Elevator control device and control method

Abstract

To prevent users from experiencing long waiting times at a boarding area as much as possible when allocating users to cars in consideration of their travel times. [Solution] When the control device assumes that the elevator's multiple cars have responded to a hall call from a target user, it sorts the cars into a first car whose scheduled departure time from a specific floor is earlier than the target user's scheduled boarding time at that specific floor, and a second car whose scheduled boarding time is later than that scheduled boarding time. If the sorting results in both a first car and a second car being available, it selects a first candidate from the first cars and determines whether the estimated time required for that first candidate to arrive at the specific floor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the control device determines that the estimated time is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, it selects a second candidate from the second cars and assigns the hall call to that second candidate, and further commands the control device to extend door opening to wait for the target user to board at the specific floor.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control technique for an elevator in which a destination floor registration device is installed. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an elevator control technology in which a car is assigned to each user who has registered a destination floor in a destination floor registration device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-55976 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, a destination floor registration device is installed near the entrance of the car, so that after a user registers a destination floor in the destination floor registration device, the user can quickly reach the entrance of the car assigned to the user. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, it is unlikely that a user will miss the car assigned to the user.

[0005] On the other hand, depending on the elevator, a destination floor registration device may be installed at a location away from the elevator hall on a specific floor. For example, on a floor where a building entrance is located, the destination floor registration device may be installed near the entrance. In such cases, after registering the destination floor on the destination floor registration device, the user may need time to move to the entrance of the elevator assigned to them, which may result in the user missing the elevator.

[0006] Therefore, a technology has been proposed that allocates elevators to elevators taking into account the time required for travel from the destination floor registration device. This technology makes it possible to prevent passengers from missing their elevators. On the other hand, if a elevator is determined to be too late for a passenger to board a elevator when taking into account the passenger's travel time, the elevator will not be assigned a hall call for that passenger, even if the elevator is stopped at a specific floor or arrives at a specific floor while the passenger is traveling. Therefore, such an elevator will depart from or pass through a specific floor while the passenger is traveling. For this reason, depending on the elevator operation status, passengers may be forced to wait a long time at the elevator hall until the next elevator (the elevator assigned to them) arrives.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to minimize the need for passengers to wait long periods at the platform when passengers are assigned to elevators while taking into consideration their travel time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The control device according to the present invention is an elevator control device, and has the following configuration (Aspect 1): When a user registers his / her destination floor using a destination floor registration device installed on a specific floor of the elevator, the control device, assuming that the user is a target user and that the multiple cars equipped in the elevator respond to the hall call of the target user, sorts the cars into a first car whose scheduled departure time from the specific floor is before the target user's scheduled boarding time at the specific floor and a second car whose scheduled boarding time is after the target user's scheduled boarding time, and determines (A) whether the first car and the second car exist as a result of the sorting. If the control device determines in decision (A) that the first car "exists" and also determines that the second car "exists," it selects the first car as the destination to which the hall call for the target user is to be allocated and sets it as the first candidate, and then further performs decision (B) of whether the estimated time required for the first candidate to arrive at the specific floor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the control device determines in decision (B) that the estimated time is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, it does not allocate the hall call for the target user to the first candidate, but instead selects the second car as the destination to which the hall call for the target user is to be allocated and sets it as the second candidate, and then allocates the hall call to the second candidate, and further commands the second candidate to extend door opening to wait for the target user to board at the specific floor.

[0009] In the above-described first aspect, if the hall call for the target user is assigned to the destination (first candidate) selected from the first car, the target user can be sure to board the car assigned to him / her without delay. On the other hand, if the hall call for the target user is assigned to the destination (second candidate) selected from the second car, the target user will miss the car assigned to him / her. For this reason, the hall call for the target user is usually not assigned to such a second car, even if it is a car stopped at the specific floor or a car that arrives at the specific floor during the target user's movement. Therefore, such a car will depart from or pass through the specific floor during the target user's movement. On the other hand, depending on the elevator operation status, the target user may be forced to wait a long time (to wait for a long time) at the hall of the specific floor until the next car (the destination (first candidate) selected from the first car) arrives.

