received display information is not display information for a bus with destination B (NO in S801), that is, if the received display information is display information for a bus with destination A, the display device 40 displays the current location of the bus with destination A (S805).

The display device 40 displays the congestion status on the bus for destination A (S806).

The display device 40 displays the congestion status of the bus stop for destination A (e.g., the number of people boarding the bus for destination A) (S807). The flow then returns to S401.

As described above, the control device 30 analyzes the congestion situation along the bus route based on the bus congestion information transmitted by the bus wireless device 10 and the bus stop congestion information transmitted by the relay station 20. The control device 30 then transmits display information including the analysis results to the display device 40, which can then provide bus users with an appropriate information about the congestion situation.

In a third example, when multiple buses with different destinations stop at the same bus stop, the congestion situation is analyzed for each destination and display information including the analysis results is transmitted. Therefore, even in such a case, the display device 40 can provide bus users with appropriate congestion information.

<Fourth Example>
In the fourth example, the congestion status is displayed taking into consideration the number of people getting off the bus that has stopped at the bus stop.

In a fourth example, the bus wireless device 10 estimates the congestion situation at each bus stop, taking into account the number of passengers disembarking, based on bus congestion information and disembarking rate statistical information. The disembarking rate statistical information indicates, for example, the ratio (proportion) of the number of passengers on board to the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop.

Figure 22 is a diagram showing an example of alighting rate statistical information. Figure 22 shows alighting rate statistical information for each of bus stops #1 to #n.

Figure 22 shows the percentage of people getting off at each of bus stops #1 to #n among the number of people on the bus, broken down by time of day, day of the week, and specific period (e.g., summer vacation and winter vacation). For example, the statistical information on the percentage of people getting off may be determined based on statistical data of past boarding history. For example, the statistical information on the percentage of people getting off the bus at bus stop #n over a period of one year or more may be determined by classifying the statistical data on the percentage of people getting off the bus at bus stop #n by time of day, day of the week, specific period, etc.

For example, we will explain an example in which the bus wireless device 10 estimates the congestion situation at each bus stop during time slot #1 on Monday, taking into account the number of passengers disembarking, based on bus stop congestion information and the disembarking rate statistical information shown in Figure 22.

In the example of Figure 22, during Monday time slot #1, a1% of the number of people on the bus are estimated to get off at bus stop #1. During Monday time slot #1, aa1% of the number of people on the bus are estimated to get off at bus stop #2. During Monday time slot #1, aa1% of the number of people on the bus are estimated to get off at bus stop #n. Therefore, for example, if the bus wireless device 10 estimates that X people are on the bus before it arrives at bus stop #1, it estimates that a1% of the X people will get off at bus stop #1. Similarly, if the bus wireless device 10 estimates that X people are on the bus before it arrives at bus stop #2, it estimates that aa1% of the X people will get off at bus stop #2. Also, for example, if the bus wireless device 10 estimates that there are X people on board the bus before it arrives at bus stop #n, it estimates that aaa1% of the X people will get off at bus stop #n.

In the above example, the bus wireless device 10 estimates the number of passengers disembarking at each of bus stops #1 to #n, but the present disclosure is not limited to this.

For example, the bus wireless device 10 installed on bus x does not need to estimate the number of passengers who will get off at bus stops that bus x passes through.

Furthermore, for example, if bus x next stops at bus stop #k (k is, for example, an integer greater than or equal to 1), the bus wireless device 10 mounted on bus x estimates the number of passengers who will get off at bus stop #k, and does not need to estimate the number of passengers who will get off at bus stops other than bus stop #k.

For example, if bus x next stops at bus stop #k, the bus wireless device 10 mounted on bus x estimates the number of passengers who will get off at bus stop #k, bus stop #k+1, ..., bus stop #k+m (where m is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and k+m is an integer less than or equal to n), and does not need to estimate the number of passengers who will get off at bus stops other than these.

The bus radio device 10 transmits bus notification information including this estimation result.

Figure 23 shows an example of bus notification information for the fourth example. In Figure 23, descriptions of fields that are the same as those in Figure 2 will be omitted.

The bus notification information format shown in Figure 23 has each field of the bus notification information format shown in Figure 2, as well as bus stop #1 alighting information fields through bus stop #n alighting information fields.

The bus stop #i alighting information field (i is an integer between 1 and n) contains information indicating the estimated number of people alighting at bus stop #i as estimated by the bus wireless device 10.

