Elevator system

Abstract

Provided is an elevator system capable of suppressing the expansion of infection of infectious diseases. This elevator system is provided in a building in which a specific floor among a plurality of floors is set, and is provided with: a car; a control device that generates a car call; and a landing camera that is provided at a landing of a floor other than a specific floor among a plurality of floors and that captures an image including information on temperature distribution, the control device being provided with: a temperature detection unit that detects, on the basis of the image of the landing captured by the landing camera, the presence of a heat-generating person having a body temperature equal to or greater than a body temperature threshold value at the landing; and a call generation unit that generates a specific call that starts from the landing and reaches a specific floor when it is detected that the heat generator is present in the landing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to elevator systems. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an elevator system. This system detects the presence of a feverish individual (e.g., someone infected with an infectious disease) and a non-feverish individual at a landing. In this case, a first elevator car is allocated for the feverish individual and a second elevator car is allocated for the non-feverish individual. This prevents both the feverish individual and the non-feverish individual from sharing a single elevator car.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2021 / 014572 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] However, in the elevator system described in Patent Document 1, fever detection is performed after a feverish person operates the landing operating panel. Therefore, infectious bacteria or viruses may be taken in by a person without a fever through the operating panel touched by the infected person, thereby causing the infection to spread.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems. An object of the present disclosure is to provide an elevator system that can suppress the spread of infectious diseases.

[0009] Means for solving problems

[0010] The elevator system disclosed herein is provided in a building having a specific floor among a plurality of floors, wherein the elevator system comprises: a car; a control device which generates an elevator call for the car; and a floor camera which is provided at a floor of a floor which is not the specific floor among the plurality of floors and captures an image containing information on temperature distribution, wherein the control device comprises: a temperature detection unit which detects the presence of a person with a fever whose body temperature is above a temperature threshold at the floor based on the image of the floor captured by the floor camera; and an elevator call generation unit which generates a specific elevator call starting from the floor and directly to the specific floor when the presence of a person with a fever is detected at the floor.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present disclosure, when a person with a fever is detected, a specific call to a specific floor is generated without causing the person with a fever to operate the operating panel at the landing. Therefore, the spread of infectious diseases can be suppressed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1This is a diagram showing an overview of a building in which the elevator system according to the first embodiment is installed.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of the elevator system in the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the elevator system in the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a hardware configuration diagram of the control panel of the elevator system in the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, identical or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Any duplicate description of the parts will be simplified or omitted as appropriate.

[0018] Implementation Method 1

[0019] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an overview of a building in which the elevator system according to the first embodiment is installed.

[0020] Figure 1 Elevator system 1 is installed in building 2. Building 2 has multiple floors. Elevator system 1 is configured with specific floors 3a among the multiple floors. One or more general floors 3b are floors among the multiple floors that are not specific floors 3a. For example, if building 2 is a complex building housing a medical institution 2a, specific floors 3a are floors among the multiple floors where medical institution 2a is located. For example, if building 2 is a hospital as a whole, specific floors 3a are floors where specific medical departments such as fever clinics or specific treatment rooms are located.

[0021] In an elevator system 1, a hoistway 4 extends through multiple floors of a building 2. A machine room 5 is located directly above the hoistway 4. Multiple landings 6 are located on multiple floors. Each landing 6 faces the hoistway 4. A traction machine 7 is located in the machine room 5. A main rope 8 is wound around the traction machine 7. A car 9 is suspended from one side of the main rope 8 within the hoistway 4. A counterweight 10 is suspended from the other side of the main rope 8 within the hoistway 4. A control panel 11 is located in the machine room 5 as a control device. The control panel 11 is capable of controlling the entire elevator system 1.

[0022] The elevator system 1 further includes a plurality of landing cameras 12 , a plurality of landing annunciators 13 , a car camera 14 , a car annunciator 15 , and a transmitter 16 .

[0023] Multiple landing cameras 12 are installed at multiple landings 6. Each of the landing cameras 12 has the same structure. The landing cameras 12 are installed so as to be able to capture images of users at the corresponding landings 6. For example, the landing cameras 12 are thermal cameras. The landing cameras 12 capture landing temperature images that include information about the temperature distribution within the image. The landing cameras 12 can also capture video by capturing consecutive landing temperature images.

[0024] Multiple landing annunciators 13 are installed at multiple landings 6. Each of the multiple landing annunciators 13 has the same structure. The landing annunciators 13 use voice, images, or the like to notify users at the corresponding landing 6 of information. For example, the landing annunciators 13 may be speakers that emit voice. Alternatively, the landing annunciators 13 may be displays that display images.

