A New Passenger Support System for Public Transport Using Mobile Database Access

We have been developing a mobile passenger support system for public transport. Passengers can make their travel plans and purchase necessary tickets by accessing databases via the system. After starting the travel, a mobile terminal checks the travel schedule of its user by accessing several databases and gathering various kinds of information. In this application field, many kinds of data must be handled. Examples of such data are route information, fare information, area map, station map, planned operation schedule, real-time operation schedule, vehicle facilities and so on. Depending on the user's situation, different information should be supplied and personalized. In this paper, we propose a new mechanism to support passengers using the multi-channel data communication environments. On the other hand, transport systerns can gather information about situations and demands of users and modify their services offered for the users. We also describe a prototype system developed for visually handicapped passengers and the results of tests in an actual railway station.