Note that while Figure 23 shows an example of bus notification information including bus stop #1 disembarking information through bus stop #n disembarking information, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, if the bus wireless device 10 estimates the number of people disembarking at some of bus stops #1 through #n, the bus notification information does not need to include bus stop disembarking information for bus stops that are not subject to estimation.

The bus wireless device 10 transmits bus notification information having the format shown in Figure 23 to a relay station 20 that can communicate with the bus wireless device 10.

When the relay station 20 receives the bus notification information, it transmits relay station notification information that includes the received bus notification information.

The relay station notification information transmitted by relay station 20 may be the same as the relay station notification information shown in the first example (e.g., Figure 4), except that bus stop alighting information is added to the bus notification information.

Figure 24 shows an example of the format of relay station notification information transmitted by relay station 20-n. The format of the relay station notification information shown in Figure 24 includes the fields of the bus notification information format shown in Figure 23, as well as bus stop #1 congestion information fields through bus stop #n congestion information fields.

The difference between Figure 24 and Figure 4 is that a bus stop alighting information field is added in Figure 24. Note that if multiple bus notification information is included, a bus stop alighting information field may be added for each of them.

For example, if bus notification information for bus #e and bus #f is included, the bus notification information for bus #e may include bus stop #1 disembarkation information through bus stop #n disembarkation information estimated by the bus wireless device 10 of bus #e, and bus stop #1 disembarkation information through bus stop #n disembarkation information estimated by the bus wireless device 10 of bus #f.

Next, we will explain an example of a screen displayed on the display device 40 in the fourth example.

Figure 25 shows an example of a display screen in the fourth example.

In Figure 25, similar to Figure 5, information about bus congestion is displayed in table format. Explanations of the display content in Figure 25 that is the same as that in Figure 5 will be omitted.

In Figure 5, the "bus stop #i congestion status" is displayed in one format, but in Figure 25, the "bus stop #i congestion status" is displayed separately as "number of passengers getting off not taken into account" and "number of passengers getting off taken into account."

In Figure 25, the "Bus stop #i congestion status" section "Number of people getting off not taken into account" displays the congestion status of bus stop #i, similar to "Bus stop #i congestion status" in Figure 5.

In Figure 25, the "Consideration of number of passengers getting off" section of "Bus stop #i congestion status" displays the congestion status of bus stop #i taking into account the number of passengers getting off. This section displays the "number of passengers getting off." The number of passengers getting off is determined based on the bus stop alighting information.

For example, if the bus notification information transmitted by the bus wireless device 10 of a bus located at address a includes bus stop #1 disembarking information indicating that the number of people disembarking at bus stop #1 is α ₀ , then as shown in FIG. 25 , the "Number of people disembarking" in the "Bus stop #1 congestion status" corresponding to the bus located at address a will display "α _0. " In this case, the display of "Consideration of number of people disembarking" in the "Bus stop #i congestion status" is determined based on the congestion status on the bus, the number of people disembarking, and the congestion status at bus stop #1. For example, if the number of people waiting at bus stop #i minus the number of people disembarking is equal to or greater than a threshold, an "x" is displayed, whereas if the number of people waiting at bus stop #i minus the number of people disembarking is less than the threshold, an "o" is displayed.

<Processing flow of the fourth example>
The following describes the processing flow of the fourth example of the bus radio device 10, the relay station 20, the control device 30, and the display device 40 included in the communication system according to the present embodiment. Note that the following describes the differences between the first and fourth examples in the processing flow, and may omit a description of the commonalities.

Figure 26 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the bus radio device 10 according to the fourth example of this embodiment. Note that in Figure 26, the same processes as those in Figure 7 are assigned the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted.

In the fourth example, the bus wireless device 10 analyzes the congestion situation on the bus (after S102), and then estimates the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop based on the disembarking rate statistical information (S901).

The bus wireless device 10 corrects the congestion situation on the bus, taking into account the estimated number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop (S902).

The bus wireless device 10 generates bus congestion information indicating the corrected congestion status and transmits bus notification information including the bus congestion information (S903).

If it is not time to update the congestion status (NO in S101), or after sending the bus notification information (after S903), the bus wireless device 10 determines whether it is time to update the statistical information (S904). The timing for updating the statistical information may be, for example, periodic, after the bus departs from the bus stop, or when the difference between the statistical information and the detection result at the bus stop (for example, the percentage of people who actually got off) exceeds a predetermined value.