[0010] Therefore, in order to grasp such elevator conditions, in the above-mentioned aspect 1, by determining whether or not a second car exists in decision (A), it is possible to determine whether or not there is a car (second car) that the target user will miss if an assignment is made at that time. Also, by determining whether or not a first car exists in decision (A), it is possible to further determine whether or not there is a car (first car) that the target user can board other than the second car. Then, by performing decision (B) when both the first car and the second car exist, it is possible to determine whether or not the target user will be forced to wait a long time at the landing of a specific floor if an assignment is made to the first candidate selected from the first car because the target user will miss the second car.

[0011] Then, if a target user would be forced to wait a long time at a boarding area of ​​a specific floor, if the target user can be allowed to board the second car, the target user will not have to experience a long wait. Therefore, in the above-mentioned aspect 1, if it is determined by judgment (B) that the target user will be forced to wait a long time, an allocation is made to a second candidate selected from the second car (an allocation different from normal), and further, by issuing a command to extend the door opening time for the second candidate, it is possible to create a situation in which the target user will not have to experience a long wait.

[0012] The control device according to the above-mentioned aspect 1 may have the following configuration (aspect 2): When the control device determines in the judgment (A) that the first car "does not exist" but on the other hand determines that the second car "exists," it may perform a process of selecting a second candidate from the second car without performing a process of selecting a first candidate from the first car, and then may assign the hall call to the second candidate, and further may instruct the second candidate to extend the door opening time to wait for the target user to board at a specific floor.

[0013] If only the second car is available as a result of car allocation, there is no car (first car) that the target user can board without delay at that time, so the target user will usually have to board a car that has made one full rotation, which will definitely force the target user to wait a long time. Therefore, in the above-mentioned aspect 2, even in such a case, an allocation is made to a second candidate selected from the second car (an allocation different from usual), and further, a command is given to extend the door opening time for that second candidate, thereby creating a situation in which the target user does not have to experience a long wait.

[0014] The control device according to the above-mentioned aspect 1 or 2 may have the following configuration (Aspect 3): When selecting a second candidate from the second cars, the control device may first make a determination (C) as to whether or not there is a car among the second cars that is scheduled to stop at the destination floor of the target user, and if it is determined in the determination (C) that there is a car that is scheduled to stop, the control device may select a second candidate from the cars that are scheduled to stop.

[0015] According to the above-mentioned aspect 3, it becomes possible to preferentially select as the second candidate an elevator car that is scheduled to stop at the destination floor of the target user, and as a result, it becomes possible to minimize an increase in the number of stops at the second candidate that may occur when the target user is assigned to the second candidate.

[0016] The control device according to the above-mentioned aspect 3 may have the following configuration (aspect 4): When the control device determines in the determination (C) that there is "no car" scheduled to stop, it may select as a second candidate one of the second cars that has the shortest door-open extension time required when waiting for the target user to board at a specific floor.

[0017] According to the above-mentioned fourth aspect, it is possible to minimize the stop time of the second candidate at a specific floor that occurs when the target user is assigned to the second candidate.

[0018] The control method according to the present invention is a control method for an elevator, and has the following configuration (Aspect 5): When a user registers his / her destination floor using a destination floor registration device installed on a specific floor of the elevator, this control device treats the user as a target user, and, assuming that the multiple cars equipped in the elevator respond to the hall call of the target user, sorts the cars into a first car whose scheduled departure time from the specific floor is before the target user's scheduled boarding time at the specific floor and a second car whose scheduled boarding time is after the target user's scheduled boarding time, and determines (A) whether the first car and the second car exist as a result of the sorting. If the determination (A) determines that the first car "exists" and that the second car "exists," the first car is selected as the destination to which the hall call for the target user is to be allocated and set as the first candidate, and then a determination (B) is further made as to whether the estimated time required for the first candidate to arrive at the specific floor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the determination (B) determines that the estimated time is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the hall call for the target user is not allocated to the first candidate, but the second car is selected as the destination to which the hall call for the target user is to be allocated and set as the second candidate, and then the hall call is allocated to the second candidate, and further a command is given to the second candidate to extend door opening to wait for the target user to board at the specific floor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, when passengers are assigned to cars in consideration of their travel time, it is possible to prevent passengers from having to wait as long as possible at the platform. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of an elevator according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of an installation position of a destination floor registration device in the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating device management data used in the embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an allocation process executed in the embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart specifically illustrating a part of the allocation process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] [1] Overall structure of the elevator FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of an elevator according to an embodiment. In this embodiment, a destination floor registration device 1 is installed on each floor of the elevator, and when a user wishes to board a car G, the user is required to register their destination floor Fd in advance with the destination floor registration device 1 installed on the boarding floor. This elevator is equipped with a plurality of cars G, and further includes a group management control device 2 that manages them in a unified manner. The configuration of each part will be specifically described below.

