A method for elevator floor detection and elevator control equipment

Abstract

The purpose of this application is to provide a method and elevator control device for elevator floor detection. Compared with the prior art, this application determines the normalized travel distance by normalizing the elevator travel distance obtained by the inertial sensor and the air pressure sensor respectively when the elevator is in a stationary state, and determines the current height of the elevator based on the normalized travel distance. When the current height of the elevator is less than a preset error threshold, the current floor of the elevator is determined. When the current height of the elevator is greater than the preset error threshold, the system is reset to determine the current floor of the elevator. This solution provides a low-cost, accurate detection method with good robustness by means of a fusion algorithm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of computer and robotics technology, and in particular to a technology for elevator floor detection. Background Art

[0002] Robots need to use elevators to complete tasks like delivering items. These robots need to be able to detect the elevator's current status and perform simple operations like pressing buttons, opening doors, and controlling them. Currently, elevator manufacturers, due to safety concerns, often do not provide data interfaces for accessing and controlling elevator data. Relying solely on the robot itself presents several challenges. For example, installing a robotic arm significantly increases costs, while visual algorithm analysis of camera images relies on the elevator's hardware. Different elevators display floor screens in different locations, and some older elevators may not have such screens. Therefore, additional elevator control equipment must be installed in the car for control and monitoring. Existing floor detection methods are either costly or difficult to implement, hindering long-term maintenance. Furthermore, detection accuracy and robustness are poor. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a method for elevator floor detection and elevator control equipment.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present application, a method for detecting elevator floors is provided, wherein the method is performed by an elevator control device installed in the elevator, the elevator control device including an inertial sensor and an air pressure sensor, and the method includes:

[0005] When the elevator is in a stationary state, normalizing the elevator travel distances obtained by the inertial sensor and the air pressure sensor to determine a normalized travel distance;

[0006] Determining the current height of the elevator based on the normalized travel distance;

[0007] When the current height of the elevator is less than a preset error threshold, the current floor of the elevator is determined. When the current height of the elevator is greater than the preset error threshold, the system is reset and the current floor of the elevator is determined.

[0008] Optionally, before normalizing the elevator travel distances respectively acquired by the inertial sensor and the air pressure sensor, the method further includes:

[0009] Determine whether the system is in a waiting-for-reset state; if the system is not in the waiting-for-reset state, normalize the elevator travel distances obtained by the inertial sensor and the air pressure sensor respectively.

[0010] Optionally, the method further comprises:

[0011] When in the waiting for reset state, after the system reset process is performed, the current floor of the elevator is determined.

[0012] Optionally, the elevator control device further includes a laser ranging module, wherein the performing system reset processing includes:

[0013] When the elevator is within the range of the laser ranging module, the system's initial value is restored based on the pre-calibrated value of the laser ranging module; or, when the elevator is not within the range of the laser ranging module, the system's initial value is restored based on the communication command sent by the robot.

[0014] Optionally, the restoring the initial value of the system based on the communication instruction sent by the robot includes:

[0015] When the robot is in the elevator, based on the control instructions sent by the robot, the elevator is controlled to enter the range of the laser ranging module, so as to restore the initial value of the system based on the pre-calibrated value of the laser ranging module.

[0016] Optionally, the restoring the initial value of the system based on the communication instruction sent by the robot includes:

[0017] When the robot is outside the elevator, upon obtaining the floor information sent by the robot after entering the elevator, the initial value of the system is restored.

[0018] Optionally, the method further comprises:

[0019] The initial values ​​of the calibration system include the laser ranging value of the elevator on each floor, the integrated distance of the inertial sensor on each floor, and the air pressure change data of the air pressure sensor on each floor.

[0020] Optionally, the method further comprises:

[0021] When the elevator is in a moving state, the moving direction of the elevator is determined based on the inertial sensor to notify the robot of the moving direction.

[0022] Optionally, the elevator control device further includes a keypad, and the method further includes:

[0023] Acquire the floor instruction sent by the robot, and control the corresponding floor button on the keypad based on the floor instruction.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present application, an elevator control device for elevator floor detection is further provided, wherein the device includes:

[0025] Inertial sensors and air pressure sensors are used to obtain the distance traveled by the elevator;

[0026] a processor, configured to normalize the elevator travel distance and determine the current height of the elevator based on the normalized travel distance;

[0027] The detection module is used to determine the current floor of the elevator based on the current height of the elevator.