If it is not time to update the statistical information (NO in S904), the flow returns to S101.

If it is time to update the statistical information (YES in S904), the bus wireless device 10 updates the statistical information on the disembarking rate for each bus stop based on the camera image (S905). For example, the bus wireless device 10 detects the number of passengers disembarking from the bus at bus stop #i based on the number of passengers boarding the bus and the number of passengers waiting at bus stop #i before the bus arrives at bus stop #i, and the number of passengers boarding the bus and the number of passengers waiting at bus stop #i after boarding at bus stop #i has ended. For example, the number of passengers boarding the arriving bus is estimated based on the difference between the number of passengers waiting at the bus stop before the bus arrives and the number of passengers waiting at the bus stop after the bus departs. The difference between the number of passengers boarding the bus and the number of passengers disembarking is estimated based on the difference between the number of passengers on the bus before it arrives at the bus stop and the number of passengers on the bus after it departs. The number of passengers disembarking at the bus stop may then be estimated from these estimation results. The bus wireless device 10 may update the statistical information by detecting the number of passengers who have disembarked from the bus at each bus stop and calculating the disembarking rate based on the detection results. The flow then returns to S101.

Note that, in FIG. 26, an example is shown in which the bus wireless device 10 corrects the congestion status on the bus in consideration of the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop in S902, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, if either the relay station 20 or the control device 30 corrects the congestion status on the bus in consideration of the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop, the processing of S902 may be omitted.

Figure 27 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing by relay station 20 according to the fourth example of this embodiment. Note that in Figure 27, processing that is the same as that in Figure 8 is given the same reference numerals, and explanations will be omitted.

After analyzing the congestion status at the bus stops based on the camera images (after S204), the relay station 20 corrects the congestion status on the bus taking into account the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop (S1001). Information regarding the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop may be included in the bus notification information, for example.

The relay station 20 generates bus stop congestion information regarding the corrected congestion status on the bus, and generates relay station notification information including the bus stop congestion information and bus notification information (S1002).

The relay station 20 transmits the relay station notification information to the control device 30 (S1003). The flow then returns to S201.

Note that in FIG. 27, an example is shown in which the relay station 20 corrects the congestion status on the bus in consideration of the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop in S1001, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, if either the bus wireless device 10 or the control device 30 corrects the congestion status on the bus in consideration of the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop, the processing of S1001 may be omitted.

Figure 28 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the control device 30 according to the fourth example of this embodiment. Note that in Figure 28, the same processes as those in Figure 9 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted.

The control device 30 corrects the congestion situation on the bus based on the congestion situation at the bus stop (after S305), and then corrects the congestion situation on the bus taking into account the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop (S1101). Information regarding the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop may be included in the relay station notification information, for example.

The control device 30 transmits display information including the corrected congestion status to the display device 40 (S306). The flow then returns to S301.

Note that in FIG. 28, an example is shown in which the control device 30 corrects the congestion status on the bus in consideration of the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop in S1101, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, if either the bus wireless device 10 or the relay station 20 corrects the congestion status on the bus in consideration of the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop, the processing of S1101 may be omitted.

Figure 29 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the display device 40 according to the fourth example of this embodiment. Note that in Figure 29, the same processes as those in Figure 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted.

After displaying the congestion status of the bus stops (after S405), the control device 30 displays the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop (S1201). Note that information regarding the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop may be included in the display information. The flow then returns to S401.

As described above, the control device 30 analyzes the congestion situation along the bus route based on the bus congestion information transmitted by the bus wireless device 10 and the bus stop congestion information transmitted by the relay station 20. The control device 30 then transmits display information including the analysis results to the display device 40, which can then provide bus users with an appropriate information about the congestion situation.

In addition, in the fourth example, the number of people getting off at each bus stop is estimated, the congestion situation is corrected based on the estimation results, and information including the number of people getting off is displayed on the display device 40. As a result, the display device 40 can provide bus users with an appropriate congestion situation.

