Patent ID: 6097317
Filing Date: 2000-08-01
Classification: G08G

Abstract:
A portable appliance for informing users of a bus network about waiting times at at least one stop on at least one bus route belonging to said network, the appliance comprising:radio receiver means for receiving by radio data enabling the above-mentioned waiting times to be known;interrogation means actuatable by a use to access waiting time information to inform said user on at least the waiting time for a certain bus at the stop under consideration on the route under consideration, said waiting time information corresponding to a certain estimated time of arrival for the bus under consideration at the stop under consideration; andinterface means controlled by an electronic central unit for communicating said waiting time information to the user,the appliance further including signalling means suitable for attracting the user's attention; andthe central unit is adapted:to store at least data representative of an estimated time of arrival H0 corresponding to said waiting time information communicated to the user on the last occasion the appliance was interrogated by the user;to respond to the data received by the radio receiver means by taking account cyclically of data representative of an updated estimated time of arrival H for the bus under consideration at the stop under consideration on the route under consideration;to actuate the signalling means when the updated estimated time of arrival H and the estimated time of arrival H0 differ by a duration .increment.H greater than a certain limit; andto update the estimated time of arrival H0 with the updated estimated time of arrival H when the appliance is interrogated.