Background
Shuttle services in theme parks have been greatly impacted by the advancements in communication technologies. When passengers are boarding the shuttle buses or trams to different park areas or hotels, they want broadcasted entertainment and multimedia to have the ultimate customer experience. For theme parks to stay competitive, their shuttle services must be equipped with infotainment systems that provide wireless streamed videos, TV commercials and multimedia contents. On the other hand, by taking the passenger safety into considerations, the shuttle services shall also be connected with automated surveillance devices to provide real-time video streaming so that footages of passenger situations are sent to control center wirelessly.
Requirements
Considering the complexity in the integration of sensors, controllers, analog-to-digital conversion, real-time recording, GPS device, and wireless network, a professional system integrator contacted Lanner for a robust embedded communication gateway to integrate all the components and provide in-vehicle control, infotainment, real-time surveillance and video streaming. The gateway system shall meet the following technological requirements:
-
4G/LTE Connectivity
Wireless network plays a key role in offering online stream videos to passengers. Thus, the gateway must be designed with hardware features that can provide 4G/LTE connectivity. On the other hand, with 4G/LTE connectivity, the gateway in trams/buses can wirelessly transfer data to the control center.
-
PoE (Power over Ethernet) Ports
To monitor passenger safety in a real-time manner, the gateway must provide PoE ports for connection with multiple IP cameras, which are responsible for video recording when any abnormal event occurs.
-
Data Storage
Removable, high capacity of data storage is necessary to store recorded videos for later viewing.
-
Multiple I/O Ports
Shuttle buses today come with automated functions such as door open/close and LCD display. To enhance the in-train control, the in-vehicle gateway shall be designed to offer rich I/O ports, including USB, COM, HDMI and DIO for sensor control.
-
Built-in RF Connectivity
Location tracking is mandatory to monitor the safety of the passengers and the tram vehicles. Hence, onboard u-blox GPS are critical for location-based information of passengers and vehicles.
-
Accompanied by Video Management Software
Integration with video management software is a bonus feature for the gateway as it helps control center staff deal with recorded videos sent from the gateway.
Lanner’s Solution
Lanner offers LVC-5770-7D as the optimal embedded gateway for in-train infotainment for theme park shuttle services. Two LVC-5770-7Ds have been installed to manage four shuttle buses. While one LVC-5570 works as the video platform to connect to up to 8 IP cameras for video surveillance and streaming, another LVC-5770-7D functions as the in-vehicle gateway controller that link with 4 TV displays for location-based visitor information playback. The in-vehicle LVC-5770-7Ds also act as the hub for 4 tablets at side doors for co-driver in-vehicle control, such as temperature, door, in case of emergency, as well as the terminal connected to the driver dashboard for door control, and audio system
LVC-5770-7D as the In-vehicle Gateway
Lanner’s LVC-5770-7D is empowered by Intel® Core™ i7-3517UE Processor, 8 x PoE ports, internal PCIe interfaces for wireless connectivity (WiFi/4G/LTE), externally accessible disk drive bays, multiple USB/COM/DIO ports, HDMI and certified shock and vibration resistance.
Besides high-performance, graphic-intensive processor, LVC-5770-7D offers rich I/O ports, including 8 PoE ports, 2 COM ports, 4 DIO input/output and HDMI interface. The 8 PoE ports enable LVC-5770-7D to connect with multiple IP cameras for surveillance, while the HDMI interface allows the gateway to work with HD TV display and playback. Regarding sensors controls, LVC-5570 comes with COM ports and DIOs to integrate sensoring devices.
As wireless network plays a key role, LVC-5770-7D is built with internal mini-PCIe sockets for wireless connectivity, compliant with WiFi, 4G or LTE standards. This allows real-time communications and data transmission between the tram and the control center. The externally accessible disk drive bays support high storage capacity for recorded videos.
As an in-vehicle gateway, LVC-5770-7D is certified by E13 and MIL-STD-810G for shock and vibration resistance.
Since Lanner is a solution partner of milestone Xprotect video management software, the system integrator can implement milestone Xprotect onto LVC-5770-7D, so that the control center can monitor the shuttle vehicles in the theme park in a remote manner.