In each of the above examples, the bus radio device 10 and relay station 20 may omit some of the information received in the upbound direction to generate information to be transmitted in the upbound direction. For example, relay station 20-i may transmit bus location information in the upbound direction if the sum of the number of people waiting at bus stop #i and the number of passengers on the bus indicated by the bus congestion information is less than a threshold. A case in which the sum of the number of people waiting at bus stop #i and the number of passengers on the bus indicated by the bus congestion information is less than a threshold means that there are sufficient seats available, even taking into account the number of people waiting at the bus stop. For example, in this case, the display information may include information indicating that the bus has "sufficient vacancies," and the display device 40 may display an indication that the bus has "sufficient vacancies" based on this information.

Furthermore, in each of the above examples, even if there are sufficient seats available on the bus, the bus wireless device 10 may notify the relay station 20 of bus notification information including bus congestion information, while the relay station 20 may transmit relay station notification information to the control device 30 (or an upbound relay station) that does not include bus congestion information but includes bus position information.

Furthermore, some or all of the above examples may be used in combination. For example, as shown in the second example, display information including congestion status distinguishing between specific people and non-specific people, congestion status distinguishing by destination as shown in the third example, and congestion status taking into account the number of people getting off as shown in the fourth example may be displayed on the display device 40.

<Examples of communication system configurations>
An example of each component of the communication system according to the present embodiment will be described. The communication system according to the present embodiment includes a bus radio device 10 shown in FIG. 30, a relay station 20 shown in FIG. 31, a control device 30 shown in FIG. 32, and a display device 40 shown in FIG. 33. The wireless communication scheme (wireless communication system) according to the present embodiment is not particularly limited. For example, the wireless communication scheme according to the present embodiment may conform to the 5th generation mobile communication system (5G) standard or other wireless communication standards. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, different wireless communication schemes may be included in the wireless communication scheme between the bus radio device 10 and the relay station 20, the wireless communication scheme between the relay station 20 and the control device 30, and the wireless communication scheme between the control device 30 and the display device 40.

Note that the configurations shown below are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to these. Some of the configurations shown in Figures 30 to 33 may be omitted, and configurations not shown in each figure may be added.

<Configuration of bus radio device>
30 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of bus radio device 10 according to this embodiment. Bus radio device 10 includes receiver 101, reception controller 102, congestion status determination unit 103, congestion status correction unit 104, congestion information generator 105, transmission controller 106, and transmitter 107. Reception controller 102, congestion status determination unit 103, congestion status correction unit 104, congestion information generator 105, and transmission controller 106 may be included in controller 108 of bus radio device 10.

Note that in the configuration shown in FIG. 30, the functions of some of the components may be included in either the relay station 20 or the control device 30. In this case, the components may be omitted from the bus radio device 10.

The receiver 101 receives a downlink (DL) signal addressed to the bus radio device 10 based on timing control by the receiver control unit 102. The receiver 101 outputs the DL signal to the receiver control unit 102. The DL signal includes, for example, statistical information, data, and/or control information (DL control information) regarding the number of passengers disembarking, as described below.

The reception control unit 102 controls the reception timing in the reception unit 101. The reception control unit 102 also performs predetermined reception processing on the DL signal. For example, the predetermined reception processing includes frequency conversion processing (down-conversion). The predetermined reception processing may also include baseband signal processing such as demodulation processing and decoding processing.

The reception control unit 102 extracts statistical information related to the number of passengers who have disembarked, received data, and/or DL control information from the DL signal that has undergone predetermined reception processing. The reception control unit 102 outputs the received data to a data processing unit (omitted from Figure 30) that performs signal processing in a higher layer. When the reception control unit 102 extracts information related to the number of passengers who have disembarked, it outputs the extracted information to the congestion status correction unit 104.

The congestion status determination unit 103 determines the congestion status inside the bus based on at least one of camera images from a camera that captures the interior of the bus and sensor data obtained from sensors such as a human presence sensor and a weight sensor installed inside the bus. For example, the congestion status determination unit 103 may determine the number of passengers present inside the bus, the number of passengers seated in the seats inside the bus, or the weight of people present inside the bus. The congestion status determination unit 103 outputs the number of passengers (or weight) to the congestion status correction unit 104.

The congestion situation correction unit 104 corrects information related to the congestion situation. For example, the congestion situation correction unit 104 corrects the number of passengers (or weight) based on statistical information related to the number of passengers disembarking. For example, the congestion situation correction unit 104 estimates the number of passengers disembarking at a bus stop from the number of passengers (or weight), and determines the congestion situation at that bus stop by subtracting the number of passengers disembarking from the number of passengers. The congestion situation correction unit 104 outputs information related to the congestion situation after correction and information related to the congestion situation before correction to the congestion information generation unit 105.