[0025] The car camera 14 is installed so as to be able to capture images of users inside the car 9. For example, the car camera 14 is a thermal camera. The car camera 14 captures a car temperature image containing information on the temperature distribution inside the image. The car camera 14 may also capture a video by capturing a series of car temperature images.

[0026] The car alarm 15 is installed in the car 9. The car alarm 15 uses voice, images, etc. to notify users inside the car 9 of information. For example, the car alarm 15 is a speaker that emits voice. For example, the car alarm 15 may also be a display that displays images.

[0027] The transmitter 16 is a device that reports information to people using at least one of sound, light, and text. Specifically, the transmitter 16 includes at least one of a buzzer, a light, and a display. The transmitter 16 may also be a device using a voltage-free contact. The transmitter 16 is installed on the specific floor 3a. Specifically, the transmitter 16 is installed in the medical institution 2a.

[0028] For example, if building 2 is a complex building that includes medical institution 2a as a tenant, a feverish person F, who is infected with an infectious disease, may seek medical attention at medical institution 2a. For example, the infectious disease may be caused by a virus such as influenza or the novel coronavirus. In this case, a user N in the elevator system 1 who does not have a fever may be at risk of infection, such as contact infection from objects touched by feverish person F or droplet infection from droplets released by feverish person F.

[0029] Based on the image captured by the landing camera 12, the control panel 11 detects that a person F with a fever is present at the landing 6 where the landing camera 12 is installed. In this case, the control panel 11 generates a specific elevator call for outpatient response operation and registers the specific elevator call in the car 9. The control panel 11 causes the landing alarm 13 and the car alarm 15 of the landing 6 to report information corresponding to the outpatient response operation. In response to the specific elevator call, the control panel 11 causes the car 9 to go directly from the landing 6 to the specific floor 3a. The control panel 11 causes the transmitter 16 to report information corresponding to the outpatient response operation. In this case, the medical practitioners of the medical institution 2a prepare a system to receive the person F with a fever.

[0030] Next, use Figure 2 The control panel 11 will be described.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of a portion of the elevator system in Embodiment 1. Figure 2 In FIG, each floor of the building 2 and the elevator car 9 are not shown.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, the control panel 11 includes a temperature detection unit 20, a call generation unit 21, an operation control unit 22, a notification unit 23, and a transmission unit 24. A specific floor 3a is set in advance in the control panel 11.

[0033] The temperature detection unit 20 obtains landing temperature image information and car temperature image information from the landing camera 12 and the car camera 14, respectively. Hereinafter, the landing temperature image and the car temperature image will be collectively referred to as the temperature image. The temperature detection unit 20 detects the user reflected in the temperature image. The temperature detection unit 20 detects the body temperature of each user reflected in the temperature image.

[0034] The temperature detection unit 20 determines whether the detected body temperature of the user is lower than the body temperature threshold. The temperature detection unit 20 regards a user whose body temperature is lower than the body temperature threshold as a non-fever person. The temperature detection unit 20 regards a user whose body temperature is above the body temperature threshold as a fever person. The temperature detection unit 20 detects whether the location of the location where the person with fever or the person without fever is located among the multiple landings 6 and the car 9 based on the installation location of the device that captured the temperature image being used. When the temperature detection unit 20 detects that a person with fever is present in the car 9 after a specific elevator call is generated based on the car temperature image, it detects that the person with fever is already boarding the car 9.

[0035] The call generation unit 21 generates calls registered in the car 9, such as landing calls and car calls. When the temperature detection unit 20 detects the presence of a person with a fever at any of the multiple landings 6, the call generation unit 21 generates a specific call. A specific call is a call that uses the landing 6 where the fever was detected as the departure floor and the specific floor 3a as the destination floor. A specific call is a dedicated call that directly reaches the destination floor without stopping at any intermediate floors between the departure floor and the destination floor.

[0036] The operation control unit 22 controls the operation of the car 9. When a specific call is generated, the operation control unit 22 registers the specific call in the car 9. The operation control unit 22 performs dedicated operation of the car 9 in response to the specific call. While performing dedicated operation based on the specific call, the operation control unit 22 does not register other calls, such as landing calls and car calls, in the car 9.

[0037] If the temperature detection unit 20 detects the presence of a person with a normal fever inside the car 9 while the car 9 is stopped at the departure floor in response to a specific call, the operation control unit 22 does not cause the car 9 to depart from the departure floor. In this case, the operation control unit 22 causes the car 9 to continue to stop at the departure floor with the car 9 door open. Thereafter, if the presence of a person with a normal fever is no longer detected inside the car 9, or if a predetermined release operation is performed, the operation control unit 22 causes the car 9 to depart from the departure floor toward the destination floor.