[0028] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0029] The laser ranging module is used to restore the initial value of the system based on the pre-calibrated value of the laser ranging module when the elevator is within the range of the laser ranging module.

[0030] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0031] The communication module is used to communicate with the robot to inform the robot of the elevator status and the current floor.

[0032] Optionally, the device further includes:

[0033] The keypad is used to obtain the floor instructions sent by the robot and control the corresponding floor buttons on the keypad based on the floor instructions.

[0034] According to another aspect of the present application, an elevator control device for elevator floor detection is provided, wherein the device includes:

[0035] one or more processors; and

[0036] A memory storing computer-readable instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to perform the operations of the aforementioned method.

[0037] Compared with the existing technology, this application normalizes the elevator travel distance obtained by the inertial sensor and the air pressure sensor when the elevator is stationary, determines the normalized travel distance, and determines the current height of the elevator based on the normalized travel distance. When the current height of the elevator is less than a preset error threshold, the current floor of the elevator is determined. When the current height of the elevator is greater than the preset error threshold, the system is reset and the current floor of the elevator is determined. This solution provides a low-cost, accurate detection method with good robustness through the fusion algorithm. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments made with reference to the following drawings:

[0039] Figure 1A flow chart of a method for elevator floor detection according to one aspect of the present application is shown;

[0040] Figure 2 A flow chart of a method for elevator floor detection according to a preferred embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0041] The same or similar reference numerals in the drawings represent the same or similar components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] In a typical configuration of the present application, the terminal, the device of the service network and the trusted party all include one or more processors (CPUs), input / output interfaces, network interfaces and memories.

[0044] Memory may include non-permanent storage in a computer-readable medium, random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory in the form of read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. Memory is an example of a computer-readable medium.

[0045] Computer-readable media includes permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can be implemented by any method or technology to store information. The information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable media does not include non-transitory media such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0046] In order to further illustrate the technical means adopted by this application and the effects achieved, the technical solution of this application is clearly and completely described below in combination with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0047] Figure 1 A flowchart of a method for elevator floor detection provided in one aspect of the present application is shown. The method is executed by an elevator control device installed on the elevator, the elevator control device including an inertial sensor and an air pressure sensor, and the method includes:

[0048] S11: When the elevator is in a stationary state, normalize the elevator travel distances obtained by the inertial sensor and the air pressure sensor to determine a normalized travel distance;

[0049] S12 determining the current height of the elevator based on the normalized travel distance;

[0050] S13: When the current height of the elevator is less than the preset error threshold, the current floor of the elevator is determined. When the current height of the elevator is greater than the preset error threshold, the system is reset and the current floor of the elevator is determined.

[0051] In this embodiment, in step S11, the elevator control device is an elevator control and monitoring device installed on the top of the elevator car. In this step, the elevator control device is used to detect whether the elevator is in a stationary state. Specifically, the acceleration of the IMU (Inertial measurement unit) is used to determine whether the elevator is stationary. The IMU can obtain the acceleration value during the movement of the elevator, and the current movement state of the elevator can be accurately obtained through the filtering algorithm, including upward, downward, and stationary states. At the same time, the IMU can obtain the travel distance from one stop to the next stop by integration, and the air pressure sensor can obtain the real-time air pressure value, and the air pressure value can be converted into the travel distance by a pre-calibrated conversion coefficient. When it is determined that the elevator is in a stationary state, the elevator travel distances obtained by the inertial sensor and the air pressure sensor are normalized to determine the normalized travel distance. The normalized travel distance can be determined by the following formula:

[0052]

[0053] Among them, ω represents the weight of the travel distance measured by the IMU sensor, υ α Indicates the travel distance measured by the IMU sensor, υ β represents the travel distance converted from air pressure, η is the proportion of the IMU sensor at the longest travel distance, which is used as the base of the weight, and ∑ represents the longest possible travel distance.

[0054] While IMU sensors are highly accurate for short distances, they experience cumulative errors over longer distances, increasing with distance. Meanwhile, barometric pressure sensors maintain relatively stable errors over long distances, as long as the temperature and humidity don't fluctuate dramatically. However, over shorter distances, they can experience fluctuations of around ±10 Pa, representing approximately 25% of the pressure difference between floors, significantly impacting floor determination. Therefore, distances derived from two different sensors are combined into a single, normalized distance. This fusion algorithm, combining the two sensor data, produces a more stable distance for both long and short distances. This algorithm significantly reduces statistical variance and produces robust results. Since the distance between elevator floors is typically over 3 meters, keeping the error within 1.5 meters ensures accurate results. In the event of a detection failure (measured with a probability of approximately 0.02 in 150 meters, with the probability decreasing with shorter distances), the system promptly detects the error and enters a reset state.