The congestion information generation unit 105 generates information related to the congestion status on board the bus. For example, the congestion information generation unit 105 generates bus notification information including congestion information and bus location information based on the format of the bus notification information described above. The congestion information generation unit 105 outputs the generated bus notification information to the transmission control unit 106.

The transmission control unit 106 controls the transmission timing of the bus notification information. The transmission control unit 106 also controls the transmission timing of the transmission data acquired from the data processing unit (omitted in FIG. 30) and/or the control information (UL control information) to be transmitted to the relay station 20. The transmission control unit 106 also performs predetermined transmission processing on at least one of the notification information, transmission data, and UL control information to generate a UL signal. The predetermined transmission processing may include baseband signal processing such as encoding and modulation.

The transmitter 107 transmits an UL signal to the relay station 20 based on the transmission timing control in the transmission control unit 106.

<Configuration of relay station>
31 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of relay station 20 according to the present embodiment. Relay station 20 includes a receiver 201, a reception controller 202, a congestion status determination unit 203, a congestion status correction unit 204, a congestion information generator 205, a transmission controller 206, and a transmitter 207. Reception controller 202, congestion status determination unit 203, congestion status correction unit 204, congestion information generator 205, and transmission controller 206 may be included in a controller 208 of relay station 20.

Note that in the configuration shown in FIG. 31, the functions of some of the components may be included in either the bus radio device 10 or the control device 30. In this case, the components may be omitted from the relay station 20.

The receiver 201 receives signals addressed to the relay station 20 based on timing control in the receiver control unit 202. The signals addressed to the relay station 20 may be at least one of an UL signal transmitted by the bus radio device 10 and a DL signal transmitted by the control device 30. The receiver 201 outputs the signals addressed to the relay station 20 to the receiver control unit 202.

The reception control unit 202 controls the reception timing in the reception unit 201. The reception control unit 202 also performs predetermined reception processing on signals addressed to the relay station 20. For example, the predetermined reception processing includes frequency conversion processing (down-conversion). The predetermined reception processing may also include baseband signal processing such as demodulation processing and decoding processing.

The reception control unit 202 extracts bus notification information, received data, and/or control information transmitted by the bus radio device 10 from the signal that has undergone predetermined reception processing. The reception control unit 202 outputs the received data to a data processing unit (omitted in Figure 31) that performs signal processing in a higher layer. The reception control unit 202 also outputs the bus notification information to the congestion status determination unit 203.

The congestion status determination unit 203 determines the congestion status of a bus stop based on at least one of camera images from a camera that photographs the bus stop and sensor data obtained from sensors such as a human presence sensor and a weight sensor installed at the bus stop. For example, the congestion status determination unit 203 may determine the number of people waiting for a bus at the bus stop (waiting number of people). The congestion status determination unit 203 outputs the waiting number of people to the congestion status correction unit 204.

The congestion situation correction unit 204 corrects information related to the congestion situation. For example, when multiple buses with different destinations arrive at a bus stop where relay station 20 is installed, the congestion situation correction unit 204 corrects the number of people waiting based on statistical information related to the number of passengers for each destination. For example, the congestion situation correction unit 204 estimates the number of passengers for each destination from the number of people waiting. The congestion situation correction unit 204 outputs information related to the congestion situation after correction and information related to the congestion situation before correction to the congestion information generation unit 205.

The congestion information generation unit 205 generates information regarding the congestion status of bus stops. For example, the congestion information generation unit 205 generates relay station notification information including bus stop congestion information and bus notification information acquired from the bus wireless device 10 based on the format of the relay station notification information described above. The congestion information generation unit 205 outputs the generated relay station notification information to the transmission control unit 206.

The transmission control unit 206 controls the transmission timing of the relay station notification information. The transmission control unit 206 also controls the transmission timing of the transmission data acquired from the data processing unit (omitted in FIG. 31) and/or the control information (UL control information) to be transmitted to the control device 30. The transmission control unit 206 also performs predetermined transmission processing on at least one of the relay station notification information, transmission data, and UL control information to generate a UL signal. The predetermined transmission processing may include baseband signal processing such as encoding and modulation.