[0038] The predetermined release operation is arbitrarily set. For example, the release operation is a specific button operation performed on the operating panel inside the car 9. For example, the release operation is an operation in which a reader inside the car 9 reads specific ID data. For example, this specific ID data is data held by a medical practitioner at the medical institution 2a.

[0039] The notification unit 23 notifies the user of information via at least one of the plurality of landing notification devices 13 and the car notification devices 15 .

[0040] When a specific call is generated by the call generating unit 21, the transmitting unit 24 causes the transmitter 16 to report the information. For example, the transmitting unit 24 causes the transmitter 16 to report the information by operating the open / close state of the contact of the transmitter 16.

[0041] Alternatively, the staff of the medical institution 2a may be informed of the fact that a person with a fever will arrive at a specific floor 3a in the car 9 via the transmitter 16. In this case, the notification unit 24 emits a buzzer sound from the transmitter 16 as information corresponding to the outpatient response operation, thereby notifying the staff of the medical institution 2a of the fact.

[0042] Furthermore, if the transmitter 16 is a speaker capable of making voice announcements, the transmitter 24 may cause the transmitter 16 to make a voice announcement indicating that a person with a fever will board the car 9 and arrive at the specific floor 3a as information corresponding to the outpatient response operation. If the transmitter 16 is a screen capable of displaying information, the transmitter 24 may cause the transmitter 16 to display information indicating that a person with a fever will board the car 9 and arrive at the specific floor 3a as information corresponding to the outpatient response operation.

[0043] Next, use Figure 3 The outpatient care operation performed by the control panel 11 will be described.

[0044] Figure 3 This is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the elevator system in the first embodiment.

[0045] Figure 3 The operations in the flowchart shown are started at arbitrary timing.

[0046] In step S01 , the temperature detection unit 20 detects whether a person with a fever exists in any landing 6 .

[0047] When it is detected in step S01 that no person with a fever exists in any landing 6 , the control panel 11 repeats the operation of step S01 .

[0048] If a person with a fever is detected at any landing 6 in step S01, the process proceeds to step S02. In step S02, as an outpatient response operation, the call generation unit 21 generates a specific call with the landing 6 where the person with a fever was detected as the departure floor and the specific floor 3a as the destination floor. The operation control unit 22 registers the specific call in the car 9.

[0049] Then, in step S03, the notification unit 23 causes the car annunciator 15 to announce the first broadcast. The first broadcast is directed to the users inside the car 9, and is a broadcast indicating that outpatient response operation is being performed and requesting that the user get off the elevator at the floor 6 where the person with a fever is detected. In addition, the notification unit 23 causes the floor station annunciator 13 installed at the floor 6 where the person with a fever is detected to announce the second broadcast. The second broadcast is a broadcast indicating that outpatient response operation is being performed and that the person with a fever who has made a specific call does not need to operate the operating panel of the floor station and the operating panel of the car. In addition, the communication unit 24 causes the communication unit 16 to report the information that outpatient response operation is being performed.

[0050] Then, in step S04, the operation control unit 22 determines whether the car 9 has arrived at the landing 6 where the presence of a person with a fever has been detected.

[0051] When it is determined in step S04 that the car 9 has not arrived, the operations after step S03 are repeated.

[0052] If it is determined in step S04 that the car 9 has arrived, the process proceeds to step S05. In step S05, the notification unit 23 causes the landing notification device 13 and the car notification device 15 of the landing 6 to make a third announcement. The third announcement is an announcement urging only those with a fever to board the car 9. Furthermore, the third announcement may include an announcement requesting that people other than those with a fever wait for the elevator.

[0053] Then, in step S06, the operation control unit 22 determines whether the interior of the car 9 is occupied solely by people with a fever. Furthermore, at this time, the temperature detection unit 20 detects that a person with a fever is already boarding the car 9. Specifically, if the temperature detection unit 20 detects the presence of a person with a fever inside the car 9 and detects the absence of a person without a fever inside the car 9, the operation control unit 22 determines that the interior of the car 9 is occupied solely by people with a fever. If the temperature detection unit 20 detects the absence of a person with a fever inside the car 9 or detects the presence of a person without a fever inside the car 9, the operation control unit 22 determines that the interior of the car 9 is not occupied solely by people with a fever.

[0054] If it is determined in step S06 that only the person with fever is present in the car 9, the operation of step S07 is performed. In step S07, the operation control unit 22 causes the car 9 to depart from the departure floor.