[0055] The method of determining the floor by distance traveled must record the correct initial position. Otherwise, the distance from floor A to floor B will be roughly the same as the distance from floor B to floor C, and the elevator floor cannot be determined based on distance traveled alone. If the error is greater than the set threshold, the system will determine that the detection has failed and enter a state of waiting for reset.

[0056] Preferably, before normalizing the elevator travel distances respectively acquired by the inertial sensor and the air pressure sensor, the method further comprises:

[0057] Determine whether the system is in a waiting-for-reset state; if not, normalize the elevator travel distances obtained by the inertial sensor and the air pressure sensor. In this embodiment, when the elevator is stationary, it is possible that the elevator is in a waiting-for-reset state. Therefore, it is possible to determine in advance whether the system is in a waiting-for-reset state.

[0058] Preferably, the method further comprises: when in the waiting-for-reset state, after performing system reset processing, determining the current floor of the elevator.

[0059] Preferably, the elevator control device further includes a laser ranging module, wherein the performing of the system reset process includes:

[0060] When the elevator is within the range of the laser ranging module, the system's initial value is restored based on the pre-calibrated value of the laser ranging module; or, when the elevator is not within the range of the laser ranging module, the system's initial value is restored based on the communication command sent by the robot.

[0061] Specifically, in one embodiment, a laser ranging module with an effective range of 60 meters can be installed on the elevator control equipment. Laser ranging modules with this range are inexpensive, and the system does not require the laser to always accurately measure distances (floors above the 10th floor are generally greater than 60 meters). Before use, only the floors within the laser range need to be calibrated. When the system enters the reset state, once the elevator enters the laser range, the system will reset the initial position correctly using the pre-calibrated value and return to normal operation.

[0062] Alternatively, when the elevator is not within the range of the laser ranging module, the initial value of the system is restored based on the information interaction with the robot.

[0063] Optionally, restoring the initial value of the system based on the communication instructions sent by the robot includes: when the robot is in the elevator, controlling the elevator to enter the range of the laser ranging module based on the control instructions sent by the robot, so as to restore the initial value of the system based on the pre-calibrated value of the laser ranging module.

[0064] Specifically, if the robot is in the elevator when the system is waiting to be reset, the robot itself cannot know the current floor it is on. At this time, the robot will notify the elevator control device of this event through methods including but not limited to 4G, Bluetooth, LoRa, etc., and control the elevator to go to the floor within the range of the laser ranging module to restore the system's initial value through the laser ranging module.

[0065] Optionally, the restoring the initial value of the system based on the communication instruction sent by the robot includes: when the robot is outside the elevator, upon obtaining floor information sent by the robot after entering the elevator, restoring the initial value of the system.

[0066] Specifically, the robot, equipped with a lidar and depth camera, can accurately determine the elevator door's open / closed state through its internal algorithm. Therefore, if the robot is outside the elevator while it's waiting to reset, it only determines the door's open / closed state to enter. Once the robot successfully enters the elevator, it attempts to notify the elevator control system of this event and the floor it entered via methods including, but not limited to, 4G, Bluetooth, and LoRa. The elevator control system can use this event to correctly reset its initial position and return the elevator to a normal state.

[0067] Preferably, the elevator control device further includes a keypad, and the method further includes: acquiring a floor instruction sent by the robot, and controlling a corresponding floor button on the keypad based on the floor instruction.

[0068] Preferably, the method further comprises: calibrating the initial values ​​of the system, including calibrating the laser ranging value of the elevator on each floor, the integrated distance of the inertial sensor on each floor, and the air pressure change data of the air pressure sensor on each floor.