The transmitter 207 transmits an UL signal to the control device 30 based on the transmission timing control in the transmission control unit 206.

<Configuration of the control device>
32 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a control device 30 according to this embodiment. The control device 30 includes a receiving unit 301, a reception control unit 302, a congestion status determination unit 303, a congestion status correction unit 304, a display information generation unit 305, a transmission control unit 306, and a transmission unit 307. The reception control unit 302, the congestion status determination unit 303, the congestion status correction unit 304, the display information generation unit 305, and the transmission control unit 306 may be included in a control unit 308 of the control device 30.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 32, the functions of some of the components may be included in either the bus radio device 10 or the relay station 20. In this case, the components may be omitted from the control device 30.

The receiver 301 receives signals addressed to the control device 30 based on timing control by the receiver control unit 302. The signals addressed to the control device 30 may be at least one of an UL signal transmitted by the bus radio device 10 and an UL signal transmitted by the relay station 20. The receiver 301 outputs the signals addressed to the control device 30 to the receiver control unit 302.

The reception control unit 302 controls the reception timing in the reception unit 301. The reception control unit 302 also performs predetermined reception processing on signals addressed to the control device 30. For example, the predetermined reception processing includes frequency conversion processing (down-conversion). The predetermined reception processing may also include baseband signal processing such as demodulation processing and decoding processing.

The reception control unit 302 extracts bus notification information transmitted by the bus radio device 10, relay station notification information transmitted by the relay station 20, received data, and/or control information from the signal that has undergone predetermined reception processing. The reception control unit 302 outputs the received data to a data processing unit (omitted in Figure 32) that performs signal processing in an upper layer. The reception control unit 302 outputs the bus notification information and/or relay station notification information to the congestion status determination unit 303.

The congestion status determination unit 303 determines the congestion status of the route the bus takes based on the bus congestion information contained in the bus notification information and/or relay station notification information and the bus stop congestion information contained in the relay station notification information.

The congestion status correction unit 304 corrects the congestion information on the bus based on the bus stop congestion information. For example, the congestion status correction unit 304 corrects the number of passengers based on statistical information on the number of passengers disembarking at each bus stop and/or statistical information on the number of passengers for each destination. As described above, if the bus radio device 10 performs a correction based on statistical information on the number of passengers disembarking at a bus stop, the control device 30 does not need to perform a correction based on statistical information on the number of passengers disembarking at a bus stop. Also, if the relay station 20 performs a correction based on statistical information on the number of passengers for each destination, the control device 30 does not need to perform a correction based on statistical information on the number of passengers for each destination. The congestion status correction unit 304 outputs information on the congestion status on the route the bus passes, including information on the congestion status after the correction and information on the congestion status before the correction, to the display information generation unit 305.

The display information generation unit 305 generates display information to be displayed on the display device 40. The display information generation unit 305 outputs the generated display information to the transmission control unit 306.

The transmission control unit 306 controls the transmission timing of display information addressed to the display device 40. The transmission control unit 306 also controls the transmission timing of transmission data acquired from the data processing unit (omitted in FIG. 32) and/or control information (DL control information) to be transmitted to the relay station 20. The transmission control unit 306 also performs predetermined transmission processing on at least one of the display information, transmission data, and DL control information to generate a transmission signal. Note that the predetermined transmission processing may include baseband signal processing such as encoding and modulation.

The transmitter 307 transmits the transmission signal based on the transmission timing control in the transmission control unit 306.

In the control device 30 according to this embodiment, the receiving unit 301 acquires bus congestion information from, for example, a bus radio device 10 installed on the bus, and acquires bus stop congestion information from a relay station 20 installed at the bus stop. The control unit 308 generates information to be provided to bus users based on the bus congestion information and bus stop congestion information. Note that a bus is an example of a means of transportation (or vehicle), and a bus stop is an example of a waiting area where users of the transportation system wait for the bus to arrive. Furthermore, bus congestion information is an example of information related to the congestion status of a vehicle, and bus stop congestion information is an example of information related to the congestion status of a waiting area.

<Configuration of the display device>
33 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of display device 40 according to the present embodiment. Display device 40 includes a receiving unit 401, a reception control unit 402, an information classification unit 403, a position display control unit 404, a bus congestion status display control unit 405, a bus stop congestion status display control unit 406, a number of people alighting display control unit 407, and a display unit 408. Note that reception control unit 402, information classification unit 403, bus position display control unit 404, bus congestion status display control unit 405, bus stop congestion status display control unit 406, and a number of people alighting display control unit 407 may be included in a control unit 409 of display device 40.