[0055] Then, in step S08, the operation control unit 22 directs the car 9 to the destination floor. Specifically, the operation control unit 22 does not register calls to the car 9 that specify a floor other than the specific floor 3a as a departure floor or destination floor. The operation control unit 22 directs the car 9 to stop at the destination floor. The operation control unit 22 terminates the outpatient service operation.

[0056] Then, the control panel 11 ends the operation of the flowchart.

[0057] If it is determined in step S06 that the interior of the car 9 is not occupied by only the heat-generating persons, the operation of step S09 is performed. In step S09, the operation control unit 22 determines whether a release operation has been performed.

[0058] When it is determined in step S09 that the release operation has not been performed, the operations after step S05 are performed.

[0059] When it is determined in step S09 that the release operation has been performed, the operations in step S07 and thereafter are performed.

[0060] According to the first embodiment described above, the elevator system 1 includes a car 9, a control panel 11 serving as a control device, and a landing camera 12. The control panel 11 includes a temperature detector 20 and a call generator 21. Upon detecting the presence of a person with a fever at a landing 6, the control panel 11 generates a specific call for a specific floor 3a. Therefore, a person with a fever suffering from an infectious disease does not need to operate the landing 6 control panel or the car 9 control panel to reach the specific floor 3a. This prevents, for example, bacteria or viruses that cause the infectious disease from being transmitted to other users via the landing 6 control panel or the car 9 control panel. Furthermore, the car 9 directly accesses the specific floor 3a. Therefore, users entering the car 9 from floors other than the specific floor 3a are prevented. This prevents users other than the person with a fever from being infected by droplets containing bacteria or viruses floating inside the car 9. As a result, the elevator system 1 can suppress the spread of infectious diseases.

[0061] Furthermore, in the building 2 where the elevator system 1 is installed, it is estimated that the operating panels at the landings 6 and the operating panels in the cars 9 are rarely touched by people with fevers caused by infectious diseases. In this case, the frequency of infection prevention measures such as disinfection and antibacterial treatment of these operating panels can be reduced. Consequently, the maintenance costs of the elevator system 1 can be reduced.

[0062] The elevator system 1 also includes a car camera 14. The control panel 11 also includes an operation control unit 22. Based on the temperature image captured by the car camera 14, the control panel 11 prevents the car 9 from departing if it detects the presence of a person without a fever inside the car 9 after the car 9 has stopped at the landing 6 where a person with a fever has been detected. Therefore, the elevator system 1 can prevent people without a fever from riding in the car 9 with people with a fever. Consequently, it can prevent droplet infection from people without a fever inside the car 9.

[0063] Furthermore, after the control panel 11 detects the presence of a person without a fever inside the car 9, it does not cause the car 9 to depart until a release operation is detected. Specifically, the control panel 11 causes the car 9 to depart when a release operation is detected. For example, a medical professional accompanying a person with a fever performs the release operation at the landing 6. Therefore, the person with a fever and the medical professional can ride together inside the car 9.

[0064] Furthermore, the control panel 11 detects that a person with a fever is boarding the car 9. Therefore, the control panel 11 can more reliably detect that a person with a fever is present inside the car 9 at the departure floor of a specific call.

[0065] The elevator system 1 also includes a transmitter 16. The control panel 11 also includes a transmitter 24. When a specific call is generated, the control panel 11 causes the transmitter 16 to issue a notification. Therefore, medical professionals on the specific floor 3a can accurately plan various examinations, secure guidance routes, and other arrangements for receiving patients with fever.

[0066] Furthermore, the control panel 11 includes a notification unit 23. When a specific call is generated, the control panel 11 notifies the feverish person at the landing 6 where the feverish person is detected. This can more reliably prevent the feverish person from touching the operation panel.

[0067] Furthermore, when a specific call is generated, the control panel 11 notifies the user of a request to get off the car 9. Therefore, the elevator system 1 can allow users inside the car 9 to quickly get off the car 9. Consequently, the spread of infectious diseases can be suppressed.

[0068] Furthermore, the specific floor 3a is the floor where the medical institution 2a is located. Therefore, the elevator system 1 can quickly transport a person infected with an infectious disease to the medical institution 2a.

[0069] Furthermore, the elevator system 1 may be an elevator system without the machine room 5 .

[0070] Alternatively, the temperature detection unit 20 and the call generation unit 21 may be provided not in the control panel 11 but in a group control unit serving as a control device. In this case, the elevator system 1 is provided with multiple cars. The group control unit may generate a specific call using the same functions as the temperature detection unit 20 and the call generation unit 21. The group control unit may then determine an appropriate car from among the multiple cars and assign the specific call to that car. In this case, for example, the group control unit may determine the car with the fewest passengers as the appropriate car.