[0069] Specifically, the calibration process can be carried out through the following: 1. After the equipment is powered on, the smartphone connects to the network hotspot of the elevator control device and opens the calibration software; 2. Correctly fill in the one-to-one correspondence between the buttons on the elevator control panel and the logical floors of the elevator and submit it; 3. Start from the top floor and descend floor by floor. After the elevator stops steadily, calibrate the laser ranging value of each floor and submit it; 4. Record the integrated distance of the IMU floor by floor, from the lowest floor to the highest floor, and then from the highest floor to the lowest floor and submit it; 5. Make the elevator move from the lowest floor to the highest floor without stopping, record the data of the IMU and air pressure changes, then make the elevator move from the highest floor to the lowest floor without stopping, record the same data, submit it to the program, and use the linear regression algorithm to obtain the various compensation coefficients of the internal floor detection algorithm.

[0070] Wherein, in the step S12, the current height of the elevator is determined based on the normalized travel distance.

[0071] Continuing with this embodiment, in step S13, when the current height of the elevator is less than the preset error threshold, the current floor of the elevator is determined, wherein, when the current height of the elevator is greater than the preset error threshold, the system is reset and the current floor of the elevator is determined.

[0072] Preferably, the method further comprises: when the elevator is in a moving state, determining the moving direction of the elevator based on an inertial sensor, and notifying the robot of the moving direction. Here, the robot may be notified by broadcasting.

[0073] like Figure 2 A preferred embodiment of a method for elevator floor detection is shown. The main process of elevator status and floor detection during operation is as follows:

[0074] 1. Determine whether the elevator is stationary based on the IMU acceleration. If it is stationary, proceed to step 3; otherwise, proceed to step 2.

[0075] 2. Output the elevator direction determined by the IMU acceleration direction, including up or down;

[0076] 3. Determine whether the system is in the state of waiting for reset. If so, proceed to step 6; if not, proceed to step 4.

[0077] 4. Use the IMU and air pressure fusion algorithm proposed in this invention to obtain the current altitude. If the resulting error is less than the threshold, it is judged as a success; if it is greater than or equal to the threshold, it is judged as a failure. If successful, proceed to step 5; if not, proceed to step 6.

[0078] 5. Output and record the current floor, output methods include 4G, Bluetooth or LoRa, etc.

[0079] 6. Determine whether the current distance is within the range of the laser ranging module. If so, proceed to step 11; if not, proceed to step 7.

[0080] 7. Is the robot in the elevator at this time? If so, proceed to 9; otherwise, proceed to 8.

[0081] 8. The robot uses the data from the LiDAR and depth sensors to perform algorithmic analysis to enter the elevator. If successful, it sends a successful entry message to the elevator control device, which then completes a system reset.

[0082] 9. The robot attempts to reset the elevator control system and sends an elevator call request message to the elevator control device (via 4G, Bluetooth or LoRa, etc.), goes to the preset floor within the laser range, and enters 10

[0083] 10. The elevator goes to a floor within the laser range and waits for reset;

[0084] 11. The system is successfully reset, and the current status is uploaded via 4G and broadcast via Bluetooth or LoRa.

[0085] Compared with the existing technology, this application normalizes the elevator travel distance obtained by the inertial sensor and the air pressure sensor when the elevator is stationary, determines the normalized travel distance, and determines the current height of the elevator based on the normalized travel distance. When the current height of the elevator is less than a preset error threshold, the current floor of the elevator is determined. When the current height of the elevator is greater than the preset error threshold, the system is reset and the current floor of the elevator is determined. This solution provides a low-cost, accurate detection method with good robustness through the fusion algorithm.

[0086] According to another aspect of the present application, an elevator control device for elevator floor detection is also provided, wherein the device includes:

[0087] Inertial sensors and air pressure sensors are used to obtain the distance traveled by the elevator;

[0088] a processor, configured to normalize the elevator travel distance and determine the current height of the elevator based on the normalized travel distance;

[0089] The detection module is used to determine the current floor of the elevator based on the current height of the elevator.

[0090] Preferably, the device further comprises: a laser ranging module, which is used to restore the initial value of the system based on the pre-calibrated value of the laser ranging module when the elevator is within the range of the laser ranging module.

[0091] Preferably, the device further comprises: a communication module for communicating with the robot to inform the robot of the elevator status and the current floor.

[0092] Preferably, the device further comprises:

[0093] The keypad is used to obtain the floor instructions sent by the robot and control the corresponding floor buttons on the keypad based on the floor instructions.

[0094] The embodiment of the present application further provides an elevator control device for elevator floor detection, wherein the device includes:

[0095] one or more processors; and

[0096] A memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform the operations of the aforementioned method.