[0022] <Destination floor registration device> The destination floor registration device 1 is provided with a device, such as a touch panel, that functions as both an input unit and a display unit, and the device is used by the user to register the destination floor Fd and to notify the user of various information. The destination floor registration device 1 may be provided with an input unit and a display unit separately. For example, the input unit is a mechanical button (such as a numeric keypad), and the display unit is a monitor dedicated to display.

[0023] 2(A) and 2(B) are conceptual diagrams illustrating an example of an installation position Qs of a destination floor registration device 1 in an embodiment. Typically, the destination floor registration device 1 is installed at the landing of each floor, as shown in FIG. 2(A). On the other hand, at a specific floor Fz, the destination floor registration device 1 may be installed at a predetermined position away from the landing, as shown in FIG. 2(B). As an example, the specific floor Fz is a floor where a building entrance is located, and the predetermined position is a position at or near the entrance of the building. The example of FIG. 2(B) shows a case where the destination floor registration device 1 is installed at the landing of the specific floor Fz and at a predetermined position away from the landing, which are distinguished by the reference symbols 1A and 1B. Furthermore, the examples of FIG. 2(A) and FIG. 2(B) show an elevator equipped with three cars G, which are distinguished by the reference symbols G1 to G3 on the specific floor Fz (see FIG. 2(B)) in order of furthest from the predetermined position.

[0024] When a user operates a destination floor registration device 1 at any floor to register their own destination floor Fd, that destination floor Fd is transmitted to the group management control device 2. As a result, a request for allocation of a hall call X for that user is made to the group management control device 2. At this time, device information Pd for distinguishing the destination floor registration device 1 from other registration devices is also transmitted to the group management control device 2 so that the group management control device 2 can recognize which registration device is the operated destination floor registration device 1.

[0025] <Group management control device> The group management control device 2 centrally controls a plurality of cars G equipped in the elevator of this embodiment through an elevator control device provided for each car G (see FIG. 1).

[0026] Specifically, each time the group management control device 2 receives an allocation request from any of the destination floor registration devices 1, it treats the departure floor Fc and destination floor Fd of the user registered with that destination floor registration device 1 as one hall call X, selects an allocation destination for that hall call X from among multiple cars G, and then allocates the hall call X to that allocation destination (allocation process; see Figure 4).The group management control device 2 then causes the car G to execute a response operation to the hall call X (response process).

[0027] In this embodiment, when the allocation request is a request from a destination floor registration device 1B installed at a predetermined position on a specific floor Fz, the group management control device 2 selects an allocation destination from among a plurality of cars G in consideration of the travel time Tk of the user from the destination floor registration device 1B, and then allocates the hall call X to the allocation destination. Details of the allocation process will be described later.

[0028] Furthermore, when responding to a hall call X, the group management control device 2 registers the destination floor Fd indicated by the hall call X as a car call Y for the user for the car G at an appropriate timing after the car G arrives at the departure floor Fc indicated by the hall call X (for example, when the passengers have finished boarding and disembarking and the doors have closed) (registration processing). Then, the group management control device 2 causes the car G to execute a response operation to the car call Y (response processing).

[0029] Specifically, the group management control device 2 includes a storage unit 21 and a control unit 22 (see FIG. 1).

[0030] The memory unit 21 is a part configured with storage devices such as ROM and RAM, and stores information necessary for the control processing performed by the group management control device 2. In this embodiment, the memory unit 21 stores device management data Dr, hall call management data Dx, and car call management data Dy as such information.

[0031] Here, the device management data Dr is a database for managing, for each destination floor registration device 1, a plurality of pieces of information related to that registration device in association with each other (see FIG. 3). The hall call management data Dx and the car call management data Dy are data for managing, for each car G, information on hall calls X and car calls Y for users, respectively (not shown).