The receiving unit 401 receives signals addressed to the display device 40 based on timing control by the receiving control unit 402. The signals addressed to the display device 40 include display information transmitted by the control device 30. The receiving unit 401 outputs the signals addressed to the display device 40 to the receiving control unit 402.

The reception control unit 402 controls the reception timing in the reception unit 401. The reception control unit 402 also performs predetermined reception processing on signals addressed to the display device 40. For example, the predetermined reception processing includes frequency conversion processing (down-conversion). The predetermined reception processing may also include baseband signal processing such as demodulation processing and decoding processing.

The reception control unit 402 extracts display information from the signal that has undergone predetermined reception processing and outputs it to the information classification unit 403.

The information classification unit 403 classifies the information about the congestion status of buses for each destination included in the display information by destination.

The location display control unit 404 controls the display of the bus location on the display unit 408.

The bus congestion status display control unit 405 controls the display of information indicating the congestion status on the bus on the display unit 408.

The bus stop congestion status display control unit 406 controls the display of information indicating the congestion status of bus stops on the display unit 408.

The number of passengers getting off display control unit 407 controls the display of information indicating the number of passengers getting off on the display unit 408.

Note that while the example in FIG. 33 shows a display device 40 having a receiving unit 401, a control unit 409, and a display unit 408, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the configuration illustrated in FIG. 33 may be divided into a display device having a display unit 408 and a display control device having a receiving unit 401 and a control unit 409 and controlling the display device. In this case, the display device and the display control device may be connected via a wired and/or wireless connection. For example, in the display control device, the receiving unit 401 acquires display information generated based on bus congestion information and bus stop congestion information. Furthermore, in the display control device, the control unit 409 controls the display of the display information in association with the bus location and bus stop. Note that the display information is an example of information to be provided to users.

Note that, while the above embodiment has been described using a route bus as an example of a means of transportation, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The present disclosure may be applied to a means of transportation in which a user waits for a vehicle (or means of transportation) at a specific location. For example, the present disclosure may also be applied to other means of transportation such as trains, ships, and shared taxis.

Note that the "... section" in the above embodiments may also be a "... circuit," a "... device," a "... unit," or a "... module."

Furthermore, the term "channel" in the above embodiments may be replaced with other terms such as "frequency," "frequency channel," "band," "carrier," "subcarrier," or "(frequency) resource."

This disclosure can be realized in software, hardware, or software in conjunction with hardware.

Each functional block used in the description of the above embodiments may be realized, in part or in whole, as an LSI, which is an integrated circuit, and each process described in the above embodiments may be controlled, in part or in whole, by a single LSI or a combination of LSIs. The LSI may be composed of individual chips, or may be composed of a single chip that contains some or all of the functional blocks. The LSI may have data input and output. Depending on the level of integration, the LSI may also be called an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI.

The integrated circuit method is not limited to LSI, and may be realized using a dedicated circuit, a general-purpose processor, or a dedicated processor. It may also be possible to use a field programmable gate array (FPGA), which can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or a reconfigurable processor, which allows the connections and settings of circuit cells within the LSI to be reconfigured. The present disclosure may be realized as digital processing or analog processing.

Furthermore, if advances in semiconductor technology or derivative technologies result in the emergence of integrated circuit technology that can replace LSI, it is natural that such technology could be used to integrate functional blocks. The application of biotechnology, for example, is also a possibility.

The present disclosure may be implemented in any type of apparatus, device, or system with communications capabilities (collectively referred to as communications apparatus). Non-limiting examples of communications apparatus include telephones (e.g., mobile phones, smartphones, etc.), tablets, personal computers (PCs) (e.g., laptops, desktops, notebooks, etc.), cameras (e.g., digital still/video cameras), digital players (e.g., digital audio/video players), wearable devices (e.g., wearable cameras, smartwatches, tracking devices, etc.), game consoles, digital book readers, telehealth/telemedicine devices, communications-enabled vehicles or mobile transportation (e.g., cars, airplanes, ships, etc.), and combinations of the above-mentioned devices.