[0071] Next, use Figure 4 An example of hardware constituting the control panel 11 will be described.

[0072] Figure 4 This is a hardware configuration diagram of the control panel of the elevator system in the first embodiment.

[0073] Each function of the control panel 11 can be realized by a processing circuit. For example, the processing circuit has at least one processor 100a and at least one memory 100b. For example, the processing circuit has at least one dedicated hardware 200.

[0074] When the processing circuit includes at least one processor 100a and at least one memory 100b, the various functions of the control panel 11 are implemented using software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. At least one of the software and firmware is described as a program. At least one of the software and firmware is stored in the at least one memory 100b. The at least one processor 100a reads and executes the program stored in the at least one memory 100b, thereby implementing the various functions of the control panel 11. The at least one processor 100a is also referred to as a central processing unit, processing unit, computing unit, microprocessor, microcomputer, or DSP. For example, the at least one memory 100b may be a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM, or EEPROM, or a magnetic disk, floppy disk, optical disk, high-density disk, minidisc, or DVD.

[0075] When the processing circuit comprises at least one dedicated hardware component 200, the processing circuit may be implemented, for example, as a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof. For example, each function of the control panel 11 may be implemented separately by the processing circuit. For example, each function of the control panel 11 may be implemented collectively by the processing circuit.

[0076] Each function of the control panel 11 may be partially implemented by dedicated hardware 200 and partially implemented by software or firmware. For example, the function of detecting a user's body temperature from a temperature image may be implemented by a processing circuit in dedicated hardware 200, while functions other than detecting a user's body temperature from a temperature image may be implemented by at least one processor 100a reading and executing a program stored in at least one memory 100b.

[0077] In this manner, the processing circuit implements various functions of detecting the user's body temperature based on the temperature image through hardware 200 , software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0078] Industrial applicability

[0079] As described above, the elevator system of the present disclosure can be used as an elevator in a building where a medical institution is located.

[0080] Description of labels

[0081] 1: Elevator system; 2: Building; 2a: Medical institution; 3a: Specific floor; 3b: General floor; 4: Hoistway; 5: Machine room; 6: Landing; 7: Traction machine; 8: Main rope; 9: Car; 10: Counterweight; 11: Control panel; 12: Landing camera; 13: Landing alarm; 14: Car camera; 15: Car alarm; 16: Transmitter; 20: Temperature detection unit; 21: Call generation unit; 22: Operation control unit; 23: Alarm unit; 24: Transmitter; 100a: Processor; 100b: Memory; 200: Hardware.

Claims

1. An elevator system, which is installed in a building having a specific floor among a plurality of floors, wherein: The elevator system comprises: Car; a control device that generates a call for the car; and a landing camera, which is installed at a landing of a floor other than the specific floor among the plurality of floors and captures an image including information on temperature distribution, The control device has: a temperature detection unit for detecting the presence of a feverish person having a body temperature equal to or higher than a body temperature threshold value at the landing based on an image of the landing captured by the landing camera; as well as A call generating unit generates a specific call from the hall to the specific floor when the presence of the person having a fever is detected at the hall.

2. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein: The elevator system further comprises a car camera, which is arranged in the car and takes an image containing information on temperature distribution. The control device further includes an operation control unit, which controls the operation of the car. The temperature detection unit detects that a non-fever person having a body temperature lower than the body temperature threshold is present inside the car based on an image of the interior of the car captured by the car camera, When the presence of the non-heat-generating person in the car is detected when the car stops at the landing, the operation control unit does not cause the car to start.

3. The elevator system according to claim 2, wherein: After detecting that the non-heat-generating person is present inside the car when the car stops at the landing, the operation control section does not cause the car to depart until a release operation is detected.

4. The elevator system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The temperature detection unit detects that the person having a fever has boarded the car after the specific call is generated, based on an image of the interior of the car captured by the car camera.

5. The elevator system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The elevator system further includes a transmitter, which is installed at the specific floor and notifies that the person with fever has arrived at the specific floor using the car. The control device further includes a transmitter configured to cause the transmitter to make a report when the specific call is generated.

6. The elevator system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The control device further includes a notification unit configured to notify, when the specific call is generated, the fever-bearing person at the hall that the specific call to the specific floor is generated.

7. The elevator system according to claim 6, wherein: When the specific call is generated, the notification unit notifies the interior of the car of a request to get off at the landing.

8. The elevator system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The specific floor is the floor where the medical institution is located.

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