[0032] 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the device management data Dr used in this embodiment. In the device management data Dr, for each destination floor registration device 1, the device information Pd of the registration device, the installation floor Fs, the installation position Qs, and the travel time Tk from the registration device to each elevator car G are recorded in a mutually associated state.

[0033] As a result, when the group management control device 2 receives device information Pd together with the destination floor Fd from any of the destination floor registration devices 1, it becomes possible to identify the floor Fs where the destination floor registration device 1 (the registration device where the destination floor Fd is registered) is installed from the device information Pd. In this embodiment, the floor Fs where the destination floor registration device 1 is installed is used as the departure floor Fc (boarding floor) of the user who operated the registration device to register the destination floor Fd.

[0034] Furthermore, by referring to the installation position Qs associated with each piece of device information Pd, the group management control device 2 can determine whether the destination floor registration device 1 identified by that device information Pd is installed at a landing or a predetermined position. Furthermore, in the allocation process performed by the group management control device 2 in response to an allocation request from the destination floor registration device 1 installed at a predetermined position on a specific floor Fz, the travel time Tk is used as the time required for a user to travel from that predetermined position to the boarding / alighting entrance of each car G (G1 to G3).

[0035] Furthermore, even if the destination floor registration device 1 is actually installed at the boarding area, if the boarding area is large and it takes time for users to move from the installation location of the destination floor registration device 1 to the boarding and alighting entrance of each car G (G1 to G3), the destination floor registration device 1 may be considered to be installed at a predetermined location, and in the device management data Dr, the installation location Qs may be associated with the device information Pd of the destination floor registration device 1 as a "predetermined location," and the specific time required for users to move to the boarding and alighting entrance of each car G (G1 to G3) may be associated as the travel time Tk.

[0036] The control unit 22 is a part that is responsible for executing the control processes (including allocation processes, registration processes, and response processes) performed by the group management control device 2. Specifically, the control unit 22 is made up of processing devices such as a CPU or MPU, and executes a control program installed in the group management control device 2 to realize the execution of its own control processes in software. Note that, before being installed in the group management control device 2, this control program may be stored in a readable state on a portable storage medium (for example, a flash memory, etc.), or may be stored in a downloadable state on a server, etc. Furthermore, the control processes performed by the group management control device 2 are not limited to being realized in software by executing a program, but may also be realized in hardware by a processing circuit built into the group management control device 2.

[0037] [2] Allocation process performed by the group management control device 4 is a flowchart showing the allocation process executed in this embodiment. This allocation process is started each time the group management control device 2 receives an allocation request from one of the destination floor registration devices 1. Hereinafter, a user who has registered with that destination floor registration device 1 will be referred to as a "target user." Furthermore, the information received by the group management control device 2 each time an allocation request is received (destination floor Fd and device information Pd) will be collectively referred to as "received information Pr."

[0038] When the allocation process starts, the group management control device 2 determines from which location the destination floor registration device 1 the received allocation request has been installed. Specifically, the group management control device 2 first uses the device management data Dr (see FIG. 3) to find device information Pd recorded therein that matches the device information Pd in ​​the received information Pr, and then extracts the installation position Qs associated with it (step S101). Next, the group management control device 2 determines whether the installation position Qs extracted in step S101 is a "hall" or a "predetermined position" (step S102).

[0039] When the group management control device 2 determines in step S102 that the destination is a "hall," it performs normal allocation as allocation to the car G in response to the request from the destination floor registration device 1. Specifically, it is as follows.

[0040] The group management control device 2 uses the device management data Dr (see FIG. 3) to extract the installation floor Fs associated with the same device information Pd (matching the device information Pd in ​​the received information Pr) as the device information Pd found in step S101 (step S110). Then, the group management control device 2 sets the installation floor Fs as the departure floor Fc of the target user (Fc=Fs).

[0041] After step S110, the group management control device 2 sets the departure floor Fc and destination floor Fd of the target user (the departure floor Fc set in step S110 and the destination floor Fd in the received information Pr) as one hall call X, and selects an allocation destination for the hall call X from among all cars G (step S111). As an example, the group management control device 2 selects the car G that can arrive at the departure floor Fc earliest among all cars G as the allocation destination.

[0042] Thereafter, the group management control device 2 allocates the hall call X for the target user to the allocation destination selected in step S111 (step S112). Then, the group management control device 2 records the information of the hall call X (departure floor Fc and destination floor Fd) in the part of the hall call management data Dx that corresponds to the car G of the allocation destination.

