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Description
The Public Information Systems are a crucial application
that defines the quality of service to end customers, in applications such as railway or
subway systems.
The solutions developed and installed by ENT in national and international projects, are
controlled by a specific application, articulated with the network Integrated Management
Platform.This application controls all information supplied to the public, by public
announcements or displays.
In certain situations, the integration between visual information and public addressing is
determined by the cost effectiveness of the system. However, the reliability of each
system could be considered separately, guaranteeing the availability of each one of them
in case of failure.
Applications
Public Information Systems provides quick and
precise information, in which can be included:
- Destination, origin and transport passing. This information
could be supplied through displays or sound address systems;
- Timetable information, supplied through boards or monitors;
- Announcement systems;
- Emergency information, with indication of alternative
routes.
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Functionalities
The main functionalities of a Public
Information System are:
- Broadcasting of sonorous and/or visual information in real
time or pre-recorded;
- Integration with other information systems (ex. tracking
systems);
- Operation through information gathered in databases,
previously filled and continuously updated;
- Local or remote broadcasting of messages, from the command
centre;
- Possibility to implement groups (stations, stoppings...),
allowing the access to one or more groups, with sound address or display systems;
- Interface with clock distribution systems;
- Amplifiers automatic gain control and display illumination;
- Alarm processing.
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The functionalities
available in the operations, configuration and management centres, which can be in the
same server, are:
Security levels and user profiles
definition;
Selection of location for broadcast of
pre-recorded or real-time messages, based on the network map and the access level given by
the user profile;
Notification of alarms and network
operations;
Access to configuration and operation
files;
Sound system and display messages update.
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Technical Specifications
The typical architecture of
a Public Information System is based on the existence of a Control Centre (CC), Remote
Stations (RS), where the public addressing systems are installed (displays, loudspeakers,
and monitors).
The communication between the CC and the RSs is made through dedicated channels in the
transmission system - being the type and amount of control information of the system
uniform, the sound and visual information could be supported on the same transmission
channel. This way, the transmission channels support the systems management information
and the digitised audio signals to the RSs. |
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The CC is based in a local area network (LAN), where the
different applications are supported, with an user friendly GUI.
In a typical application, the CC is divided in:
Manager - application controller, normally in a
redundant machine, with the following features:
- Execution of the management software module
- Interface with other systems (tracking systems, clock
distribution systems, etc.);
- Access validation
- Audio features management
- Management of recorded messages
- Notification and processing of alarms
Operation Station - used by network operators, where
it is possible to:
- Operation of the system through the application GUI
- Control of the sound and visual address system
- Message broadcasting
- Device status management (board, loudspeaker...)
Configuration Station - This station concentrates
all management and configuration features, allowing the databases consultation and update.
The above mentioned stations can be located in the same or different servers, being the
access to different functionalities, according to the users profiles. |