An information and entertainment on-board train simulator system : the TVI project

Transcription

1 2001j028 avec figures 385.doc WCRR2001 ID Number : SP An information and entertainment on-board train simulator system : the TVI project Jean-Noël TEMEM * Pierre CAZE** *SNCF Direction Recherche et Technologie **SNCF Direction Grandes Lignes Objectives Within a research project, the SNCF has designed a demonstrator showing what would be a future information and entertainment on-board service in an intercity train. The project, called TVI, implements multimedia technologies along with digital video broadcasting in order to offer a realistic interactive system. Two goals have been designated for this project: the first one consisted of defining the possible services and contents, the second one consisted of designing a user-friendly interface for the general public. The whole work conducted to the achievement of a demonstrator which technical architecture has been defined and realised within this project. General features On his seat, the traveller may use a flat touch screen integrated in the back of the following seat. He can surf through the contents, enter information or act on the services he has chosen. All the multimedia visual data is displayed on the screen. Except the touch screen, the only peripheral device is an earphone which gives back the sound information. The TVI demonstrator

2 The user interface The TVI man-machine interface combines both informational and audio-visual approaches. The choice of a televisual metaphor lets the location easy in this informational space. The contents are organised in a televisual bouquet way: thematic channels, programs, and headings. The user uses a virtual remote control to surf and zap through different channels and programs. An introduction to the TVI system is showed in the beginning. The commands are intuitive and refer to either the TV mode (surfing with virtual remote control, piloting the media) or the WEB mode (hypertext surfing, hyperlinks). This televisual metaphor makes it easy to surf through a classical information site combining text, image, animation, sound and video. General menu Virtual remote control

3 The services and the contents In order to show the interest of this new kind of information and entertainment system, several standards of services and contents have been imagined. The contents are presented according to a televisual terminology and organised according to the following triptych: channel-program-heading. Five channels have been created: SNCF, TOURISM, NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT, and INTERNET. Thus, this set proposes more than thirty programs and headings. The SNCF channel For instance, the SNCF channel contains in different headings information on the SNCF network, the services on board, the commercial offers, time planning Some headings allow, using webcams, to watch the sight seen in the driving cab or in the bar coach On-board services The heading allowing the visualisation of the train position on a geographic map is associated with different site video presentations.

4 Tain position map The entertainment channel contains games, radio programs, TV and video on demand. Video on demand services The technical architecture of the demonstrator The technical architecture implemented for the TVI demonstrator proposes a realistic compromise for an embarked system and relies on market standards. It is an Intranet architecture, which supports video streams. The main elements of this system are: Compressed video and sound storage units A video/audio stream manager server A high-rate data transmission network Light user stations In the case of an embarked system, the storage units and the server will be installed in a control room. The network will cover the whole train providing that the coaches are properly equipped, in terms of adapted interfacing. The user stations will be integrated in the back of the seats.

5 carte ethernet Flux audio/vidéo carte ethernet ethernet ethernet UDP TCP/IP UDP TCP/IP serveur HTTP TVi HTML, javascript, shockwave... Data audio/vidéo Mediabase Admin. Mediabase HTML, java... Plug-in audio Plug-in vidéo Navigateur MétaData audio/vidéo Navigateur affichage et actions administrateur carte décompression MPEG1 + affichage contrôleur dalle tactile Serveur TVi Poste utilisateur administration gestion audio/vidéo applicatif TVi flux audio/vidéo Disque externe Logiciel Fichiers Software architecture 1 The software has been developed as a web site consisting of HTML files and HTTP server. The user station uses a navigator, which display the desired pages. The video server is a Silicon Graphics Mediabase system. It can manage MPEG1 compressed video streams. The user station is a standard multimedia PC equipped with an MPEG1 graphical card and a flat touch screen. A high-rate Ethernet network connects the different devices.