[0043] After step S112, the group management control device 2 notifies the target user of the allocation information (allocation information; in this case, information about the assigned car) made for the hall call X of the target user through the destination floor registration device 1 identified by the device information Pd in ​​the received information Pr (by displaying on a screen or outputting audio) (step S113). Thereafter, the group management control device 2 ends the allocation process.

[0044] On the other hand, if the group management control device 2 determines in step S102 that it is at the "predetermined position", it performs the following process.

[0045] The group management control device 2 uses the device management data Dr (see FIG. 3) to extract the installation floor Fs and the travel time Tk to each elevator car G (G1 to G3) that are associated with the same device information Pd (matching the device information Pd in ​​the received information Pr) as the device information Pd found in step S101 (step S120).The group management control device 2 then sets the extracted installation floor Fs as the departure floor Fc of the target user (Fc=Fs).

[0046] After step S120, the group management control device 2 treats the departure floor Fc and destination floor Fd of the target user (the departure floor Fc set in step S120 and the destination floor Fd in the received information Pr) as one hall call X, and estimates the scheduled boarding time Wk of the target user to each car G (G1 to G3) at the specific floor Fz from the travel time Tk extracted in step S120, and then allocates all cars G to the first car G1 and the second car G2 (step S121).

[0047] Here, the first car G1 is a car G whose scheduled departure time Wg from a specific floor Fz, when assumed to have responded to the hall call X of the target user, is earlier than the scheduled boarding time Wk of the target user at that specific floor Fz. If the hall call X for the target user is allocated to an allocation destination (first candidate Gw1) selected from this first car G1, the target user will be able to board the car G (= Gw1) allocated to him / her without delay.

[0048] On the other hand, the second car G2 is a car G whose scheduled departure time Wg from the specific floor Fz is later than the scheduled boarding time Wk of the target user. If the hall call X for the target user is assigned to an assignment destination (second candidate Gw2) selected from this second car G2, the target user will miss the car G (= Gw2) assigned to him / her.

[0049] For this reason, normally, the hall call X of the target user is not assigned to such a second car G2, even if it is a car G stopped at the specific floor Fz or a car G that arrives at the specific floor Fz during the target user's movement. Therefore, such a car G will depart from or pass through the specific floor Fz during the target user's movement. On the other hand, depending on the elevator operation status, the target user may be forced to wait a long time (to wait for a long time) at the hall of the specific floor Fz until the next car G (the assignment destination (first candidate Gw1) selected from the first car G1) arrives.

[0050] Therefore, in this embodiment, when allocating a target user to a car G in consideration of the travel time Tk of the target user, the group management control device 2 performs processing to make it possible to avoid the target user having to wait as long as possible at the landing of a specific floor Fz, following step S121. This will be specifically described below.

[0051] The group management control device 2 first determines whether or not a second car G2 exists as a result of the allocation in step S121 (step S122). This makes it possible to determine whether or not there is a car G (second car G2) that the target user would miss if allocation were made at that time. Then, if the group management control device 2 determines "exists (Yes)" in step S122, it further determines whether or not a first car G1 exists (step S123). This makes it possible to further determine whether or not there is a car G (first car G1) that the target user can board other than the second car G2.

[0052] If the group management control device 2 determines "Exists (Yes)" in step S123, it can determine that both the first car G1 and the second car G2 exist. In this case, the group management control device 2 first selects the first car G1 to which the hall call X for the target user is to be assigned, and sets it as the first candidate Gw1 (step S131). As an example, the group management control device 2 selects the car G that can arrive at the specific floor Fz earliest among the first cars G1 as the first candidate Gw1.

[0053] After step S131, the group management control device 2 determines whether the estimated time Tg required for the first candidate Gw1 to arrive at the specific floor Fz is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Tg0 in order to determine whether the target user will have a long wait time at the landing at the specific floor Fz if the landing call X for the target user is assigned to the first candidate Gw1 (step S132). This makes it possible to determine whether the target user will be forced to wait a long time at the landing at the specific floor Fz if the landing call X for the target user is assigned to the first candidate Gw1 selected from the first car G1 because the target user will miss the second car G2.