Communication devices are not limited to portable or mobile devices, but also include any type of non-portable or fixed equipment, device, or system, such as smart home devices (home appliances, lighting equipment, smart meters or measuring devices, control panels, etc.), vending machines, and any other "things" that may exist on an IoT (Internet of Things) network.

Communications include data communication via cellular systems, wireless LAN systems, communication satellite systems, etc., as well as data communication via combinations of these.

A communications device also includes devices such as controllers and sensors that are connected or coupled to a communications device that performs the communications functions described in this disclosure. For example, this includes controllers and sensors that generate control and data signals used by the communications device to perform the communications functions of the communications device.

Communication equipment also includes infrastructure facilities, such as base stations, access points, and any other equipment, devices, or systems that communicate with or control the various devices listed above, but are not limited to these.

Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art could conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components of the above embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the disclosure.

Specific examples of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples exemplified above.

This disclosure is suitable for wireless communication systems.

10 Bus radio device 20 Relay station 30 Control device 40 Display device 101, 201, 301, 401 Receiving unit 102, 202, 302, 402 Receiving control unit 103, 203, 303 Congestion status determination unit 104, 204, 304 Congestion status correction unit 105, 205 Congestion information generation unit 106, 206, 306 Transmission control unit 107, 207, 307 Transmission unit 108, 208, 308, 409 Control unit 305 Display information generation unit 403 Information classification unit 404 Position display control unit 405 Bus congestion status display control unit 406 Bus stop congestion status display control unit 407 Number of people getting off display control unit 408 Display unit

Claims (9)

a receiving unit that receives, from a first wireless device provided in a means of transportation serving as a means of transport, first information relating to the congestion status of the means of transportation, which is determined based on information from a sensor provided in the means of transportation, and that receives, from a second wireless device provided in a waiting area where users of the means of transport wait for the arrival of the means of transportation, second information relating to the congestion status of the waiting area, which is determined based on information from a sensor provided in the waiting area;
a control unit that combines the first information and the second information to generate third information indicating a congestion state within the transportation means and that is to be provided to the user;
A control device comprising: the receiving unit acquires the first information via the second wireless device;
The control device according to claim 1 . the receiving unit acquires fourth information regarding a congestion state for a specific person waiting at the waiting area based on an image captured at the waiting area; and
the control unit generates the third information, based on the second information and the fourth information, in which a congestion status for the specific person waiting at the waiting area and a congestion status for people other than the specific person are distinguished from each other.
The control device according to claim 1 . When a plurality of the means of transportation traveling along different routes arrive at the waiting location, the control unit classifies the congestion status of the waiting location indicated by the second information into each of the plurality of means of transportation based on first statistical information regarding the usage status of each of the plurality of means of transportation at the waiting location;
The first statistical information is defined based on statistical data of the number of people who have boarded the waiting area in the past.
The control device according to claim 1 . When the transportation means travels along a route that passes through a plurality of the waiting locations,
the control unit generates the third information including fifth information regarding the number of users who will finish using the transportation facility at each of the plurality of waiting locations, the fifth information being determined based on the first information and second statistical information regarding the number of users who will finish using the transportation facility at each of the plurality of waiting locations;
the second statistical information is defined based on statistical data of the number of people who have previously used the transportation facility at each of the plurality of waiting locations;
The control device according to claim 1 . If the transportation means is not more crowded than a predetermined level,
the receiving unit does not acquire the first information from the first wireless device;
The control device according to claim 1 . If the transportation means is not more crowded than a predetermined level,
the receiving unit does not acquire, from the second wireless device, the first information that the second wireless device has acquired from the first wireless device;
The control device according to claim 2 . The control device
obtain, from a first wireless device provided in a means of transportation serving as a means of transport, first information relating to the congestion status of the means of transportation, which is determined based on information from a sensor provided in the means of transportation; and obtain, from a second wireless device provided in a waiting area where users of the means of transportation wait for the arrival of the means of transportation, second information relating to the congestion status of the waiting area, which is determined based on information from a sensor provided in the waiting area;
combining the first information and the second information to generate third information indicating a congestion state within the transportation means to be provided to the user;
Control method. When the transportation means stops at each of the n-ith (n is an integer, i is an integer between 1 and n) to nth waiting locations to allow passengers to board or disembark, and heads to the n-ith waiting location, the second information includes a congestion status from the n-ith waiting location to the nth waiting location.
The control device according to claim 1 .