[0097] For example, when the computer-readable instructions are executed, the one or more processors are caused to: when the elevator is in a stationary state, normalize the elevator travel distances obtained by the inertial sensor and the air pressure sensor respectively to determine the normalized travel distance; determine the current height of the elevator based on the normalized travel distance; when the current height of the elevator is less than a preset error threshold, determine the current floor of the elevator, wherein, when the current height of the elevator is greater than the preset error threshold, perform system reset processing and then determine the current floor of the elevator.

[0098] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential features of the invention. Therefore, from any point of view, the embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-restrictive, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that all changes that fall within the meaning and scope of the equivalents of the claims be encompassed within the present invention. Any figure marks in the claims should not be regarded as limiting the claims involved. In addition, it is clear that the word "comprising" does not exclude other units or steps, and the singular does not exclude the plural. Multiple units or devices stated in the device claim may also be implemented by one unit or device through software or hardware. Words such as first and second are used to indicate names and do not indicate any particular order.

Claims

1. A method for elevator floor detection, wherein: The method is performed by an elevator control device installed on an elevator, the elevator control device including an inertial sensor, an air pressure sensor, and a laser ranging module, and the method includes: When the elevator is in a stationary state, normalizing the elevator travel distances obtained by the inertial sensor and the air pressure sensor to determine a normalized travel distance; Determining the current height of the elevator based on the normalized travel distance; When the current height of the elevator is less than a preset error threshold, the current floor of the elevator is determined. When the current height of the elevator is greater than the preset error threshold, the system is reset and the current floor of the elevator is determined. The system reset includes: when the elevator is within the range of the laser ranging module, based on the pre-calibrated value of the laser ranging module, restoring the initial value of the system; or, when the elevator is not within the range of the laser ranging module, based on the communication instruction sent by the robot, restoring the initial value of the system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein Before normalizing the elevator travel distances respectively acquired by the inertial sensor and the air pressure sensor, the method further includes: Determine whether the system is in a waiting-for-reset state; if the system is not in the waiting-for-reset state, normalize the elevator travel distances obtained by the inertial sensor and the air pressure sensor respectively.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The method further comprises: When in the waiting for reset state, after the system reset process is performed, the current floor of the elevator is determined.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The restoration of the system's initial value based on the communication instruction sent by the robot includes: When the robot is in the elevator, based on the control instructions sent by the robot, the elevator is controlled to enter the range of the laser ranging module, so as to restore the initial value of the system based on the pre-calibrated value of the laser ranging module.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The restoration of the system's initial value based on the communication instruction sent by the robot includes: When the robot is outside the elevator, upon obtaining the floor information sent by the robot after entering the elevator, the initial value of the system is restored.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The method further comprises: The initial values ​​of the calibration system include the laser ranging value of the elevator on each floor, the integrated distance of the inertial sensor on each floor, and the air pressure change data of the air pressure sensor on each floor.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further comprises: When the elevator is in a moving state, the moving direction of the elevator is determined based on the inertial sensor to notify the robot of the moving direction.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein The elevator control device further includes a keypad, and the method further includes: Acquire the floor instruction sent by the robot, and control the corresponding floor button on the keypad based on the floor instruction.

9. An elevator control device for elevator floor detection, wherein: The device comprises: Inertial sensors and air pressure sensors are used to obtain the distance traveled by the elevator; a processor, configured to normalize the elevator travel distance and determine the current height of the elevator based on the normalized travel distance; a detection module, configured to determine the current floor of the elevator based on the current height of the elevator, wherein when the current height of the elevator is greater than a preset error threshold, a system reset process is performed to determine the current floor of the elevator, wherein the system reset process includes: when the elevator is within the range of the laser ranging module, restoring the system's initial value based on a pre-calibrated value of the laser ranging module; or, when the elevator is not within the range of the laser ranging module, restoring the system's initial value based on a communication instruction sent by the robot; A laser ranging module, configured to restore the system's initial value based on a pre-calibrated value of the laser ranging module when the elevator is within the range of the laser ranging module; The communication module is used to communicate with the robot to inform the robot of the elevator status and the current floor it is on.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein The device further comprises: The keypad is used to obtain the floor instructions sent by the robot and control the corresponding floor buttons on the keypad based on the floor instructions.

11. An elevator control device for elevator floor detection, wherein: The device includes: one or more processors; and A memory storing computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to perform the operations of the method of any one of claims 1 to 8.

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