[0054] If the group management control device 2 determines in step S132 that "the predetermined value Tg0 is equal to or greater than Tg0 (Yes)," it can determine that if the first candidate Gw1 is assigned based on that determination, the target user will be forced to wait a long time. In this case, if the target user can board the second car G2, the target user will not have to wait a long time.

[0055] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the group management control device 2 determines in step S132 that the value is "greater than or equal to the predetermined value Tg0 (Yes)", it does not allocate the hall call X for the target user to the first candidate Gw1, but instead selects the second car G2 to allocate the hall call X for the target user and sets it as the second candidate Gw2 (step S141).

[0056] 5 is a flowchart specifically illustrating the processing of step S141. In step S141, the group management control device 2 determines whether or not there is a car G among the second cars G2 that is scheduled to stop at the destination floor Fd of the target user by referring to the hall call management data Dx and the car call management data Dy (step S200).

[0057] If the group management control device 2 determines that the candidate exists (Yes) in step S200, it selects a second candidate Gw2 from among the second elevators G2 that are scheduled to stop at the destination floor Fd of the target user (step S201).

[0058] According to this processing, it becomes possible to preferentially select the car G scheduled to stop at the destination floor Fd of the target user as the second candidate Gw2, and as a result, it becomes possible to minimize the increase in the number of stops of the second candidate Gw2 that may occur when the target user is assigned to the second candidate Gw2.

[0059] On the other hand, if the group management control device 2 determines that the car does not exist (No) in step S200, it selects as the second candidate Gw2 the second car G2 that has the shortest door-open extension time Tm required when waiting for the target user to board at the specific floor Fz (step S202).

[0060] According to this process, it is possible to keep as short as possible the stop time of the second candidate Gw2 at the specific floor Fz that occurs when the target user is assigned to the second candidate Gw2.

[0061] After step S141, the group management control device 2 assigns the hall call X for the target user to the second candidate Gw2 (step S142). Then, the group management control device 2 records the information of the hall call X (departure floor Fc and destination floor Fd) in the part of the hall call management data Dx that corresponds to the car G of the second candidate Gw2.

[0062] Furthermore, the group management control device 2 commands the second candidate Gw2 to extend the door open state to wait for the target user to board at the specific floor Fz (step S143). Specifically, the group management control device 2 sets the door open extension time Tm to the time obtained by subtracting the scheduled departure time Wg of the second candidate Gw2 from the specific floor Fz from the scheduled boarding time Wk of the target user to the second candidate Gw2 at the specific floor Fz, or a longer time, and commands the elevator control device controlling the second candidate Gw2 to extend the door open state of the second candidate Gw2 until that time has elapsed.

[0063] Furthermore, if the second candidate Gw2 has not yet arrived at the specific floor Fz when the allocation in step S142 is performed, the group management control device 2 can perform step S143 even before arrival, thereby instructing the second candidate Gw2 in advance to extend the door open period to be executed by the second candidate Gw2 after arrival. In this case, instead of instructing the door open extension, the group management control device 2 can instruct the second candidate Gw2 to reset the door open hold time to a time that includes the door open extension time Tm.

[0064] In this embodiment, an allocation is made to the second candidate Gw2 selected from the second elevator G2 in this manner (an allocation that differs from the usual one), and furthermore, by issuing a command to extend the door opening time for that second candidate Gw2, it is possible to create a situation in which the target user does not have to experience a long wait.

[0065] After step S143, the group management control device 2 notifies the target user of the information on the allocation made for the hall call X of the target user (allocation information; in this case, car information of the second candidate Gw2) through the destination floor registration device 1 identified by the device information Pd in ​​the received information Pr (by displaying on a screen or outputting audio) (step S144). Thereafter, the group management control device 2 ends the allocation process.

[0066] On the other hand, if the group management control device 2 determines "does not exist (No)" in step S123, it can determine that the first car G1 does not exist and only the second car G2 exists. In this case, since there is no car G (first car G1) that the target user can board without delay at that time, the target user will usually have to board a car G that has made one full rotation, which will certainly force the target user to wait a long time.

[0067] Therefore, in this embodiment, if the group management control device 2 determines that "does not exist (No)" in step S123, it does not perform the normal allocation just because it cannot select the first candidate Gw1, but instead executes steps S141 to S144 using the second elevator G2.

[0068] In this way, even if only the second elevator G2 is present as a result of the allocation in step S121, the elevator is allocated to the second candidate Gw2 selected from the second elevator G2 (a different allocation from the usual), and furthermore, by instructing the second candidate Gw2 to extend the door opening time, it is possible to create a situation in which the target user does not have to experience a long wait.

[0069] If the group management control device 2 determines "not present (No)" in step S122, it can determine that the second car G2 does not exist and only the first car G1 exists. In this case, the group management control device 2 executes steps S111 to S113 (normal allocation).

[0070] The above-described embodiments should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined not by the above-described embodiments but by the claims. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications that are equivalent to the scope of the claims and fall within the scope thereof.

[0071] From the above-described embodiment, the subject of the invention is not limited to the group management control device 2, but may also be extracted individually from part or all of the control processes (including control methods corresponding to the control processes) and programs executed by the group management control device 2. Also, part or all of the above-described elevators may also be extracted as the subject of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1, 1A, 1B Destination floor registration device 2 Group management control device G car X Platform call Y Cage call 21 Memory section 22 Control Unit Dr. Device management data Dx Hall call management data Dy Cage call management data Fc Departure Floor Fd Destination floor Fs Installation floor Fz specific floor G1 First car G2 Second car Pd device information Pr Reception Information Qs installation position Tg estimated time Tk travel time Tm Door Opening Extension Time Wg Scheduled Departure Time Wk scheduled boarding time Gw1 first choice Gw2 2nd candidate Tg0 specified value

Claims

1. When a user registers his / her destination floor using a destination floor registration device installed on a specific floor of the elevator, the user is treated as a target user, and when it is assumed that the elevator responds to a hall call from the target user, the elevator is assigned to a first car whose scheduled departure time from the specific floor is before the target user's scheduled boarding time at the specific floor and a second car whose scheduled boarding time is after the target user's scheduled boarding time, As a result of the allocation, a determination is made (A) as to whether the first car exists and whether the second car exists; If it is determined in the determination (A) that the first car exists and that the second car also exists, the first car is selected as the first candidate to which the hall call for the target user is to be assigned, and then a determination (B) is further made as to whether or not the estimated time required for the first candidate to arrive at the specific floor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; If it is determined in the judgment (B) that the value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the elevator control device does not allocate the hall call for the target user to the first candidate, but instead selects the second candidate car to allocate the hall call for the target user, and then allocates the hall call to the second candidate car, and further commands the second candidate car to extend door opening to wait for the target user to board at the specific floor.

2. 2. The elevator control device according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined in the determination (A) that the first car does not exist but the second car does exist, the elevator control device performs a process of selecting the second candidate from the second car without performing a process of selecting the first candidate from the first car, and then assigns the hall call to the second candidate, and further commands the second candidate to extend door opening to wait for the target user to board at the specific floor.

3. When selecting the second candidate from the second car, first, a determination is made (C) as to whether or not there is a car among the second cars that is scheduled to stop at the destination floor of the target user; 3. The elevator control device according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined in the determination (C) that there is a car scheduled to stop, the second candidate is selected from the car scheduled to stop.

4. An elevator control device as described in claim 3, wherein, when it is determined in the judgment (C) that there is no elevator car scheduled to stop, the second elevator car that has the shortest door-open extension time required when waiting for the target user to board at the specific floor is selected as the second candidate.

5. When a user registers his / her destination floor using a destination floor registration device installed on a specific floor of the elevator, the user is treated as a target user, and when it is assumed that the elevator responds to a hall call from the target user, the elevator is assigned to a first car whose scheduled departure time from the specific floor is before the target user's scheduled boarding time at the specific floor and a second car whose scheduled boarding time is after the target user's scheduled boarding time, As a result of the allocation, a determination is made (A) as to whether the first car exists and whether the second car exists; If it is determined in the determination (A) that the first car exists and that the second car also exists, the first car is selected as the first candidate to which the hall call for the target user is to be assigned, and then a determination (B) is further made as to whether or not the estimated time required for the first candidate to arrive at the specific floor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; When it is determined in the judgment (B) that the value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the elevator control method does not allocate the hall call for the target user to the first candidate, but instead selects a second candidate car to allocate the hall call for the target user, and then allocates the hall call to the second candidate car, and further instructs the second candidate car to extend door opening to wait for the target user to board at the specific floor.

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